So I am using an Esab Rebel 215 with the Tweco spool gun. Just trying to get some assistance on when to make what adjustments, voltage up or down or wire speed faster or slower. The chart on the machine got me close on 1/8 and 16ga but I have some .090" sheet material and it doesn't have anything close enough for that size. With steel I can usually get it right but this is giving me little fits here and there. When it's stabbing into the puddle, slow speed down or voltage up? Seems that I really struggle on when its kind of globbing into the puddle. So I speed it up a tad but I don't know if its just me or if it really is super sensitive. Does anyone use a general rule of thumb for when to make what adjustments?
If it is stabbing into the base material and you can feel it pushing against your hand a little bit, you can do either of those two things you mentioned (either reduce WFS, or bump up the voltage). The way you determine which of those to do depends on whether or not the deposition rate is insufficient/sufficient/excessive, IOW: would the filler metal that is being deposited be enough (to create a proper bead/joint) under proper conditions?Adam35C wrote:So I am using an Esab Rebel 215 with the Tweco spool gun. Just trying to get some assistance on when to make what adjustments, voltage up or down or wire speed faster or slower. The chart on the machine got me close on 1/8 and 16ga but I have some .090" sheet material and it doesn't have anything close enough for that size. With steel I can usually get it right but this is giving me little fits here and there. When it's stabbing into the puddle, slow speed down or voltage up? Seems that I really struggle on when its kind of globbing into the puddle. So I speed it up a tad but I don't know if its just me or if it really is super sensitive. Does anyone use a general rule of thumb for when to make what adjustments?
If insufficient, increase both WFS and Voltage.
If sufficient, but just stubbing a little bit, then just increase Voltage.
If excessive & stubbing, then decrease WFS. (and tweak the Voltage if necessary)
That's how I look at it.
i'm assuming aluminium here.
sounds like needs to increase both.
stabbing sounds like not enough volts and globing into puddle sounds like your in globular mode not spray, so increase everything.
what size wire?
sounds like needs to increase both.
stabbing sounds like not enough volts and globing into puddle sounds like your in globular mode not spray, so increase everything.
what size wire?
tweak it until it breaks
.035 wire. Yeah definitely globular at times while I am playing with settings. So globular you say crank up both?tweake wrote:i'm assuming aluminium here.
sounds like needs to increase both.
stabbing sounds like not enough volts and globing into puddle sounds like your in globular mode not spray, so increase everything.
what size wire?
and go down a size in wire.Adam35C wrote:.035 wire. Yeah definitely globular at times while I am playing with settings. So globular you say crank up both?tweake wrote:i'm assuming aluminium here.
sounds like needs to increase both.
stabbing sounds like not enough volts and globing into puddle sounds like your in globular mode not spray, so increase everything.
what size wire?
tweak it until it breaks
Do you guys have any ideas on why I can start a weld and its spraying nice but then gets globular? Happens more on 14ga then 1/8. Actually 1/8 it runs pretty damn well.Oscar wrote:Yea you definitely need to be spraying for aluminum. Anything less looks like Fido's butt.
Some machines have a volt-amp curve that ultimately dictates what the welder can or cannot do. Could be the voltage you are requesting at the WFS (amperage) you want is simply not doable. That being said, I do not think this is the case with your machine as it should be quite capable. The only other thing I can think of is you may have a start-speed that is initially high, not sure if your machine has that. Or you are varying your CTWD and not realizing it. Also, are you absolutely sure it it changing from spray into globular? I don't know what you know, so that is why I ask. If so, and EVERYTHING else is correct, then that means that either the WFS and/or the Voltage threshold for that wire have not been crossed (you need to cross BOTH thresholds to go into/stay in spray transfer). You might want to look into feeding issues, as that can cause weird things to happen; if the wire gets hung up, then the WFS is affected, and thus the amperage, and then things can go haywire.Adam35C wrote:Do you guys have any ideas on why I can start a weld and its spraying nice but then gets globular? Happens more on 14ga then 1/8. Actually 1/8 it runs pretty damn well.Oscar wrote:Yea you definitely need to be spraying for aluminum. Anything less looks like Fido's butt.
The only thing I can think of is I am having a feeding issue. I am welding up a deck frame on a jon boat with 1" tubing. One tube, 14ga, it will pile up like its cold. Then the next one its melting thru. I noticed the amperage displayed afterwards was like 52 and then 90. I dont feel like I am varying that much. I've done this exact thing before but with my cousins Miller and I never had these problems. This is my first time using this spool gun besides playing with it to set it upOscar wrote:Some machines have a volt-amp curve that ultimately dictates what the welder can or cannot do. Could be the voltage you are requesting at the WFS (amperage) you want is simply not doable. That being said, I do not think this is the case with your machine as it should be quite capable. The only other thing I can think of is you may have a start-speed that is initially high, not sure if your machine has that. Or you are varying your CTWD and not realizing it. Also, are you absolutely sure it it changing from spray into globular? I don't know what you know, so that is why I ask. If so, and EVERYTHING else is correct, then that means that either the WFS and/or the Voltage threshold for that wire have not been crossed (you need to cross BOTH thresholds to go into/stay in spray transfer). You might want to look into feeding issues, as that can cause weird things to happen; if the wire gets hung up, then the WFS is affected, and thus the amperage, and then things can go haywire.Adam35C wrote:Do you guys have any ideas on why I can start a weld and its spraying nice but then gets globular? Happens more on 14ga then 1/8. Actually 1/8 it runs pretty damn well.Oscar wrote:Yea you definitely need to be spraying for aluminum. Anything less looks like Fido's butt.
Some machines have a calibration requirement for when you are using a spool gun to ensure WFS was what it is supposed to be. My old Millermatic 211 needed this. Does yours? What does the manual say? Is that specific Tweco spool gun 100% compatible with your machine?
There's no calibration for this gun and yes its the exact one they call for. Its just weird it only seems to do this on the thinner material. I ran a straight 8" fillet weld on 1/8 and its fine. But doing these little 1" 1/16 seams are killing me. Its either burning hot or cold and just putting caterpillars in the corners. Gonna have to grind some of these out once I figure this out.Oscar wrote:Some machines have a calibration requirement for when you are using a spool gun to ensure WFS was what it is supposed to be. My old Millermatic 211 needed this. Does yours? What does the manual say? Is that specific Tweco spool gun 100% compatible with your machine?
You need to watch the drive rolls and/or monitor the welding voltage/amperage while someone replicates the issues. Or at least that's what I would do.Adam35C wrote:There's no calibration for this gun and yes its the exact one they call for. Its just weird it only seems to do this on the thinner material. I ran a straight 8" fillet weld on 1/8 and its fine. But doing these little 1" 1/16 seams are killing me. Its either burning hot or cold and just putting caterpillars in the corners. Gonna have to grind some of these out once I figure this out.Oscar wrote:Some machines have a calibration requirement for when you are using a spool gun to ensure WFS was what it is supposed to be. My old Millermatic 211 needed this. Does yours? What does the manual say? Is that specific Tweco spool gun 100% compatible with your machine?
Pm sentOscar wrote:You need to watch the drive rolls and/or monitor the welding voltage/amperage while someone replicates the issues. Or at least that's what I would do.Adam35C wrote:There's no calibration for this gun and yes its the exact one they call for. Its just weird it only seems to do this on the thinner material. I ran a straight 8" fillet weld on 1/8 and its fine. But doing these little 1" 1/16 seams are killing me. Its either burning hot or cold and just putting caterpillars in the corners. Gonna have to grind some of these out once I figure this out.Oscar wrote:Some machines have a calibration requirement for when you are using a spool gun to ensure WFS was what it is supposed to be. My old Millermatic 211 needed this. Does yours? What does the manual say? Is that specific Tweco spool gun 100% compatible with your machine?
as above, it can be because your to close to the change over point between glob and spray.
especially if your running a thicker wire.
one of the tips i picked up, but not yet tested, is to try to run close to top speed of the spool gun. i think they tend to have speed issues when turned down like you do for thinner material.
especially if your running a thicker wire.
one of the tips i picked up, but not yet tested, is to try to run close to top speed of the spool gun. i think they tend to have speed issues when turned down like you do for thinner material.
tweak it until it breaks
Yup, I think turning it down is causing it to go below the amperage threshold for spray, even though the voltage threshold is met.tweake wrote:as above, it can be because your to close to the change over point between glob and spray.
especially if your running a thicker wire.
one of the tips i picked up, but not yet tested, is to try to run close to top speed of the spool gun. i think they tend to have speed issues when turned down like you do for thinner material.
So I had my wife video the machine while welding. Amps would bounce around from 92-48amps and that was with a very steady pass, no big variations on my part. So I took the spool off of the gun and to my surprise I couldn't get it off! It was stuck to the rubber that give it the friction so it doesnt birds nest. So after a bunch of foul language and pulling it came off. I put it back on with no rubber, its free spinning. Set the wire speed to the recommended speed for the material i was testing on and it wasn't close. So I cranked it up and don't you know, it ran smooth! No issues and was repeatable! I had my wife video again (settings are close but not perfect) and the amps varied from 110-106! Gonna cut more test pieces tomorrow and try some more but I think that's it.
Anyone know why sometime I would get a weld that's got a grey haze over it and other times its shinny? 30 on the argon flow and its not the black you sometimes get around the weld, this is the welds got a haze. It brushes right off.
Anyone know why sometime I would get a weld that's got a grey haze over it and other times its shinny? 30 on the argon flow and its not the black you sometimes get around the weld, this is the welds got a haze. It brushes right off.
I also just had a thought, I wonder how accurate the wfs is on the spool gun so I measured it. Now its not 100% because it starts slow till it arcs then speeds up but i measured 320ipm where the machine was 400! So I was WAY low and the sticking of the spool. VERY frustrating issued but I feel WAY better I got it figured out. Tomorrow will be the final test, ill do more tomorrow.
Are you positive there is no calibration required? My old millermatic 211 was 100% compatible with the Spoolmate 150, yet it still required calibration. Just something to think about.Adam35C wrote:I also just had a thought, I wonder how accurate the wfs is on the spool gun so I measured it. Now its not 100% because it starts slow till it arcs then speeds up but i measured 320ipm where the machine was 400! So I was WAY low and the sticking of the spool. VERY frustrating issued but I feel WAY better I got it figured out. Tomorrow will be the final test, ill do more tomorrow.
I am currently googling to find out lol.Oscar wrote:Are you positive there is no calibration required? My old millermatic 211 was 100% compatible with the Spoolmate 150, yet it still required calibration. Just something to think about.Adam35C wrote:I also just had a thought, I wonder how accurate the wfs is on the spool gun so I measured it. Now its not 100% because it starts slow till it arcs then speeds up but i measured 320ipm where the machine was 400! So I was WAY low and the sticking of the spool. VERY frustrating issued but I feel WAY better I got it figured out. Tomorrow will be the final test, ill do more tomorrow.
BillE.Dee
- BillE.Dee
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Weldmonger
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I just know it's gonna happen, but here I go.
I thought I read somewhere, that when using a spool gun for al, you should use a tip one size larger than the wire. OR use the 35 tip on one size smaller wire. It just seems that the wire will grow a bit and the tip causes the wire to "drag" a little bit due to expansion.
there's my 2 cents.
I thought I read somewhere, that when using a spool gun for al, you should use a tip one size larger than the wire. OR use the 35 tip on one size smaller wire. It just seems that the wire will grow a bit and the tip causes the wire to "drag" a little bit due to expansion.
there's my 2 cents.
for aluminium use, correct.BillE.Dee wrote:I just know it's gonna happen, but here I go.
I thought I read somewhere, that when using a spool gun for al, you should use a tip one size larger than the wire. OR use the 35 tip on one size smaller wire. It just seems that the wire will grow a bit and the tip causes the wire to "drag" a little bit due to expansion.
there's my 2 cents.
aluminium requires use of aluminum spec contact tips or go up a size or two.
i got my spool gun cheap 2nd hand and soon worked out why the person had issues. they used wrong size tip and the aluminium wire was grabbing the tip.
tweak it until it breaks