Hi,
i have been finding my welding has been producing large amounts of splatter lately and I don't know why?
I am building a racing car out of cds tube, making sure all joints fit well and are clean but the end result is ruined by splatter?
Thanks Barry
Argoshield Light would be the ideal gas Barry (up to around 4mm). Use Anti-Spatter Spray to prevent the spatter from sticking to the job & check for any loose connections on earth & torch leads that could be causing poor power transfer & resulting in the spatter. Could also be a gas supply problem...are the welds porous?
weldequip
Hi,
thanks for the reply. I will look into the gas. Is it available through BOC outlets? The welds dont seem to be pourus, just making a mess with the splatter.
I might try fitting a new electric plug and earth clamp tomorrow?
Is there different qaulity welding wire available? Have never looked into that?
Many thanks Barry
I'm assuming the tubing is around 2-3mm Barry? in which case Light is the best stuff...Universal above 4mm, up to around 10mm. Could well be poor quality wire or slightly rusty if it's been sat in the workshop unused. Also coatings/lubricants on the tube. Checking connections to the earth clamp & replacing if needed is inexpensive & should be done periodically...all kinds of annoying trouble caused by poor earths. Also get some Anti-Spatter Spray on the job...100% easier dressing off & weld appearance
Doesn't sound like a gas flow problem if there's no porosity.
Is this a problem that has suddenly developed??
weldequip
Thanks, wish I had found this forum ages ago.
I have never used anti splatter, do you spray it on the area you are about to weld? Does this affect weld qauility?
Many thanks Barry
cds is normally around 4mm thicks, well all the stuff i have is. Probaly as weldequip says bad quality wire. There is some very cheap nasty chinese and indian wire floating around. Post a couple of pics that might help
Yes just spray a light film over the area before welding & it prevents the spatter beads from adhering to the work surface...they just brush/chip off easily after welding. Again, there's different qualities so you might try one or two different ones before settling on a favourite ("Clean-Weld" is one of the best).
weldequip
Hmmmm
I wonder if a loose connection somewhere could cause that???
I was prompted to wonder this because when I got my MIG back from someone I loaned it to recently, I noticed that the small bolt that holds the work-lead wire to the clamp (and makes the electrical connection) had worked itself quite loose. I spotted it only because it caused the insulation to melt near the loose joint. I tighten it again before trying to weld.
I used an anti-spatter dip which works very well for the tip of the gun. This probably does not apply to your problem but the dip helps keep the nozzle clean.
hi,
Have fitted new plug and earth lead. Seems slightly better but not 100 % happy. I will have a look tomorrow and see what make it is. I was beginning to wonder if diferent qaulities are available? What do you recommend?
Cheers Barry
The original poster said he was using gas, but nowhere is the type of wire mentioned.
If he somehow, inadvertently put a spool of flux core wire in his welder he would get more spatter than normal. It may be highly unlikely he's using flux wire, but it's certainly not impossible. That's why I asked.
Using anti-spatter spray probably isn't the answer, it's only getting around the problem not solving it. It can also affect the strength of the weld ( e.g. on a garden gate it wouldn't matter and would help de-spatter, on a role cage made from 701 tube where weld strength would important, probably not a good idea) Try every thing else first, gas type and flow, settings , connections,type and quality of wire etc. A new tip, usually works for me.