foxbasher Posted September 11 Report Share Posted September 11 Evening all, I managed to get away from my old stick welder and bought a mig. I'm running flux core at the mo as I'm welding outside on the farm and it's blowing a gale. I'm welding joist hangers to beams for an extension were building on the bungalow and it's seems to be going ok but occasionally I get the arc jumping back up the wire to the tip of the torch🤔 Most of the welds don't look too bad but any advice appreciated Their just short runs to hold joist hangers in place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted September 11 Report Share Posted September 11 ive done alot of MIG welding....always used co2 =2%argon as a wetting agent......never used and have steered clear of gaslessMIG those welds are totally fine....good shape and no porosity......im really quite surprised you have done those welds using gasless MIG spot on ..........no HAZ either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbasher Posted September 11 Author Report Share Posted September 11 I had a few problems with the wire jamming occasionally, it's only a cheap machine but seems to work ok when you get it dialled in. With the amount of welding I do it's not worth me spending mega money on a setup, despite how much Id like to🤔 When I get five minutes I'm going to swing by the scrap yard and grab a load of different off cuts to have a mess around with it in the garage over the winter. Bit of practice welding with the wood burner going 👌 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted September 11 Report Share Posted September 11 Hello, I would look at changing the Liner that the mig wire goes through if it is like those curtain hangers, they clog up the inside that is why the wire jams, You can get Teflon liners, about £15, Not forgetting the Anti Spatter Spray on the Tips, Lidl have some in now as well as a Plasma Cutter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbasher Posted September 11 Author Report Share Posted September 11 Funnily enough I bought one of the plasma cutters from Lidl at the weekend. I took it back after opening the box and seeing that it had the round blue 20amp plug on it. I've got a 20 amp feed in the garage but I needed it for at the farm too and they only have 13mp in the garage and barn🤦 I think the liner on mine is the metal spiral type. I'll take a look on line and find a replacement 👍👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted September 11 Report Share Posted September 11 (edited) 16 minutes ago, foxbasher said: Funnily enough I bought one of the plasma cutters from Lidl at the weekend. I took it back after opening the box and seeing that it had the round blue 20amp plug on it. I've got a 20 amp feed in the garage but I needed it for at the farm too and they only have 13mp in the garage and barn🤦 I think the liner on mine is the metal spiral type. I'll take a look on line and find a replacement 👍👍 Hello, Yes most of these small migs have a metal spiral like the old curtain hangers, easy to change to the Teflon type, Lidl have some Anti Spatter Spray about £3 a tin, Water and Oil based, Ideal to spray on the tips, and the gas type wire on the spool as it stop the tarnishing, Could you not make a 20 amp to 13 amp lead ? Edited September 11 by oldypigeonpopper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted September 11 Report Share Posted September 11 check another 2 things.. if the wire is burning back ...increase your wire speed check the steel serrated drive wheels are clean (not clogged) and you are in the right groove and as oldypigeonpopper says clean the line out.....give it some serious taps and blow out with compressed air....you might see a big puff of black/brown dust come out.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonty Posted September 12 Report Share Posted September 12 As a newbie welder, I,can’t offer any advice or tips. But….. I will say - I wish my welds looked as good as yours 👍 I’d say you’re going great guns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted September 12 Report Share Posted September 12 Hello, Let us know how it goes if you get a new liner or sort the curly wire, I have tried no gas mig welding, its a bit spitty but like you have done can produce a fair weld, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbasher Posted September 12 Author Report Share Posted September 12 I had another play today and it ran a lot better when I released some of the pressure on the wire feed arm. The welder is new and I think when the wire was passing over the feed wheel it was almost imprinting the serrations on to the wire, I think this is what was catching on the liner When I started using the welder I thought it was awful as it produced more spatter than weld. Found out later that with flux core you have to reverse the polarity, the torch has to be negative and the clamp has to be positive. The opposite of what is the norm. Swapping them over was an instant improvement. The weld in the photo I posted was from a cheap machine I bought for chucking in the van when I have to fix something at the farm or elsewhere. It's disposable enough at the price but spares are peanuts on the bay so why not🤷 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/273877930650 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted September 12 Report Share Posted September 12 Hello, , That looks a nice welder, Prices are very much better since I bought my first Mig Welder in the 1980s, Mine was a Cebora ??, glad you got it sorted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbasher Posted September 12 Author Report Share Posted September 12 I had a snap on/cebora mig 140 and part of the wire feed assembly broke. Snap on and cebora stopped supplying the parts as spares, the last company providing the part wanted £160 😱😱 That's the main reason I went for the cheaper unit as I could buy a complete new welder for the price of a part. I keep this one as a mobile unit and I've got the next model up in the garage as a permanent fixture This is my garage unit, it only arrived last week so I've not had a chance to really test it yet https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inverter-Welder-Synergic-Gasless-Welding/dp/B0CXNGH1RQ/ref=asc_df_B0CXNGH1RQ/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697257156448&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8077274577321399825&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007336&hvtargid=pla-2299720685518&psc=1&mcid=9d89a9a73a1f3017bbb969e09564b4fd&gad_source=1 Again.... For the price it's a bit of a no brainer if I get a couple of years of hobby welding out of it The work I did this week has already paid for the mobile one and I'm only half a spool of wire in to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbasher Posted September 12 Author Report Share Posted September 12 The masks that come in the box with these welders are an absolute pile of poop but I've been using a cheap auto darkening one off the bay for the last two years and it's done me well, just make sure it's one that has an accessable battery compartment. They contain one or two cr2032 batteries that need changing every now and then👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonty Posted September 13 Report Share Posted September 13 On 11/09/2024 at 22:55, foxbasher said: Funnily enough I bought one of the plasma cutters from Lidl at the weekend. I took it back after opening the box and seeing that it had the round blue 20amp plug on it. I've got a 20 amp feed in the garage but I needed it for at the farm too and they only have 13mp in the garage and barn🤦 I think the liner on mine is the metal spiral type. I'll take a look on line and find a replacement 👍👍 Hi foxbasher - is that plasma cutter you bought the same model as the one they are advertising online as being available from the 22nd? I’ve been after one and if they’re selling them already, I might start calling in to their stores as I’m passing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbasher Posted September 13 Author Report Share Posted September 13 (edited) Hey Jonty. This is the one they had in store last weekend. ignore the eBay price, lidle had it in for £129.99 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226333351880 I thought it was worth a go as it stated it had an inbuilt compressor. I didn't get chance to use it in the end as it didn't have a 13amp plug so no good for any mobile jobs I do I think there's a YouTube review on it Edited September 13 by foxbasher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonty Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 Thanks FB 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 (edited) Hello, My local Lidl only had Parker non Compressor Plasma Cutters, Not the one with inbuilt compressor as shown on E Bay Edited September 14 by oldypigeonpopper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonty Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 2 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said: Hello, My local Lidl only had Parker non Compressor Plasma Cutters, Not the one with inbuilt compressor as shown on E Bay Thanks OPP I’ll keep an eye out for one with a built in - for the amount of use it will get I could do without having to smuggle a compressor past the boss as well as the plasma 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 7 minutes ago, Jonty said: Thanks OPP I’ll keep an eye out for one with a built in - for the amount of use it will get I could do without having to smuggle a compressor past the boss as well as the plasma 😀 Hello, I missed one with the compressor in Lidl last time in stock, Will see what they have today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonty Posted September 15 Report Share Posted September 15 @foxbasher I did a bit of reading in those plasma cutters as I’m looking at getting one if I can. The 16amp commando plug is a workaround because electronically the cutters are very noisy (probably why they are the price they are) and aren’t certified for domestic use. The commando plug is so they can classify them for commercial,use and not recommended for a domestic power supply. Without having one to hand, I’d guess that at worst, if you used one plugged into your mains at home, it might make your WiFi a little bit lumpy when you were cutting with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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