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Mig questions - gas, power & spoolgun.

I asked this a few days ago - but no replies :-( was it something I said?

Hi

I've done a fair bit of MIG welding with a 150 Amp Sealey welder using CO2. I've just bought a MIG300 Oxford Welder on ebay. It doesn't have a gas bottle so before I go and get gas for it my question is what is the advantage of Argon/Co2 mix or pure Argon over CO2 for welding plain old steel?

Another question: It's face plate specifies a 60 Amp fuse !!! for 220 -

240 V operation. I can cable that in but what plug and socket (or receptacle as I belive you guys over the pond would call it!) is available for that sort of current? Currently it linked for 415-480 V and it has a 16A 4 pin red plug for a 3ph 415 to 480 supply (however it only uses 2 of the cores) which is interesting as the face plate specifies a 30 amp fuse for 415 - 480 V operation.

And finaly: it has a 6 pin socket for a remote wire feed which I assume I could connect a spool gun to. Is that a standard connection? Where can I get a compatible spool gun (I may want to do some alluminium welding at some stage).

I'm in the UK (Woking, Surrey)

Cheers Chris

Reply to
Chris Glen-Smith
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You need a blue 63A BS4343 plug and socket as shown here:-

HTH Mark Rand RTFM

Reply to
Mark Rand

pure argon is not recomended for mild steel , pure argon needed for aluminum.

co2/ar mix or it is called C25 is more widely used on mild steel because you will have less (very little or none) spatter and better weld appearance.

c25 is a bit more expensive than straight co2.

Reply to
acrobat-ants

Can C25 be used for stainless steel mig welding? Can CO2?

Gunner

"To be civilized is to restrain the ability to commit mayhem. To be incapable of committing mayhem is not the mark of the civilized, merely the domesticated." - Trefor Thomas

Reply to
Gunner

C25 will work, but you really don't want to use pure CO2. C25 will leave a heavy grey oxide around the weld, but it can be removed later.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

Thanks. I have a jar of a yellow "pickeling" substance "Compound-302" Is that what its used for?

Ive got a chance to get a big spool of some sort of SS wire for little or nothing. I dont have too many options as to gas yet, as Ive yet to get an Argon tank.

What happens if you use CO2? None of this SS welding will be for structural stuff or pressure stuff. Just brackets and that sort of light duty use.

Thanks

Gunner

"To be civilized is to restrain the ability to commit mayhem. To be incapable of committing mayhem is not the mark of the civilized, merely the domesticated." - Trefor Thomas

Reply to
Gunner

as Ernie stated, C25 will work on stainless, you will get a bit more spatter , and gray looking weld, and higher , domed weld bead.

if you would do more stainless , the correct mix would be a tri-mix = helium argon and co2, or helium argon and oxigen,

304 and 308 stainless , using short circuit MIG welding want trimix= 90%helium 7.5%argon 2.5%co2 this will give you a nice shiny, flat weld bead, less spatter, and it will wet in nicely, meaning the edges of the weld bead will flow/tie into the base metal. >
Reply to
acrobat-ants

Yes

For SS MIG you want either a argon/CO2/helium or argon/CO2/oxygen tri-mix

Just really ugly welds.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

Thanks. I best go see about getting some C25!

That raises another question, can I use the same regulator C25 tank, - hm.. no need to answer I guess the welding supply people will tell me that.

p.s. thanks to Mark to for the link to the BFO connectors.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Glen-Smith

Could be both. The arc tends to be too harsh for SS to flow right and you get very nasty welds, that may be strong, but will not be sanitary due to pits and porosity.

The welds will also tend to rust.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

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