length of gas hose....

[smashweld]

would having the gas bottles stationary (alu, steel...looking in to doing stainless) with a long gas hose affect the performance at all? the bottles are slightly heavy!!

would a 10m hose be ok?

cheers

 

[Hood]

As far as I can see it is fine, used to do it a lot when working on the boats on the slipway or in the harbour before I got the spool gun.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

the bottles are slightly heavy!!

I extended the hose on my ArgoShield Light bottle for just that reason, but only needed to do it by 4 metres - no effect on machine performance at all.

 

[gordon stephenson]

Also check your flow with a peashooter gauge for best results,

 

[smashweld]

Just remember to purge accounting for the extra length.

no idea what that means!

clean an accountants hosepipe?!

 

[gordon stephenson]

It just means allow a bit longer time to purge the gas through the longer line when first welding after the gas has been turned off etc,

 

[monkeh]

he just means make sure the air has been purged from the hose before you weld.

 

[smashweld]

ah, it all makes sense now...I googled 'purge accounting' and got confused

 

[smashweld]

cool, appreciated!

 

[smashweld]

ok, got me thinking...

never even considered it, but if the valve to let the gas through is in the welder (it must be!!?) would air only get in the hose if the gas is turned off every session? or when changing bottles?

 

[Hood]

ok, got me thinking...

never even considered it, but if the valve to let the gas through is in the welder (it must be!!?) would air only get in the hose if the gas is turned off every session? or when changing bottles?

All valves and connections leak to some extent so when you turn off the bottle after welding then the chances are the next time you turn it on there will be at least a mix of air and gas in the hose so you need to purge.

 

[smashweld]

thanks hood...pdg....can you tell welding isn't my 1st trade!..there's a peashooter gauge like mentioned but it was set by trial and error (not touching it after it was set!) no real understanding of what should read what

I'll have a look at it tomorrow and be back with more questions!

 

[Hood]

This is what a peashooter is like, it is used to test the flow directly on the gun/torch, that way you know the flow of the gas coming out is what you want.

 

[Jim Davey]

Search for tip flow meter. Peashooter isn't really the best thing to google.

 

[smashweld]

cheers...this isn't the actual gauge but it's more like this
https://www.picclickimg.com/d/l400/...on-Argon-CO2-Mig-Tig-Flow-Meter-Regulator.jpg

peashooter looks like a standalone thing?

 

[Jim Davey]

It is a standalone thing, and it's cheaper and more relevant to measure flow at the torch, than it is to measure it back at the bottle.

 

[smashweld]

ah, ok tip meter, def don't have one of those!

thanks

 

[skotl]

Search for tip flow meter. Peashooter isn't really the best thing to google.

I need to go wash my eyes...

 

[dannyp]

i regualy run 30 mtrs of gas hose, but run the reg pressure higher and have a flow meter on the back of the wire feed to adjust my gas flow in with to save the massive purge each time you hit the trigger