MIG welding advice please?

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johnnyoxford

johnnyoxford

New Member
Posts
200
Location
Bucks
I have a Sealey 150 amp gasless mig welder, which is OK, but I get a lot of spatter and its all a bit rough.

I have bought the kit to convert it to a regular gas mig, I want to experiment a bit before I get a big bottle, so I am going to get some disposable Argon/Co2 cannisters.

What I need to know is what is the best wire and tips to go for?

I will be doing some chassis welding and also some panel work on the bulkhead.

Can anyone send me some ebay links or similar to suggest the best wire diameter etc?

Also will I need a dial readout on the cannister to see pressure? The kit has a variable valve but no dial.

Thanks

Johnny

Many thanks.
 
my advice is 0.6 mm wire and tip, buy a pub gas reg and run on pub gas (CO2) I pay £12 a pub bottle
 
0.8mm is best, heavy enough your not just squirting metal a the chassis, also it carries the current better so you can get better penetration, it is also light enough you can weld 1mm mild steel if you turn the amps down. I use get Co2, I have also used the Argon Co2 mixes but am very happy with Co2.

Go down the pub gas route, some people say it's not good enough but it's perfect, and much cheaper than the rental of a big bottle. If you do want to get the big bottle then just get Argosheild, it's good, but remember your paying BOC for having the bottle, then you pay them to fill it + gas charge on top of that. Rip off.
 
Local place to me, no paperwork,bottle rental either.
If enough are interested I can ask on a deal and maybe deliver via LZ courier service?
 
Best way is to speak to the landlord of your local, they will get an extra in for you, you give him the cash and you can take it, when it runs out you take it back take a full one and he will swap your empty the next time the beer man comes. They don't have all the stupid rental costs.
 
johnnyoxford said:
how do you get pub gas?
Click to expand...

if you have a local you drink in regularly ask the landlord/manager he might get an extra bottle in for you ;)
i was lucky my local snooker club landlord (just taken over the place) had a bottle left behind from previece owner from a differant supplier than he uses so gave me it .
used up the c02 then a friend in the steel fab buisness has a decant transfer pipe and only charges me £10 to put on average 80bar of the real macoy :rolleyes::D
 
I use 0.8 wire, 0.6 is no good at filling gaps. Pub CO2 works fine and is a million time cheaper than the disposable argon/co2 cylinders.

Where you get it?? a pub, a pub supplier, gas supplier, depends whats near you and if your mates with the local barman :)

Oh and the last cylinder cost me £15
 
Only thing to be aware of with neat C02 is the fact that it results in a high carbon weld which is a slightly more brittle weld than when using Argoshield.
Having said that I've never had a problem using C02 (especially as my wife used to work for a drinks vending company that used the stubby bottles in the vending machines) for the sort of welding we do on chassis etc but my cousin who welds on the petrol refineries told me about that issue. He'd **** a brick if he saw some of my welding but it looks all right to me.
My local pub landlord just swaps my empties for full ones and I buy him a beer or three.
They last for ages and dont take up much space.
 
If anyone is interested pub gas £13.75 a full new standard pub gas or if I can get agreement for total of 10 then £12 a full bottle,no paperwork or bottle rental
 
have
started a pub gas thread, thinking of the lz courier service for delivery
if you want to join in a group buy I have planned-stick your name and quantity on it
 
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