He's LESS educated??? Hate to think where that leaves me? Answer: In Big Trouble.
Ar/CO2 90/10 works best for most of my applications though 95/5 isn't too bad. Above that, switch to Oxygen but that needs really clean prep to run good. Truly sweet when all is good in the welding world though.
He Is In Control, Have a Great Day, and a safe trip for you Al,
When I have a client stumbling and complaining about their GMAW and can't getting a good spray transfer I defer to my standby SG-AC-2%. That usually gives you a nice spray transfer if the machine has the capacity. Then I switch to the gas they want to use to see if the issue is gas related or their machine simply can't provide the necessary voltage and amperage. It is easier to show them the difference than to explain the difference between the gases.
Lawrence, Yes C10 was much better. I am playing around with different mixes to find an optimal process. Even though no one recommends C2, I wanted to see what it would produce.
Phil, Yes I tried 98 Ar/2 O2 (SG-AO 2%). It wetted out nicely.
Al, So you have no problems welding with SG-AC-2% ?
For structural steel, especially for heavy sections with greater mill scale, I prefer Argon/Co2 mixes.
Here is a pic from some trials I did comparing AR/Oxy to At/Co2 a few years ago.
Our friends in Europe go even further and quite regularly use a mix of 20/80 At/C02 for GMAWP on structural steel.
The At/0xy blends produce what is usually described as a "finger shaped" penetration profile, which is less forgiving of an operator making slight gun angle changes. Ar/Oxy can however produce spray transfer at significantly lower voltages, which on clean steel can be a benefit on automated production lines if fit-up is kept perfect.
I like very much the equally deep but rounder profile produced by the Argon/Co2 mixes for carbon steel GMAW or GMAWP.
Thanks Lawrence, Since I cannot guarantee neither cleanliness nor fit-up, I think CO2 is the way to go. I agree with the rounder penetration pattern vs the deep finger.
Still have a few more gases and wire to play with.
98/2, 90/10, and 85/15...
