I haven't a clue!

[RRidgeback]

Hi, can someone please suggest where the hell I'm going wrong? I bought a Clarke Mig welder off ebay and whatever settings I try, the wire sparks and immediately welds itself to the inside of the tip. I started with a bottle of CO2 and have changed to Argon today but I still can't get the hang of it!! I imagine it's all down to technique, but I've watched the tutorials and am currently lost! PS ignore the hole in the steel in the photo - that's not from my welding attempts! Thanks in advance

 

[weldequip]

Does it continually burn back to the tip even when you turn up the wire speed?
weldequip

 

[RRidgeback]

Yes, I've tried all speeds, though the wire feed doesn't seem to always run nice and smoothly. I've bought a new reel of wire (0.8) and made sure it's freely feeding into the tensioner.

 

[Wozzaaah]

I shouldn't laugh but that definitely is the prize winner for the worst sample pic ever submitted!
A few things look amiss, one is that the voltage looks too low for that thickness of steel. Another is that you may be holding the torch too far from the workpiece, you really should be looking at a gap between the tip and the workpiece of around 10mm. When you say argon are you talking pure argon or mix? For mild steel you want a mix of argon and CO2 for the best results. If the wire is sticking to the tip then you might also want to give the torch a service, (new liner and new tip), that may help a lot. It could also be that the welder has a fault which is why it was on ebay in the first place .

 

[malcolm]

Looks like you are holding the torch much too far away from the work. Tip should only be 6mm away (approx).

Have you got the tensioner roller set to 0.8mm? There should be 2 grooves, one will be 0.6mm and the other 0.8mm. Also is the contact tip 0.8mm? 0.8mm wire will go through a 0.6mm contact tip but would stick as soon as you start welding.

 

[weldequip]

Yes, I've tried all speeds, though the wire feed doesn't seem to always run nice and smoothly. I've bought a new reel of wire (0.8) and made sure it's freely feeding into the tensioner.

Your torch want's a good service... new lining etc.
Also check the condition of the earth clamp, is there still plenty of 'spring' left in it + what's the cable connection to the clamp like?
weldequip

 

[RRidgeback]

I've turned the tensioner round so it's on the 0.8 side and have tried various distances as it was happening up close. I'll try on some thinner steel and see if I keep getting the issue. Thanks for all the speedy replies!!

 

[weldequip]

Those lengths of wire on the job, do they just stick & 'glow' without you being able to start a run (weld)?
weldequip

 

[RRidgeback]

Yes, a soon as they make contact they're sticking in the shield. Obviously the long ones are where I've tried from further away.

 

[weldequip]

Service your torch
weldequip

 

[RRidgeback]

Nice one - I'll get it sorted and try some thinner steel and report back. Thanks all for the replies

 

[malcolm]

Makes sense to do a torch service on any secondhand welder. See this page for what's involved. Weldequip (above) is a good person to buy the bits from. Metal liner is the way forward (yours might be plastic). Get some decent tips from him too.

Problem is probably going to be too much resistance on the wire. When the tip heats up it grips the wire a little, so if there's a lot of resistance anyway it can be pushed over the edge and stop. If you've followed the wire feed setup page that should have the roller and reel tensioners about right, so it's the wire liner or tip.

It is a new tip isn't it? Not some old distorted wire gripping tip.

Thin metal isn't going to make a difference.

 

[Drains]

Is the contact tip a 0.8 mill'er?

 

[gavuk]

where in wilts are u ?

 

[RRidgeback]

Not sure about the size of the contact tip - I had the same problem with the 0.6 wire that came with the welder so thought I'd try 0.8 through it. Gavuk, I'm in Faringdon.

 

[shenion]

Sounds to me like you might have an open diode in the rectifier bridge. Or maybe a bad connection in the torch or feeder.

You can test it with a car tailight connected to the torch tip and ground. If it glows real bright or blows out then it is ok. if it is dim then it probably is a bad diode. Should measure about 18V DC with a meter and a load.

Usually torch/feed problems will cause the wire to burn back to the tip. A new liner may be a good idea anyway on a used machine.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Not sure about the size of the contact tip - I had the same problem with the 0.6 wire that came with the welder so thought I'd try 0.8 through it. Gavuk, I'm in Faringdon.

Hehe, us Wilts boys are taking over! If you were a bit closer I'd offer to take a look but I'm about 50 miles from you so not really practical.

 

[Drav]

What welder is it? Looks like the metal may be too thick for your power settings. Unless its a 135+ get some thinner metal, say 1.5 or 2mm.

 

[RRidgeback]

Okay - so I serviced the welder and got it working correctly - only for the wire feed to suddenly stop working!
On inspecting the circuit board, I could see what looked like a burnt through resistor. Because I could only see the outside 2 bands I wasn't sure which resistor to replace it with. I've tried a few and have one that will get 12V to the motor on minimum power and more with the higher settings. Here's where I'm stumped - the motor seems to be fine - it will work off a 12V battery, however connect it back to the welder with 12V going through it - it won't work!! Is this some AC/DC issue? Anyone out there with decent sparky knowledge any idea? PS the welder is a Clarke 150TE

 

[peterd51]

Hi,

I've just had a look on my Clarke 150TE and the circuit board is completely different to yours. Looks like a re-design at some time, mines about 5 years old, so be aware that you may find the 'wrong' information if you get hold of any circuit diagram, etc.

Regards
Peter