shrouds and tips

[busdennis]

how often should they be changed
ive just bust my 2 day old clarke welder as the tip snapped in the end of the swan neck

2 nd question being is there a fault with my technique?

 

[Wozzaaah]

Dennis, how did you manage to do that on a 2 day old machine? Regarding changing tips and shrouds, tips when they get worn or when you get a major burnback and shrouds when they get damaged or the insulation gets breached with spatter and it becomes 'live'.
If there's no way of getting the broken piece out then you'll probably need a new swan-neck .
Regarding a fault with your technique it's impossible to say as you haven't described your technique .

 

[Sparkey]

Hehe! what did you do with it, to snap it off like that??? did you tap on the workbench??
Well, for the tips, you change them if they become really used, or sometimes it feels like the wire is stuttering you might want to change the tip...
The shrouds have a longer live usually, if you clean them often they last longer... once they start sticking to your workpiece they are quite used...

 

[Sparkey]

Blimey woz! you're quick tonight! beat me to it!!

 

[Wozzaaah]

I'm like greased lightning Sparks!
I'm guessing Dennis had a burnback and tapped the tip on the bench or workpiece to try to clear it?
Come on Dennis, tell us, tell us!

 

[busdennis]

wire feed stopped working
tried to take the shroud off, no go.
had to use some mole grips
tip came of with the shroud, snap clean at the swan neck

 

[Wozzaaah]

Hehe, whoops!
Weldequip will have a replacement swan-neck or MM also keep them in stock if you can't wait for one to be posted .

 

[wyn]

Sheared a tip off on my 151TE this afternoon.

It sheared of about 3mm in while i was trying to change it when hot.

Removed swan neck and valve from torch then drilled the tip 3.5 mm. with the swan neck liner removed, dug about a bit, the remainder sort of fell out. Run a 5mm tap down it to make sure. Blew everything out with compressed air, put it all back together... sorted

 

[Sparkey]

Et Voilà!! good job wyn!
I must admit it has never happened to me (yet) and i change them often when they're hot...

 

[wyn]

I think i had it set up with the wire speed a bit slow, and it burnt back and jammed in the tip.

The only trouble now is i must have flatened out the springy metal switch thing and i'm having to really pull on the trigger to get the wire feed to kick in. Looks like i'll have to take it apart again tomorrow and "persuade" it back into the right shape.

 

[busdennis]

Hehe, whoops!
Weldequip will have a replacement swan-neck or MM also keep them in stock if you can't wait for one to be posted .

weldequip will be the man(also got my welder from him)

theres no machine mart within 50 miles of scarborough

 

[Paul.]

What sometimes happens, is if the contact tip isn't tight in the neck it will arc in the threads and weld itself in, Ive seen it happen with Tig torch collet bodies as well.