messy nozzle

[Jamin]

What could be causing this?

It happened when laying down test beads on some large angled steel. At first it was pretty smooth, then it started stuttering... I noticed the tip & nozzle were pretty messy.

C25 gas set @ 20 CFH. 030 wire & tip, 3rd tap & ~60-70 setting on the wire feed. HH180.

[Toyota_Jim]

i get that, just not the big *****, usually breaks off with a tap on something hard.

[hankj]

Jamin,

That do be UGLY!

If this happened suddenly, without any obvious reason, something has gone **** up.

It looks to me like you have lost shielding gas. How do the beads look? KaKa? Check the gas diffuser in your gun head for obstructions, and make sure your shielding gas is being delivered to the gun.

Let us know what you find!

Hank

[Skooter]

Hidy Hi

I run 100% CO2 and encounter this all the time. The increased spatter CO2 produces aside, what can contribute to this can be many things such as: Too high a wire speed causing excess spatter, too low a wire speed or too high a voltage leading to globular transfer which will create those '*****', surface contaminants on wire and or parent metal such as rust, galvanizing or paint etc... , stickout too short, or as hank mentioned lack of shielding gas.
And other possible causes.

Confused?? I am.

Andrew

[Frank865]

Originally Posted by Skooter

Hidy Hi

I run 100% CO2 and encounter this all the time. The increased spatter CO2 produces aside, what can contribute to this can be many things such as: Too high a wire speed causing excess spatter, too low a wire speed or too high a voltage leading to globular transfer which will create those '*****', surface contaminants on wire and or parent metal such as rust, galvanizing or paint etc... , stickout too short, or as hank mentioned lack of shielding gas.
And other possible causes.

Confused?? I am.

Andrew

Thanks for the suggestions on what my be causing this..I get it a lot & never knew what caused it. I'll check some of those things & see if I can get it under control. Thanks

[Jamin]

hankj,

I can feel the gas if I set it on purge and hold my hand in front of the nozzle - so I'm pretty sure it's getting gas. I did happen all of the sudden, I think -- hard to tell, since this is the first time I've ever tried making beads with this new welder.

The previous welds didn't look too bad, and the metal around the weld was staying pretty clean. But I went back and tried it again a sec ago, and here's what happened... tons of crap on the metal -- the 2nd (bottom) weld caused so much crap, it covers up the top weld.

top weld = 50 wire speed, tap 3; bottom = 60 wire, tap 3

[James D. Clark]

Looks like normal gun nozzle splatter build-up-to me . You might have the nozzle a little too close to the weld to get the big b-b. You can use anti-splatter spray or gel on the nozzle to keep the splatter from sticking to the nozzle so that it knocks out with a touch on the splatter. It sometimes will fall out as a ring of splatter. You can use a pick or reamer like tool to take it out too. Might want to pull the cup off and clean around the gas ports too.

[Skooter]

Woa!
Is it popping and is the wire stubbing the parent metal?

Andrew

[Jamin]

James -- I'll try cleaning it really well tomorrow & see if that helps.

Originally Posted by Skooter

Woa!
Is it popping and is the wire stubbing the parent metal?

Andrew -- yes, it's popping pretty loud, but I don't know what you mean by stubbing.

[James D. Clark]

Jamin,
Didn't see your pictures on your last post-we passed each other in the dark. Looks like maybe you need to switch your gun cables around on polarity. Wrong polarity will cause the splatter. Your filler metal is trying to go the wrong way. At least worth checking. You did say first beads with a "new" welder. A good clue.

[Jamin]

Originally Posted by James D. Clark

Jamin,
Didn't see your pictures on your last post-we passed each other in the dark. Looks like maybe you need to switch your gun cables around on polarity. Wrong polarity will cause the splatter. Your filler metal is trying to go the wrong way. At least worth checking. You did say first beads with a "new" welder. A good clue.

Thanks for the idea... but I do have the polarity correct.

I didn't have that much splatter on the first set of beads.

[Skooter]

Originally Posted by Jamin

James -- I'll try cleaning it really well tomorrow & see if that helps.



Andrew -- yes, it's popping pretty loud, but I don't know what you mean by stubbing.

Stubbing is where the wire is hitting the base metal before it can melt away. This usually indicates too low a voltage setting or too high a wire speed setting. You'll feel it stubbing cause it'll wanna push the gun away. Try lowering your wire speed a bit. Keep lowering it untill you hear a nice smooth sizzle and no popping. Also a little trick I learn't was to start welding on some scrap with one hand and with the other adjust the wire speed until the arc smoothes out and you get that nice sizzle.

Andrew

[Jamin]

Originally Posted by Skooter

Stubbing is where the wire is hitting the base metal before it can melt away. This usually indicates too low a voltage setting or too high a wire speed setting. You'll feel it stubbing cause it'll wanna push the gun away. Try lowering your wire speed a bit. Keep lowering it untill you hear a nice smooth sizzle and no popping. Also a little trick I learn't was to start welding on some scrap with one hand and with the other adjust the wire speed until the arc smoothes out and you get that nice sizzle.

Ok. I don't think it's stubbing, but I'll certainly try adjusting that wire speed while running a bead and see if I can get it to stop popping. The scrap I got was pretty rusty & I'll have to clean off another section tomorrow to give that a try. Thanks!

[Skooter]

You're welcome Jamin.

Let us know what happens.

Andrew

[James D. Clark]

I'm agreeing with Hank about Ugully unless some things I noticed in your photos of the beads is the reason. It's a bit weird looking for solid wire and gas. Bright beads and yucky coating around them. Looks like flux-core without the slag. You've got the splatter and the smoky soot look of flux-core. Wonder if you have flux-core wire and the gas is cleaning the bead. Look at the label on the wire spool. The bead doesn't relate to the appearance of the base metal. Then if it is flux-core the polarity is backwards.