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welder problems

2K views 13 replies 8 participants last post by  Old Fool 
#1 ·
wire feds gas feeds but no weld spark
 
#3 ·
What kind of model welder do you have? Check your drive rolls if they are spinning then you need to set the tension and/or check the individual drive roll to see if might be the wrong one like a 0.035 trying to push 0.023 wire. Did you check your whip for kinks or "knots" they need to be fairly straight on a small welder. Last but not least depending on the welder check to make sure all electrical connections are tight and no broken wires.
 
#5 ·
Looks as if this fellow may be a "hit-and-run" but something I have seen guys literally pull their hair out over, and I have seen this happen several times, is the ground cable losing contact to the ground clamp. They are sure the ground clamp is solidly attached to the work piece but still no arc, even trying to weld directly to the clamp itself brings no spark! I remember one case in particular where one of the guys had taken the welder apart and had an electrician testing the board circuits trying to determine why there was no welding current, they were testing for current by feeding the wire directly onto the ground clamp. The lug where the cable attached to the clamp had lost contact and while the cable was electrically "hot" the clamp was not! When trying to determine the cause of no welding current always check the cables themselves first and don't just assume the ground clamp or rod holder is in full contact with the cable, these things sometimes get hot and over time can form a non-conductive scale causing the cable to become insulated from the clamp.
 
#7 ·
Welder Problems

jonahb said:
What kind of model welder do you have? Check your drive rolls if they are spinning then you need to set the tension and/or check the individual drive roll to see if might be the wrong one like a 0.035 trying to push 0.023 wire. Did you check your whip for kinks or "knots" they need to be fairly straight on a small welder. Last but not least depending on the welder check to make sure all electrical connections are tight and no broken wires.
It is a Clarke 185SG mig with spool gun
 
#8 ·
there could be corrosion or loose connections anywhere..Spool guns can be touchy..have you replaced tip as a worn tip may be the culprit here..If all else fails then we go to the continuity tester in an effort to isolate the problem..

Sam
 
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