Stick to MIG converter

IVe been hobby stick welding for about 35 years and want to try my hand at MIG welding. Are there any devices that let me use my old stick welder as a power source.

Reply to
Jimmie
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In a word, "yes". Stick machines are constant current, MIG machines are constant voltage, there are voltage sensing wire feeders and control boxes that can run wire feeders from constant current sources. Then there's the ReadyWelder... a low cost spool gun.

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Reply to
2regburgess

Really, does this mean maitaining a constant voltage drop across the arc? How much voltage at how much current to weld 1/4 inch mild steel, 1/8 inch. I have a rather large regulated power supply that will go up to around 30 volts and 100amps. Would it be practical to use this with a spool gun. I think what I need is a good book on MIG welding that describes the operation of the elctronics along with how to weld..

Reply to
Jimmie

No. To run a wire feed process you need a constant voltage supply. With manual stick _you_ control the power by varying the arc length, assisted by the "drooping" characteristic of the transformer. For automatic wire feed you need constant voltage, so that the arc can control _its_own_ length (a short arc increases the power and burns the wire back to the right length)

In theory you can provide automatic wire feed control that will keep the arc under control no matter what happens, by varying the wire speed. But this is complex and more expensive than a cheap hobbyist wire-feed welder.

Use an argon-based gas mix, not CO2, especially when you're learning.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

You can purchase constant current wire feeders intended for direct current stick welding machines. These larger feeders are intended for use with larger DC power suppliers and portables installed on trucks. They are used with .045 diameter wire and larger. ( heavy equipment repair) The Ready Welder is the other choice. Randy

Reply to
Randy Zimmerman

As others have said, it is possible to do this with the right equipment; the most obvious choice for a hobbiest is probably the Ready Welder. However, one thing that might not be completely clear in the other messages is that you *must* have a DC capable machine; if you have an AC only machine, this will not work.

Reply to
Andrew H. Wakefield

Most MIG welding is a process where the wire is feed out until it contacts the work. Then the wire burns back until the arc stops. The wire keeps feeding and it starts all over again. The power supply usually has some big caps that help keep the voltage up as the current jumps from zero to a hundred amps or so.

So you might be able to use your power supply and some sort of wire feed. I know someone who has both a stick welder and a small mig. He has disconected the mig power supply and connected the stick welder ( I am pretty sure it was a DC stick welder ) and used this to weld material that was heavier than he thought he could use the mig by itself on. He says it worked. Later I found that Aluminum is often welded with constant current wire feed welders.

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

As other have mentioned a spool gun designed to run off a constant current machine would work well.

here comes a shameless plug... If you're looking at a Ready Welder, any model, you would do well in contacting me. I'm a reseller for RW and my pricing can't be beat as others may vouch for. email: stephaneboulet at yahoo dot com

Reply to
s-boulet

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