MIG - problems on startup

"outofstepper" (clip) my work-around has been to fire the gun on my weldingtable.. like a little spot weld.. and then pick up on my work. this way it welds just fine -- but now i spend my last 1/2hr of the day grinding down all the spotweld bumps on my welding table. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Well, I can help you solve that part of it. Place a coupon of steel on the bench, next to the work, and start your welds on THAT.

Based on my fumbling around blindly when I was first getting started..it sounds like a feeder problem particularly with that burnback. Or...your gas solenoid is slow in opening. If you start the arc without gas..wierd things happen

I think Ive done everything wrong at least twice..slow learner when I self taught...sigh

Put the old gun back on and see what happens?

Gunner

The aim of untold millions is to be free to do exactly as they choose and for someone else to pay when things go wrong.

In the past few decades, a peculiar and distinctive psychology has emerged in England. Gone are the civility, sturdy independence, and admirable stoicism that carried the English through the war years . It has been replaced by a constant whine of excuses, complaints, and special pleading. The collapse of the British character has been as swift and complete as the collapse of British power.

Theodore Dalrymple,

SNIP

First, go with the knowns:

Revert to an older gun that worked. Theoretically, this will tell you if it is the new gun or not.

If the old gun works fine, problem solved. Toss the new gun. If the old gun suffers the same problems, we gotta go one step at a time.

I've had this problem too often with my MIG. The first thing you should do is put in a new liner. Your liner could be kinked or clogged or worn. I have a feeling this is your problem (assuming you are using a new contact tip of the correct size). Next, play with your tension and drive rolls.

I have a Miller 250X, and I recently (after 6 years of fighting it), disabled the "hot start" feature, because it was burning to hot and fusing the wire to the tip. This helped my problem, but I don't think it is the same for your machine. But who knows?

Start with the old gun.

Best of luck.

Smyths

Rod Ryker wrote:

thanks, all.. as soon as i get some free time with the machine i'll give it the once-over. old gun is gone (they always spark under the hot clamp and blow holes in the brass fitting -- yep, they've always been tight), but i think i have a replacement liner somewhere.

-tony