Hi, I have a gas lens setup. I've been using some new no-name nozzles I got on eBay with my 200A air cooled #26 torch. In the middle of a weld the top third of the nozzle cracks off right at the shoulder. At first I thought the ceramic or the manufacturing of the nozzle was defective but then I realized that the collet body is pressing up against the inside of the nozzle and putting it in tension leading to the crack. I compared the new nozzle to some of my old ones that have never been a problem. It turns out that the new ones neck down about an 1/8th of a inch sooner than the old ones. (Probably nothing, but I notice too that the new ones are a much deeper pink color than the old.)
More specifically I'm using a 45v26 collet body with a 54n16 nozzle which I'm pretty sure are supposed to work togather. I have a #26 weldcraft flex-head 200A torch. I'm using both the nozzle gasket and the gas lens insulator one after the other just like mom taught me. The combination of the two still don't make the nozzle seat forward enough.
If I could find a spacer washer made of whatever that white plastic is (delrin?) that would probably fix it-- or better yet one insulator that's just thicker.
Help I can't weld until I solve this problem!
--zeb
The white plastic is Teflon most likely. If You don't know anybody with a lathe that can make You one look under "Plastic Fabricators" in the yellow pages. Those shops machine & fabricate plastic just like We do with metal.
zazing , I have had this problem when some generic brand gas lenses have not seated down properly in the torch head ( No. 18 ) torches .
Zeb, I had exactly the same problem with my #26 torch but I never had the ceramic crack from it.
What worked for me was to turn the white plastic insulator around and use the thicker section to seal at the torch rather than the gas lens. It involved linishing a chamfer for it to seal at the torch but at least it got me going.
Regards Andrew from Oz.
By zazing
Date 03-31-2009 12:55
Thanks for the responses. I have an order in for a pack of Weldcraft brand nozzles. By the picture they look as if they don't neck down as early as the generic ones. I will post my results for posterity.
By zazing
Date 04-04-2009 14:25
Yes, the Weldcraft nozzles work much better. They neck down later and even seem to have a thinner wall.
I was able to limp by with the generic nozzles by screwing them on very loosely and keeping mind as the torch heat up.
