flow rate?

[stuartsports05051985]

hello, so decided to ditch the disposable canisters and get some hobbyweld5, along with a new regulator and adaptor hose to fit up to the clarke 151te.

so im generally doing sheet metalwork, so what would be the ideal flow rate? the reg had a green range of 10 to 15.

 

[Shedendman]

Stick it on 10 and you'll be fine
7LPM is ideal so if you want that exact get yourself the following
http://www.weldequip.com/gas-flow-tester.htm
OR
http://www.weldequip.com/flowmeter.htm

 

[waddycall]

Should be good as low as 5 or 6 if indoors. The gauge will be fairly inaccurate though.

 

[Richard.]

Stick it on 10 and you'll be fine
7LPM is ideal so if you want that exact get yourself the following
http://www.weldequip.com/gas-flow-tester.htm
OR
http://www.weldequip.com/flowmeter.htm

7lpm could be a bit light for Mig. I'd stick with 10.

 

[Shedendman]

I work on 7 and go up or down depending as waddycall says in or outdoors afterall the OP is doing sheet,which i take as car?

 

[stuartsports05051985]

hey, would be indoors on car stuff

 

[waddycall]

It kind of depends how frugal you are. If you want to save gas turn it down til you start having issues then wind it up a bit. If money and hassle changing the cylinder isn't important stick it on 10 and leave it.

 

[mike 109444]

Just remember it WON'T blow up if there is NO flow ! So you could experiment starting at a low setting and working up.Poor gas coverage will show as porous welds (will look a bit like a Coco pop !)

 

[mike 109444]

ps when you find a good setting and see the gauge you will note when you release the trigger the reading will go UP because the gauge is a PRESSURE gauge not a true FLOW gauge.
The tube on right of gauges is FLOW.

 

[Mee]

I like a good flow meter personally.

 

[backpurge]

Just be careful not to go too low if you're welding owt critical, a low flow can allow nitrogen ingress into the weld pool which can weaken the parent and weld metal without being low enough to show as porosity

 

[Brad93]

Just remember it WON'T blow up if there is NO flow ! So you could experiment starting at a low setting and working up.Poor gas coverage will show as porous welds (will look a bit like a Coco pop !)

This is fine, as long as you don't start doing important stuff with the same mentality. There is something called embrittlement which may not be immediately apparent from the exterior of the weld.

Edit: Didn't read the whole thread, backpurge beat me to it.

 

[stuartsports05051985]

ok so finally got the pea shooter to test flow rate and as pointed out above, the gauge was not accurate, the pea shooter i have has two scales on it, Ar and Co2. its the hobbyweld 5 i have, so assume i use the Ar scale?

 

[backpurge]

Yep

 

[Paul G]

Good morning, and a Happy New Year to you all.

"The gauge will be fairly inaccurate though." Love that phrase Waddycall. My first smile of 2017. Thanks.


Back to the topic.

A quick eBay search (flow meter) shows a proper flow meter with a 3/8"bsp fitting to fit a reg for £9.20
and a peashooter for £4.60 .

Surely for the ease of use the proper thing is worth the extra, and will be accurate.
The peashooter will under read on a MIG, simply because of the MIG torch isn't designed to seal.
The end of the copper shroud will probably have dings in it from being dropped or from clouts on the edge
of the bench to knock out spatter, and will only be a push on fit anyway.
When the gas flow is restricted by the peashooter gas will also flow down the wire liner back to the machine.
I do have one, but it sits on a shelf covered in a protective layer of dust. My MIG and my TIG are fitted with
flow meters as are the backing lines that I have permanently set up in full view. A quick glance checks levels.
I simply wouldn't faff about with peashooters every time I turn a welder on.

Just my opinion you understand.

Cheers,
Paul G

 

[Richard.]

Good morning, and a Happy New Year to you all.

"The gauge will be fairly inaccurate though." Love that phrase Waddycall. My first smile of 2017. Thanks.


Back to the topic.

A quick eBay search (flow meter) shows a proper flow meter with a 3/8"bsp fitting to fit a reg for £9.20
and a peashooter for £4.60 .

Surely for the ease of use the proper thing is worth the extra, and will be accurate.
The peashooter will under read on a MIG, simply because of the MIG torch isn't designed to seal.
The end of the copper shroud will probably have dings in it from being dropped or from clouts on the edge
of the bench to knock out spatter, and will only be a push on fit anyway.
When the gas flow is restricted by the peashooter gas will also flow down the wire liner back to the machine.
I do have one, but it sits on a shelf covered in a protective layer of dust. My MIG and my TIG are fitted with
flow meters as are the backing lines that I have permanently set up in full view. A quick glance checks levels.
I simply wouldn't faff about with peashooters every time I turn a welder on.

Just my opinion you understand.

Cheers,
Paul G

It's a nice point Paul about a Mig shroud. You ain't gonna get a nice seal like you say once it's had a tap or got spatter on it.
However I do use one for my Tig.
The reason is not because I feel the device is any more or any less accurate than my tubes but because my tubes only measure flow rate on the reg exit. I want to know what I'm getting at the business end. I don't check it every time as once set it can be left alone till I need to change the flow rate or cylinder again (not too often). In theory flow shouldn't change unless you have a leak but I do find a small variation between the tube and the cup. Just over 1/2 lpm lower at the cup usually. Am I doing it right??? Well I don't have flow rate issues and I don't notice any leaks so I don't think I'm doing anything wrong I just prefer to check flow rate where I need it rather than assume it's right from 6mtrs away.
That's just my opinion on them.

 

[Paul G]

You are so lucky Richard.

My work shop is the size that if I stand 6mtrs away from the welder then I am standing outside.

 

[Richard.]

You are so lucky Richard.

My work shop is the size that if I stand 6mtrs away from the welder then I am standing outside.

Mines not big mate. Torch is longer than I need.

 

[Richard.]

I read a post saying you make your own trailing shields or followers Paul. Have you any pics?

 

[Paul G]

I read a post saying you make your own trailing shields or followers Paul. Have you any pics?

As I come across them I'll photograph and start a collection.

Trouble is they are often modified when the next job comes along so bare little resemblance to the original.