mig question

[cope]

Alan,

Just hook up the bottle of 90/10 to your 210 and try it out on some of the scrap that you've been short arcing on. Doing this, well at least answer your question whether or not the 90/10 will work for you. or not t

90/10 with .035 wire 1/4" 7/70 and it welds like a house on fire. I need some heavier gloves if I'm going to make a habit out of this. I am going to dig around in the shed and see if there's anything 1/4' buried there to try with the .030.

[Danny]

90/10 with .035 wire 1/4" 7/70 and it welds like a house on fire. I need some heavier gloves if I'm going to make a habit out of this. I am going to dig around in the shed and see if there's anything 1/4' buried there to try with the .030.

Alan,

I wouldn't recommend running an .035 solid wire for very long at a wirespeed setting of 70, because more then likely this is past the machine rated 210 amp output. At about 65 on the wire speed dial with an .035 solid wire, my unit is outputting around 205 to 210 amps. At a wire speed setting of 70 you could potential be up in the 220 to 230+ amp range Just fine for my MM 251, but not for our MM 210s

[cope]

Alan,

I wouldn't recommend running an .035 solid wire for very long at a wirespeed setting of 70, because more then likely this is past the machine rated 210 amp output. At about 65 on the wire speed dial with an .035 solid wire, my unit is outputting around 205 to 210 amps. At a wire speed setting of 70 you could potential be up in the 220 to 230+ amp range Just fine for my MM 251, but not for our MM 210s

Dan,,Where di you set your 210 for .035 spray?

[HAWK]

Even with the power available from the MM251, for mild steel, you need less than 10% CO2 to get spray transfer. Above that and you're likely to get globular transfer.

INTP,

I saw a machine achieve sporadic spray with .035 wire and C25 at 400 amps. It cycled between glob trans and spray arc. It was at best an ugly weld. The operator was trying to finish a spray project with 1/2" plate and ran out of 92%ar/8%co2. The unit was a Miller XMT 304 running wide open.

[HAWK]

farnmboy,

When I learned the MIG process I was taught push and pull methods of manipulating the torch. After many years of use and a lot of aluminum I only push the torch.Aluminum pretty much requires the push method to achieve a good sound weld. It is true the push method can reduce penetration and I compensate for that by increasing the amperage/wire speed. With 400+ amps I only occassionally run out of the power I need to do a job. However, it does happen and I have to take my project into my buddies shop. I have never seen anything his shop could not weld with 1000 amps output.

[INTP]

I find the two examples of spray given by Dan and HAWK to be interesting. In both cases, they illustrate exceptions to the "rules" that I've seen stated. Experience trumps theory, it seems, and the numbers don't seem as fixed as I had once thought. I admit to never having tried spray with C25, but have relied on what I read.

But even the theory is a little vague. For example, in Miller's GMAW book, it states (somewhat less than definitively) "With CO2 contents below 10%, the arc transfer will be stable spray transfer on steel similar to an argon-oxygen mixture. Too much CO2 in the mixture will produce a globular transfer." (p. 66)

Esab says 15%:

http://www.esabna.com/EUWeb/MIG_handbook/592mig1_7.htm

In this Lincoln FAQ, it indicates that 85/15 can be used for spray transfer:

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/knowledge/articles/content/migfaq.asp#question2

Thanks for the feedback.

[HAWK]

INTP,

Even though I witnessed this spray/glob transfer alternating between states I would not recommend it. The heat was there, but the appearance was poor due to many variables. I am sure the high co2 content being a large contributing factor. I firmly believe in and use 92%argon/8%co2 for short arc and spray on mild steel. I rarely use c25 except for testing as most GMAW machines are tested with and rated by c25 gas.