Bubbly Welds - ESAB Rebel 215 - HELP!

Workhaus · Jul 6, 2018

Hi Y'all,

So I bought an ESAB Rebel 215ic a month or so ago and I figured today would be a good day to get it up and running.

Little did I know I'd be making bubbly spot welds all afternoon trying to dial everything in. I'm using the proper .30 wire with proper tip and 75/25 Ar/CO2 shielding gas and I still can't figure out the issue! I've tried the voltage much too low and too high to see about anything changing and I'm still getting bubbly welds like in the photos. I've cleaning the material and tried to do everything I can think of to solve this.

Is there just something simple and stupid that I'm missing or did I get a lemon and have to go talk to the mfg???

Please let me know any thoughts so I can have a productive weekend welding!!

Rob F. · Jul 6, 2018

DID you turn on the gas bottle? If so is gas bottle full? Does gas come out when you pull the trigger? What cfm do you have gas set at?
It loooks like no gas from the pics, could be dirty material or dirty wire. Is it new, non rusty solid wire, not flux core? Is the polarity set right for solid wire? It is opposite for flux core, maybe machine came set for flux core and needs swithing?

atomarc · Jul 6, 2018

A sure sign of no gas coverage. Why..who knows, but that's the problem.

Stuart

Robert R · Jul 6, 2018

We need some facts to work with.
What is your gas flow rate? What is your wire feed speed? What wire alloy are you using? What voltage are you using? How far out is your copper guide tip projecting from the gas nozzle? Is there a inductance setting on your welder? Are there adjustable pre and post weld timer settings for the shielding gas valve? I assume you are trying to do short circuit welding with the 75-25 gas mix.

The cheap store brand MIG wire will, in my limited experience, produce porous welds. However your welds would suggest other problems. There have also been reports on this forum of bad bottles of shielding gas. Are you using a new,unverified, gas bottle or has the bottle of shielding gas been used successfully on previous welds?

Robert

Workhaus · Jul 6, 2018

More Info ---

Gas Flow Rate: 40 CFH [recommendation by ESAB for their Victor regulator that came with the machine]
Wire Feed Speed: 250, but I've been changing it up and down to see if that help, it has not
Wire: ER70S-6 / also tried the ESAB wire that came with it - OK AristoRod 12.50
Voltage: 20 on 3/16" material

I did buy a new gas bottle, newly filled from my local gas house in New Orleans. This is my first time using this bottle - it was bought new with this welder.

I do hear gas coming out as I'm welding. Maybe not enough apparently? The gas tank is full showing 2000 psi on the high pressure gauge.

I'm trying both the sMIG and MIG setting. Both spools of wire a new and rust free.

I'm not sure if there is an inductance setting on this welder.

Workhaus · Jul 6, 2018

GAME CHANGER - I took out the disconnected/reconnected the MIG Gun connection to the machine again and tried to reseat it correctly, and looky here, some cleaner welds.

Thanks for troubleshooting my stupidity and gas issues!

rons · Jul 6, 2018

It doesn't look like you are using a wire brush to clean the base metal. Clean, clean, clean.

Rob F. · Jul 6, 2018

Good to hear it was gas not going through gun connection. 40 cfm seems a bit high to me for gas, try it at 20-25 cfm and it should be fine.
Sometimes if you have to much gas flow it will make turbulence and bring air into the weld. If you are inside with NO wind less could even work OK, maybe down as low as 15 cfm. Outside with any breeze though and you need to turn up the flow. Or just use esab coreshield 15 wire.

Workhaus · Jul 6, 2018

Thanks Rob - I'll tweak things a bit.

Robert R · Jul 7, 2018

Workhaus said:
More Info ---

I'm not sure if there is an inductance setting on this welder.

Your welder has a microprocessor brain with a basic and advanced setting menu. The ESAB product literature says that the welder can adjust its settings automatically while welding.. The advanced menu will allow you to set the inductance. An increase in inductance may help reduce splatter while short circuit welding. The advanced menu will also allow you to adjust the timer settings on the pre and post shielding gas flow.

The ESAB web site has a tutorial on how to set up a MIG welding power supply with weld bead photographs showing the effect of inductance and voltage.

ESAB provides a three year guarantee on this welder. They have confidence in the quality of their workmanship.

Could you provide a review of the welder to the forum readers after you have had a chance to put the welder to work?

Thanks, Robert

cg285 · Jul 7, 2018

those welds look like those my cuban employee made first time he used one of my migs. he said something like hmm good machine. i said if you think that is good try it with the gas on.

Workhaus · Jul 7, 2018

Robert R said:
Could you provide a review of the welder to the forum readers after you have had a chance to put the welder to work?

Thanks, Robert

Robert,

Yes I can - I have a few jobs coming up that will be a good test a few things.

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