I'm new to the forum and welding alike. Thanks for any help in advance and I hope that I can contribute in some way to the forum.
~ Recently started a new project and am having a big issue that I cant seem to figure out. I'm hoping that some welding veterans will come to my rescue.
Main Problem: 3 different welders (2 brand new) will turn on, feed wire, fan runs, you can hear humming, but they wont arc when i touch the wire to a grounded piece.
I have already talked to an electrician, a master mechanic, and a novice fabricator and none of them can offer any advise that has worked!
I will try to keep this as short yet detailed as possible!~ I have an old Hand-me-down flux core wire feed welder that i have used frequently for about a year. I started a new project. Welded on and off for about an hour, suddenly blew my garage breaker (it happens often with my air compressor). I reset the breaker, and all the lights came back on. Tried welding again but it wouldn't arc, I figured maybe it was in cool-down.
~ I Let the welder cool off for a couple hours, then it would turn on, do everything mentioned above EXCEPT arc when I touched the wire to my grounded piece. Checked connections, nothing was loose, checked again, Tried to weld again but nothing. The lights are on, it feeds wire, everything seems to be working. but it wont arc.
~ I Figured it was ol' melty's' time to be replaced. I went to... (don't tar & feather me) Harbor Freight *Gulp* and bought a Chicago Electric 90 Amp wire feed welder. Got it home, set it up, plugged it in, and SAME THING!?!?
~ It turns on, feeds wire, lights up, fan runs, and it humms but it wont arc when i make contact. Checked connections, nothing loose, checked again, tried to weld again, and no arc.
~ SO NOW I'm thinking that it may have something to do with my house, (socket, breaker, etc). So I start taking my new welder around the house trying different sockets (on different breakers). Nothing works. Maybe I tripped/fried something in my house? Screw it, I reset ALL the breakers in my house & garage (so many reset clocks), Still wont work anywhere. So I took it to my office and tried it there, plugged it in, still wont arc!
~ So now I just think i have bad luck and bought a defective welder, so i take it back, get a replacement, get it home, set it up, and the SAME DAMN THING! It turns on, everything appears to be working, but it wont arc when i touch it to my piece. None of the 3 welders would even arc when I touched them directly to the welder's clamp.
~ Now I'm stumped... Do I simply have the worst luck in the world and fried my original welder and then the next 2 brand new ones were both defective!? Am i doing something wrong? Do I have some sort of strange welding curse? I cant think of anything else to try so i am here pleading for help. anything!
~ I hope to get some ideas soon and thanks again in advance!
~Nathan