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MIG Welder Advice
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Rootes75



Joined: 30 Apr 2013
Posts: 3788
Location: The Somerset Levels

PostPosted: Sun Sep 26, 2021 2:09 pm    Post subject: MIG Welder Advice Reply with quote

So, my trusty old gasless Mig packed up and after looking online at Mig reviews I dipped my toe in on a cheap one that many reviews say its ideal for bodywork.

Unboxed the said welder and gave it a go this morning, what a waste of time. On the lowest settings it simply burns great holes in everything, ruined some very nice bits of fabrication on the trucks front wings.

My question is, what sort of welding set ups do you chaps use?
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Ray White



Joined: 02 Dec 2014
Posts: 6286
Location: Derby

PostPosted: Sun Sep 26, 2021 3:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's rotten luck. I don't trust what any of them say these days.

I have used a Clarke TE150 "turbo" mig welder that I bought for the GT6 some time back in the 1980s. Since then it has done literally hundreds of hours work and is still going strong. I have needed to replace various bits and re design the rather feeble wire feed but it still does the job so although it's looking VERY rough I am reluctant to replace it.

The "turbo" is just a cooling fan - which is good. The only downside with the machine is that the settings are difficult to remember and if you lose the booklet you have to go on line to nudge the little grey cells into remembering what the switches all do. At least the instructions are still available!

There are three switches with two positions each and a spool feed speed setting and you need to get the combination right or it either won't weld deep enough or get too much heat. If you unleash the full 150 amps (chassis work) the lights in the house flicker!

If I had to replace it I would go for another Clarke MIG welder.
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Minxy



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 272
Location: West Northants

PostPosted: Sun Sep 26, 2021 7:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another with a Clarke 151 turbo. I changed the wire to a thicker one 0.6 to 0.8 I think it was and changed the shroud to suit. Without a doubt it is harder to weld with home type units than with a full size one. In workshops I have welded with gas, mig,tig etc etc and was renown for my aluminium welding but I do find home welding a challenge.
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Ray White



Joined: 02 Dec 2014
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Location: Derby

PostPosted: Sun Sep 26, 2021 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Minxy wrote:
Another with a Clarke 151 turbo. I changed the wire to a thicker one 0.6 to 0.8 I think it was and changed the shroud to suit. Without a doubt it is harder to weld with home type units than with a full size one. In workshops I have welded with gas, mig,tig etc etc and was renown for my aluminium welding but I do find home welding a challenge.


Yes, I too switched to 0.8 with corresponding nozzle and shroud. One vital thing to remember is to disconnect the gas bottle after use. Just turning it off will not stop it slowly leaking away.

Setting the wire feed speed to match the output is often a case of trial and error. I usually find that by the time I have got the set up as I would like it, the job is already half done!!

Is the failing welder beyond all hope of revival? I have brought mine back from the dead on more than one occasion.
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Rootes75



Joined: 30 Apr 2013
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Location: The Somerset Levels

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 1:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One thing I will try next weekend is to use a copper sheet behind the weld, this should help with burn through.
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MikeEdwards



Joined: 25 May 2011
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Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 5:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I thought 0.6 was more suitable for thin car bodywork? That's what I've always used.

On the copper sheet, I tend to use something like that if I've cut the repair badly and need to fill a bit of a gap, but I read somewhere that the problem with it is that it can take too much heat away and ruin penetration of the weld.
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Rootes75



Joined: 30 Apr 2013
Posts: 3788
Location: The Somerset Levels

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 7:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tried again tonight.

Even a simple tack weld burns a hole, that is on the lowest setting and obviously a very quick touch.

The issue I have with the old Mig is the wire feed keeps on coiling up between the feeding wheels or actually in the gun itself. In both cases it usually means stripping it all to unravel or unblock the wire.

This new Mig is simply not near it in ability to weld 1mm M/S. Its certainly making a mess of all the fabricated repair panels I have made. Not happy.
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Rootes75



Joined: 30 Apr 2013
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 7:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So, I have done a little digging and have found the new welder to have a minimum setting of 50amps, not ideal for bodywork.

The old Mig, I have now found had a lowest setting of 25amps! No wonder I havent had this issue before.

I am going to strip the old Mig again to see if there is any way to get more life out of it.
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Ray White



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PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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Kenham



Joined: 12 Mar 2012
Posts: 209
Location: Kent

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 11:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds to me like your welder is ok but you need a new torch or a new liner fitted if the wire is not feeding freely.
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Penguin45



Joined: 28 Jul 2014
Posts: 381
Location: Padiham

PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 9:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agree, sounds like a liner issue. Also, check the wheel tension on the wire drive. You should be able to stop the feed with one finger and still hear the motor running as it slips. That prevents the wire "bird nesting" inside the machine.
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MikeEdwards



Joined: 25 May 2011
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 9:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, I'd third the thoughts that the liner is to blame. Shouldn't be a terrible job, I had to swap it on my previous welder, though I don't remember why.
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ukdave2002



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
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Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 12:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gas or TIG is better for vehicle bodywork; you can't planish a MIG weld, so its very difficult to create decent butt joints that don't require filler.

After years of using MIG I now only use gas on bodywork these days.

Dave
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Rootes75



Joined: 30 Apr 2013
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Location: The Somerset Levels

PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 7:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One problem on the old welder is the liner, when we have stripped it before we found the liner gets pushed up into the torch, so when the wire coils the liner moves with it!

I have just found a replacement torch/shroud for £50.
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MikeEdwards



Joined: 25 May 2011
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 29, 2021 9:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Liners are a lot cheaper than that, even in Machine Mart, though I must say it's ages since I swapped one. I also seem to recall it was a "cut to length" thing, so maybe if it's moving you could cut it a little longer than the one you take out.
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