M.B. Naegle
Diamond
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2011
- Location
- Conroe, TX USA
I've been having a problem MIG welding lately. Our machine is a single phase Miller Shopmaster 300, with a 22A wire feed unit, .035 wire, and N.O.S. gas. The trigger activates the gas and wire just fine, but if you touch the wire to the grounded metal, it pops like the trigger isn't gating the current.
I'm thinking it has something to do with our connections? I was having other issues and found that the polarity was backwards, so it's correct now (positive to trigger, negative to clamp) but still having the popping issue. I've been working around it as it welds fine once I get going, it's just touchy to start. It doesn't seem to change between different materials and settings. Nearly everything we do with it is mild steel from .060" to .250" thick.
We also have a High Freq. TIG unit set up with it too. Part of my problem is that my Dad (who's deteriorating with age) keeps trying to weld but forgets which switches are supposed to be where and assumes that components are faulty. I've been trying to keep it sorted out (and keep him out of trouble) and have found that nine times out of ten, the "broken welder" ends up having a lead connected wrong or some other simple thing, so I'm hoping that it's the case here too.
I'm thinking it has something to do with our connections? I was having other issues and found that the polarity was backwards, so it's correct now (positive to trigger, negative to clamp) but still having the popping issue. I've been working around it as it welds fine once I get going, it's just touchy to start. It doesn't seem to change between different materials and settings. Nearly everything we do with it is mild steel from .060" to .250" thick.
We also have a High Freq. TIG unit set up with it too. Part of my problem is that my Dad (who's deteriorating with age) keeps trying to weld but forgets which switches are supposed to be where and assumes that components are faulty. I've been trying to keep it sorted out (and keep him out of trouble) and have found that nine times out of ten, the "broken welder" ends up having a lead connected wrong or some other simple thing, so I'm hoping that it's the case here too.