Garage Welder Question

[Stompin Tom]

I think I will like it a lot. Now just need to get the spool gun for it as well as another bottle. Tomorrow I have to pick up the plug and breaker for my 220 and should be good to go. Might have to make a retractable welding bench for my first project. Something that rises into the ceiling.

If you want to have some fun, get a roll of E71t-1 wire, something like Lincoln Ultracore 71a75, set your voltage at 27.5 volts, wire speed at 450 inch's per minute, use either CO2 or a 75-25 mix, get a couple of heavy pieces of metal, say 1/2 inch and lay a weld in. You will be impressed with the penetration that machine has, I can assure you a smile appear on your face.

 

[the_real_wild1]

Been playing on some rusty scrap angle iron I have. I am fawking impressed. Been playing with the timer and this is my first vertical with this machine.

 

[the_real_wild1]

I might have a start a new post. Critique my welds. Kinda like a improve my welding deal.

 

[Stompin Tom]

I might have a start a new post. Critique my welds. Kinda like a improve my welding deal.

was that done with some ER70S6 wire and CO2 gas with a manual spot weld bead?

 

[the_real_wild1]

Not sure which wire. It is some Lincoln 0.035 stuff I bought for my other welder a year ago. Just chucked it in this one to get going tonight. C02 and argon mix. Spot and delay timers on. The spot was set for 2 seconds and the delay was set for 1 second. Had a nice long burn so I would assume the penetration is there. Had the gun aimed upwards about 60 degrees or so.

 

[the_real_wild1]

The voltage was at 18.6 and speed 286 I think. Whatever the card says for 3/16". Pretty close I would say.

 

[Stompin Tom]

Not sure which wire. It is some Lincoln 0.035 stuff I bought for my other welder a year ago. Just chucked it in this one to get going tonight. C02 and argon mix. Spot and delay timers on. The spot was set for 2 seconds and the delay was set for 1 second. Had a nice long burn so I would assume the penetration is there. Had the gun aimed upwards about 60 degrees or so.

get yourself a nice flux cored wire to use with the mix gas, run that bead uphill freehand with no spot. once you get your setting right you can do almost anything out of position.

A nice .045 E71 wire, set your voltage at 22.5 and your wirespeed at 275 and you should be excellent out of position, you may have to fine tune a bit, but you will love it. That will put you into spray mode, make sure you keep your gun under the puddle, and slowly push the bead upwards.

If your using a hard wire now, you can go into short circuit mode and walk that bead uphill no problem but your penetration will lack.

 

[the_real_wild1]

I watched a video last night showing one technique for a vertical weld I am going to try and see if it works. Basically do an arrow head pattern. Worked well in the video lol.

 

[the_real_wild1]

get yourself a nice flux cored wire to use with the mix gas, run that bead uphill freehand with no spot. once you get your setting right you can do almost anything out of position.

A nice .045 E71 wire, set your voltage at 22.5 and your wirespeed at 275 and you should be excellent out of position, you may have to fine tune a bit, but you will love it. That will put you into spray mode, make sure you keep your gun under the puddle, and slowly push the bead upwards.

If your using a hard wire now, you can go into short circuit mode and walk that bead uphill no problem but your penetration will lack.

So you can run a flux wire with gas? I have never heard of someone doing that before. I have a 1 pound spool of it I should try out then and see what it does.

 

[the_real_wild1]

Ok I see the wire you are talking about.

 

[Stompin Tom]

So you can run a flux wire with gas? I have never heard of someone doing that before. I have a 1 pound spool of it I should try out then and see what it does.

In my world I dont recognize the gasless wires, they have there place but they weld horrible, to much splatter and smoke and an ugly bead. Basically there are 2 styles of flux core wire, one which used gas and the type that doesnt use gas.

If your looking for any type of penetration with anything over about 3/16 metal, go with a gas type flux core wire. The nicest beads you have seen and great penetration.

The wire you have been using I presume its copper colored and the CWB number should be ER70S6 which is a hard wire best used in short circuit mode.

 

[the_real_wild1]

Yep I think you're right. Or the 56 maybe? I need to buy some big spools so I am going to try the stuff you are referring to and the stuff I have been using.

 

[Stompin Tom]

Yep I think you're right. Or the 56 maybe? I need to buy some big spools so I am going to try the stuff you are referring to and the stuff I have been using.

Yeah, you can only get the E71T .045 wire in a 33 lbs spool, should cost you around 150 bucks to get a good quality wire, but once you use it you wont use the hard wire for anything except small stuff.

A little trick I have done with my machine is I get one LBS spools of the hard wire, .030 ER70S6, and use it in my spool gun and leave the .045 flux core in the machine. That way you dont have to change gas or spools unless your doing some aluminum. I might use the aluminum wire a couple of times a year, but use the flux and hard core wire all the time. Now if its small I just fire up the spool gun, or bigger I use the mig gun, just have to adjust my settings. With the .045 flux core wire I only use 2 settings, 22.5 volts and 275 ipm for out of position and smaller stuff, and 27.5 volts and 450 ipm for flat welds on heavy stuff. Both work very well for me. With the hard wire it all depends on metal thickness.

 

[the_real_wild1]

What kind of slag do you get with it? Much clean up?

 

[Stompin Tom]

What kind of slag do you get with it? Much clean up?

An E71T will always have a slag, but clean up is very easy, wait 5 to 10 seconds after laying the bead and a light tap or a simple scrape with the chipping hammer and it falls away. The appearance of the bead is much nicer than a hard core wire and most often your doing a single pass with no weave with flux core so when you get the hang of it, its much faster and cleaner. When going uphill its a simple push, no weave, no pattern, just get under the puddle and allow it to work upward.

 

[H2oallyear]

Get The Miller Matic. I bought one 8 years ago. I am a tradesman but new jack about welding. My second day I made a steel deck for a Dakota. It is still in use today. VERY easy to use

 

[the_real_wild1]

Brought home my new to me miller spectrum 2050 plasma today. Need to get this baby set up and working too. Needs some tlc but I have tried it and it works ok.

 

[OVERKILL 19]

Any body weld 316 ss ? I brought a 4 ft piece of 6" home for a hot tub filter cleaning tube. Was gunna try out the spool gun!

 

[the_real_wild1]

On the list of things to learn. Does that count?

 

[DaveB]

TTT....looking for a garage welder. FYI: I can not weld....but I want to. Looking at the Lincoln Easy 180 or Miller 180....or in this range.....tips? Sales in Red Deer?