RogerH Posted December 29, 2023 Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 Hi Folks, I'm having a bit of trouble with my Clarke 100E mIG welder. It does the normal tatty welds that I'm nearly happy with but just recently it is starting to, for want of a better word, spray the weld surface. The sound of frying bacon is replaced with a smooth hissing sound It is as if the crackly sparks are replaced with a plasma glow. The weld surface has a strange clean appearance and there is a blob of weld on the welding wire in the gun. I'm using Argon gas on Mild steel. What have I invented !! Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Motorsport Mickey Posted December 29, 2023 Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 (edited) Contamination inside the welding nozzle, strip the nozzle down and clean the surface ( I wipe with thinners soaked rag) and also the jet push a bit of welding wire dipped in thinner through the jet Leave to dry off, and try again. Mick Richards Edited December 29, 2023 by Motorsport Mickey Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted December 29, 2023 Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 Mine does that if I have the wire feed too slow. I think the arc develops between the work surface & the tip, rather than the wire. Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted December 29, 2023 Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 When was the last time you replaced the liner? They get contaminated with the coating on the wire which also slows down the wire speed. One other thing is clean the roller at the feed end thats driven to feed the wire, run the roller with no wire and with a spirit wipe rag clean off the groove in the roller, this helps to feed the wire better. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 Many thanks. Some interesting answers The wire liner was replaced in the Summer after a fatal bung up. The rollers were cleaned. I thiknk the wire speed is not too far off as plenty of metal is placed on the weld nugget usuyally. I shall try Micks suggestion as it is easy and quick. I'll report back tomorrow. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytr5 Posted December 29, 2023 Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 Welding wire old and contaminated? Regards Harry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 Hi Harry, no not that one. - New and clean. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PodOne Posted December 29, 2023 Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 Had similar issues changed the tip and shroud and all was well again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 53 minutes ago, PodOne said: Had similar issues changed the tip and shroud and all was well again. Sounds like a good clean has same effect. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob Salisbury Posted December 29, 2023 Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 Hi Roger, I was told some time ago that Argon/Co2 mix was a better weld shield for mild steel (5% CO2 for thin steel sheet), Argon is best for Stainless. Cheers Rob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 Hi Rob, The Argon does work on MS but at a cost. I couldn't be bothered to swap the bottles over. The welds did look clean for those that worked. Where the gun was plasmering (new verb) things were clean but no metal put down. I've finished the welding now but for the next job I will swap the bottles. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hamish Posted December 29, 2023 Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 Sorry to hi-jack your thread Roger - but looks like you are sorted. can you ? Is it worth it ? doing away with gas ( I’ve run out) in favour of flux cored wire I very rarely weld so it would always be ready to go its an ancient Clarke welder. I’ve seen some do this and change the polarity discuss Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob Salisbury Posted December 29, 2023 Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 Hi Roger, Just for interest try welding an off-cut of stainless under the same conditions and see if your new plasmering effect is still present, maybe the next step is a small Black Hole. I'm sure I have a Hadron Collider somewhere in the garage. Cheers Rob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 (edited) I've definitely got a black hole somewhere. Maybe I can hook it up to my Interocitor that I got from a Sci-Fi film in the 50's and do some mischief Roger Edited December 30, 2023 by RogerH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob Salisbury Posted December 30, 2023 Report Share Posted December 30, 2023 I've got a Flux Capacitor you can borrow ........ Back to the future!!, ...... or let's go back to the Golden Age of Motoring before AC began testing on the M1!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PodOne Posted December 30, 2023 Report Share Posted December 30, 2023 You older lads had all the fun! I feel I have missed out. No speed limits on the M1 its no faster now than driving in Wales Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Morrison Posted December 30, 2023 Report Share Posted December 30, 2023 29 minutes ago, PodOne said: You older lads had all the fun! I feel I have missed out. No speed limits on the M1 its no faster now than driving in Wales Well its absolutely the case that our generation have it the best. Things we used to do in cars 50 years ago- WOW and the only cameras were box Brownies John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted December 30, 2023 Report Share Posted December 30, 2023 15 hours ago, RogerH said: Hi Rob, The Argon does work on MS but at a cost. I couldn't be bothered to swap the bottles over. The welds did look clean for those that worked. Where the gun was plasmering (new verb) things were clean but no metal put down. I've finished the welding now but for the next job I will swap the bottles. Roger TBH I prefer argon as Ive found the argoshield light isnt as good as they seem to have upped the level of CO2 now compared to how it was in the past. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andy Moltu Posted December 30, 2023 Report Share Posted December 30, 2023 Did you get to the bottom of it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 30, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2023 5 hours ago, Andy Moltu said: Did you get to the bottom of it? Hi Andy, not at the moment. When I get out to the garage on Monday I'll give it all a serious clean and see what happens. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hamish Posted December 30, 2023 Report Share Posted December 30, 2023 Jack sears testing on the M1 https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motorsport/day-jack-sears-hit-185mph-m1-motorway#:~:text=In the early hours of,the story front-page news. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PodOne Posted December 31, 2023 Report Share Posted December 31, 2023 12 hours ago, Hamish said: Jack sears testing on the M1 https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motorsport/day-jack-sears-hit-185mph-m1-motorway#:~:text=In the early hours of,the story front-page news. Just a bit of a warm up lap then! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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