Welder acting spirtatic..

[Flexibel_kampfe]

Tonight, I was trying to weld, and I noticed that the welder was "sputtering".. I would pull the trigger, and it would have a jumpy arc. Like: bah-stop-bah-stop-repeat...

This is the first time it has done it too me... No real different settings... I changed the wire speed a little, but ajusted it back...

I am confused... all I know is I tried it on two different pieces of steel, both the same result...

 

[Bluethunder3320]

when its on low settings it "pops", meaning the wire disintegrates as it comes out of the tip because wire feed is slow and the motor has to feed it then it pops again.

is it a problem with the switch and or motor do you think? is it with only welding or feeding does it act jumpy if you just press the wire out in the air.

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

I played around from ranges 1-10... Its not too slow...

 

[Bluethunder3320]

but does it make the same problem if you point the gun in the air, does it twitch?

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

If I point the gun in the air it feeds fine... obviously no arc...

 

[redsox985]

So it's been narrowed down to a power issue. Try a new contact tip.

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

I replaced it. That was my first guess.

Could it be the ground clamp? The spool, I am using the last of the stock roll..

 

[Bluethunder3320]

the only way to find out is to get a new one. i got a new one and it works great.

as for the spool, you mean the crap HF? it could just be the wire, and a combination of the ground clamp.

 

[redsox985]

Is the ground removable from the machine easily? Make sure it's firmly connected if it may have come loose.

 

[Bluethunder3320]

nah they go inside the machine.

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

Ill check later. I quickly looked earlier, and it seemed firm.. Ill check though...

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

Blue... he means the part that is screwed onto the ground... thats not inside the machine.. :O

 

[Bluethunder3320]

haha ohh. well on the clamp it comes with the wire is crimped into a washer that is bolted to the clamp.

i thought he meant if the contact was external, like the machines i use at school.

 

[redsox985]

I really don't know how the true guts work I just know the basics of installing a spool and the feed and what not. Electricity is not something I know.

 

[T-man]

there are a bunch of things that could cause a welder to do this but for me it has all ways come down to 3 things
1. the steel I was welding on wasn't clean ( bad conduction )
2. steel was to thick for my little HF welder/ feed was to fast. when the welding wire came out and made contact with the steel ... the steel being to thick ... wouldn't disipate the heat fast enough so the heat would travil up the wire and melt instantly ... then more would come out. this happens very fast.
3. steel was just to cold.

oh one more thing .... get some rubbing alcohol and clean the wheel that feeds the wire through the line

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

Will do.

T-Man: Should I get a better clamp for it as well? Might that help a little? Also, I preheated the steel, with a propane torch, within seconds before trying to start the arc. The steel was 14ga to 1/8th(welding wheel brakets onto my welding cart, from an old lawnmower..) I cleaned it pretty decently, grinding most surfaces down...

 

[T-man]

well I dont know about the clamp because when it comes to that the more surface contact that a clamp gives the better so if your present one has better surface contact than a new one just keep it. I do know that HF has some clamps that, in my experiance, are great.
here great price for being made out of brass
http://www.harborfreight.com/400-amp-welding-ground-clamp-66708.html
DO NOT get the silver one shown at the bottom of page.

 

[Flexibel_kampfe]

Mine is like the silver one... but smaller, and is a copper colour.

I may as well upgrade it, it couldnt hurt. For $8 hell, it might help...

 

[fowler]

mine did this when the tip wasnt clean and the wire was struggleing to be pushed out.
also when i was welding outside and there was a strong wind blowing all the gas away (its a mig) it would cause alot of slag and very quickly (10 sec) block the tip agian

 

[Bluethunder3320]

t-man, that is the clamp i have on my HF welder right now. it works fine but the spring is super taught, its hard to squeese, but that is a good thing.