CigWeld TransMig Handi-Spool Setup (This is not a question - it's more an answer)
During the last decade of the 20th century, I purchased a CigWeld TransMig 180. It has done a fine job but one aspect of it always annoyed me. I have always used the smaller 200 mm spools but the way these are fitted always seemed to be an afterthought.
This is the mounting instruction from the manual. It is basically the same as mounting the larger spool but because the 200 mm spool is half with of the larger spool, it is significantly offset from the wire feeder entry point. To move the spool over and align the wire feed, a Clip Handi Spool is passed through the spindle and engages the with the hole in the spool to stop it from freewheeling.
I have never liked this method of securing a Handi-spool – it is fiddly to use and there was a lot of backlash.
I decided it was time I did something about it. My first thought was to mount an empty spool behind the good one and use it as a spacer. Unfortunately, the empty spool was just a bit too wide, and I couldn’t insert the R-clip on the end of the spindle – I would have to actually make something.
After a bit of a hunt, I assembled a short section of 140 x 40mm PAR, a 111 & 51mm hole saws and a short piece of 10mm dowel. A new spacer appeared shortly afterwards.
New spacer with pin to locate the Handi-Spool.
Reverse side – hole drilled for dowel goes right through to engage with the pin intended to locate the 300 mm spool.
Spacer fitted ready for the Handi-Spool to be fitted.
Handi-Spool fitted and aligned with the wire feeder.
I should have done that last century!
Jack
During the last decade of the 20th century, I purchased a CigWeld TransMig 180. It has done a fine job but one aspect of it always annoyed me. I have always used the smaller 200 mm spools but the way these are fitted always seemed to be an afterthought.
This is the mounting instruction from the manual. It is basically the same as mounting the larger spool but because the 200 mm spool is half with of the larger spool, it is significantly offset from the wire feeder entry point. To move the spool over and align the wire feed, a Clip Handi Spool is passed through the spindle and engages the with the hole in the spool to stop it from freewheeling.
I have never liked this method of securing a Handi-spool – it is fiddly to use and there was a lot of backlash.
I decided it was time I did something about it. My first thought was to mount an empty spool behind the good one and use it as a spacer. Unfortunately, the empty spool was just a bit too wide, and I couldn’t insert the R-clip on the end of the spindle – I would have to actually make something.
After a bit of a hunt, I assembled a short section of 140 x 40mm PAR, a 111 & 51mm hole saws and a short piece of 10mm dowel. A new spacer appeared shortly afterwards.
New spacer with pin to locate the Handi-Spool.
Reverse side – hole drilled for dowel goes right through to engage with the pin intended to locate the 300 mm spool.
Spacer fitted ready for the Handi-Spool to be fitted.
Handi-Spool fitted and aligned with the wire feeder.
I should have done that last century!
Jack