Issues welding.

[excossack]

Trying to weld up a frame to mount a trailer board. So broke out the Clarke 100EN turbo MIG and the Co2 and with the settings set as shown below.

Got 3 what I would call decent welds and sounded nice while doing it. Then without changing the settings, the welds started just sitting on the metal and popping.

Ideas people?
I tried cleaning the earth clamp, and also tried clamping the bare wire to the metal. Its a bit annoying.

 

[DrNik]

heres what i would do, get the wire speed knob and wind it 0-10-0-10 quite a few times, its a bit like a radio when it crackles when you turn the volume up and down, the potentiometer that controls wire speed can sort of dry out and stick, this would affect your wire speed being constant, i would also check you have gas coming out, by pressing the trigger and listening for the gas puff, there isnt really anything else your doing that could influence the weld, apart from distance from work piece and speed of weld

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

My clarke 100e does it too, the wire sort of spits out in a big molten mess. The welds then lack penetration and sit on the top and you have to knock the wire feed speed back to get a smooth arc but it is then almost like welding on a lower setting. I bought a SWP redline which is muuuch better. Still nice compared to the 500a ESAB units at work!

 

[excossack]

Good thought on the spinning the wire feed knob., Maybe some electrical contact cleaner?
As for gas, its a full bottle and I can hear the pssst of gas escaping.
The distance of the work piece is the length of the earth lead and length of trigger tube.

 

[excossack]

Glad its not just me then, having the odd issue with the wire feed and your description LMB sounds like mine.
When it works, I think the welds look OK.?

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

Yeah almost likw it is reaching the thermal cutout but then not cuting out?

 

[mike 109444]

If none of the above sorted your machine then you need to look inside for a loose/poor connection.
Disconnect from mains then follow the earth lead into the machine. It should/may connect to what looks like a transformer but is an inductor ie one wire in one out. the lead will prob be connected to this with and eyelet and a nut and bolt. Check this for security. The wire coming out of this transformer looking device will then go on into the machine. Follow this and check connections on route.
Do the same with the tourch. Just inside where the wire feed is should be a thick cable connected to the tourch as it comes in. Check this connection. Now follow this thick cable which should go back to the diode plate where it will be bolted on. Again check this connection. If non of this fixes it then check the spade connections on back of power selector switches.

 

[excossack]

Cheers Mike, I will have a look at the weekend. Ive just ordered a new earth clamp, the type where the wire goes to a screw terminal rather than a crimp connection (like on the current that has jump lead type croc clip)