How far could you just PULL wire?

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Just a weird idea.. OK, two weird ideas.How far could you reliably just PULL wire (using a spool gun)?Anyone tried it? I've been thinking about just adding a 25" guide to my spoolgun (taking off the 4" spool holder) and pulling from a large spool on a simple dumb feeder setup. Aluminum would obviously require push pull, have some probably weird ideas how to do that cheap/easy using a simple, easily adjustable fluid drive coupling, but right now I'm just talking .023 steel or flux core .030".Of course if that simple push/pull drive works it will probably allow pushing steel wire a LONG way.Here's one version of the drive coupling I'm considering, it's for an RC car, but with ATF or different oils it can be made as loose or as tight as desired, it's basically somewhat like a tiny torque converter, and probably costs $2 to make, this particualr unit (hanging on right side of gear) is a Losi Hydradrive:(for scale, that screw through the nut at right is IIRC 4-40 or 6-32, the unit is ~2" dia or less.Last edited by waferhead; 01-26-2012 at 07:40 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by waferheadJust a weird idea.. OK, two weird ideas.How far could you reliably just PULL wire (using a spool gun)?Anyone tried it? I've been thinking about just adding a 25" guide to my spoolgun (taking off the 4" spool holder) and pulling from a large spool on a simple dumb feeder setup.
Reply:I was thinking of trying it with some thickwall (small ID) Teflon tubing.
Reply:i know one can pull aluminum about 15 ft because i am doing it with my lincoln. using teflon tubing and a home made axle for the large spool mounted on the machine
Reply:Originally Posted by jugheadi know one can pull aluminum about 15 ft because i am doing it with my lincoln. using teflon tubing and a home made axle for the large spool mounted on the machine
Reply:You could wire up that small drive unit to "assist" in turning the large spool, basically set it up with just enough tension to reduce the force necessary to spin the spool to near zero, that way your spool gun feeder is only supplying the force to draw the wire through the liner without having to turn the spool as well
Reply:Um... why?Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier just to make an extension cord?ɹǝʌo ǝɯ lloɹ 'sıɥʇ pɐǝɹ uɐɔ noʎ ɟı
Reply:Originally Posted by TSORUm... why?Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier just to make an extension cord?
Reply:Tweco make a "pull MIG" gun based on a similar principle. What would be really nice is if someone made spool guns and pull MIGs which weren't obscenely expensive. The markup on such things has got to be massive, yet sophisticated drive systems for things like RC cars are quite reasonably priced and survive plenty of abuse.
Reply:"Obscenely expensive" if you pay retail.I picked up a Firepower FP200 gun for $230 shipped NIB, seems to be WELL made, euro connector, has speed control pot built in, but the pinout and wiring is easily rearranged for different circuits if you know any electronics.Retail they want ~$600.It was purchased as an interim solution as I have a POS old Einhell the drive mechanism never really worked right on, so I slammed a $20 euro connector on the front and hot rodded the std drive setup with a 25A triac instead of the 8A SCR that died quickli, and it combination works remarkably well.(Also wired it so it has a polartity swicth instead of the useless AC stick function on a CV source)I've since butlt a HF PWM 24V supply to run the gun, smooth as glass at any speed, basically I can hook it up to anything including batterires. like a ready welder, but the gun is nicer and had wire speed control.
Reply:Originally Posted by waferheadCool, so there are more crazies out there What size did you run?IIRC just plain teflon tubing in small sizes was not painful $$.