Project Tetanus

[DanStokes]

Thanks Dan! Thats good to know, they are priced very reaonably and for what I use it for would be perfect.

....I did stumble across a lincoln tonight on CL, posted today, 300 bucks, I called and it already sold....

I have a 100 amp Lincoln which is old but remains trouble-proof. I have it set up for SS with SS wire and pure argon in the bottle. I bought the Eastwood to do some work as I was assembling the mezzanine and I knew the Lincoln didn't have the poop to burn in structural steel. The Eastwood was minimally stout enough but did the job just fine and is now my go-to welder for most work in the shop.

Side note: I have a spool of HF wire in the Eastwood right now and while it WILL join metal together it makes a TON of spatter. Before I do any cage work (you can't grind welds on a cage) I'll go to the welding store and get some REAL wire. I generally run 0.030 wire but if I was only doing sheet metal (like in my olden days) I'd run the small stuff (0.024 or some such? - I'd have to look on the chart in the welder).

Dan

[SuperBuickGuy]

I have a 100 amp Lincoln which is old but remains trouble-proof. I have it set up for SS with SS wire and pure argon in the bottle. I bought the Eastwood to do some work as I was assembling the mezzanine and I knew the Lincoln didn't have the poop to burn in structural steel. The Eastwood was minimally stout enough but did the job just fine and is now my go-to welder for most work in the shop.

Side note: I have a spool of HF wire in the Eastwood right now and while it WILL join metal together it makes a TON of spatter. Before I do any cage work (you can't grind welds on a cage) I'll go to the welding store and get some REAL wire. I generally run 0.030 wire but if I was only doing sheet metal (like in my olden days) I'd run the small stuff (0.024 or some such? - I'd have to look on the chart in the welder).

Dan

Chinesium wire in a Chinesium welder.... I figured that would work well since they all speak the same language

[Deaf Bob]

I have a 100 amp Lincoln which is old but remains trouble-proof. I have it set up for SS with SS wire and pure argon in the bottle. I bought the Eastwood to do some work as I was assembling the mezzanine and I knew the Lincoln didn't have the poop to burn in structural steel. The Eastwood was minimally stout enough but did the job just fine and is now my go-to welder for most work in the shop.
Side note: I have a spool of HF wire in the Eastwood right now and while it WILL join metal together it makes a TON of spatter. Before I do any cage work (you can't grind welds on a cage) I'll go to the welding store and get some REAL wire. I generally run 0.030 wire but if I was only doing sheet metal (like in my olden days) I'd run the small stuff (0.024 or some such? - I'd have to look on the chart in the welder).

Dan

Takes power to run .030 wire.. Welding store experts reccomended .023 or .025.. Starts easier..

[SuperBuickGuy]

Takes power to run .030 wire.. Welding store experts reccomended .023 or .025.. Starts easier..

Are those like Auto Part Store experts?

[Deaf Bob]

Are those like Auto Part Store experts?

Not really as I happen to know these guys in the store I go to worked as welders.. Except for 2..
They have taken me out back and demostrated as I misunderstand verbally pretty good..
All their advice has been spot on...so far...

[milner351]

When I took my welding class we used several different machines, wires, each has their own purpose.
I found a big old SP200 Lincoln mig and used it for a few years with .030 wire on things I'd consider "structural" bumper mounts, trailer hitches, work benches, etc.
That set up was very frustrating to try to use on floor sheet metal. I changed to .023 wire, liner, guide rollers, and it was better, but not great, the machine just was not intended for light duty work.
I bought a Miller autoset, used .023 wire, and welding sheet metal instantly became a breeze.

In this case, having a tig is actually a more "one size fits all" solution as you can always use smaller filler wire and less amperage for finer work, and vise versa.

[DanStokes]

Takes power to run .030 wire.. Welding store experts reccomended .023 or .025.. Starts easier..

The Eastwood seems do fine with the 0.030 but I tried it in the Lincoln - no go. So I'm thinking you're right on that one.

Dan

[Russell]

I run .030 lincoln wire in my 135? miller welder. Must bad welds around here are the falt of the welder. I really don't understand how people who don't have a welder function

I want a tig but they are big bucks.

[JOES66FURY]

I run .030 lincoln wire in my 135? miller welder. Must bad welds around here are the falt of the welder. I really don't understand how people who don't have a welder function

I want a tig but they are big bucks.

I am seriously losing my mind without it.

I am running .025 and found that heat set at about 5, the feed at about 2.5 and 90 phase gives me the best weld on sheet metal assuming the metal is between .018 and .022. I have settings written out for 1/8" and some other sizes that seem to give me good penetration. My biggest issue is finding the right speed, I either go to fast or too slow..there is not in between


It will be a few more weeks before I can get the welder looked at. I have way too many things needing any spare $$ I have at the moment.

[DanStokes]

We're all pulling for you - and your welder.

Dan

[Russell]

I am seriously losing my mind without it.

I am running .025 and found that heat set at about 5, the feed at about 2.5 and 90 phase gives me the best weld on sheet metal assuming the metal is between .018 and .022. I have settings written out for 1/8" and some other sizes that seem to give me good penetration. My biggest issue is finding the right speed, I either go to fast or too slow..there is not in between


It will be a few more weeks before I can get the welder looked at. I have way too many things needing any spare $$ I have at the moment.

I have been doing a little welding on my DW trailer box and it took me a while to remember how to weld. Once I remember, "control the puddle" and listen, they started looking almost ok.

[JOES66FURY]

I have been doing a little welding on my DW trailer box and it took me a while to remember how to weld. Once I remember, "control the puddle" and listen, they started looking almost ok.

I've got spot welds done, I'm super proud of that. Nice penetration, nice and flat...require little grinding.

Laying a bead down on the other hand....if I can get some more practice with thicker metals I am sure I'll figure it out...but, the stuff I am doing on the rust bucket is all sheet metal...so, a tack here and a tack there, here a tack there a tack everywhere a tack tack....

[DanStokes]

I've got spot welds done, I'm super proud of that. Nice penetration, nice and flat...require little grinding.

Laying a bead down on the other hand....if I can get some more practice with thicker metals I am sure I'll figure it out...but, the stuff I am doing on the rust bucket is all sheet metal...so, a tack here and a tack there, here a tack there a tack everywhere a tack tack....

That's a perfectly good way to weld up sheet metal. As long as you move the tacks around you'll have little to no warpage. Just keep going 'till the tacks all run together.

Dan

[JOES66FURY]

That's a perfectly good way to weld up sheet metal. As long as you move the tacks around you'll have little to no warpage. Just keep going 'till the tacks all run together.

Dan

Indeed, when I first started I would get a tad overzealous and you could hear the metal pop and buckle from the heat. Did not take me long to figure out I was getting it way too hot way too fast.

[JOES66FURY]

Okay, so while digging the depths of the interwebs I came across a welding forum where a guy describes the exact same issues I was having with my welder...on the exact same welder. Neat! Turns out this was a common problem with this machine. The PCB is in close proximity to the motor and it is said that stray voltage from the motor fries the PCB.

I also found and IPB (illustrated parts breakdown) of my welder in some deep dark recess of a website that looks like it was developed in 1998. With that info I found that Century/Lincoln still has many of the parts for my 20+ year old machine! The ones they don't are available through another supplier.

The wire speed controll assmebly is $90
The main PCB and heatsink is $175
The Relay is $50
The Potentiometer is $30

This guy swapped his wire speed control assembly and it was good to go. I am confident by his description of the problems it was having that I am in the same boat. I'll order it up on payday and see what happens.