what exactly did I just buy?

[Discoman]

okay mates, just visited my local restore and bought a used welder(?)
it says on the front cobramatic 110v MIG welder.
it has a push-pull water cooled gun attached, power cables into the rear of the device are cut, and the water hose into the rear is cut. the ancient linde regulator has broken dial covers (eh, it's too old to be safe)
the wire conduit is not in the sleeve for the gun, the retaining screw for the conduit is missing, the last person to use it had aluminum wire and knurled flux rollers in the gun. ouch. so the gun is full of tiny slivers of aluminum. also, there is a mysterious stud on the back of the unit.
it says MIG welder on the front, but may i have actually bought a wire feeder that requires an external welder?
does anyone know anything about old cobramatics?
oh, and it cost about £21. restore has to be the best place ever

 

[Hitch]

Can you upload a few pictures of it for us?

 

[shenion]

Would be a wire feeder. Probably built like a tank.

You'll need a power source for it. Most you'll find are 3-phase as most single-phase have the feeder built in.

Yes, pictures would be nice.

Have had a few old wire feeders here (I use a 35+ year-old Airco feeder.) They go for decent money on ebay.

 

[TechnicAl]

Cobramatics were speicifically for Aluminium. Either spool gun or push-pull torch.

 

[Discoman]

Cobramatics were speicifically for Aluminium. Either spool gun or push-pull torch.

Oh........
If that is so, then why were there serrated rollers in it? They fit the gun, but they really did a number on the aluminum wire. I thought the serrated rolls were for cored wire only?

Camera isn't working, so I cant get pictures of the unit uploaded.

 

[Hitch]

I think most of the machines designed for ally use knurled rollers. Virtually no pressure required. Seem to recall someone saying the roller was a one size fits all in that sort of setup, regardless of what diameter wire you put in.
I think the MIG we use for ally now and then uses knurled rollers.

 

[matt1978]

Knurled rollers are for Flux wires. Alu, should have like a U shaped groove and conventional material like Steel and CrNi have a V shape.

 

[Discoman]

The second bit then-exactly how do I clean out all the metal shavings from the gun? I was thinking goggles and an air compressor, as the rollers are well sealed from the motor, so nothing should get into the motor and short it out.

 

[arceyered]

The last one I saw was twenty years ago at the GEC stafford ? It was used for ALLY welding .It had feed rollers in the feed unit and also in the gun handle to stop the wire kinking up in the liner and was water cooled.
It did a lot of work but was a pig to service