Gasless mig wire just arrived
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From: Harry Bloomfield on 29 Jul 2010 11:50 T i m used his keyboard to write : > What sort of stock did you use it on Harry? Just welding couple of 1/8" thick steel plates edges together as a test piece. > Was there noticeably more > spatter? Did you test a weld and did it seem as strong as with gas? More yes, but acceptable for what I needed it for. I do need to spend some more time practising with it, but I did manage to satisfy myself that it works, works with my existing MIG welder and that with no need for a separate gas - it is instantly ready to go. > > Ironically I've had the option of using gasless for as long as I've > had my welder (probably ~14 years) as I bought the wire and feed kit > at the same time. Just buy a small reel of it and give it a go. > > I recently backed my PortaPak bottles because they hadn't been used > for years (rental creeping up) and nearly took the Argoshield with > them but do have a bit of work to do re some steel garden gates > (frames) and posts so kept it. However, as I might end up doing it > outside anyway, gasless could be a better solution in any case? For garden gates, my first choice would be my arc welder. > > [Car welders] ... Would the 'outdoor' thing still apply to car sills > (welded outdoors) or is gas shielding still preferred in that case? They recommend gasless for use in a draft, because it is less inclined to blow away. -- Regards, Harry (M1BYT) (L) http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk
From: Harry Bloomfield on 29 Jul 2010 12:00 Dave Baker formulated the question : > Do you realise just how expensive the gasless wire is though? Normal wire is > about �3 per kg depending on how big a spool you buy. Gasless is more like > �10 a kilo. My welding was working out at least �10 per session for the small bottles of gas. So for me gasless is the cheaper option. > Having said that my own little Mig is a gasless one but I only use it once in > a blue moon. Which about as often as I use the MIG. I use my stick welder about once or twice a month. > The reel of wire that's on it has been on it for 20 years now. About as long as mine (1kg) has been on it, but not usable anymore - it was all rusted up. -- Regards, Harry (M1BYT) (L) http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk
From: T i m on 29 Jul 2010 14:28 On Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:50:58 +0100, Harry Bloomfield <harry.m1byt(a)NOSPAM.tiscali.co.uk> wrote: >T i m used his keyboard to write : >> What sort of stock did you use it on Harry? > >Just welding couple of 1/8" thick steel plates edges together as a test >piece. Ok ta. > >> Was there noticeably more >> spatter? Did you test a weld and did it seem as strong as with gas? > >More yes, but acceptable for what I needed it for. And you can use anti-spatter spray to at least stop some of it sticking as much (apparently). > I do need to spend >some more time practising with it, As with all such 'craft' type jobs. > but I did manage to satisfy myself >that it works, works with my existing MIG welder and that with no need >for a separate gas - it is instantly ready to go. Cool. > >> >> Ironically I've had the option of using gasless for as long as I've >> had my welder (probably ~14 years) as I bought the wire and feed kit >> at the same time. > >Just buy a small reel of it and give it a go. Sorry, I have a reel already (in a plastic bag in it's box and been on the shelf in the workshop for 14 years). Not checked to see if it's still ok though. > >> >> I recently backed my PortaPak bottles because they hadn't been used >> for years (rental creeping up) and nearly took the Argoshield with >> them but do have a bit of work to do re some steel garden gates >> (frames) and posts so kept it. However, as I might end up doing it >> outside anyway, gasless could be a better solution in any case? > >For garden gates, my first choice would be my arc welder. I was wondering if people still used stick. I have a take-down motorbike trailer that needs sticking back together (I've refurbed it, new suspension units etc) and I wasn't sure if I should use my stick or MIG on that. It's mainly 3-5mm section steel (angle / box / plate) so I guess either would be ok (MIG probably 'easier')? > >> >> [Car welders] ... Would the 'outdoor' thing still apply to car sills >> (welded outdoors) or is gas shielding still preferred in that case? > >They recommend gasless for use in a draft, because it is less inclined >to blow away. Indeed, but I wondered if you did it on a calm day that the gas version might still be better? Cheers, T i m
From: steve robinson on 29 Jul 2010 14:30 Dave Baker wrote: > > "Dave Plowman (News)" <dave(a)davenoise.co.uk> wrote in message > news:513e1ea6f8dave(a)davenoise.co.uk... > > In article <mn.e4187da71cad188f.106911(a)NOSPAM.tiscali.co.uk>, > > Harry Bloomfield <harry.m1byt(a)NOSPAM.tiscali.co.uk> wrote: > > > The gasless wire I ordered a couple of days ago for my gas > > > bottle only type MIG welder, has just turned up and I'm pleased > > > to say - it works great. I only wish I had known that using > > > gasless wire was an option for for it, long ago. That is all. > > > > Thanks, Harry, I'll give it a try. Working outdoors I've been > > spending a fortune on gas. > > Do you realise just how expensive the gasless wire is though? > Normal wire is about �3 per kg depending on how big a spool you > buy. Gasless is more like �10 a kilo. > > I'm not sure how much gas one uses per kg of wire but I bet it's > still cheaper than using gasless wire. > > Having said that my own little Mig is a gasless one but I only use > it once in a blue moon. The reel of wire that's on it has been on > it for 20 years now. The only "proper" job I ever did with it was > to fix up a bunch of holes in a rotten Fiesta wheelarch which took > a few feet of welding to stitch some new panels in and still didn't > seem to use much of the wire on the spool. That was done outside > and I got reasonably good results given I was primarily trying to > weld new panels onto rust which kept blowing out and spitting at > me. It all came out a bit pigeon crappy but a good coating of > Hammerite masked most of it. > > In the workshop with two pieces of new steel plate I can get as > good a weld with it as you'd ever want. > > I'd be interested in any data for gas consumption per kg of wire if > anyone's measured it. Then I could do a proper comparison of costs. The problem with no gas mig welding is the weld cuts deeper so it struggles on some of the tissue paper we now call car bodies and blows through
From: Dave Plowman (News) on 29 Jul 2010 15:18
In article <ujh3561dngvr4lfnjfuqv2va02rl7nonar(a)4ax.com>, T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> wrote: > >> Was there noticeably more > >> spatter? Did you test a weld and did it seem as strong as with gas? > > > >More yes, but acceptable for what I needed it for. > And you can use anti-spatter spray to at least stop some of it > sticking as much (apparently). I'm confused about this. If it stops spatter won't it effect the weld? Or do you mask off an area before using? I've only used it on the nozzle and found it very effective. -- *Very funny Scotty, now beam down my clothes. Dave Plowman dave(a)davenoise.co.uk London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. |