welding gun, connector, and plug for MIG-35 feeder

[Discoman]

so anyways, I have a MIG-35 feeder, Linde/ESAB made.
I need to get the welding gun for it, 400 amp type, the feeder adapter, and the trigger lead plug assembly (the cord that connects the trigger to the twist-lock on the feeder)

are these parts correct? and are these reasonable prices?
i don't want to replace the twist-lock plug on the feeder, and the gun connector is broken (somehow...), and will all these aprts be the correct parts for the feeder, and will they fit together?
connector:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ESAB-Connector-...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25555bdf3e
cord:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ESAB-Trigger-Le...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25579224f3
gun:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ESAB-Gun-Master...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item255573ffbe


thanks!

 

[shenion]

What type of gun connection does it have now? If it has a separate connecton for the trigger, then it is not likely a Eurotorch.

Jeez, $600 for a eurotorch socket? That is insane.

As for a gun, look for a Tweco #4 gun with an Eurotorch connection. Have seen them on ebay, sold one for $100. You can get a Parweld equivalent for about $140 new (www.weldingdepot.com).

Post some picts of what you have.

 

[casement]

I joined just to answer this post!

Post pics of the feeder you own. The older pre-ESAB feeders should take Tweco guns, not the Euro backend.

ESAB tech support is decent in the US, fortunate since their website, Facebook page, and other customer "resources" reflect indifference to the people who buy their products! Management should visit the Hobart and Miller forums to see examples of inexpensive and useful community support, but all they have is a fecal Facebook page full of adverts and light on content that was obviously NOT put together by weldors.

Ahem. Sorry. Had to rant.

You can download their manual from:

http://www.esabna.com/us/en/support/downloads/index.cfm

I have a MIG-35 but I'll let you dig for the manual because, trust me, you'll NEED the experience.

Do not buy the insanely priced torch socket. Those prices are part of the successful effort by ESAB not to sell very much gear in the US, which is justifying their movement of arc equipment production back across the pond.

Your MIG-35 can take a standard Tweco-backed gun instead of that Euro gun, so you can avoid buying the very nice but insanely expensive ESAB guns with their expensive consumables. (I like my ESAB equipment, but don't think much of the company which absorbed and killed some excellent US makers and is a mixture of clueless and consumer-unfriendly. Too bad none of the ESAB management will ever read this post.)

You may be wondering how to adapt a Tweco gun to the ESAB feeder.

Buy one of these nicely made plugs

Hubbell HBL7465V Midget Twist Lock Plug ML-1P 15 Amp

online and connect it to the Tweco pigtail. Order any Tweco-backed

(note, MUST have the separate, removable Tweco-style twin blade connector cable to use the separate Tweco part number below)

gun WITH a pigtail and chop off the welder-side connector, or order just the pigtail

Tweco AK-534 plug available from Airgas among others and connect the plug to it.

The plug is reusable so save it if the gun goes bad.

You can use the MIG-35 manual to select an Outlet Guide to fit your desired Tweco gun backend, and to order feed rollers if needed for your desired size wire. Call ESAB tech support (phone number is on back page of manuals) for information. To order, call the Scott Gross company who has what I've found to be the best prices on ESAB parts. Ignore their Ebay adverts, go to the website, and PHONE a human. Their sales folks are friendly and helpful.

Note that Tweco #4 is the same as the NAS style ESAB also uses. I advise asking for info to adapt NAS guns instead of Tweco since they may not technically support that option. I like ESAB tech support, but I'm careful around any company since I want to be the friendly customer they WANT to help.

The best US forum for those interested in such machines is weldingweb, but the hobart forums and millerwelds forums are excellent too.

If you are a machinist, you can (if needed) easily do what this bright fellow did for a Clarke machine. Very cool:

http://www.shdesigns.org/Craftsman-12x36/tweco.shtml

 

[shenion]

If you need a Hubbel 7465V, I have one you can have for postage.

Thanks, casement, I did not take time to look in my Tweco catalog for the parts info on the adapter. I did want to see what was there to start with. Have seen several modified with different torch connections. Tweco seems most common on older stuff..

I use Tweco guns and have a #1 and #4.

 

[casement]

I had to come up with the Tweco cable with the Hubbell plug since Tweco doesn't sell that combo any more. (I'm standardizing our fleet on Tweco guns, this connector combo will work with MM260s too.)

You ain't far away, I'm near Manning, SC.

 

[Discoman]

and i just found out: i posted the wrong socket.
the correct one for adapting the master gun 400 i was looking at is around $200
the $600 monster is for their mig-41 gun-something i do not want.

it has a tweco adapter on it, but the adapter is damaged. well, rusty and pitted, the tip where the wire would enter it is corroded and falling apart, and the gas hose is cracked in spots, and the screws where the power cord would connect are rusted all the way down. the previous owner didn't run the wire from the welder to the lug on the unit, then another wire from the lug to the adapter.

I planned on getting the tweco GM400 and the tweco piece for the feeder-i don't want to bother trying to clean up the current one.

oh and how do i remove the drive wheels? they are rusty and the screw on them only turns the wheels, it won't come out.

 

[Discoman]

You can download their manual from:

http://www.esabna.com/us/en/support/downloads/index.cfm

I have a MIG-35 but I'll let you dig for the manual because, trust me, you'll NEED the experience.

all i have to say is this:
http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=mig-35+wire+feeder+manual

 

[Discoman]

oh and for welding power cord connections, does anyone know anything about these?

http://www.meltric.com/html/other-plugs-receptacles.html#ws

meltric has cable plugs for the regular cables and power plugs just for welders. are they any good?

 

[shenion]

I use Tweco connectors on mine, common and inexpensive. My local gas/welding supplier has them at a good price.

I use the MPC1 but MPC2 seems more common.

 

[casement]

Ditto on the Tweco-style connectors.
Later ESABs use the Dinse-style plugs, both are inexpensive.

We have a bunch of the ESAB Gunmaster 400s.
Nice guns, consumables are higher than generic Tweco. We use Tweco #4 backend Tweco 400A guns for that reason and so we can use the same gun on our Lincoln and Miller MIGs.

The latest ESAB Gunmaster 400 NASs have the Hubbell-style end on the pigtail, but the blade end that fits in the backend of the cable has the blades rotated 90-degrees from the Tweco rotation, so make sure you get the pigtail.

all i have to say is this:
http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-...+feeder+manual

Your Google-fu is good. I am pleased.

oh and how do i remove the drive wheels? they are rusty and the screw on them only turns the wheels, it won't come out.

I'd let the screw soak with penetrant, hold screwdriver in the slot, tap it firmly quite a few times with a light hammer (think "vibrate", not "smash"), then soak some more. You might hold the wheels with something that won't injure them and try to break the screw loose.

 

[Discoman]

got it.

and for the embarrassing yet got to make sure question, left hand or right hand thread?

i did try both.

i got some good penetrating oil, saved the frozen dial (inductance dial frozed in place)

 

[casement]

Conventional thread.

The question isn't embarrassing, because the only stupid question is one unasked.

If you have to really grip the feed rollers, I'd use a vise-grip and take care to avoid the wire groove area.

What power source are you running? Just curious.

 

[Discoman]

the power for the feeder is my A.O. Smith welder
old machine, looks to be working fine.
does need a plug. and receptacle. and power run out to it (which i'm hoping to complete in the next week or two)
oh and the volt gauge is damaged, general electric TO-91 voltmeter, 0-50 volt
http://www.flickr.com/photos/colepaquette/4533478680/
one of the unit on the carrier it came with.

 

[Discoman]

how about this for a tweco gun?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Tweco-4-Mig-Gun...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5acf5cbeb8
it just needs the wire to connect to the twist-lock plug on my feeder, and the feeder adapter. should be cheaper than new ESAB parts.

 

[shenion]

That is expensive for a used gun.

This is more reasonable.

 

[casement]

I agree with Shenion on the price. Get a standard gun, they work fine, take standard liners and standard parts. A MIG gun is basically a "consumable" so get one you can thrash and not feel bad when parts replacement time comes around. There isn't much to them and they are easy to work on.

I've no personal experience with Parweld guns, but if it takes Tweco consumables then it can use generic Tweco-style consumables and life is good.

The confusion is because a gun may have a Tweco-style backend yet take consumables that are totally different depending on the actual gun.

I advise getting lots of tips, several nozzles, a few diffusers, and a few insulators. You'll have them handy as needed and this beats doing individual orders.

 

[Discoman]

okay. about the feeder rolls...I need some help identifying the size of them.
i think i can clean them off-i have some special cleaner just for their problem.

the gap in the one roll is slightly smaller than the thickness of one U.S. dime. and i mean, BARELY thinner.
about what size wire would that be?

 

[Discoman]

and I must have something wrong, the auction is showing as a tweco gun with no parweld or powerweld appearing, and showing as a new tweco #4 gun sold due to overstock.

 

[shenion]

He was talking about the one I linked to.

I see new #4 Tweco guns for $200-300. The one you linked to is seems high.

I paid $50 for a brand new Tweco #1 gun on ebay.

The Parweld gun uses Tweco consumables so you can get parts anywhere.

 

[casement]

Hmmm.
If there were any MIG wire handy, you could insert some in the feeder and see the smallest diameter it'll pull.

The distance you describe is about right for .045 diameter wire, which is a common size for feeder use.