carwhisperer
New Member
- Messages
- 2
- Location
- Oregon Coast, USA
I saw a writeup about a guy who added a spool gun to his MIG machine but kept the original gun. He could run steel through the OE feed system or aluminum in the spool gun, just by flipping a switch. I'd like to do the same. I have a cheap Harbor Freight 230V welder (I'm on the Oregon Coast, USA) with Argon. Previously I had a nice Eastman MIG machine with a spool gun and a second machine for steel. I'd like to think I'm downsizing, thus only one machine to weld both.
Anyway, as I understand it, the biggest issue is finding a spool gun whose motor runs off the same voltage as the feed motor on the welder. I plan to measure the voltage here today. Other issues include adding a switch or switches to shut off gun 1 while running gun 2. A further issue is that my cheap machine does not have a gas solenoid on the machine. The gas is turned off and on in the gun (actually I don't know how it works, whether it is a mechanical valve operated by the gun trigger, or something else). I suppose I would need a spool gun whose method for valving the gas is the same as what I have now./
Has anyone else done this, added a spool gun to a machine while keeping the original equipment gun?

Anyway, as I understand it, the biggest issue is finding a spool gun whose motor runs off the same voltage as the feed motor on the welder. I plan to measure the voltage here today. Other issues include adding a switch or switches to shut off gun 1 while running gun 2. A further issue is that my cheap machine does not have a gas solenoid on the machine. The gas is turned off and on in the gun (actually I don't know how it works, whether it is a mechanical valve operated by the gun trigger, or something else). I suppose I would need a spool gun whose method for valving the gas is the same as what I have now./
Has anyone else done this, added a spool gun to a machine while keeping the original equipment gun?





