Been Given a Welder - Advice Req'd

[TONUP]

I have been fortunate enough to be given a used MIG welder. Its a Sealey Mighty Mig 100 Mk2. It hasn't been used for over 20 years, but I am confident that it will work OK, however I would be grateful if someone could help by answering my questions below...

(1) The spool of wire is very rusty, and will definitely need replacing. What size should I get?

(2) The welding tip and shroud look quite splattery. Do these have to match the wire size?

(3) I'm guessing this is quite a low power 'hobby' welder, and I intend to get some scrap to practice on. What is the maximum thickness I could weld?

(4) It had a little gas bottle on the back, which was empty. Is this an economic way to buy it, and how long do they last?

(5) The little white 'airline' from the gas bottle has broken. I can see they're available on eBay. Are they difficult to replace?

Please see picture below...

Thanks

Alan

 

[Fez_uk]

i'd use 0.8mm wire and tips to match. Shroud should be ok just give it a clean.

Most economic way is to use bigger gas bottles if you plan on getting into welding. The small white bottles don't last long at all. Think I recall something like 100cm of weld?

Think that will max butt weld about 2mm and about 3-3.5mm with a V gap.

have a read here: http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/mig.htm

 

[geoffdown]

I have been fortunate enough to be given a used MIG welder. Its a Sealey Mighty Mig 100 Mk2. It hasn't been used for over 20 years, but I am confident that it will work OK, however I would be grateful if someone could help by answering my questions below...

(1) The spool of wire is very rusty, and will definitely need replacing. What size should I get?

(2) The welding tip and shroud look quite splattery. Do these have to match the wire size?

(3) I'm guessing this is quite a low power 'hobby' welder, and I intend to get some scrap to practice on. What is the maximum thickness I could weld?

(4) It had a little gas bottle on the back, which was empty. Is this an economic way to buy it, and how long do they last?

(5) The little white 'airline' from the gas bottle has broken. I can see they're available on eBay. Are they difficult to replace?

Please see picture below...

Thanks

Alan

Answer to no. 4 the bottles only last bout 6 minutes welding time so v.expensive and u will want to replace the liner in the torch might make it expensive to get up running compared to a new unit
Think if it's a 90A mig will only go up to 2.3mm max so just body work only:thumbs

 

[jims-terrano]

I've seen people talk to their friendly local pub landlord and use pub bottled CO2 without any problems.

 

[firebobby]

Try Adams gas, you don't pay rental, I have a large bottle CO2/ Argon mix, I find this mix of gas works very well.
As stated by the others, don't bother with throw away gas bottles, I found that the valves leak, waste of time

 

[Kamsin]

I have been fortunate enough to be given a used MIG welder. Its a Sealey Mighty Mig 100 Mk2. It hasn't been used for over 20 years, but I am confident that it will work OK, however I would be grateful if someone could help by answering my questions below...

(1) The spool of wire is very rusty, and will definitely need replacing. What size should I get?

(2) The welding tip and shroud look quite splattery. Do these have to match the wire size?

(3) I'm guessing this is quite a low power 'hobby' welder, and I intend to get some scrap to practice on. What is the maximum thickness I could weld?

(4) It had a little gas bottle on the back, which was empty. Is this an economic way to buy it, and how long do they last?

(5) The little white 'airline' from the gas bottle has broken. I can see they're available on eBay. Are they difficult to replace?

Please see picture below...

Thanks

Alan

The welder will take either 0.6 or 0.8 mm wire. either is good but more power will be needed for the 0.8. But you will need to turn the wheel round that guids it, it will have 2 groves. 1 for 0.6 and 1 for 0.8, you need to get this right or it wont feed right. And get the big 15 kilo roll, not the little bloody things, they run out fast too.

Dont waste money on little gas bottles, they cost £15 each from machine mart and as said, run out fast, (and leak over night):doh. I rent my bottle for £22 per year and each fill is about £23 i use a company called Enygas or some thing like that, If you have a little bit of the white plastic thats not split out of the welder then dont worry, cos you will need the regs and adaptor anyway for the bigger gas bottle an.d the white tube fits inside the adaptor. anything over 6" out the machine will do

Machine mart have load of spare tips, so they easy to get, but im guessing its going to snap off and not come out, again the inside is only a few £'s as well. In short everything can be replaced and as it was free, its still good value.

I can show you photos if you want to see how it fits together with the adaptor and larger bottle. :thumbs

 

[Kamsin]

Just checked out Adams Gas..........

Ouch, first bottle £91 and refills at £36. Or am i reading this wrong?

Im on my 2nd bottle and iv paid less than £70 upto now, they would have been £127

I was going to swap till i saw the cost.

 

[firebobby]

Just checked out Adams Gas..........

Ouch, first bottle £91 and refills at £36. Or am i reading this wrong?

Im on my 2nd bottle and iv paid less than £70 upto now, they would have been £127

I was going to swap till i saw the cost.

Wow, they've gone up, I payed £60, but refills are still cheaper than the disposables

 

[TONUP]

Thanks to everyone that responded. Some really helpful info there.

Thanks Kamsin, Some photos of the adaptor would be helpful, but there is only about 4" of the old pipe sticking out.

I will start taking it apart this weekend, to get the old spool off etc. I'll them make a list of the bits I need. I'm going to start with 0.8mm wire and tips, which are plentiful on eBay.

I have seen this gas available from BOC, which seems quite reasonable...

http://www.boconline.co.uk/en/produ...d-light.html?gclid=CIGoweSimbMCFSnJtAodvV8AcA

Thanks again.

Regards

Alan

 

[Kamsin]

Thanks to everyone that responded. Some really helpful info there.

Thanks Kamsin, Some photos of the adaptor would be helpful, but there is only about 4" of the old pipe sticking out.

I will start taking it apart this weekend, to get the old spool off etc. I'll them make a list of the bits I need. I'm going to start with 0.8mm wire and tips, which are plentiful on eBay.

I have seen this gas available from BOC, which seems quite reasonable...

http://www.boconline.co.uk/en/produ...d-light.html?gclid=CIGoweSimbMCFSnJtAodvV8AcA

Thanks again.

Regards

Alan

BOC aint as cheap as others though and that bottle she is holding wont last long, its the smallest they do and its. You want a PD (9Lt i think) bottle, i quoted the price in the other post. Try to see if you have an Enygas near you and try them. Dont have it delivered though cos its expensive. I know they is a guy in Stoke on trent thats good value, i think i found him on ebay, but you have to collect.

I will do you some pics when i get home later. 4" will be ok, you just need to be able to push it in to the conection on the new regs thats all, it shoves in about 10mm. You get about 4 feet of extra pipe with the adaptor, more than enough.

Just remember that 0.8 wont weld as long as 0.6 as it will need more power, however 0.8 will be stronger than 0.6. Swings and roundabouts.:naughty

 

[TONUP]

BOC aint as cheap as others though. I will do you some pics when i get home later. 4" will be ok, you just need to be able to push it in to the conection on the new regs thats all, it shoves in about 10mm. You get about 4 feet of extra pipe with the adaptor, more than enough.

Just remember that 0.8 wont weld as long as 0.6 as it will need more power, however 0.8 will be stronger than 0.6. Swings and roundabouts.:naughty

Thanks. I really appreciate it. I'll go for 0.6 then, as I only intend to mess about with some scrap.

One other question though, is how do the welding tips come out, and how do I remove the remaining wire in the pipe up to the torch?

Sorry about all the questions.

Thanks

Alan

 

[Kamsin]

As requested.

The tips unscrew from the end, but they offten snap off, you can get a new part from Machine mart if it does. To remove the wire, cut it at the welder end and pull it through from the nozel. If its tight or gets stuck then you will need a new sleve to fit inside the tourch to the welder, again cheap to buy at MM.

 

[TONUP]

Kamsin,

Thanks for the photos and advice. It's much appreciated.

Regards

Alan

 

[TONUP]

Kamsin,

Thanks for the photos and advice. It's much appreciated.

Regards

Alan

 

[firebobby]

I use 6mm for my welding habit:augie
and have the same size bottle as Kamsin

Don't some companies come out with crap, in the BOC blurb, they say:

Disposable cans of welding gas can run out too soon. Larger cylinders run out too slowly.


run out to slowly, WHAT:doh

 

[firebobby]

Where do you live in England

 

[TONUP]

Where do you live in England

Gloucestershire.

 

[firebobby]

PM sent

 

[TONUP]

Firebobby,

Thanks for the PM and offer of help.

In the meantime I have taken some bits off of the welder and in particular the torch. I was hoping that I could get the tip out of the torch (see A in image below), but it was stuck solid, and as warned snapped off. I was also hoping I could replace the gas line, and wire liner (see B & C in image below) but I can't work out how to remove the little brass connectors that appear to be pressed in, or where to buy replacements.

Any advice appreciated. I have seen that you can buy the bent bit on the torches quite easly online. Cant see the little brass connectors though.

Please ignore D & E in the image.

Regards

Alan

 

[Kamsin]

I think the brass holders are push fits, once in they dont come out.

I told you the brass tip would snap, they always do! :doh