MIG Spatter

[outraged]

here's another one of those questions i promised on my first post!

i am wondering what causes excessive spatter on a MIG.
i'm using gold gas mix with regular solid wire. i'm not even sure what "excessive spatter" is, but i'm noticing a little more than when i first started, about 3 months ago. mostly i am noticing it inside the nozzle, not really on the metal. i do realize that i'm supposed clean out the nozzle regularly. but just curious about spatter problems.

thanks
-Outraged

[Roger]

Never heard of gold gas mix.
To make yourself understood by everyone best to list actual gas names and % for each in your mix not tm name.

Spatter is not only the ***** of metal that form in nozzle. It is also the small ***** of metal sticking to work next to weld bead. You get more spatter in nozzle when welding out of flat position such as vertical and overhead welding. That is probably why your now seeing more metal ***** in nozzle.
Shielding gas mixes are used when MIG welding for arc stability, lower spatter and better bead structure than any single gas.

Spray transfer has no spatter
Short Circuit transfer has little spatter using 80% Argon 20% CO2 mix and more spatter using 100% CO2.
Globular transfer has more spatter.

When MIG welding in short circuit mode you can up volts/wire speed and get into globular transfer mode. The metal droplets transfering is then 2-4 times wire diameter. Too low voltage settings in gobular transfer mode lets big drops short to work then explode producing spatter. (Voltage affects arc length) Globular transfer is more likly to happen with 100% CO2 shielding gas.


Self shielding fluxcore wire produces spatter.

[dysfunction]

I happened to look at the bottle I just picked up yesterday and noticed on the label "Gold Gas". FWIW its just C25.

[Arbo]

Get a jar of nozzle dip. It helps to keep the spatter from sticking to the nozzle. Makes clean up much easier.

[Rocky D]

You can also use anti-spatter spray to make the spatter easier to clean. Not only on the nozzle, but on the part, too. It is a must on stainless steels. Spatter on stainless is really tough to get off, without it.

....why not...here's a picture of my anti-spatter spray...in the foreground....

[jgor]

Originally posted by Rocky D

....why not...here's a picture of my anti-spatter spray...in the foreground....

Sorry for jumping in here and changing the subject but the chair in Rocky's picture caught my eye. Rocky, is that a purchased chair or something you created? Any chance of seeing a close-up picture of it.

I've been lurking here for the past few months trying to suck in as much knowledge as possible while I take an evening welding class at a local tech school. As of these evening I've finished constructing a welding booth in my basement have it all wired up and ready. Hopefully early this week I get over to my local welding shop and try and work a deal on a welder! One night a week at class is not enough of a fix for my new found welding itch.

John

[outraged]

Thanks guys!

Russell, Roger - Sorry, i thought the name gold gas was common knowledge in the welding world, but yes it is C25, 75/25 argon/CO2.

[Rocky D]

Originally posted by jgor


Sorry for jumping in here and changing the subject but the chair in Rocky's picture caught my eye. Rocky, is that a purchased chair or something you created? Any chance of seeing a close-up picture of it.

I've been lurking here for the past few months trying to suck in as much knowledge as possible while I take an evening welding class at a local tech school. As of these evening I've finished constructing a welding booth in my basement have it all wired up and ready. Hopefully early this week I get over to my local welding shop and try and work a deal on a welder! One night a week at class is not enough of a fix for my new found welding itch.

John

Welcome to the forum, John. Here's is where I got that chair. If you shop around, I think you can find it cheaper elsewhere

[Roger]

Web search found that Airgas is calling it's welding shielding gases "gold gas" . They have 7 different proprietary gas mixes so 7 more tm names. That web site doesn't list specifics of the mixes.
#$

[jgor]

Thanks Rocky.

John

[Mike Sherman]

Excessive spatter is almost always 100% of the time due to improper setting of the machine. Period. An experienced welder can set any machine to reduce to almost nothing the amount of spatter produced. If you are getting excessive spatter you are probably trying to do something that your machine is not set up for. Each mode of wire transfer will have a specific requirement in wire, gas, volts and wire speed. Changing any of the parameters will result in excessive spatter or some other abnormality. Determine what you are trying to do, what wire and gas you have available to you and then set your machine accordingly. I promise you can nearly always eliminate the spatter.

[outraged]

Thanks Mike

it just hit me that i did recently change to a different brand of wire and thats about the time i started noticing more spatter than usual. would a different wire [same specs] affect spatter while no other settings change?


-Outraged

[Rocky D]

Originally posted by outraged
Thanks Mike

it just hit me that i did recently change to a different brand of wire and thats about the time i started noticing more spatter than usual. would a different wire [same specs] affect spatter while no other settings change?


-Outraged

Yes, some wires run better than others. I have always been a fan of Hobart wires.

[outraged]

Cool.....i see what happens when i run out of whatever it is i have in there now. i've been using Century wire, prior to this last spool. maybe i'll try hobart wire and see whats what!