Need help with gas fitting on gas/no gas small mig welder

[Guybrush]

Hello. I recently bought a used Northern Industrial 125 gas/no gas mig welder. It did not bring the equipment for a gas setup. No hose or regulator. The model I bought was discontinued and replaced by only a flux core model so I haven't been able to find a manual.

Anyway, I am curious about setting up the gas but I do not recognize the fitting on the back of it to connect the hose. Here are some pictures.

Someone told me the fitting on the outside part looks broken, but it doesn't seem like it. However, if that were the case I would not mind removing that part of the fitting and threading in another one. But I don't really know what fittings I need for a standard gas hose (i don't know which hose I need or should get) or if fittings with certain specifications are used for gas.

Thanks in advance...

 

[mike 109444]

Hi and welcome Guybrush. I should think any hose of correct size will do. Unless that fitting goes streight onto the gas valve then you could do away with it and take new hose streight through the hole (left by removing it) and connect streight on to the gas valve. Rember the Pressure (which is probley whast concirning you) will be very low as it will be after the gas cylinder regulator at 10 liters per min you are looking at a tiny amount. Just take a look at the tube used on the welders equiped for the disposible gas cylinders and see how light duty it is!

 

[octo0072000]

try one of these should do he has other regs for argon and co2
allways found weldequip good with bits

http://www.weldequip.com/argonmix-conversion-kit-se.htm

 

[Guybrush]

Hi again. I opened up the other side of the welder and the clear line goes back into the wire feed assembly or gun so I don't think I can run a hose all the way in. Good thing I opened it up because I discovered the exhaust fan had fallen off.

Does the fitting on that weldequip hose linked to plug into the male fitting that is in my picture? I have never seen them before.

If not, what other fitting should I use? A hose barb fitting and then a rubber hose and a clamp?

Sorry, I'm kind of lost with all this. I put this in the newbie section for that reason but it was moved to this section. I have worked with fittings on cars for oil/gas/vacuum, but not this so I am not familiar with hose or fittings rated for gas.

 

[octo0072000]

you need to find out if the plastic tube goes to a soloniod or into the torch some more pictures would be good like of the front panel torch the weldequip fitting should clip onto the thin nylon tube if in doubt ring him

 

[shenion]

That fitting definitely looks broken. Many smaller machines have a 1/4" barb connection.

Take the fitting to your welding gas supplier. They should be able to match one up or sell a matching adapter to whatever the hose on your regulator has.

The fitting is probably metric, so will not be easy to find. The internal hose is probably 4mm OD, so that gives you another option to adapt to.

 

[mike 109444]

Guybush If the pipe inside the m/c goes streight to the tourch then the gas valve is fitted to the tourch gun much like some of the smaller clarke machines so there won't be a solenoid inside for you to remove the pipe from! If you want to take the internal fitting off to take a long with the external fitting then looking at your picture the fitting looks to be one of the rapid fit type and so if you push the blue rin/collar towards the brass fitting, then at same time pull on the pipe it should release. It is held in there by some small blades that dig into the pipe. The more you pull the pipe (with out pushing the blue collar) the more the more it digs in. They can be a pain in the a**. Quick to fit and slow to fix!!

 

[Guybrush]

Thanks for the help guys. I had tried welding with a non-automatic mask but I got flashed a few times so I waited to get an automatic one. I've been practicing a bit and I'm slowly getting better.

Still, I haven't gone out to get this welder fitted for gas. It seems to work "ok" for the stuff I've been doing on exhausts.

One new problem is that my wire is feeding by itself now on occasion. It usually happens when the wire that goes to the gun is in a certain position? Or if pressure is put on it? I'm really not sure. I think the wire speed settings have lost sensitivity as well or are not affecting the speed of which the wire comes out as much as it did before.

 

[Guybrush]

bump. still need help guys.

 

[cracker666]

I replaced my flying 4mm pipe with a 4mm bulkhead fitting.
Looks neater and very similar to this, although this looks like a barb fitting.
I'd go the festo/smc pneumatic 4mm bulkhead route. Quick and easy.
It didn't have to be 4mm it depends on the pipe diameter inside the machine pushed onto the reverse of that fitting, and the feed in pipe diameter.

I replaced mine for a couple of quid.

Like this in the link
http://powder365.ca/store/index.php...id=431&zenid=40b9b6c835535206aee786930e081510

 

[mike 109444]

Guybush It sounds like the switch in the gun may be being operated when the gun or hose to it is flexed or the wires that the switch operates are shorting/touching. If the wires are breaking down then this may also cause your wire feed to be erratic. As from your earler discription of the lack of gas valve inside machine indicating that the valve is in the tourch then I assume the tourch is hard wired into the welder and not detachable like a euro type tourch which would mean a new tourch of the same type or vrey similar (with valve in tourch) if that option is to expensive then a dirty trick would be to run two new wires along the length of the tourch (using tie wrapes every few inches) and connecting at the welder and tourch ends to replace orignal wires. Won't look very nice and is a dirty fix, but cheep!!