Spits and stutters before clean arc

[Flapdisk]

Hi Guys, I was welding today and my MIG has developed an annoying feature.

new metal and clean, Volkzone BOC mix gas supply 130 migmate with all the mods done. Still the original torch though.

As the wire touches the metal it sort of blows bits out of the wire causing more wire to have to come out to strike the arc again, this causes a sort of stuttering and spitting, then withing a few seconds a stable sizling arc arrives and were away, does it every time at the start of the welds.

I can't reduce power or I get no penetration and certainly can't increase it as it blows holes.

 

[Bill Edwards]

I think you've a wire feed problem. I think it's too slow, is there anything that may be making it reluctant to feed? Have you tried just turning it up a little?

 

[Flapdisk]

Hi Bill, wouldn't surprise me being a 130 Migmate, but I have done the liner to metal and the torch liner was already metal and I took it apart yesterday and checked it was clean, and it was. I haven't given the feed motor it's own supply, but I did the braces in the feed rollers, trouble with turning it up is that after the first few seconds of spitting and it's settled into a stable arc it would then be too high? I will try it a bit tomorrow.

 

[mike 109444]

Sounds like you might have a poor connection. Earth lead or internal connection or worn tip all could cause a poor connection on initial strike

 

[BrokenBiker]

check the connection of the power lead inside the torch. sometimes works loose if you throw the torch about or hang it on things. my old cebora torch was a nightmare for it

 

[Flapdisk]

Thanks Mike and BB I will check today. Bob

 

[shed or dead]

Does the wire reel turn freely?

My Clarke 150 can't feed from a 5kg, it's just too heavy, and gives a similar experience to yours when attempted.

Or, the other thing that springs to mind...
With the wirefeed cover off, strike and maintain an arc whilst looking away from the weldweld, and look at the reel and wire feed. See if there is slack in the wire initially which could be feeding too fast until the slack is gone, at which point it stabilises.

 

[Bill Edwards]

^^
That's a good thing to check. When you stop welding the wire reel may continue to spin slightly giving this slack, allowing a faster wire speed until the slack is taken up and the reel spins.

 

[Flapdisk]

Yes that's a very good idea Shed thanks. I will check that, All the electrical connections were ok I checked them today.

 

[BrokenBiker]

if all electrical connections are good then it comes down to either a dying wire feed motor (unlikely, they tend to just go) or there is drag somewhere along the lines

 

[Flapdisk]

You could well be right BB mate, to be honest I am looking at this GYS Smartmig 162 at the moment... Droool

 

[BrokenBiker]

I like the look of the gys. I was on the verge of buying one but as usual money was needed elsewhere

 

[Flapdisk]

Well to be honest mate, although what there is to read reports it as being a good welder. Or is that just the people who are trying to sell it?
if you really think about it, it is just another standard Transformer Rectifier and wire drive motor unit and it only has four settings. the front would have looked very bare indeed with two small switches and a knob so some bright spark had the idea of sticking the pretty multi coloured panel on it, which makes it look real fancy and high tech, although all it is is a table to show you what positions to put the switches in for different thicknesses and metals.

Granted it has the Euro torch, and reports to have a very good high powered wire drive, which certainly are good points, but does it really merit nearly £400? Apparently it doesn't even come rigged for gas!

 

[BrokenBiker]

in sure norlander has just bought one, might be worth throwing him a pm and asking his opinions on it.

the table in the front may look quite simple but there will have been a lot of time and effort gone into to finding the ideal settings for material type, thickness, wire thickness etc. Although these settings will alter with different gasses, i.e. Co2 welds hotter, which us why it isn't recommended for car bodies, so the settings will need to be tweaked down a bit.

but i would still prefer a gys smart mig than a fully synergic machine, i have tried 2 and couldn't get on with them at all

 

[Flapdisk]

Ok BB thanks for that I will send him one. Also you were spot on with the problem above, I looked this morning and the screw in the centre of the reel had fallen out and the spring had fallen of so the large reel was freewheeling. Well done mate, thanks.