Just done my first gas conversion on my MIG

[SiPMerlin150]

Hi everyone, just finished converting my MIG over from gasless to now use gas. I've dabbled with gasless wire for a while now at home, and use gas MIG at work. I love the minimal cleanup and better looking weld beads.

I initially purchased a 600gm disposable CO2 cylinder and regulator (BOO! I know, ) I'll be opening up a BOC account and get a 2ltr cylinder of argo shield and a regulator from the stockroom in work to fit onto the BOC bottle.

I've uprated the gas hose fron the 2mm stuff found in hobby MIGs and used a 6mm hose, for better gas flow, routed the hose through two drilled holes in the welder unit case and up through the inner sleeve of the torch cable to the valve block in the trigger assembly. All joints are sealed gas tight, no leaks.

I need to swap the polarity around inside to torch positive and finally I need to get some 0.6 or 0.8mm solid wire, as all I have lying around is Murex 1mm and even though the mig will feed and use it, You can just tell it isn't happy burning it.

Heres a pick of the result. As the weld progresses you can see as the gas bleeds in the weld bead begins to form as the gas forms a sheild.

Again, its a 130 amp MIG on the wrong polarity with 1mm wire and CO2

 

[Wozzaaah]

Good work on the welder but there was no need to run 6mm line right to the torch, the 4mm stuff is fitted in most welders and works perfectly well.
One question, why didn't you do a continuous run on that test piece instead of several blobs? That would have got you better penetration.
You need to work on your torch control too, you've missed most of the joint.

 

[SiPMerlin150]

Good work on the welder but there was no need to run 6mm line right to the torch, the 4mm stuff is fitted in most welders and works perfectly well.
One question, why didn't you do a continuous run on that test piece instead of several blobs? That would have got you better penetration.
You need to work on your torch control too, you've missed most of the joint.

Yeah, I would try but the 1mm wire tends to keep popping the fuse on the MIG, its trying to draw too much power to melt the wire and the fuse doesn't like it.

You're right on the torch movement, its missed the corner rather completely! I'll go ahead and do another one and see whe I get.

 

[oilcooled :)]

Why in the name of god would you have 1 mm wire in a 130 amp Mig ? :/

 

[Wozzaaah]

A 130 amp welder can only put out 130 amps which a 13A fuse should be able to handle unless the powercraft is unique in some way?

I know this thread's not about your welds but you need to point the wire more towards the actual joint, you're biased way too far towards the bottom piece and even the bits where you've caught the top piece you've only just caught it.

 

[SiPMerlin150]

A 130 amp welder can only put out 130 amps which a 13A fuse should be able to handle unless the powercraft is unique in some way?

I know this thread's not about your welds but you need to point the wire more towards the actual joint, you're biased way too far towards the bottom piece and even the bits where you've caught the top piece you've only just caught it.

All advice is appreciated Woz, I'll go back outside and do another piece have a little play around with my toy. Wonder how long this cylinder will last..

 

[Wozzaaah]

Not long!!
You'll be back posting on here before you know it.

 

[SiPMerlin150]

Not long!!
You'll be back posting on here before you know it.

Yeah, well I've not emptied the cylinder, just given up on using this 1mm wire on this MIG, haha! I should of bought some 0.6mm today, but didn't.

The 1mm was just lying around and would be perfect for the lincoln 185 but that project can be kept on hold for now. The feeder is a little erratic to say the least and the welder is making some loud buzzing noises as its welding with this stuff, its struggling (not surprisingly!)

Heres what I managed before I got fed up...weren't long!

Both way to cold, no penetration awful beads with undercut and no fusion...Gas coverage is ok though, and thats about it!

 

[SiPMerlin150]

Why in the name of god would you have 1 mm wire in a 130 amp Mig ? :/

It was the only stuff I had lying around so I wanted to try out my new conversion to gas on this MIG. I wouldn't normally use 1mm in this toy welder!

 

[oilcooled :)]

it was the only stuff i had lying around so i wanted to try out my new conversion to gas on this mig. I wouldn't normally use 1mm in this toy welder!

got ya

 

[SiPMerlin150]

got ya

Though to be honest sometimes I do things that seem questionable..

 

[Wozzaaah]

Hehe, you're destined to be one of life's tinkerers!
I'll bet you're the sort of person who wanted tools for presents as a kid, like me?

 

[oilcooled :)]

Hehe, you're destined to be one of life's tinkerers!
I'll bet you're the sort of person who wanted tools for presents as a kid, like me?

That's 3 of us so

 

[SiPMerlin150]

Hehe, you're destined to be one of life's tinkerers!
I'll bet you're the sort of person who wanted tools for presents as a kid, like me?

I wanted a wood working set, and chemistry sets, microscopes when I were a kid, but I was most content a unscrewing everything just about possible to see how they worked... That mania still takes place even today..

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

Haha! same here, Still at it too, Tools and car bits tomorrow hopefully. The closest I got to toys was lego or meccano maybe! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf6mWQ8QreA This is pretty clever though!

 

[SiPMerlin150]

Haha! same here, Still at it too, Tools and car bits tomorrow hopefully. The closest I got to toys was lego or meccano maybe! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf6mWQ8QreA This is pretty clever though!

Chilhood memories, yes I had two mechano sets, never really used to follow instructions, just went ahead and tryed making all kinds of contaptions (I made a mini lawnmower that actually cut grass!)

 

[SiPMerlin150]

So I managed to carefully swap over the polarity of this welder I have and I had to make some snips and wire extending whilst carefully not being clumsy and breaking something like I usually do...

I bought some 0.6mm SIP (Boo! again, I know) solid MIG wire but couldn't source any 0.6mm tips in Halfords for my welder. So I'm struggling to do anything with a 0.8mm tips, The wire will arc, burn back and stick at the tip, A quick tap on the desk will release burned wire stuck on the tip. This happens no matter how slow or fast the wire speed is set.

 

[SiPMerlin150]

Also, I failed to mention that the gun trigger is now set to a 'two stage system' meaning that I can half squeeze in the trigger, purge the shroud and weld area for a second or for how long I see fit to reduce the risk of a initial start up porosity. Squeeze the trigger in all the way and operates like normal

 

[wheresmejumper]

and post flow aswell obviously!

 

[SiPMerlin150]

and post flow aswell obviously!

Is that good? It aint a Tig, hehe! Just the daft burnback problem thats getting me all worked up.