Tangled mig wire

[roofman]

Yesterday i bought a 15kg reel of 0.8 wire...today i opened the box and to my alarm it was the steel cage type reels,i hate these reels for the exact reason ime posting this.This is the 2nd time ive used a cage type reel and the 2nd time the wire keeps snarling up..it gets pulled down the sides of the cage when they are full as there is a small amount of flex,this never happens with the plastic solid reels The wire is an ESAB product and will be getting put back on the counter 1st thing monday for a change.Anyone else have the same problem...

 

[8ob]

Yes I have had some of this but MIH who supply it just change it with no quibble, I have also had badly spooled wire on the plastic reels.

Bob

 

[TechnicAl]

ESAB dont do the plastic reels anymore. They havent for a good few years now.

If its wound correctly it shouldnt make any difference.........but you cant see it on the plastic reel

 

[Chris Stevens]

Weird that ESAB are selling MIG wire on spools which means its going to suffer from jams and snarl ups............to be avoided I guess!

 

[TechnicAl]

Weird that ESAB are selling MIG wire on spools which means its going to suffer from jams and snarl ups............to be avoided I guess!

I think everyone gets the odd one wrong...........

 

[Chris Stevens]

I think everyone gets the odd one wrong...........

The OP is suggesting all MIG wire wound on steel cage spools is suspect....................

 

[8ob]

I was not referring to an esab product, I take whatever wire our supplier has at the time. I dont think the steel reels are that courier proof, it takes very little distortion of the cage before the wire drops off the side and subsequent other layers tangle. I dont bother checking the reels but I suppose its worth a gander prior to use.

Bob

 

[Chris Stevens]

OP was 100% correct...............checked ESAB wire wound on steel cage spool, and spool is damaged, which is down to courier damage almost certainly.

 

[roofman]

I checked its function while spooling today and imho its a design disaster...the wire is contained by only the outward pointing wires around each side of the reel...my wire was getting dragged deep into the centre and getting completly snarled up within seconds.

 

[TechnicAl]

I checked its function while spooling today and imho its a design disaster...the wire is contained by only the outward pointing wires around each side of the reel...my wire was getting dragged deep into the centre and getting completly snarled up within seconds.

The wire doesnt touch the basket when its being spooled. Its spooled onto a former where the basket sits. The wire will still hold in place even if there is NO basket but you need the basket to fit it onto a welding set.
If its badly wound its either the Wire (cast and helix) or the Operator who did it.

There are thousands of these baskets used every day so its not a design fault

 

[roofman]

The wire doesnt touch the basket when its being spooled. Its spooled onto a former where the basket sits. The wire will still hold in place even if there is NO basket but you need the basket to fit it onto a welding set.
If its badly wound its either the Wire (cast and helix) or the Operator who did it.

There are thousands of these baskets used every day so its not a design fault

Well on wed ime doing the lotto as ive only ever had 2 wire reels and each one has done the same Al ...this is all on a new lincoln thats had 2 plastic reels through it without a hitch. I wonder if my supplier is buying "seconds or rejected stock"

 

[Twitchyboy]

It's even worse when it happens to a brand new 1mm stainless spool !!!!!

 

[Chris Stevens]

I checked its function while spooling today and imho its a design disaster...the wire is contained by only the outward pointing wires around each side of the reel...my wire was getting dragged deep into the centre and getting completly snarled up within seconds.

Looking at the ESAB wire I have , would agree completely. The wire closest to the cage slips down the side of the spool and jams the wire feed mech up.

 

[roofman]

Looking at the ESAB wire I have , would agree completely. The wire closest to the cage slips down the side of the spool and jams the wire feed mech up.

yep this is the very thing ime getting too

 

[Chris Stevens]

The plastic spools seem relatively rigid, and not likely to get distorted in transit and leave a quite large gap either side, for wire at the edges of the reel to get drawn down into. Must be a very common problem as following email to the seller I bought my ESAB wire from, they agreed to replace it immediately no questions asked.

 

[TechnicAl]

Well on wed ime doing the lotto as ive only ever had 2 wire reels and each one has done the same Al ...this is all on a new lincoln thats had 2 plastic reels through it without a hitch. I wonder if my supplier is buying "seconds or rejected stock"

You maybe the unluckiest man so I wouldnt bother with the lottery

I doubt if its rejected stuff..........it is what it is.......we all make mistakes and they cant test every reel

 

[TechnicAl]

The plastic spools seem relatively rigid, and not likely to get distorted in transit and leave a quite large gap either side, for wire at the edges of the reel to get drawn down into. Must be a very common problem as following email to the seller I bought my ESAB wire from, they agreed to replace it immediately no questions asked.

They would........so would I.........its better than arguing

I used to replace wire I knew was perfect but the customer is always right........you may win the battle but you will probably lose the customer

 

[Chris Stevens]

I cant work out how wire is still going to feed smoothly when its been pulled down to pretty much the centre of the reel, due to loose fitting cage? Wire cages very easily damaged during shipping, when they are distorted nothing to stop wire getting pulled down the side (not that I can see anyway).

 

[TechnicAl]

Because the wire is a stand alone package..........the frame is only to attach it to the machine

Some wire is supplied without the frame but it quite rare these days....

 

[TechnicAl]

The plastic spool is virtually banned in many places. It is recyclable but the infrastructure to do it is not in place so its waste and in a lot of places waste is an expensive commodity.
Therefore the wire basket is the only available form......with centre or without

They are still welding so it must work