All things welding

[AirborneTexasRanger]

Most likely a bad liner

 

[TRevs]

Thanks for all the info! Lots of good advice to try. I think this machine was lightly used but poorly maintained. I probably have the roller too tight.

It’s solid wire, 0.030 i think.

I finally got around to working on the welder (had to put a lift on a JK solo). I think the roller may not have been correctly aligned so I got that corrected visually, and the welder came with a spare liner so I installed that as well.

I need confirmation about the liner cut-off length before I proceed.

It looks like it should be 1-3/8” so it fits all the way to the end of the brass nozzle?

 

[AirborneTexasRanger]

Wait, where's your contact tip?

The liner should end right at the base of the contact tip so the wire has nowhere to go but through the hole

 

[TRevs]

Sorry; it was inside the outer shield.

I don’t even know what the parts are called yet, but I’ll add ‘contact tip’ to the lexicon! Better than ‘brass thing’ and ‘little copper tube.’

 

[AirborneTexasRanger]

Brass = diffuser
Small copper = contact tip
Large copper = nozzle

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Nope, where the hose of the gun pushes into the welder.

View attachment 650782

Same welder, same issue today. Turns out that rubber boot will ride up on that connection and let you think it's all the way home when you tighten the set knob. I was getting no gas at all at the nozzle.

In this picture, there's probably half an inch or more brass hiding under that boot. I don't think the first o-ring was making it even as far as the second o-ring was supposed to be, so it was completely stopping gas flow.

After the second time of having my welds not even pretend to stick I started laying test beads on some scrap to mess with settings. When the voltage and wfs made no difference at all and the 1 second buttons looked like lava rock I started looking into the shielding. This is my first gas welder so I didn't have any experience with which to guide how perceptible the gas flow should be or how much spatter was normal compared to flux, or else I probably could have saved a lot of time.

Ended up fiddling around for 3 hours to do about a dozen rosette welds that didn't take 5 minutes once I was rolling.

Floor patch is in and ready for seam sealer.

 

[JMT]

Trying to find a new welder on FB Marketplace. Found a decent deal on a Miller Millermatic 140 Autoset. It uses 110V and welds up to 3/16” and 0.030 wire. Would this be sufficient for my Jeep needs? I haven’t needed a welder in the past for anything thicker. I realize the upper end is borderline, but if it will work this problem will be solved.

 

[AirborneTexasRanger]

That should be good for most of your applications. Until you start welding on axles

 

[JMT]

That should be good for most of your applications. Until you start welding on axles

Maybe wait for a more capable 220V model. Thank you

 

[NashvilleTJ]

Maybe wait for a more capable 220V model. Thank you

Definitely.

 

[AirborneTexasRanger]

If you can wait then yes

 

[freedom_in_4low]

I'm happy so far with my Lincoln power mig 211i but I went to it from a modded harbor freight flux core so the bar was low.

I'm about to go weld nuts on top of two rounded out torx bolts in the floor of the wagoneer so I can put new carpet in it.