MIG with argon

[GQtdauto]

Nice and clean no spatter build up looks ok but those holes where the gas comes out appear to have something on the inside blocking them but if you can hear and feel gas coming out we might start with the flow rate .
Tig flowrate for what you're doing roughly 6-7 litres per minute (LPM) and mig try 7-8 LPM .
Bit late now but that knob that says on / off should be basically a tap so you should be able to adjust the gas flow ie the ball in the glass using that knob to 8 LPM , turn your gas bottle main valve on (slowly) half to three quarters of a turn is fine , take the tension off the wire feed Roller and turn the mig on , press the trigger on the hand piece then mig should run but wire shouldn't spool out .
While doing that look at the glass tube and where the ball is , try turning the flow rate knob that one on the left that says on - off and see if you can get it to move if it does move it to 8Lpm .
Gas flow rate can be a bit up or down from 8 but if you get little holes in the weld you need to increase it , just for chits and giggles check your hose connections to make sure you don't have any blockages kinked hoses or loose connections .
If your getting flow on Tig I'm betting it's something stupid like a blocked hose or connection , your problem is not the argon it's either not getting out the end of the gun or at the right rate .

[dom14]

Nice and clean no spatter build up looks ok but those holes where the gas comes out appear to have something on the inside blocking them but if you can hear and feel gas coming out we might start with the flow rate .

Definitely heard and felt the gas coming out of the holes on the side, and out of the nozzle when the nozzle is on.

Tig flowrate for what you're doing roughly 6-7 litres per minute (LPM) and mig try 7-8 LPM .
Bit late now but that knob that says on / off should be basically a tap so you should be able to adjust the gas flow ie the ball in the glass using that knob to 8 LPM , turn your gas bottle main valve on (slowly) half to three quarters of a turn is fine , take the tension off the wire feed Roller and turn the mig on , press the trigger on the hand piece then mig should run but wire shouldn't spool out .
While doing that look at the glass tube and where the ball is , try turning the flow rate knob that one on the left that says on - off and see if you can get it to move if it does move it to 8Lpm .
Gas flow rate can be a bit up or down from 8 but if you get little holes in the weld you need to increase it , just for chits and giggles check your hose connections to make sure you don't have any blockages kinked hoses or loose connections .
If your getting flow on Tig I'm betting it's something stupid like a blocked hose or connection , your problem is not the argon it's either not getting out the end of the gun or at the right rate .

The hose I used for TIG is a custom made by BOC guy(didn't charge me at all) 'cos the connection on the TIG torch won't work with my cheap scratch start TIG unit as it has no gas connection on the machine. BOC guy used an adapter and made the hose for me so I can connect the TIG bottle regulator directly to the TIG torch. For MIG, I am using a separate see through hose from Pirtek, which appears to be working fine without any leaks(I use clamps on both sides as it is not an ideal hose for welding gas).
I'll have to grab another piece of proper hose from BOC tomorrow.

I think the flow meter is a faulty piece of rubbish, 'cos I couldn't get the ball to move with TIG either. It momentarily jumped when I opened the gas knob on the TIG torch and went back to bottom. I need to take a clear close-up picture of the flow meter reading gauge. I don't think it is litres per minute. It's something else. I hope I'm wrong about the flow meter, but the regulator flange that connects to the bottle had to be swapped 'cos the original flange didn't have a rubber O ring & leaked gas(wasn't fitting at all).
BOC guy gave me a piece of adapter which I swapped. I'll upload a picture soon. But, I think overall, the regulator+flow meter is not good. I might have to get a good reliable one from the local shop front.

[Rossco]

Gal is no good, do you have the same issues with just steel? Need to grind it back to fresh metal or welds will be horrible. I usually use about 10-15L / min of gas which is ample. . .

Sent from my GT-I9506 using Tapatalk

[GQtdauto]

Gal is no good, do you have the same issues with just steel? Need to grind it back to fresh metal or welds will be horrible. I usually use about 10-15L / min of gas which is ample. . .

Sent from my GT-I9506 using Tapatalk

Geez that's a generous amount of gas Rossco , yes gal can be tricky stuff to weld especially with light gear because you have to burn through the gal coating which is why I asked about grinding the gal off in the area to be welded .
Might be a good idea Dom about trying a bit of scrap steel that's got no coating on it .

[dom14]

Gal is no good, do you have the same issues with just steel? Need to grind it back to fresh metal or welds will be horrible. I usually use about 10-15L / min of gas which is ample. . .

Sent from my GT-I9506 using Tapatalk

I did grind the area of that piece of base metal before I tested on it. First I did the TIG & it went ok even on the areas that I didn't grind off the gal.
I initially tried the MIG with argon on the areas where I ran the TIG torch & mild steel TIG filler. That didn't go well, and then I switched to the other areas of the metal where I didn't grind off the gal. It was the same.
So, I kinda 'figured' it must be the argon or the settings on the MIG or it's me.

[Tip12345]

right O that black knob on the flow regulator is how you adjust the flow .
pull the trigger watch the pea in the clear tube adjust the flow with the black knob .
start with about 6 .
you could always take the hose of the flow meter and see if anything comes out ..
you might have a blockage form a wasp or something

[GQtdauto]

Dom if I enlarge the photo of that metal you were welding I can clearly see gal coating and some spatter that looks like you've been soldering above it .
Trust me it's not the argon that's the problem it's lack of , the suggestion above might help reduce the possibles , undo the hose fitting onto the flow meter and using the flow meter on off tap see if you have flow .

[dom14]

right O that black knob on the flow regulator is how you adjust the flow .
pull the trigger watch the pea in the clear tube adjust the flow with the black knob .
start with about 6 .
you could always take the hose of the flow meter and see if anything comes out ..
you might have a blockage form a wasp or something

It's possible I might have created some blockage when I swapped the connecting end of the gas regulator.
I had to swap it over(as in below picture), and some of the powdery threat sealant might have got sucked into the flow meter when I blew the powdery dust off.
Another thing I'm not sure is that I had to use ordinary plumbers Teflon tape as I didn't have anything specific job.

[dom14]

I think the flow meter is a faulty piece of rubbish, 'cos I couldn't get the ball to move with TIG either. It momentarily jumped when I opened the gas knob on the TIG torch and went back to bottom. I need to take a clear close-up picture of the flow meter reading gauge. I don't think it is litres per minute. It's something else. I hope I'm wrong about the flow meter, but the regulator flange that connects to the bottle had to be swapped 'cos the original flange didn't have a rubber O ring & leaked gas(wasn't fitting at all).
BOC guy gave me a piece of adapter which I swapped. I'll upload a picture soon. But, I think overall, the regulator+flow meter is not good. I might have to get a good reliable one from the local shop front.

I was wrong above. It does has Litres per Minute printed on it, I just wasn't able to see it last nite.

[dom14]

This is where I bought the regulator from.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AU-G5-8-...wAAOSwytlZukCu

The fitting end of the regulator has no O ring on it. i guess I got what I paid for.
But, I'm still wondering about the fitting end not having an O ring. Makes no sense to me.