Migmate 150 DP curtain wire as liner?

[aesmith]

Hi,

New member here with a SIP Migmate Dual Purpose, and a bit dismayed to see that these machines seem to be so poorly regarded. Still, it's what I have and it will mainly be used for household work, garden tool and machinery repairs, gates etc.

I'm intending to replace the liner, to see if I can get the wire feed a bit less picky. Are there any disadvantages to using curtain wire as I've seen suggested, rather than purpose made metal liner?

I should be able to get to a local welding supplier in the next couple of days, as I need more wire anyway. I don't know if they'll be able to assist with mods to a hobby machine, whereas I can pick up the curtain wire from any hardware shop.

Thanks, Tony S

 

[BrokenBiker]

never heard of curtain wire being used, but then again i don't use or work with sip machines.

i would imagine curtain wire would be difficult to install whereas a proper steel liner is just a case of pulling the old out, trimming new to fit then pushing it in

 

[aesmith]

... a proper steel liner is just a case of pulling the old out, trimming new to fit then pushing it in

I wasn't sure that would be the case given that the standard liner is plastic, for example the article on this site specifically says that eurotorch liner won't fit, but doesn't spell out exactly what will fit. I'm pretty sure I've seen a couple of people on here saying they used curtain wire, and the other suggestion was bicycle outer cable (might be too large I/D though).

Tony S

 

[BrokenBiker]

most hobby units have a plastic liner. When they wear people replace them with steel liners. I'm sure weld equip sell steel liners for.hobby torches

 

[Flapdisk]

I replaced my liner with a steel curtain wire, fits straight in with no difficulty at all, and works really well.

 

[Robotstar5]

A few on here have used curtain wire as a liner, try your local poundshop?

 

[aesmith]

A few on here have used curtain wire as a liner, try your local poundshop?

Thanks, now you're talking my sort of money! Seriously Weldequip looks like a useful outfit, I was looking at their auto helmets.

 

[Hitch]

Looks the same as net curtain wires, but what about the inside dimensions?
There is a couple of different size liners available, I guess the i/d is different in them.
For only a couple of quid, you should be able to buy the proper thing.

 

[skotl]

Thanks, now you're talking my sort of money! Seriously Weldequip looks like a useful outfit, I was looking at their auto helmets.

I bought my liner from weldequip, along with some other bits and bods, and he's great - Steve's happy to talk through with you anything that you don't understand, or want advice on.

I suspect the checkout operator at Poundland will be marginally less knowledgeable about welding products

 

[aesmith]

OK, curtain wire liner now fitted, I'll see how it works but it seems OK and free running. The visit to the welding specialist turned out to be a bust, they had really very little stuff and it looked like it was aimed at much more serious users than me, most of their MIG wire in 15kg reels for example, and replacement liners for their welders were £39.00+VAT (I didn't bother asking if that would fit my SIP). They did have a special offer on ESAB auto helmets, that was quite tempting.

Aside from that it looks like I might be forced to go mail order for my bits after all, so if the curtain wire turns out to be a waste of £2 then I'll be onto Weldequipe for the real thing. If I add that so an order for some consumables the postage won't really be a factor.

 

[masleeve]

My SIP Migmate worked with curtain wire as a liner for a good few years before I upgraded to a Euro Torch.
As long as you got the brass ends to fit on it properly it should be trouble free.

 

[Sean]

Hi,

New member here with a SIP Migmate Dual Purpose, and a bit dismayed to see that these machines seem to be so poorly regarded.
..
I'm intending to replace the liner, to see if I can get the wire feed a bit less picky. Are there any disadvantages to using curtain wire
..
Thanks, Tony S

yup poorly regarded by a lot of people that havn't used one OK its cheaply made but my 105 welded no worse than a Cebora, its in no way the same league as the industrial machines and its unfair to try to compare them.

curtain wire, tried it but found it was too flexy and crawling about inside a car with it the umbilical twisted and kinked causing the same wire feed problems it was supposed to fix, in reality under a tenner for a steel liner from weldquip or your local MM its a bit of a no brainer.

 

[Jan]

After cutting it down a bit I fitted a pukka 3 metre steel liner to my SIP machine. Along with the wire feed bracing mod it now feeds perfectly at all available amperages.

4 quid well spent!