MIG Wire Size

[Wendelspanswick]

Most of the time I run 0.8mm wire in my TecArc 231 MIG, occasionally I will run 0.6mm for car body stuff if I can be bothered to change it.
I am going to be welding structural steels and my welder came with 1.0mm and 1.2mm rollers, is there any power advantage in swapping to a thicker wire or is it just that you can move the torch quicker/wind the wire speed down.
I was planning on getting a 15kg spool of 1.0mm, would 1.2mm be pushing it on a 230amp mig?

 

[Kent]

some as the thicker wire can carry more juice, just do a proper test run if its structural for the obvious. Any bigger than 1mm too much for single phase imo

 

[Bede]

What are you doing that's structural with a 230 amp?

I run 1mm on my Tradesmig 230 but I don't weld much with it.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

What are you doing that's structural with a 230 amp?

I run 1mm on my Tradesmig 230 but I don't weld much with it.

Building a barn with 203mm*102mm*23kg/m universal beams, base plates and haunch plates are 12mm.

 

[HughF]

You can run a higher voltage without going into spray with the larger wires so you can work out of position. .8 will get into spray with 75/25 at around 25-26v iirc from a job I ran a few months back. Obviously with 90/10 it will be in spray a fair bit lower than that

 

[Kent]

Building a barn with 203mm*102mm*23kg/m universal beams, base plates and haunch plates are 12mm.

Stick weld it, your pushing the envelope.

 

[Bede]

Yeah. 230 amp won't give much penetration on the base plates. 1.2 won't run very well on a mig of that size.

 

[Richard.]

It will weld it but not penetrate fully into the 12mm. A 300amp unit would be more suitable for that plate and 1.2dia wire. I'd do it with 3.2/4.0mm low hys and that way you know it's strong. Did you not just purchase a new 200amp mma unit? That would be perfect.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

It will weld it but not penetrate fully into the 12mm. A 300amp unit would be more suitable for that plate and 1.2dia wire. I'd do it with 3.2/4.0mm low hys and that way you know it's strong. Did you not just purchase a new 200amp mma unit? That would be perfect.

Yes that was one of my reasons in buying the GYSMI 200, I want to keep all my options open when fabbing the structure.
I will use the MMA for the heavier sections and the MIG for anything I can get away with.
No answer though to my question about whether going up a wire size increases/decreases or doesn't change the maximum power available?

 

[Richard.]

Well a bigger wire carries more current having a bigger surface area but 230 amps is probably more suited to a smaller wire. A 1mm wire with 200 amps behind it will penetrate deeper than a 1.2 with 200 amps as the smaller wires tend to cut in more.

 

[Richard.]

Your not going to get any more amperage out of the machine by putting a larger wire on. 200 amps is 200 amps even if you send it through 5mm nail. You could try a flux cored wire you can get into spray transfer at around 180amps with a 1.2 fcw and with a rutile fcw you can keep in the spray transfer for all positions

 

[Kent]

Yes that was one of my reasons in buying the GYSMI 200, I want to keep all my options open when fabbing the structure.
I will use the MMA for the heavier sections and the MIG for anything I can get away with.
No answer though to my question about whether going up a wire size increases/decreases or doesn't change the maximum power available?

The limiting factor is the single phase supply 1.0mm is the max in gas shielded solid wire. its just like sticking a 6mm rod into that new stick plant you wont burn it right enough for a sound viable weld but you will likely get it lit .

 

[norlander]

I have the Gys 162 mig.I have run 1.2 fc on it on the dodgy french single phase, no problem.
I think I have the 1.2 with me, if I have the time, I'll do a back to back with the 0.8fc that's on the machine now.
I welded up some 8mm yesterday, and used stick,3.2 rods.
I weld stuff up by gut feeling and seat of me pants like most part time/hobby blokes I guess. I did a couple of years apprenticeship in fabrication of structural steelwork, and, I have a gut feeling that MMA is the process better suited to FoS but the pros use MIG
-bloomin big uns of course,which us home welders would not need or could afford.
There is a recent thread on here, where the gent is fabbing up a meaty bit of kit with MIG, and he has done some acid etching and has not been happy with the results.
Gut feeling for what you want to do with the kit you have is use stick. But don't ask me for technical explikaishuns why .

 

[Richard.]

I have the Gys 162 mig.I have run 1.2 fc on it on the dodgy french single phase, no problem.
I think I have the 1.2 with me, if I have the time, I'll do a back to back with the 0.8fc that's on the machine now.
I welded up some 8mm yesterday, and used stick,3.2 rods.
I weld stuff up by gut feeling and seat of me pants like most part time/hobby blokes I guess. I did a couple of years apprenticeship in fabrication of structural steelwork, and, I have a gut feeling that MMA is the process better suited to FoS but the pros use MIG
-bloomin big uns of course,which us home welders would not need or could afford.
There is a recent thread on here, where the gent is fabbing up a meaty bit of kit with MIG, and he has done some acid etching and has not been happy with the results.
Gut feeling for what you want to do with the kit you have is use stick. But don't ask me for technical explikaishuns why .

Is the fcw your referring to gas shielded? I would recommend a gas shielded rutile flux cored wire if going to a 1.2 size. Something like an ESAB 15:14 with an 80/20 mix. The beauty of a wire like this is the current is passed through the strip on the outside enabling the user to step up on filler size with lower current. Deposition rates are increased somewhat and because the wire produces a good slag on top it can be used in spray transfer in other positions even Vup and the metal holds nicely. It's another option to consider.

 

[norlander]

Sorry Richard, I forgot to reply. Afaik, it's fc, not much info on the packaging.
Also have not had chance to do a comparison.I am also wondering if my torch liner is okay for the 1.2 as I had problems loading up the 0.9 fc and 0.8 stainless after dismounting the 1.2

 

[Richard.]

1.2 wire even FC is too big for a gys 162. You won't have the current available to run it properly.

 

[norlander]

It runs and burns the 1.2 no problem. The front panel includes settings for 1.2. A 1.2 serrated roller is included in the kit with the machine.
I sorted the liner,I had not cut the end of the 1.2 neatly, and when feeding it through, it had nudged the liner up the hose.
Easy fix.

 

[dan.taylor.1]

The 1.2 isn't for ally or gasless wire is it?

 

[Richard.]

Gasless wire is flux cored but not all flux cored wire is gasless. The ones I suggest to use wouldn't be gasless.
1.2 Alu wire would certainly need more current than the 162 is capable of to run it properly.
The knurled feed rollers norlander said come with the machine are for flux cored wire.

 

[norlander]

The 1.2 isn't for ally or gasless wire is it?

It's for gas less, there are three panels on the 162, for steel with gas,wire sizes are 0.6,0.8 and 1.0.
For aluminium, 0.8 and 1.0.
For gas less, 0.9 and 1.2.
Being me,and in France, I am running 0.8 gas less and don't have an 0.8 knurled roller,but its running okay, and minimum tension on the rollers.