No Gas Welding

That's a stick welder, not a wirefeed.

That's a wirefeed welder which has no capability of delivering shielding gas.

You are laboring under a serious delusion. Stick welders are different electrically from wirefeed welders. The former strives for constant current; the latter for constant voltage. Stick welders don't have things you really really need for wirefeed welding. Things like a place to put welding wire or a wire feeding mechanism, stuff like that. Stick welders are meant to be used with individual electrodes aka welding rods aka stick.

GWE

No, not a stupid question.

I'm pretty certain Ernie Leimkuhler has said the Ready Welder spoolgun will work with a stick welder, pretty slick tool there. I'll hope he'll fill you in on fluxcore with the Ready Welder.

The thing that makes the wirefeed machine you refer to a no gas welder is the fact that it's not able to provide a shield gas. Fluxcore is pretty expensive, compared to a solid wire with a shield gas.

A stick welder is generally the best first investment. If you put out a little more money and get a machine that'll tig too then you'll be very well equipped from the start.

Google this group, there's been heaps of good advice about getting into welding. Buy the best quality you can afford, used commercial equipment can be a far better value than new hobbyist stuff.

Stick around, you'll get the hang of it, it ain't rocket science.

John

It will work, but it's really touchy. It works a lot better powered by a MIG machine.

Cheers Grant - that explains it.

Michael

Thanks John,

I'm looking to use the flux cored though as I read somewhere that you shouldn't really use shield gas when welding outdoors and sadly my project is too big to bring inside.

Michael

Not to mention a bottom-of-the-line stick welder with its maybe 20% duty cycle isn't the greatest choice to power a spoolgun ..

GWE

I stay confused much of the time. So maybe someone can explain things so I really understand it. Much of MIG welding and flux core welding is done using short circuit transfer. And for that it makes good sense to me that one would want a constant voltage machine. But when you go to spray mode, do you really need or want a constant voltage supply. It seems as if a constant current supply would work better for spray mode transfer.

Now as I understand it, aluminum mig welding is done in spray mode. And the aluminum something association recomends using a constant current supply to weld aluminum. I also know that one can weld using a constant current supply with a mig gun as a friend of mine that did not know any better just did it. Used his arc welder as the power supply and hooked it to his little 120 volt mig when he needed to weld something thicker than he thought his 120 volt machine would handle. After he told me that I tried it and it worked. But that was a few years ago and I can't remember if I was in spray mode.

Randy, Ernie, anyone?

Dan

Can you take a welding class somewhere? Good way to learn a lot of basics in a pretty short time.

I still recommend the stick or stick/tig.

Seems I remember there being an issue with making multiple pass welds with fluxcore, had to use a different wire and shield gas or something. If that applies to your project, it's something to research a little.

Whatcha buildin'?

John

Hi,

So then you don't think that the wind will cause problems? (I am in the UK :D)

Well I'm still at school, and have done some basic welding there (they have a wirefeed welder with shield gas). However the problem is that the teachers can't really teach you (or let you weld by yourself as they have to watch you) as they have to be behind the curtain which then blocks there sight leading to all sorts of health and safety issues.....

The project is a 17ft radio controlled submarine and the plan is to weld together some new oil drums that I've just bought and then bolt on the fibreglass cone shapes I'm making to produce the hull. I've been working on the project for about 2 years now and finally getting around to finishing the fibreglass end pieces and so this is the next step in the 'saga' :-)

First trials are planned for late Autumn.....

Cheers,

Michael

Yes you can use a Constant Current machine to run a Readywelder, I have done it many times. The downside to it is that your voltage will be directly affected by your arc length (wire stick out). So it takes a very steady hand.

On a CV machine the voltage is not as affected by arc length.

"Michael" wrote in message news:5vvPh.3323$ snipped-for-privacy@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

Hummmmmm? As Radio waves don't travel far in water, how do you plan to control it when it's submerged?

They don't travel far in water true - but they do travel in it. At the standard frequencies of 40mhz you can get a little over 10m and that's all you need really as you lose sight of it around 5m.

Michael

Well, you could attach the antenna to a float and let it trail behind the sub. As an added bonus, you can use the position of the float when it disappears to help find it when it sinks!

You could, but the antenna is only +/- 200mm long - so you don't really gain that much (and changing the length of it can reduce the range).

Michael

Oh, UK wind,that'll be problematic;-)

Yeah, you have to adapt to conditions, I just hate the idea of a guy buying a machine that's less versatile than another. But.. the fluxcore may be best for the job you have.

A submarine is a pretty cool project. Got a plan for keeping balance and all? From what I've read, they tend to stand on their head or tail.. Careful with them oil drums, even new ones are likely to have some oil in them, lot of potential for trouble. I think I'd purge with CO2, there's nothing wrong with not blowing oneself up..

The school sounds a bit different from my experience but that doesn't make it bad. Regardless of whether or not someone's watching you work, you have to learn to do it yourself and learn to see the puddle.

It'd be cool to see some pics, hope you can get some posted.

John

Hi,

I'm using 4 large piston tanks (imagine motorised syringes) two up front and two at the back so I should be able to accurately control just how much water is in the tanks at any time which should help alot with stability.

The oil drums I've bought are as good as new however I believe they had a water based dye in so existing contents shouldn't be a problem. The person I've bought them off is currently waiting till he has 4 in 'good condition' so I don't have to repair dents etc.

The current plan is to weld them like this (red is the weld):

I presume that's the best way (I 'd rather not weld on the outside as it'll spoil the aesthetics.)?

I'm hoping to have something submarine based in a month's time so I'll be sure to pop back with pictures.

Cheers,

Michael