Flux core to MIG ?

[sardine]

Been offered one of these for free with a broken torch, whats the liklihood of it being able to convert to gas with a gas valve torch or gas soloniod and a Euro torch ?


I don't want another electfical project that turns out to be a PITA but I could use a mini mig for sheet metal. I have a spare Euro torch, gas solonoid and Co2 bottle and regulator.

 

[eddie49]

Sometimes the torches fitted to "gasless only" MIGs actually do have a valve inside.
If not, and since this one is apparently broken anyway, it would be easy enough to replace it with a gas-valve torch, and add a connector to the end of the gas hose. Some work will have to be done inside with cables and busbars, to reverse the polarity.
For a Eurotorch conversion, you will probably need to fit the socket into an external "bracket", since there may be no room inside the case. The same goes for the gas solenoid - no space inside.
As for getting power to your solenoid, that depends on its operating voltage. Maybe need to add a relay, driven by, for example, the wirefeed motor power source.
With a single dial on the front panel, this MIG is synergic. Let's hope that the pre-programmed volts-to-wirespeed ratios are also applicable to solid wire with gas....!

Alternatively, get it for free, fix the broken torch, sell it, and buy a non-gasless MIG.

 

[BrokenBiker]

its quite easy...firstly, check the torch to see if it has a manual valve behind the trigger, if it does, just plumb gas into the tube that feeds that valve.

if it doesnt have a valve, buy a torch that does, then plumb gas into that. speed fittings work well.

electrically, the torch only has 3 connections. the main, large, cable that feeds the contact tip, then 2 smaller wires that operate the trigger. but generally the torch switch will just swap straight over and the main wire will just be a simple fitting.

as for internal wiring to convert from gasless to gas, you simply swap the connections between torch and ground. for gasless you will have the torch negative, for normal mig you want torch positive.

thats it really.

 

[Rrobson]

The main problem is polarity. As others have said, flux core runs the opposite polarity to gas shielded. It may not be straightforward to swap over, and could involve opening the case, chopping and extending wires etc. not impossible but not necessarily easy.

For the torch, you could possibly look at a Clarke style torch with an internal valve, otherwise you are into fitting a euro socket with a gas solenoid etc, and even though it’s a free machine, honestly won’t be worth the hassle.