FCAW - how long does the machine take to warm up? winter welding problems

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HI all,Newbie and lurker here.  I got a used Hobart Handler 120 in the summer.  Did some practise welds on some scrap metal,  then got busy and put the welder away.  Haven't used it for about 6 months.I started my 1st welding project yesterday.. It's a sled jack,  - basically a lever to help me lift a snowmobile so I can stick a dolly underneath it.Anyways..  Had problems getting a weld going.  Had the 120 set on position 3  (1/8" metal) and wire speed at 6 outta 10.  Wouldn't give enough spark to do a spot weld.  It would spark about once a second.  No continuous sizzle.I cleaned the ground, checked the connections in the machine.  All was good.  I tried a different outlet in my garage.I could get a good spark and the sizzling sound when I turned up the wire speed to 8 outta 10.  This was a lot different then when I had used it in the summer.The temperature in the unheated garage was probably about -10C / 14F.  Would this be the difference?  Or do machines take longer to warm up in the cold?  or was it because I hadn't used it for 6 months?Hopefully my welds hold.. If not,  I guess I'll be grinding and redoing the broken welds.PeterLast edited by peteec; 02-03-2011 at 11:32 AM.
Reply:The grease in the wire drive gears or the motor bearings is probably thick and sticky at that temperature.If you could warm the thing up with a blow dryer or keep it indoors before you use it , it would probably help.
Reply:Think of bringing a chunk of ice to the boil you'll use a lot of energy to get it to boil than if you start with hot tap water.You are welding on ice cold steel you need more heat. start at 10 and 10 and back down fro there.
Reply:There is a rule in structural welding not to be welding if the tmp is 32ºF.Outside air temp =temp of the metal  and depending how large and thick the metal was AND how you had your machine set up, and if the drive rollers were slipping all makes a difference.Sounds like the wire was feeding erratically.You cannot just stand back and have one arm and the gun pointing at the weldment waving around.You have got to be welding in a groove or crack that is clean metal, and you need to steady the welding gun and hand with your arm resting on something. It is NOT a squirt gun.You got to get up close and personal and really see what is going on.LOOK into the CRACK!!! LOLBTW FCAW (innersheild) is a structural rated welding wireLast edited by Donald Branscom; 02-03-2011 at 08:15 PM.AWS certified welding inspectorAWS certified welder
Reply:makes me wonder, when they did the Alaska pipe line, (being a minnesota boy) i bet it was a little cold some of them days..... how did they do it???? also wondering what they used for rods and machines. anybody know?
Reply:Machines were Lincolns, preheat with weadburners, and the rods were 6010 and 7018 I think.
Reply:I believe it's 32 then preheat even if it's less than 1 inch.I was welding on a bridge over the Yough Lake on some bearings. My foreman handed me a butain torch and said have at it....3  inch thick bearings and a thick flange 2 spans out. O.oClassic 1D 200SAE 30086 SA 200Hyperthem 45Jancy Mag Force O/A Victor-GossCable's remote2-12" Mathey Dearman bevelersLN 25Miller Auto Set 211Wendy's Pancake/Jackson PipelinerNew Holland LS 180Great story man....tell it again!
Reply:Originally Posted by Fat BastardThink of bringing a chunk of ice to the boil you'll use a lot of energy to get it to boil than if you start with hot tap water.You are welding on ice cold steel you need more heat. start at 10 and 10 and back down fro there.
Reply:Originally Posted by Fat BastardThink of bringing a chunk of ice to the boil you'll use a lot of energy to get it to boil than if you start with hot tap water.You are welding on ice cold steel you need more heat. start at 10 and 10 and back down fro there.