Just got some free 0.6mm wire

[Davie]

Right guys, bit of advice please.

Just managed to get my hands on a free roll of 0.6mm wire, sent back to where I work because apparently its 'badly wound', there is 1 coil keeps goin back under as it reels off so I'm told. My boss was gonna chuck it in the bin!!!

Now this is a 5kg roll, and whilst I have no problem sitting and rewinding onto a ccouple of spare .9kg roll, how accurate do i need to be?

Also, coz I do so little welding, I use gasless. How well is this likely to weld if I dont use gas? Don't need to do anything 'structural' as such, but I have got a couple of little projects in the pipeline sometime fairly soon.

Cheers chaps

Dave

 

[Bsmith]

Wire for a gas machine will not weld without shielding gas.
Even if somehow you could set up a gas supply your torch and return are the wrong polarity.

 

[KTMMICK]

Not such a bargain or much use if you have no machine!!!!!!

 

[Davie]

I can change the polarity, and like I said, these welds ain't gonna be structural in any way shap or form, they don't even need to be pretty, which is a good job cause my welding definitely ain't nice to look at.

And I COULD set up for gas, just that I use my baby machine so little it really doesnt seem worth it, as I do most of my welding in the garden

 

[rtbcomp]

When you say you use gasless do you have a gassless-only machine or a machine that can take either?

You just answered my question!

I'd get a pub-sized bottle of CO2, that will be cheaper in the long run than using gasless anyway, you may be able to come to some arrangement with yout boss.

 

[Davie]

Yeah, I can change polarity by swapping the leads on thr front, and can fit a gas bottle as well if I wanted to.

Its a Clarke 105EN that i got, just a baby welder like I said but i hardly ever use it.

 

[Bsmith]

Appologies for previous reply. If you can set it up to use gas and change the polarity your ok.

 

[Davie]

No worries fella. Was just trying to find out what issues I might have using normal (not flux cored) wire with no gas.

Like I said, nothing structiral. I'm seriously considering trying to make up a gaming stand to put a steering wheel and pedals on for playing on my PS3. Sad I know, but about the closest I can get to driving like I stole it now I have kids etc etc. My Westfield will have to wait til they grow up and leave home.

And GT5 is due out in March, so I wanna get some practise in on prologue before then.

 

[malcolm]

Steel oxidises very quickly in it's liquid state so needs some sort of shielding. Gasless wire has a flux cure that covers the weld to keep oxygen out.

Mild steel wire is used with a gas shielding, again to keep oxygen and other nasties away from the weld.

If you forget to turn on the gas the weld just vapourises - it ends up as a collapsed mess full of holes and does not penetrate. Masses of spatter, snaps very easily and no fun to use at all.

 

[Davie]

Cheer Malcolm, thats the sort of answer I was after. Gonna be no use trying without gas then.

So its either get some gas and a regulator etc, or see if anyone wants a 5kg reel of wire for beer tokens.

 

[Bigjoe]

Have you gota friendly local watering hole that might let you rent a co2 cylinder from them?

 

[Alfaman]

And GT5 is due out in March,

YEEEESSSSS!!!!! About bloody time too!

Is that the official UK release date? I thought I heard that March 2010 was for Japan

 

[Davie]

just had an idea.

Might have another source. Mum and dad have alot to do with the cricket club I used to play for, and they have a bar, draught beer, CO2 cylinders out the back.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[Alfaman]

local watering hole that might let you rent a co2 cylinder from them?

I thought that the pub bottles had some additional gas added to muck up the weld, so as to stop us 'borrowing' them?

 

[Davie]

Japan been delayed apparently, but rumour has it early March here. Gonna wait til pay day and get it pre ordered somewhere I think

 

[invicta]

Just going back to the original question, what are the possible problems with loading on to smaller spools?

 

[Luke]

I thought that the pub bottles had some additional gas added to muck up the weld, so as to stop us 'borrowing' them?

Lots of pub gas isn't pure CO2, it's got Nitrogen in it. It's not to stop you using it for welding, it's because it makes better bubbles in beer!

Just going back to the original question, what are the possible problems with loading on to smaller spools?

I re-spooled some wire, using an old bicycle frame to provide a mounting frame and decent spooling speeds. As long as you maintain a decent tension and watch the lay of the wire as you spool it on you shouldn't have any problems at all.