.030 or .035 wire

By dee

Date 09-05-2002 00:19

I own a similar Miller.

Its usually easier, and cheaper to change wire and drive rolls than procure new gas mixes. To do over again I would start with the 035; I started with 030 and never use it; I also started with Ar75/25CO2 and bought another tank to hold my Ar85/15CO2 mix.

I doubt I will use the Ar75, but might use the 030 if I do more work on thin gauge steel <16#... unless I use it up tying garbage and for hardware wire.

Check out this month's AWS journal featuring gases and consumables.

Do you understand how wire diameter and gas mix affect your weld? Was that indirectly a part of your question?

D

By jgarden Date 09-05-2002 01:51

I can't say that I understand very well how gas mixes and wire diameters affect welds. I am reading the GMAW book from Miller, and that is helping somehwat. I have also briefly gone over some of the info at http://www.weldreality.com (a great site). I learned alot about the gases there. I was using 75/25, but that site seems to indicate that the 85/15 is better. Having used a friends welder set up with 85/15 I thought it welded "better" than mine when I was running 75/25....when I finish this bottle, I will likely switch to 85/15. Any other information or resources you can point me too are appreciated. BTW, I have browsed some of the old msgs here on this BB and you (DEE) definitely seem to know your welding! Thanks for the info.

By dee

Date 09-05-2002 23:43

Thank you for the compliment, but fortunately my son runs a more attractive bead than I; mine get to look cosmetically almost as if they were imported form China unless I focus beyond my level of self discipline. Humility has its reward while I let the kid do all the work, though, (devious SOB that I am).

Kidding aside, AWS Journal features gasses and consumables this September and has some nice feature articles which may be of some interest or future reference. I found parts of them a little confusing and subject to misinterpretation, but that could also have been result of Labor Day libation.

Briefly, I think you already have the important basics if you have Ed's materials. I would only repeat the same things he teaches, but I am happy to try to clarify specific questions.

Tables in the AWS articles this month apparently indicate the c15 steel mix Ed recommends for "all-purpose" actually make the strongest welds of all the various mix ratios and combinations evaluated, so depending on nearly any interpretation of "better" welding, you would probably be correct.

Toward information and resources, I first suggest the AWS itself if you have not already joined. At the risk of pushing the envelope on solicitations, their 'member-get-a-member" drive is in full swing, and I would get brownie-points for anyone I sponsor. Their free reference book (I might suggest welding handbook or welding encyclopedia) alone is worth the first years dues, so e-mail me (click on my name dee up top) if you want an application. Of course you may apply yourself directly, but you would miss out on receiving my sincere appreciation, which according to some, is worth more even than the free reference.

Check out the Army training circular at www.machinist.org/army_welding for some handy process advice and other usefull information.

Regards,
d

By welder_guy2001 (***)

Date 09-08-2002 06:26

.035 is good for all purpose welding. .030 is ok for thick stuff up to 1/4", but it's slower to fill than .035. and for thicker than 1/4" .030 would just be tediously slow. that extra .005 of an inch makes a big difference in deposition speeds. if you plan on welding 16 ga. up to 5/16" then I'd go with the .030 because it handles better on thin stuff. but it all depends on what you're gonna be welding on the most.