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Welding Continuously

Ok... what is the smallest rig that will weld continuously for atleast a couple feet without getting hot and shotting down or getting hot not welding well?

I've got a little flux core wire feed from Harbor Freight, and on a ncie day like today, I can weld about 3-6 inches on 1/8 to 1/34 cold rolled before it starts to spatter. At that point no adjustment works, and if I do push it a little further the thermal overlaod kicks it off anyway.

I don't really have a problem with that, except that it takes forever to cool down enough to weld good again.

I need something better. Yeah, I know you get what you pay for. I just don't know if I can swing 2 or 3 grand for a really nice rig. I do have a regulator and mix bottle already, and I've tried it with this little 110 welder. It makes a slightly cleaner weld than the flux core, but t doesn't weld any further before shutting down, and I use this little toy in a lot of places where lugging the bottle around just isn't practical. As a result I just leave a big spool of flux core in the unit and use it.

Anyway, when (not if) I get a bigger rig with a longer duty cycle it will not totally replace the little carry box. I will still need it occassionally in the field.

Heck, I'm rambling and letting my welder cool down so I can finish my project. So what's the smallest unit you would get if you wanted a really high duty cycle? Seems I weld a lot of 1/8 upto 1/4" cold rolled. Rarley, but occassionally 3/8.

I've got outlets wired for 30amp and 50amp equipment in my shop, and by the overhead doors so I can work outside.

Reply to
Bob La Londe
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Yep. I got this little box figured out. Just went out and made four little

1 1/2" welds and it shut down again. It sure makes for slow progress on a big project.

Also gotta remind myself to open the cover and make sure my spool isn't bound up. LOL.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

Damn , even my WeldPak 100 does better than that . I have a 20% duty cycle at max amps , I've only had it shut down on me a couple of times . Have you considered one of the small Lincoln or Miller units from the Big Box Store ? Still small enough to be portable ... I make my sons carry the bottle . -- Snag 90 FLHTCU

Reply to
Terry Coombs

I can't answer your question directly, but I can say that buying a second HF MIG machine just like your first one would double your output ..

GWE

Reply to
Grant Erwin

Maybe. I would like to step up atleast a little bit to something that has a factory spool gun available for future abominations in aluminum.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

You can buy a used Millermatic 251. The cost should be about $1,300.

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Reply to
Ignoramus13325

Millermatic 180 or the Lincoln equivalent. It must be a 230 volt machine to work with metal that thick. The windings should be copper rather than aluminum. The material is too thick for a 110 volt machine.

The next step would be an eng>Ok... what is the smallest rig that will weld continuously for atleast a

Reply to
Tom Kendrick

Would a really good blast of cooling air such as from a small squirrel cage blower be of any practical help?

Don Young

Reply to
Don Young

Actually it probably would help a lot. In my garage at my old house I had a little window unit airconditioner that I would set on the floor next to it, and I would get 8-12" of weld. I suppose if I cut the case and fit a blower of some kind to force all of its air through the unit it would help a lot.

Hmmm.... high volume 6" fan. Sounds like a search for ebay huh?

Reply to
Bob La Londe

LOL. Actually if I kept both machines clamped on and swapped before they shut down, I'ld probably more than double my output, as one would cooling down while I was using the other one.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

I bought a 100 Amp mig back in the 80s, and found the same problem. I installed an 8 inch muffin fan like the "Arctic" on this page,

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a big hole on one side of the case with a screen to keep junk out. On the other side of the transformer i bored 8, 1 inch holes for cross- airflow. The machine would then run almost 45 minutes before heating up. Not as nice as my Lincoln 215, but it served me for many years. The cheap way to go would be to use 3 or 4 of the small fans from scrap computers all wired series to go on with the power switch..

Reply to
Stupendous Man

Most computer fans are 12V DC. I have used them in the past to cool server cabinets, by hooking them to a 12V cube type power supply.

I ordered a 110V fan from the site you suggested last night. I'll wire it in "parrallel" with the 110VAC coming into the cabinet so that when ever the power switch is on the fan is on. I'll have to look at where I want to ventilate my cabinet. It already has an opening on one side that looks like its for a fan. I still want to get a bigger badder welder, but if I could get more out of this one that would be cool too, and $25 is pretty cheap to try and find out.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

I meany in parellel. I didn't notice that you were in Yuma. You might find some deals at Jet Surplus. .There must be other surplus stores around, with the proving grounds nearby.

Reply to
Stupendous Man

Hmm, I hadn't even thought about going to talk with Jim, and I've known him for 30 years (since I was a little guy). Good idea. There's no telling what kind of equipment he may have laying around.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

Thank you. I ordered a high volume 110 fan, boxed it onto the back of the unit with sheet metal and screws to force air through the unit. Then I added some cheap rubber feet to the bottom of the box to get it off the ground and add a little clearance for more air flow out the bottom.

HOLY COW! It is possible to weld more than a few inches at a time. I've been working on converting a boat trailer into a flatbed in spare bits and pieces of time over the last couple weeks. I got more welding done in the last hour than I got done in the last week. The machine did start to heat up on a two and a half foot burn, and I had to stop and let it cool off for a couple minutes, but it never shut off, and if I was a better welder I probably could have kept going. It had that feel.

This machine has never been more than the lightest duty hobbiest machine before. Its actually suitable now for some continuous light duty work. Yippee!!! Yahooo!!!

Thank you again.

Its still a cheap welder with limited power and limited settings, but DANG! Its more than just a toy now. The fan and box look like a shade tree cluster, but it works.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

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