pics of 100% co2 and 75-25% co2/argon

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hey guys...just wonderin if you could post up some pics of the difference between straight co2 and co2 mix. i know that one will weld slightly better, i'd just like to see some pics. thanks!AHP alphatig 200xclarke 130en MIG (first welder i ever bought)NT Plasma 375craftsman 240/180 ac/dc ARCcustom 60x30x30 powder coating ovenhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Rossi...18853401526643
Reply:I don't have any pics of the difference between co2 and mix, but if you go to the Miller website www.millerwelds.com and go the page on the Passport Plus mig welder, they have comparison pics of co2 and mix gas welds done with the same machine along with other videos of welding with co2 with the Passport.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Hey limegreentj,Here is a pic I found on the web for you.  These are not my welds, but they do show the diference between 100 co2 and a mix...  I run 75% argon, 25% co2 through my mig and am very happy with it.  It creates a nice, fairly clean weld.  I believe you can get a little better penetration on steel with the 100% co2, if you are willing to deal with the less attractive welds.  Someone please correct me if I'm wrong..Daniel Attached ImagesEsab TradeMaster TorchSmith AW1A Airline TorchLincoln AC/DC 225/125Millermatic 252 w/ Spoolmatic 15aThermal Arc 190 GTSSpeedGlas 9100v
Reply:excellent thanks guys....just what i was lookin for!
Reply:Something about those welds doesnt look right, seems like neither got good coverage. From what ive seen, the bead appearance isnt greatly changed by running straight co2, but you will see more spatter and a slightly less "fluid" bead appearance compared to 75/25.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:Those welds do not represent CO2 wire welds. I use it all the time in my shop and can tell you there is little if any difference between welds with the two gases.
Reply:see thats what i always heard too...im eventually gonna go gas (set up for fluxcore now) and i know that the main difference to me is....the price...lolim a cheap bastard
Reply:On my Passport, I didn't find much difference between the look of the weld with CO2 or 85/15 mix gas.  I liked the arc better on C02 than on mix, but the Passport's circuitry is optimized for use with CO2, whereas most machines are not.  On other machines that I have used both CO2 and mix gas on same machine, the CO2 is a bit more spattery but not alot.  I find it to be cheaper on my Passport to use fluxcore wire than solid wire and gas.  There's only about a $5-$10 price difference between 8" 10-lb rolls of flux or solid wire here locally, depending on where I buy it and what brand/type.  With zero gas cost and no hassle re-filling, the flux wins.   However, that is not the reason I use fluxcore.  The reason is because I only use the Passport for on-site work, which is mostly outdoors.  Flux is king whenever there is a breeze going and around here, it's usually breezy.Inside the shop, I use 12" rolls of wire in the 350P and HTP and only use solid wire and gas and larger size bottles than I can carry on the truck.  The larger bottles are cheaper to fill per volume and more convenient cause they last longer between fills.  I don't know off hand what the price difference is between 12" rolls of solid wire versus fluxcore, since I don't buy 12" fluxcore rolls, but I suspect it's probly more like $20 difference maybe more.  I'ts probly cheaper for me to use solid and gas in the shop, but that's not the reason I use it.   I don't need the breeze protection of the flux inside the shop and I prefer not having to chip slag and cleaning it up after I'm done since it tends to fly all over when chipping and also prefer not to smoke up the shop either.   When I do use flux wire or stick at the shop, it take the work outside whenever possible to avoid the mess and smoke indoors.As far as the cost of C02 versus mix gas, the CO2 is cheaper.  Both are equally readily available.As for the 2 welds shown in the pics above, the most difference I see is not in the shielding gas but in the execution of the welds.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Good information here about what people are using.  I have never used anything other than 75% argon, 25% co2 through my mig, so I'm not exactly sure what the weld would look like with 100% co2.  Just a little information from Lincoln Electric's knowledge base:Q: Does shielding gas affect the quality of the finished weld? A: For most mild steel applications, CO2 will provide adequate shielding, but when you must have a flatter bead profile, less spatter or better wetting action, you may want to consider adding 75 to 90% argon to your CO2 shielding gas mix. Why? Argon is essentially inert to the molten weld metal and therefore will not react with the molten weld metal. When CO2 is mixed with Argon, the reactivity of the gas is reduced and the arc becomes more stable. But, Argon is more expensive. In production welding, selecting the perfect shielding gas can be a science of its own. Attributes such as material thickness, welding position, electrode diameter, surface condition, welding procedures and others can affect results. Common gas mixes for the home hobbyist and small fabricator would be: 100% CO2 -Lowest price, generally greatest penetration, and higher levels of spatter. Limited to short circuit and globular transfer.75% Argon - 25% CO2 -Higher price, most commonly used by home hobbyist and light fabricator, lower levels of spatter and flatter weld bead than 100% CO2. Limited to short circuit and globular transfer.85% Argon - 15% CO2-Higher price, most commonly used by fabricators, with a good combination of lower spatter levels and excellent penetration for heavier plate applications and with steels that have more mill scale. Can be used in short circuit, globular, pulse and spray transfer.90% Argon - 10% CO2- Higher price, most commonly used by fabricators, with a good combination of lower spatter levels and good penetration for a wide variety of steel plate applications. Can be used in short circuit, globular, pulse and spray transfer.Esab TradeMaster TorchSmith AW1A Airline TorchLincoln AC/DC 225/125Millermatic 252 w/ Spoolmatic 15aThermal Arc 190 GTSSpeedGlas 9100v
Reply:If I recall the reg fittings for 100% CO2 and the argon mixes is difererent. That means that if you get the set up for 100% CO2 you will need to either change the reg or fittings if you want to later use a mix or if you want to use 100% Argon say for alum with a spool gun.I believe that you get slightly more pennetration with 100% CO2, as well as a bit more spatter. That makes it less than ideal if you plan to do sheetmetal body work. It does help to improve the limited penetration capabilities of the smaller migs however, but not to a huge extent..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:You should find that the puddle is more fluid with the mixed shielding gas, vs 100% CO2.  This makes running vertical up a little more difficult.  The mechanical properties will differ in the finished weld somewhat as well.  This can be very important, depending on the nature of the welding being done.  You'll see more smoke and spatter with 100% CO2, and this could be important also, depending on the work being done.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:i was talkin to my dad and he told me he uses 100% co2 (switched FROM 75-25) and he said he heard your were supposed to change out the regulator but he never did...that was years ago...he hasnt had a problem yet..lol
Reply:im glad i started this thread...lots of good info in here...thanks fellas
Reply:At my work we use 75AR/25CO2 for FCAW only.  100% Argon for Tig as usual, and then 95Ar / 5Co2 for Mig/Pulse.  Mig welds look like tig welds when you use that 95/5 mixture....just not much penetration."Real power is an arcair hand torch with a piece of 3/4 inch carbon and 1500 amps.  You feel like Zeus throwing a lightning bolt."
Reply:using straight co2 is best suited for short circuit transfer. argon gives a pinching effect to promote good spray transfer which straight co2 doesn't provide. you can mix that argon with co2 or o2 for different arc and weld puddle behavior, penetration, etc. all in all the beads should look similar when the machine is set right. it all depends on the application for which gas you need.. material thickness, different alloys, etc all have different gas requirements.
Reply:Short arc gasses are CO2 and Argon/CO2 mixes.Spray arc gasses are Argon/Oxygen and Argon/CO2 mixes with 15% and less CO2..MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op