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Welder Question

2K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  NorrisK20 
#1 ·
Been here for a while but wanted a name change so I just made a new account.

Anyway, I purchased a bottom of the line (Hoteche I think) welder a little while back, just to mess around with in the garage, and just recently went through the wire it came with.

I purchased wire from home depot I believe .030" , tried it out and it would not lay a bead at all, just a bunch of splatter specs.

I thought the packaging may have been marked wrong and it was for welders running gas (as I am not), but I purchased different wire from a metal supply, and it clearly said flux core wire on the package, it was also .030", and I am still having the same problem.

I am pretty sure it is to big of wire to begin with because every now and then it will get hung up at the tip of the gun and end up braking back at the welder.

could the wire size be the problem with not being able to lay down a bead?

When I had the original wire in it, it welded fine once it was set up correctly.

any help would be awesome
 
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#2 · (Edited)
The copper tip inside the contact tip of the gun should be stamped with its size, also check that your polarity on the welder is set for flux core if the machine is also gas compatible. Also make sure your wire speed isn't too high. I find Lincoln flux core wire to weld better than others I've tried, they sell it at Home Depot also.
 
#3 ·
What thickness material are you running on? On 1/4" steel i usually run about 20.3-21.5 amps and a wire speed of about 365. Or if your stick welding it getcha some 6011 3/16" rods crank it up to about 115-120 amps and letr rip. Btw where i work we repair barges and yea i know that amperage on a stick with 1/4" sounds crazy but we weld hotter than that on it. Good luck.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Or if your stick welding it getcha some 6011 3/16" rods crank it up to about 115-120 amps and letr rip. Btw where i work we repair barges and yea i know that amperage on a stick with 1/4" sounds crazy but we weld hotter than that on it. Good luck.
The only crazy part about that is using 3/16" rod on 1/4" steel, why not just run 1/8" rod?

EDIT: as in, for more practicle adivise to a question in the newb forum.
 
#4 ·
Im just trying to get it working now so I am not welding any certain size material as of now.

and it was set up for flux right when i got it because it worked fine before when I had the original wire in it, but just in case how should it be hooked up? or will my brand be specific?
 
#5 ·
ground = -
gun = +

make sure you tension the spool (wire) correctly. it needs to spin when you hit the trigger and stop when you let off. sounds like you over-tightened it, when it was replaced.
also the wire should feed straight into the feed wheels. i have a Hobart and the wire rotates counter clockwise. it does make a difference!!:D
 
#6 ·
Checked what the copper tip was stamped with and it says 1.0? but im not sure were it was made.


I can weld decently, but I am somewhat lost when it comes to setting up the welder and completely lost with what its doing now.
:confused:

I did get a little frustrated and held the gun to close to the arc and it melted the shield ( not sure if that is the proper term) but the copper tip looks fine the shield is just melted a bit, could that have something to do with it?

O and I checked the polarity, ground is going to negative
 
#14 ·
No my dumb A$$ threw the original wire spool away.

So if I am using flux wire, which I am the gun should be negative and ground positive?

I am going to go check here in a little but that could be the problem I will let every one know here in a bit.

thanks for the help so far
 
#15 ·
That worked

I think what happened was they said it was set up with flux ready to go but it was set up for mig. the torch was to positive and ground to negative.

So I switched them and it actually throws down a bead.

Still curious if I have the right size wire or not. I guess I can try and find were I put the manual for it and see if it says it in there. Or do you guys think its to small/ to large

Like I said before I am runnin .030 and every now and then it binds up, I did loosen the tensioner on it.
 
#16 ·
Take a look at the cord for the torch if it had been kinked bad before it could be snagging. also try to keep it from coiling up during welding keep it as strait as you can. like said before check your contact tip make sure its for the wire size you are using and if you can't find any markings on it you are due for a new one anyways. they are cheep they are "consumables".
 
#17 ·
Ya I may be due for one anyways so I will grab one and swap it one soon.

I will most likely weld later today and see how it does. It should weld better than before seeing as I was welding w non flux wire and no gas (thought it was flux when I bought it)

I will post back later this evening

Thanks again to everyone that helped
 
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