Need help with welder (Noob!)

[Mechanicman]

I just recently acquired a MIG welder, not sure the make or model.
When I load it with flux core wire yes its the right size, etc. tge motor turns and all that vut wire doesnt come out??

 

[Bluethunder3320]

post a pic of it i might be able to tell.

what wire are you using? is the tensioner bearing tight enough against the motor wheel? can you pull the wire out of the gun with your fingers?

has it been doing this since the start or just recently?

 

[Mechanicman]

Well its at my papaws right now. He said it just started to do it recently. He can pull the wire all the way through to the nozzle. Its .030 flux core wire. My dad thinks its the tensioner also.

 

[Bluethunder3320]

theres a knob you have to tighten... if you can pull the wire out of that nozzle freely then it isnt catching.

this...

tighten the knob.

 

[Mechanicman]

Thanks ill check it out! Any tips on building an offroad go cart

 

[Rustydog2010]

Get theses plans.

You wont be disappointed!

Jeremy.

 

[Mechanicman]

Well they do ook like amazing plans, but I dont think my budget can allow to purchase plans. Do you have any free plans? Also, is a Tecumseh 6 hp power sport OHV A good engine?

 

[Badot]

Not sure if you've welded or built carts before, but my tips would be A: make sure whoever's welding knows what they're doing, and B: I'll usually beat the **** out of a cart before riding it (drop it, jump on it, etc)... better for it to break at 0mph than 30. I also like to inspect it very frequently during use for a while after building it. Also, if you're using a design of your own, check with others to ensure it will be structurally sound.

A 6hp engine should be good for light duty offroading on a smaller cart, but if you're going to be going up large hills you may find it a bit lacking in power.

 

[r97]

When you press the trigger, and the motor turns on, look at the feed assembly, does the wire move at all? Ar the wire feed rollers spinning? Are you sure the wire feed rollers are correct?

If I'm thinking of the right engine, I have read a lot of stuff about the carbs cloggiing up wayyyyyyyy to easily. I would look into an older techumseh or Briggs, also, search eBay for robin Subaru, great engines, here the robin Subaru website,
http://robinamerica.com/series.aspx?sid=7

I would also suggest looking for a good deal on a genuine Honda gx series engine. If you are on a budget, look into the harbor freight clone engine.

All that said, if the techumseh is super cheap, I would get it, and lastly, an tav style engine will out preform most any industrial engine


P.s. If you use plauns i highly suggest you Buy plans! Purchased plans will be better.

 

[Bluethunder3320]

IMO if you have a scrap yard around go get some riding mower parts. such as wheels and spindles. then make a no suspension one for your fisrt kart.

 

[r97]

If you make a kart from mower parts be careful, most parts are not made for speed.

 

[redsox985]

Not only are most not made for speed, a lot of older, still running, durable mowers are made from cast iron and they cannot be welded with regular welding processes.

 

[Mechanicman]

Thanks for all of the replies! Yes, I'm using the righr kind of rollers and the wire will move if I pull it from thw nozzle. As of right now I jave a 6hp tecumseh power sport (carb is being rebuilt as we speak) Murray "explorer" go cart. The plan is to extend the frame about 2-3ft, amd finish thw roll bars on the front. And ride it this summer, then in fall put it in the shed and raise the ground clearance with larger tires and put a 350cc atv engine or the 13hp from HF. I'd like to know how long a 2lb roll of flux core wire would last, also whats the cheapest online retailer that sells it?

(Sorry about the spelling amd punctuation mistakes, I use a touch scrern phone and large fingers)

 

[devino246]

Make sure the wire is running through the knurled part of the wheel.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

I'm sure this has been fairly well-covered but let's just make sure, shall we?

Be 100% certain your wire size matches the drive/guide roller size. If the machine is set up for .035 wire and you're using .030, you will have feed problems. Also make sure the tensioner has sufficient tension on it.

Without knowing what model you have, it's hard to give specifics. There's really not much to the feed system. If the wire won't feed because it's jammed, check for clogged up liner and tip. If it won't feed because it's loose, check drive rollers and tensioner.

 

[Mechanicman]

Thanks again for all the great replies. Ive been busy lately building a shed to set it up in and start working on mu carts/lawn mowers/etc. Ill try to get back asap with the information