Contact tip life

[Wayne]

I am running .035 wire with 98/2 argon/02 210 amps 25.5 volts and I get a real good spray but contact tip life is very short. I am using heavy duty tips but they don't last. Any ideas?
Thanks
Wayne

[lramberson]

What type of gun are you using? I get great tip life with both my factory equipped model & my Bernard. Do you use any tip goo? I have used all types from the blue stuff (pricey) to vasoline (cheap) and I like cheap the best, seems to be just as good
Are you having burn back problems or is the tip just sticking?

[Wayne]

Contact tip

I am using a Tweco 400 gun and the tips are Radnor. The wire seems to be sticking in the tip. If I stop welding as soon as it starts dragging and run some wire out, grab it and twist it like a crank it will weld a little farther. Sometimes if I just let it cool it will ok again.
Thanks
Wayne

[Sberry]

You need to run way more wire stickout than with short arc too.

[cruizer]

If your burning back constantly, I'd be inclined to say that your drive rolls are too loose or worn out. If you can't ball the the wire in your cand then your wire is slipping too much. This causes your wire to burn into the tip. You may also be using too long of a gun, another solution would be to run a cored bottom drive wheel, leave the top the stock "u" groove.

[Wayne]

Tip Life

I decided to try some larger tips so I bought some .045 heavy duty tips and that seems to have cured the problem!
Thanks.
Wayne

[hankj]

Wayne,

How ya doin'? I didn't forget your generous offer, I just never got an opportunity to sneak off during the week. I've finally got the MM210, and it has cured a TON of "I wonder if I can..." problems. Awesome machine.

Stay well.

Hank

[Wayne]

Tip Life

Hank.
Doing great,keeping pretty busy for this time of year. Just give me a call when you get to town, I am about 2.25 miles west of Airgas.
Wayne.