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Mig welding question


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I've got a fairly average dual (gas/gasless) Mig welder which matches my less than average welding skills. But I have a large roll of gas less mig wire which I have been using to less than satisfactory results, I've since been told that gases MIG does not give great results , so question I have is can I go back to using gas and this wire or will I have to use 'gas less' mig wire

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Graham your post is bit confusing. For gasless welding the wire has a flux core which in my experience tends to make it spatter even with anti spatter spray. For what it costs, I would buy a roll of the correct wire for welding with gas.

 

FWIW the best gas is a CO2 : Argon mix.

 

Rgds Ian

Edited by Ian Vincent
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Graham your post is bit confusing. For gasless welding the wire has a flux core which in my experience tends to make it spatter even with anti spatter spray. For what it costs, I would buy a roll of the correct wire for welding with gas.

 

FWIW the best gas is a CO2 : Argon mix.

 

Rgds Ian

 

Ian OK thanks will get new wire along with new gas bottle

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FWIW get the higher percentage Argon mix (15%) as it works so much better.

Stuart.

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Standard MIG mix in the US is C25: 75% Ar, 25% CO2.

 

Ed

Thats what you would get over here for Ally welding. Standard for steel we get is only 5% Argon

Stuart.

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Thats what you would get over here for Ally welding. Standard for steel we get is only 5% Argon

Stuart.

 

Interesting. We normally use 100% Argon for alumin(i)um. I wonder why the difference?

 

Ed

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Interesting. for years I used plain Co2 out of old fire extinguishers, it worked ok, but splattery, & hard to get smooth results.

last year I switched to Hobbyweld 5, which is 93% Argon, 5% Co2, 2% oxygen. It has transformed my welding, smooth welds are now easy to obtain, wish I had changed years ago.

 

Bob.

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As already stated welding with gasless wire gives a lot of splatter and less than ideal results.

Just to clarify what gases are readily available to us for hobby use.

CO2 is OK for mild steel but is variable and can cause splatter and a less than stable arc.

5% Argon, 2% Oxygen, 97% CO2 ideal for thin mild steel sheet up to 7mm gives a smooth arc with minimal splatter.

15% Argon, 2% Oxygen, 87% CO2 good for steel 5mm to 18mm thick. (Not many of us restore tanks)

Pure Argon used for Aluminium and Stainless steel but also suitable for steel. Normall used for TIG welding but OK for MIG.

Neil

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Interesting. for years I used plain Co2 out of old fire extinguishers, it worked ok, but splattery, & hard to get smooth results.

last year I switched to Hobbyweld 5, which is 93% Argon, 5% Co2, 2% oxygen. It has transformed my welding, smooth welds are now easy to obtain, wish I had changed years ago.

 

Bob.

Other way round Bob, 5% Argon and the rest CO2

Stuart.

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In Holland I am familiar with a mixture of 85%Ar and 15% CO2, and that is what I use for welding carbon steel.

Rhe wire I use is per AWS A5.18 (ER70S-6)

Waldi

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From Wilipedia:

 

Oxygen is used in small amounts as an addition to other gases; typically as 2–5% addition to argon. It enhances arc stability and reduces the surface tension of the molten metal, increasing wetting of the solid metal. It is used for spray transfer welding of mild carbon steels, low alloy and stainless steels. Its presence increases the amount of slag. Argon-oxygen (Ar-O2) blends are often being replaced with argon-carbon dioxide ones. Argon-carbon dioxide-oxygen blends are also used. Oxygen causes oxidation of the weld, so it is not suitable for welding aluminium, magnesium, copper, and some exotic metals. Increased oxygen makes the shielding gas oxidize the electrode, which can lead to porosity in the deposit if the electrode does not contain sufficient deoxidizers. Excessive oxygen, especially when used in application for which it is not prescribed, can lead to brittleness in the heat affected zone. Argon-oxygen blends with 1–2% oxygen are used for austenitic stainless steel where argon-CO2 can not be used due to required low content of carbon in the weld; the weld has a tough oxide coating and may require cleaning.

 

Bob.

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Roger.

Since swapping from Co2 to this mix my welds have improved dramatically, as has the ease of setting up the welder for correct wire feed, current, gas flow etc. I have welded both thin & relatively thick mild steel using 0.6mm mild steel wire, & also medium thickness (1/16") stainless steel using stainless wire. all give good results with no noticeable oxde coating.

 

Bob.

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You should buy a TIG welder, then you can weld all my aluminium parts for me :P:P

 

They are very good, but are expensive, & take a bit of getting used to.

 

Are you using the disposable bottles ?

It would not be difficult to change your setup to take large Hobbyweld type bottles, just need a regulator - cheap from ebay - & some plumbling.

Clark welders can work well.

Bob.

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If you phone boc you can ask them for a hobby deal it cost 50 pound a year rental

for some reason they don't make it common knowledge

you have to be careful not to use to much gas a year

if you do they put you on trade rental and that is expensive

 

pink

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