Clarke 100EN turbo Gasless problems

[-Rebel-]

Hi all,

New member with a problem, lol.

When I'm trying to weld, the wire flows from the torch freely but only arc's enough to make the wire glow orange, rather than the usual eye burning white glow. It also seems to have become a lot noisier than usual when pulling the torch trigger.

I've checked all the connections and the earth. The machine itself lives in the garage where it has done for a number of years now and was last used about a month ago, some of the wire was a bit discoloured (oxidised?) and I've removed that from the reel back to clean wire, still won't weld though.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

[malcolm]

It's probably worth measuring a couple of things. With the machine set to the settings you would normally use to weld your favourite thickness of steel what is the wire speed in metres/min (measure that by pulling the trigger for a minute and measuring the length of wire that comes out) and what's the open circuit voltage (DC voltage between the contact tip and the earth clamp when you are not welding). Also what thickness of steel do those settings apply to.

Hopefully with that info we can point you towards the bit that's not working properly. Though if it's a noisy wire feed chances are the wire isn't moving fast enough and the orange glow is the wire burning back. Opening the wire compartment is the noise coming from the motor? Else there are a couple of wire feed ideas on http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/sip-wirefeed.htm

 

[shenion]

Sounds like it may have a bad rectifier diode.

 

[-Rebel-]

Thanks to both of you,

I've measured the wire speed and it flows at 5.5 metres per min (does that seem excessive?). the thickness of steel that the settings apply to is just car body work thickness. I'm not sure how to measure the DC voltage between the contact clip and earth point, I don't have a voltmeter. Also not sure what is meant by the term wire burning back.

When the wire contacts the metal it does spark but them just sticks to the metal and starts to glow like a light bulb filament while still flowing from the torch.
I don't think it's the wire feed motor thats noisy, it sounds ok when not trying to weld, just seems noisier than usual when trying to weld.

Also no idea about the possibility of a bad rectifier diode, don't know what one is