New to MIG welding in Dorset

[Tango330]

Hi folks,

I decided to get rid of my gas gauges and oxy bottle hire charges and move to MIG welding. I wanted to weld stainless for my exhausts on my van and my motorbike, and thought it would be easier......not so.

Bought a Clarke 90EN (probably my first mistake?) second hand (definitely my second!), so am now replacing all of the missing and broken bits :-(

Welding seemed to be OK at times and rubbish at others. One minute it would weld OK, and the next I was welding the tip up with a blob of wire, so I think it's the feed which seems to be jerky. Am going to replace the feed pipe next and hope that fixes it.

Great forum! Just wish I'd found it earlier!

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Welcome, whereabouts in Dorset are you?

 

[Monkey Harris]

i must admit ..

ive not done any welding in Dorset either ...

Hi folks,

I decided to get rid of my gas gauges and oxy bottle hire charges and move to MIG welding. I wanted to weld stainless for my exhausts on my van and my motorbike, and thought it would be easier......not so.

Bought a Clarke 90EN (probably my first mistake?) second hand (definitely my second!), so am now replacing all of the missing and broken bits :-(

Welding seemed to be OK at times and rubbish at others. One minute it would weld OK, and the next I was welding the tip up with a blob of wire, so I think it's the feed which seems to be jerky. Am going to replace the feed pipe next and hope that fixes it.

Great forum! Just wish I'd found it earlier!

i have read,,
that on some of the cheaper welders, the wire feed loses some power when the arc strikes ..

 

[Tango330]

Thanks Guys, new feed pipe arrived, am considering a new feed gearbox if that doesn't work, but I'm now worried that it might just be a characteristic of the machine

I'm in Cranborne

 

[Cobbler]

The Clarke is generally thought to be a good machine, at 90 amps fine for sheet metal, but not powerful enough for heavier stuff. The feed system should be trouble free, but the grease may have solidified if it's years old, so it may pay to relubricate te gearbox. I think you will find if you fit a metal liner instead of the plastic "windscreen washer" tube you will have a good usable bit of kit. It's a well proven design.