I stuck this in Ebike techinicall because this is directly related to my ebike build here:
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=31255
in that if I can't fix this welder, I can't finish the bike. (or about a zillion other projects I've been putting off mostly because this welder simply doesn't work well enough for long enough to do them).
PReviously, I had electrical problems with it, where it'd stutter power during arcing, and that turned out to be (I think) the thermal cutoff on teh transformer. Taking it out of circuit and shorting across the supply wires to it apperas to have fixed that problem. The main power switch is also bypassed, though I don't think it's the problem.
Now, the mechanical parts of the feed mechanism are giving me grief. Basically, the total amount of friction in the feed tube up to the electrode grip and inside the electrode itself are enough to stop the feed of wire, even if I hold it out straight (although that improves it). The worst is at the electrodes, after a few short welds, even after cooldown, but there's no way I can afford to keep using new electrode tips every inch or two of weld!
There has to be a reason that these specific things are happening, and something I can do to fix it.
I *think* that because it doesnt' feed constantly, it arcs and gets hot inside the electrode, and leaves bits behind on the electrode tip itself, causing further friction, worse sticking, and eventually it just jams so bad I have to unscrew the tip, yank the wire out, cut it off, and run a bit back and forth inside to clear some of that out (or replace the tip in cases I can't).
It's possible that the quality of the flux-core steel welding wire itself is poor, with variations in drawn diameter, making the problem worse, but I haven't got any other stuff to work with, so I don't know if other better (probably lots more expensive) wire would help. I can only get it when Harbor Freight puts the stuff on sale for $10, half price of it's usual, and that's really rare.
If I could make the feed mechanism keep good grip on the wire as it pushes it into the feed tube, instead of slipping when friction gets too high, it'd feed properly, regardless of friction. I just dont' know how to do that.
I have considered filing vertical cross-notches in the horizontal feed-groove in the feed-wheel, to give it something to "catch" the wire with, but I'm not sure that would change anything.
Some pics of what I have to work with:
View attachment 6
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=31255
in that if I can't fix this welder, I can't finish the bike. (or about a zillion other projects I've been putting off mostly because this welder simply doesn't work well enough for long enough to do them).
PReviously, I had electrical problems with it, where it'd stutter power during arcing, and that turned out to be (I think) the thermal cutoff on teh transformer. Taking it out of circuit and shorting across the supply wires to it apperas to have fixed that problem. The main power switch is also bypassed, though I don't think it's the problem.
Now, the mechanical parts of the feed mechanism are giving me grief. Basically, the total amount of friction in the feed tube up to the electrode grip and inside the electrode itself are enough to stop the feed of wire, even if I hold it out straight (although that improves it). The worst is at the electrodes, after a few short welds, even after cooldown, but there's no way I can afford to keep using new electrode tips every inch or two of weld!
There has to be a reason that these specific things are happening, and something I can do to fix it.
I *think* that because it doesnt' feed constantly, it arcs and gets hot inside the electrode, and leaves bits behind on the electrode tip itself, causing further friction, worse sticking, and eventually it just jams so bad I have to unscrew the tip, yank the wire out, cut it off, and run a bit back and forth inside to clear some of that out (or replace the tip in cases I can't).
It's possible that the quality of the flux-core steel welding wire itself is poor, with variations in drawn diameter, making the problem worse, but I haven't got any other stuff to work with, so I don't know if other better (probably lots more expensive) wire would help. I can only get it when Harbor Freight puts the stuff on sale for $10, half price of it's usual, and that's really rare.
If I could make the feed mechanism keep good grip on the wire as it pushes it into the feed tube, instead of slipping when friction gets too high, it'd feed properly, regardless of friction. I just dont' know how to do that.
I have considered filing vertical cross-notches in the horizontal feed-groove in the feed-wheel, to give it something to "catch" the wire with, but I'm not sure that would change anything.
Some pics of what I have to work with:
View attachment 6