Dirty looking welds with my Clarke 100EN

By gtslabs Date 07-30-2004 01:58

I just picked up a used Clarke Turbo 100EN Welder. I have never welded before and have a few questions.

First I don't have the manual for the Welder but it has a switch marked 1 or 2. What is the difference?

There is no amperage level just Min and Max. Any idea what these levels are?

It has a0.035 flux core. For my first few attempts I had no luck. But I got more comfortable with the feed rate. But how much wire should protrude from the gun during the weld?

And lastly, my welds are very dirty looking and I can not lay down a smooth bead.
I am practicing on some old steel parallels. I don't know if the temp is too high or feed rate to slow or what. I am working in my garage with doors open with no wind problems that I could notice. Any thoughts on how to improve the weld quality (without taking a course of course).

Thanks
Steve

By Southern Welder Date 08-04-2004 22:12

What is the thickness of steel being welded, do you know how many amps will your Clarke wire welder put out.To see if I can help you.

By bzzzzzzzzzz (**)

Date 08-05-2004 01:03

wind is not an issue with fluxcore, it creates shielding gases directly at the arc. fluxcore welds will be dirty compared to solid with inert gas.

By thirdeye (***)

Date 08-05-2004 01:57

Steve,

A guess on the 1 & 2 switch would be two power settings. The stickout distance will be 1/2" to 3/4". Your travel speed will have to be fast enough to keep the arc on the leading edge of the weld puddle. If your speed is too low, slag may become trapped in the puddle. As was mentioned, flux core tolerates a little wind (and since it is so smokey this is good).

I'm sure others will have some good tips for a beginner. Many sites like Lincoln, Hobart & Miller have tutorials on each method.

By Mike W

Date 08-06-2004 21:45

I use CO2 with .035 solid wire. I tried fluxcore a few times and did not care for it. It said right on the box that some welders may not like the bead appearance. It seemed to be ok for an inch or so and then be erratic. If you have a welding supply nearby, see if you can test drive a couple of machines. That would give you a chance to see what kind of results you can get with a properly setup machine.