What will cause a wire to feed erratically?
Erratic wire feeding A worn out or kinked liner, or build-up of debris, filings, dirt and other foreign material inside the welding liner, the wrong size liner and misalignments or gaps at the liner junctions caused by an improperly trimmed liner can all cause the wire to feed erratically.
What happens if the wire feed speed is set too high?
Wire feed speed/amperage too high: Setting the wire feed speed or amperage too high (depending on what type of machine you’re using) can cause poor arc starts, and lead to an excessively wide weld bead, burn-through, excessive spatter and poor penetration.
What can happen if the feed roller tension is too tight?
Too tight deforms the wire, which creates more dust and metal shavings in the wire feeder, gun and liner, leading to blockages. Deformed wire affects feedability and wears out the liner and contact tip much sooner with saw-like edges as it passes through the liner and tip.
How tight should the feed roller pressure be set?
To Correctly Adjust the Tension Feed out about 50mm of welding wire. Reduce the roller tension until you can press the torch trigger and the rollers slip (wire does not feed) Grip the wire between your thumb and first finger. Your grip should be firm but not tight (no white knuckles please)
When should I replace my MIG liner?
In most cases, a worn out liner will need to be replaced. With a conventional liner, trimming the liner accurately during replacement is critical. Liners trimmed too long or too short can cause wire feeding issues, wire chatter, an erratic arc and/or burnbacks.
Why are my MIG welds so bad?
Wire feed speed/amperage too low – An arrow, oftentimes convex bead with poor tie-in at the toes of the weld marks insufficient amperage. Travel speed too fast – A narrow convex bead with inadequate tie-in at the toes of the weld, insufficient penetration and an inconsistent weld bead are caused by traveling too fast.
What causes burnback in MIG welding?
What is Burnback? Burnback happens when your wire arcs at the opening of the contact tip and burns back into it, welding itself to or inside the tip. Burnback is specifically a MIG problem, as it only occurs with a continuously fed wire through a small contact tip opening. Once your wire has burnt back, it’s game over.
What is the best wire speed for MIG welding?
A recommended wire feed speed would fall in the range of 240 to 290 ipm with travel speeds between 14 and 19 ipm. A good rule of thumb is to keep the welding wire stickout at 5/8 inch or shorter for small diameter wires. It helps control amperage and with it, heat input and more.
How many amps should I weld at?
Broadly speaking, you need 1 amp of power for every . 001” of steel thickness. Stainless steel and welding out-of-position require 10 to 15% less heat input, while aluminum requires about 25% more.