need a welder

[1FATGMC]

I'm just doing tackwelds on sheetmetal,and the tip is matched to the wire--.023.Yes the settings are adjustable.When I do small tackwelds like this,I have the tip almost touching the work.But that's the way I've always done it with the Lincoln too.It's probably just an adjustment thing but I haven't been able to get the settings right.The Miller is the 180 with auto-set.You set the metal thickness on the dial,and the wire size,and it aotomatically sets the amps and wire speed.Or you can turn off the auto-set and do it manually.By the way,didn't mean to hi-jack the post.Sorry about that :oops: .

Fuzz

I would turn the auto off and go manual.  When I tack something I go up an amp setting on my welder so that I get a quick hot weld for the on-off tack so that it penetrates.  When I say up a setting my welder is a little older and has variable wire speed, but 4 amp settings.  So I go up a whole amp setting.  If your amp is variable also try it up a ways like where you would set it to weld the next thicker gauge metal continuous.

I was in Phoenix a couple months ago and talking to the owner of a welding supply shop and he said that the variable and auto welders that are all out there get part time welders into problems more than the older models that have fixed settings.  One reason why is as soon as you change the amp chances are the wire speed has to be changed and there is too many options for a part time welder.  With my fixed settings I pretty much know right were I want the wire speed  as soon as I change since I'm working with almost all the same material over and over.  In my case a lot of  1/8 and 3/16.  The other thing that changes besides the thickness of the material is the type of weld you are doing.  If you put the welder on auto and tell it the thickness is 1/8 how does it know if you are doing a butt weld or a fillet weld which require way different heat??

Anyway try a little higher heat and probably wire speed and see how that works.  If you want to use the auto tell it the metal is a little thicker.

c ya,

Sum

[papastoyss]

I'm just doing tackwelds on sheetmetal,and the tip is matched to the wire--.023.Yes the settings are adjustable.When I do small tackwelds like this,I have the tip almost touching the work.But that's the way I've always done it with the Lincoln too.It's probably just an adjustment thing but I haven't been able to get the settings right.The Miller is the 180 with auto-set.You set the metal thickness on the dial,and the wire size,and it aotomatically sets the amps and wire speed.Or you can turn off the auto-set and do it manually.By the way,didn't mean to hi-jack the post.Sorry about that :oops: .

Fuzz

No problem,all comments appreciated. Papastoyss.

[Fuzzy]

Sum,thanks for the very informative reply.I did try going lighter on the settings,but didn't think to try heavier.Your reasoning that the welder doesn't know what type of weld you are doing makes sense.I'll take out the .030 and try the .023 again.I have a feeling this will solve the issue.I have a lot of time to experiment with it today.Still * I couldn't make it to Detroit :evil:  :evil:  :evil: .I'll let you know how it works.Thanks again.

Fuzz

[40_Tudor]

I've used Lincoln mig and a 220 mig sold by NAPA for work. I think its made by Lincoln. I have a small Miller 130 I used to build my 40 tudor with. I like it better than the Lincoln or the big NAPA "Lincoln". Even the small 130 amp works great. I would recommend Miller hands down.

[Fuzzy]

Sum,thanks for the very informative reply.I did try going lighter on the settings,but didn't think to try heavier.Your reasoning that the welder doesn't know what type of weld you are doing makes sense.I'll take out the .030 and try the .023 again.I have a feeling this will solve the issue.I have a lot of time to experiment with it today.Still * I couldn't make it to Detroit :evil:  :evil:  :evil: .I'll let you know how it works.Thanks again.

Fuzz

No progress.I tried kicking up the amps a little at a time and adjusting the wire speed on some scrap sheetmetal(20ga).I thought I had it set pretty good,although I was still getting some spatter.I had a nice tackweld with good penetration.Tried it on the car,still a mess.The steel is good clean steel and the ground clamp is within a foot of the workspot.Sometimes the wire stubs into the work---no arc whatsoever.Sometimes I get a hissing sound and metal melts but not the typical sizzle sound.Th e ground lead is connected to the correct terminal in the welder.I've got 21psi of gas with the trigger depressed.I checked to make sure I had gas at the tip,and it will blow out a match.Just for the hell of it,I shut off the gas,purged the gun,and tried a couple tacks.Of course the weld is porous and really looks like crap.But the thing is,I got a good positive start of the arc every time.As I said earlier,with my Lincoln,I could set the gun right on the workpiece for tackwelds------no problems.With this gun,it just gobs on the contact tip and stops the wirefeed.I'm getting more * as this goes on,and didn't get much done today.I'm also going to check with Miller and see what they say.

Fuzz

[enjenjo]

You have the tip shorted. there is a dingleberry making electrical contact between the tip, and the cup.

[Fuzzy]

You have the tip shorted. there is a dingleberry making electrical contact between the tip, and the cup.

Even if I try it with the cup off the surface,I still get the hissing sound and not that sizzle like it should be.I can't understand why the test pieces are ok,but when I try it again on the car,it's no good.I've done hundreds and hundreds of these tackwelds with my Lincoln,so it's not like I've never done this before.

Fuzz

[Bugpac]

I'm just doing tackwelds on sheetmetal,and the tip is matched to the wire--.023.Yes the settings are adjustable.When I do small tackwelds like this,I have the tip almost touching the work.But that's the way I've always done it with the Lincoln too.It's probably just an adjustment thing but I haven't been able to get the settings right.The Miller is the 180 with auto-set.You set the metal thickness on the dial,and the wire size,and it aotomatically sets the amps and wire speed.Or you can turn off the auto-set and do it manually.By the way,didn't mean to hi-jack the post.Sorry about that :oops: .

Fuzz

My tip is set back 3/16 from the end of the cup, i cannot weld flush with .023 wire...I have a lincoln powermig 255..

[Bugpac]

You have the tip shorted. there is a dingleberry making electrical contact between the tip, and the cup.

Even if I try it with the cup off the surface,I still get the hissing sound and not that sizzle like it should be.I can't understand why the test pieces are ok,but when I try it again on the car,it's no good.I've done hundreds and hundreds of these tackwelds with my Lincoln,so it's not like I've never done this before.

Fuzz

another thing i have found, Is all .23 wire is not created equal. I tried some less expensive wire form the gas store, When i use .023 wire, the only wire i found i can use well is lincoln brand wire..

[Fuzzy]

You have the tip shorted. there is a dingleberry making electrical contact between the tip, and the cup.

Even if I try it with the cup off the surface,I still get the hissing sound and not that sizzle like it should be.I can't understand why the test pieces are ok,but when I try it again on the car,it's no good.I've done hundreds and hundreds of these tackwelds with my Lincoln,so it's not like I've never done this before.

Fuzz

another thing i have found, Is all .23 wire is not created equal. I tried some less expensive wire form the gas store, When i use .023 wire, the only wire i found i can use well is lincoln brand wire..

With my Lincoln,I used wire from wherever---Menards,Lowes,welding supply,Tractor Supply,and even Horrible Freight,never a problem.This happens to be a new spool of Hobart.I had these same problems last week with unbranded wire made in UE,I bought at a welding supply here in town.Today I'm going to put this spool of Hobart in my Lincoln and see how it is.I'm beginning to think there might be a problem with the welder and take it in and have it looked at.Like I said,I've done hundreds of these tackwelds before and never a problem.

Fuzz

[Fuzzy]

I'm just doing tackwelds on sheetmetal,and the tip is matched to the wire--.023.Yes the settings are adjustable.When I do small tackwelds like this,I have the tip almost touching the work.But that's the way I've always done it with the Lincoln too.It's probably just an adjustment thing but I haven't been able to get the settings right.The Miller is the 180 with auto-set.You set the metal thickness on the dial,and the wire size,and it aotomatically sets the amps and wire speed.Or you can turn off the auto-set and do it manually.By the way,didn't mean to hi-jack the post.Sorry about that :oops: .

Fuzz

My tip is set back 3/16 from the end of the cup, i cannot weld flush with .023 wire...I have a lincoln powermig 255..

How do you get the tip back that far?Mine is almost flush with the end of the cup.

Fuzz

[Bugpac]

Longer cup...  what model is your lincoln, I had to finess my 255 licoln, was a hair pulling expirience with the 23, but i did get it to weld well...larger the machine harder to weld the small stuff they say...

[Fuzzy]

Longer cup...  what model is your lincoln, I had to finess my 255 licoln, was a hair pulling expirience with the 23, but i did get it to weld well...larger the machine harder to weld the small stuff they say...

My old Lincoln is a Weld-Pac 100,I believe,a 110v.My new Miller is a 180 with Auto-Set,a 220v.I did like Sumner said,and turned off the Auto-Set and tried the settings manually,still no luck.I'll see how the Lincoln does today.

Fuzz

[Bugpac]

I believe you will find that the weldpak will run the 23 no problem, I think you probably just have to keep messing with the setup, basically every time you pull the trigger you burn back to the tip right? try leaving about 1/4" wire hanging out the end and burning it that way...I believe you are experiencing the same thing i was...I would bump to .30 wire myself, thats actually what i did, you can still weld thin sheet, My buddy can weld sheet with .045, but hes been welding for 35 yrs to...

[1FATGMC]

..................How do you get the tip back that far?Mine is almost flush with the end of the cup.Fuzz

You can just pull the cup out a hair if you want, but I don't think that is the problem.  Are you using the same gas bottle on both welders??  Is it new??  CO2 or Argon/C02??

If it is burning back to the tip and sticking then is the wire feed working right and/or is it turned up high/fast enough??  You have tried a different tip??  The tip matches the wire size??

If all this fails and the Lincoln welds OK on the car at the same place then there is probably something wrong with the welder.

 

I'm glad I have a Miller and a Lincoln now so that if someone bad mouths one I can say I have the other one       .

c ya and let us know what it was/is,

Sum