MIG with argon

[dom14]

you do know that when going from gas to gasless and vise versa that you need to switch the polarity on the welder

I do now.
I've never had a gas & gasless on the same unit, so the polarity reversal was new news to me.

[dom14]

Here is the video(s) where I did the 0.6mm wire without gas(pure argon)
This is amazing guys. I'm getting "better"(kinda) results without pure argon or any gas for that matter.

When I moved the gun, there was too much splatter(even though I moved and kept the gun almost touching the base metal or actually touching it with the nozzle).
The bead to the left is where I moved the gun(but didn't record in on video).
The 'bead' to the right is the one from the video where I got better results than with pure argon.

Now, I'm beginning to wonder whether there is a need for shielding gas at all, considering how bad the beads were with pure argon.

The weld tack I produced by keeping the gun on the same place was pretty strong. I couldn't get it off by hammering on it hard, whereas the pure argon shielded beads were able to remove with a flat screwdriver(without even hitting it).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_sv...ature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bflp...ature=youtu.be

I'm pretty intrigued by the above result.
I think it's about time I try either with pure CO2 or argon/co2 MIG mix.

[BigRAWesty]

Here is the video(s) where I did the 0.6mm wire without gas(pure argon)
This is amazing guys. I'm getting "better"(kinda) results without pure argon or any gas for that matter.

When I moved the gun, there was too much splatter(even though I moved and kept the gun almost touching the base metal or actually touching it with the nozzle).
The bead to the left is where I moved the gun(but didn't record in on video).
The 'bead' to the right is the one from the video where I got better results than with pure argon.

Now, I'm beginning to wonder whether there is a need for shielding gas at all, considering how bad the beads were with pure argon.

The weld tack I produced by keeping the gun on the same place was pretty strong. I couldn't get it off by hammering on it hard, whereas the pure argon shielded beads were able to remove with a flat screwdriver(without even hitting it).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_sv...ature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bflp...ature=youtu.be

I'm pretty intrigued by the above result.
I think it's about time I try either with pure CO2 or argon/co2 MIG mix.

Flux core (gasless) is made to be run without gas. It is literally an electrode on a roll. The flex burns and produces the correct gas to shield the weld pool, by using gas your messing with the flux gas and stuffing it up..
You can buy flux core that needs gas aswell but that's usually very heavy industrial and outside stuff..
Flux core needs to be treated like a stick welder.
You drag the slag, so pull the hand piece with flux core not push like a solid wire..
Imo invest in a mig shield gas.
It's chalk and cheese and really I think your trying to push shit up a very steep slope with Argo and that welder.

[mudski]

you do know that when going from gas to gasless and vise versa that you need to switch the polarity on the welder

I was just thinking this when reading this thread. Has Dom got the polarities mixed up, i.e on gasless, whilst trying to weld with gas?

[dom14]

Flux core (gasless) is made to be run without gas. It is literally an electrode on a roll. The flex burns and produces the correct gas to shield the weld pool, by using gas your messing with the flux gas and stuffing it up..
You can buy flux core that needs gas aswell but that's usually very heavy industrial and outside stuff..
Flux core needs to be treated like a stick welder.
You drag the slag, so pull the hand piece with flux core not push like a solid wire..
Imo invest in a mig shield gas.
It's chalk and cheese and really I think your trying to push shit up a very steep slope with Argo and that welder.

Yeah mate, this Mishto el cheapo MIG welder isn't meant for pure argon experiment.

BTW, above video(s) were showing the Mishto 130 amp MIG welder with solid 0.6mm wire(not gasless wire) with highest amp/volt setting with the speed of 5 out of 10, and most importantly NO shielding gas. I just wanted to see whether I can 'weld' without gas on solid wire & compare it to my previous pure argon MIG welding attempt videos.

I am beginning to think even with a good MIG welder, using pure argon may demand a bit of tweaking experience that comes with MIG welding for a while. I will need to spend some good hours just practising.

Cheers.

[dom14]

I was just thinking this when reading this thread. Has Dom got the polarities mixed up, i.e on gasless, whilst trying to weld with gas?

Nope, just pushing shit on a steep uphill as Kallen explained above.
My el cheapo MIG welder & my inexperience with technique and tweaking won't allow me to get any useful welds out of pure argon.
I'll have to get argon/co2 mix or just stick with gasless MIG welder for the time being.

[dom14]

I have to crack open the machine to reverse the polarity to experiment with gasless wire with argon.
That's bit too much screwing around with thiis cheap machine.
That experiment has been put off indefinitely until I get a better machine.

[BigRAWesty]

Yeah mate, this Mishto el cheapo MIG welder isn't meant for pure argon experiment.

BTW, above video(s) were showing the Mishto 130 amp MIG welder with solid 0.6mm wire(not gasless wire) with highest amp/volt setting with the speed of 5 out of 10, and most importantly NO shielding gas. I just wanted to see whether I can 'weld' without gas on solid wire & compare it to my previous pure argon MIG welding attempt videos.

I am beginning to think even with a good MIG welder, using pure argon may demand a bit of tweaking experience that comes with MIG welding for a while. I will need to spend some good hours just practising.

Cheers.

Yea unfortunately link didn't work to videos again (may be a tapatalk issue) so only basing reply off what was written.
As you seen in my demo welds argon and Argo shield make a very big difference to appearance and stability of your weld.
I also agree the welder is not cut out for what you want to trial.
In saying That, there are some good units around today.
Mine is the unimig 180 viper. Unimig a known for being a quality budget / middle market welder.
10A supply to boot.
$600 from memory.

[dom14]

Yea unfortunately link didn't work to videos again (may be a tapatalk issue) so only basing reply off what was written.
As you seen in my demo welds argon and Argo shield make a very big difference to appearance and stability of your weld.
I also agree the welder is not cut out for what you want to trial.
In saying That, there are some good units around today.
Mine is the unimig 180 viper. Unimig a known for being a quality budget / middle market welder.
10A supply to boot.
$600 from memory.

Yep.
I got an el cheapo 'cos I didn't wanna spend good money on a MIG, and wanted to inject that money rather into a good AC/DC TIG
machine which I still haven't worked out.
I think mine may be ok if I use proper MIG gas & use it only for upto 130amp range it is meant for.
I won't know whether the machine is good or how good it is until I get some MIG shielding gas.

I couldn't see the need for higher amp dearer MIG machine 'cos of the good stick welder I have & the ok TIG DC welder. If I had the money, I would've gone for a good MIG machine of course, but have to balance it accordingly where the most need is atm.

[billyj]

dom in all honesty your 130 amp mig is going to struggle on anything over about 3mm,if your looking at a good ac/dc tig machine then put the effort into learning that and learn to stick weld properly as most good tig units will do stick as well. you will be amazed the difference that a decent machine with good rods can make.

the biggest problem with small migs is you can lay a weld that may look nice but has stuff all penetration so is basically usless, at least with a stick machine generally if a weld looks good to the eye its going to be pretty strong

personally i use a unimig promig 240 for mig duties and have a couple of small cig inverters for stick work an older weldskill170 and new weldskill 180