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wire size, mig welding
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Erik G
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:51 am    Post subject: wire size, mig welding Reply with quote

ok, bought a new welder yesterday, a weldmark re-badged lincoln sp135, the welder I learned with.

for working on vw sheet metal patches, rust repair, etc, what size wire should I be using? I need to go pick up a bottle and wire, and tips, so any help would be great. thanks
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Erik G
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

and, I have and will probably do another steering box raise or 2. will the wire I use for sheetmetal also work when doing the box raise, which involves welding the piece of the frame rail you cut off, boxing in the frame rail, etc. I would assume yes, just need to turn up the juice and the wire speed, but want to make sure.
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westcoast-paul
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

.23 for sheet metal

i personally like .3 for general
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67type0ne
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

.23 should do just fine . VW skins is VERY thin . With a mig I would just do a series of spots with the whole patch . I would do the spot the panel then connect the spots deal . As for the steering box raise your wire should do fine...turn up the gas some to help keep the wire a little cooler...if you go to high with to little on the gas with the thin wire it will burn the wire at the tip....kinda like a blown fuse would do . You should be able to do good with it though .

Glenn
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Erik G
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thanks. I think I was using .3 or .35 with my friends welder, a lincoln 100. It was tough to do rust repair even with the wire speed turned way down, because it wanted to just blow through regardless of how careful I was and how slow I went. it worked flawlessly on the box raise with the amps turned up

I appreciate the help
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Tim10
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 6:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use .23 on body steel.

.35 flux on the thick structural stuff.
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Campy
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What they mean is .023 inch thick wire (.23 would be a little thick Laughing ).
My first welder was a Lincoln sp100, the precursor to the one that you have. Now, I have a 220 volt Millermatic, and I used .023 or .024 wire in both of them, having welded panels on four old bus bodies. Remember that you have to replace the guide tube with one that has a more narrow inner diameter. You can do it yourself.
If you are going to do much welding, get a large spool of wire and put one of those pieces of felt, with the little clamp, on the wire where it comes off of the spool. Buy a little can of the oil that goes with it, and squirt a little oil on the felt every once in a while.
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westcoast-paul
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ya - dust is the #1 killer of liners.

that and stepping / kinking Laughing
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