Hobbie welder with 0.6 wire issues

[Pengelly]

Hi guys I have been having issues with my welder its a Clarke hobbie welder using 0.6 wire with gas mix argon/c02.

I can't seem to get a good weld when welding body work thin metal.

But if I use a friends 3phase pro mig welder with like 1.2 wire or larger used for making big ass metal gates I can weld Thin body work easy with a little bit of setting up the welder power and feed.

Do you think upgrading my wire size on my hobbie welder would help and maybe a different gas?

 

[Tom Orrow L]

Hi guys I have been having issues with my welder its a Clarke hobbie welder using 0.6 wire with gas mix argon/c02.

I can't seem to get a good weld when welding body work thin metal.

But if I use a friends 3phase pro mig welder with like 1.2 wire or larger used for making big ass metal gates I can weld Thin body work easy with a little bit of setting up the welder power and feed.

Do you think upgrading my wire size on my hobbie welder would help and maybe a different gas?

Do you know what the low end amps wise of your clarke mig is? Might be slightly too hot for think body work.
Having said that, even if the 3 phase MIG's low end is 15/20 Amps I'm not sure how you're running 1.2MM wire on that.

 

[atomant48]

Should be absolutely fine. Try min/1 and wire speed about 6. Make sure gas is coming out etc too. Got a good earth? The supplied ones on those are not that easy to use.

 

[cumbriasteve]

The wire feed on the Clarke machines, well mine at least, is super sensitive.

If I am welding nicely at say a speed of 6.5, a perfect hiss, very little splatter, laying perfect runs and I then move it to 6.75, which is obviously only a quarter of a mark, it can affect the weld something terrible.

There is nothing wrong with the machine, the wire tension is spot on and all torch parts as they should be, it's just the most sensitive wire control I have ever known, but once used to it, it's a great machine.

 

[Pengelly]

Thanks for the replys guys!

My Clarke is a 135te turbo have tried most settings and found I need to use a higher power setting to even get a weld? Since changing to a argon mix gas but using just co2 gas I was able to use a lower setting is this correct I though argon mix was better to use on sheet metal lower power needed?

Could it be an issue with my sheet metal its galved but I do clean it before welding but maybe it's still contaminating the weld?

I am getting a lot of splatter too? More than I used to on other projects with co2 gas and recycled metal from old car panels instead of new metal that's been galvanized?

 

[mike 109444]

Q what is the problem you are having !
Burn through ?
Weld building up, not penetrating ?
Intermittent arc ?
More info needed

 

[mike 109444]

CO2 does run a bit hotter

 

[Pengelly]

Q what is the problem you are having !
Burn through ?
Weld building up, not penetrating ?
Intermittent arc ?
More info needed

All of the obove!

Some times even struggle to just get a nice tack weld!

 

[Pengelly]

That's what I did with the 3phase mig setup for thick metal! But with my Clarke I can't get any where near a neat weld or the consistency!

 

[mike 109444]

The Clarke will have a much much smaller feed motor than the 3 phase. The smooth feed of the wire is key to getting a STABLE arc and maintaining it!
It does not take much to stop this working correctly on a small machine.
The basics should be done 1st
New tip
new liner
check and remake ground clamp connections
clean the feed roller inc groove (don't oil!)
check roller/shaft is running true
different brand of wire ?
You might find upping to 0.8 wire would feed a bit better as it is a bit stiffer. (rem get tip to match and flip roller to correct groove)

 

[Screwdriver]

But yes, 0.6mm is devilishly more difficult to weld with than 0.8mm. There is a massive difference I found though I am a relative newbie to MIG. Don't forget, with MIG in particular, you need a really good earth...

S.

Ps and when I was using disposable gas bottles, I measured my flow rate with everything maxed out wide open. 3lpm !