Gas Pressure

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Hey yall...Welp, today i gave in and bought a new hobart 187, and its a beautiful machine... Its the first welder that ive bought new, and the single most expensive thing ive ever bought, so im pretty proud of it...Now all i have to do, is to learn how to use it. I got it unboxed, and set up, and started playing around with it. I can keep a bead going with it, but the arc feels wierd, the wire burns back towards the tip, and then out again, and instead of the "frying egg" sound, im getting more of a loud popping/machine gun sort of thing going on... Im pretty sure i dont have something set right. I dont think theres anything wrong with the welder, just because im really new at this, unless i messed something up when i was getting it going... Im just trying to get a feel for this on some 3/16th scrap. The chart on the welder reccomends a power setting of 6, and a wire speed setting of 50. Or maybe its 5 and 60, sorry, im pretty tired... But, its somewhere around there. How much gas pressure do you guys run, on most things? What are some common problems mig welding? (this happens because of this, this is caused by this, etc)? Thanks everyone... Lots of pictures coming tomorrow [Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:Okay Lanse, I will go over a few things for you. For the gas, #1. is the type of gas. Are you using 80/20, 90/10 ish gas? That will be the best overall for mig steel. 98/2 is more for spray, and your machine is not really able to do it properly. Also, straight argon, or straight co2 are not the correct choices. Now, onto pressure. You are not running pressure, but rather VOLUME. Look to run about 12-17 CFH (cubic feet per hour) not PSI (pounds per square inch). Easy tips; pull the trigger with the nozzle close to your ear. Do you hear gas flowing? If not, you are not wired correctly. Next; read the instructions, and be sure the polarity is set up correctly for welding with gas. Fluxcore is wired opposite; I can't remember which is which right this second. Once all this is sorted, and you are sure you are set up correctly, then it's down to technique. Keep a steady hand; a welder that is allowed to push you around- will! You will want to use a 2 hand hold, and keep the gun feeding steady. For 3/16, with .030 wire, look to about 4.5-5 for speed, and about 4 for the heat. Adjust by 1/4 on the heat first; up, see if it gets better. Next, check speed, up 1/4 on the speed. Adjust accordingly.Take some pics, post them up. Good luck.And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:Originally Posted by Rojodiablo....................................Easy tips; pull the trigger with the nozzle close to your ear. Do you hear gas flowing? ......................................
Reply:Yes Lance, release the drive roll tensioner first so the wire doesn't drill your ear.   But. that is how I do it too and wait to feel the coolness of the gas on your cheek and hold the trigger for a few seconds more to purge the line while you observe/adjust the gauge for the desired gas flow.  You'll only need to do the purge thing if you haven't welded with the unit for awhile - say since yesterday afternoon or a few hours ago type thing.And while we're on the tensioner issue, make sure you go over the proper adjustment procedure in the manual so you get that right or you'll experience "skip feeding" (too loose) or "bird's nesting" (too tight) with the wire.Then it's just tweeking the adjustments a little at a time to get it nailed down as Paul described.Check out the MIG videos on the Miller site if you haven't already for some very spot on demonstrations.http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/video_library/#Enjoy!BTW - don't forget to add the HH 187 to your equipment lineup.Last edited by duaneb55; 11-27-2010 at 10:10 AM.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Originally Posted by Sandy Cautionary notes 1, 2 & 3 : Do not point the nozzle and or wire towards your ear or the next sound you hear will be the wire coming out the other ear. Sorry, just had to do that.
Reply:Originally Posted by Rojodiablostraight co2 are not the correct choices.
Reply:Thanks guys... I got it working, and didn't impale my done piece :-DSwitching the polarity made all the difference...[Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:Originally Posted by LanseThanks guys... I got it working, and didn't impale my done piece :-DSwitching the polarity made all the difference...