mig welding wire

[dave lfc]

hi everyone I have just bought a mig welder and I have ran out of wire as I have been practising on any and every piece of metal I can get my hands on.it is currently setup on gasless so was wondering what wire to get and where from.think I will need a big spool if that's what you call it as I am still practising,the wire size is 0.8 and the mig welder is a Clarke 90en,cheers dave

[Oldiebut goodie]

Someone in the pool asking where to get stuff? Ask a 10yr old hanging around - he'll get it cheap or for a couple of smokes!

[jamesc76]

Gasless is crap to be honest gives a dirty weld! Much much better on proper wire and gas ie Argoshield or co2 if budget is tight.

[dave lfc]

Gasless is crap to be honest gives a dirty weld! Much much better on proper wire and gas ie Argoshield or co2 if budget is tight.

The mig welder is both gas/gasless I am just getting used to it at the moment.thanks anyway

[Jim San]

Screwfix - Toolstation - local welding supplies. We are pretty spoilt in Telford as we have plenty nearby.
Gas is better but its pretty alarming how fast you get through the gas when you get going

[The Bishop]

Gasless is crap to be honest gives a dirty weld! Much much better on proper wire and gas ie Argoshield or co2 if budget is tight.

James I've got a Sip mig welder that uses those expensive little bottles than run out in no time. I want a big gas bottle. I presume I will need a regulator as well. Can I fit these to my cheaply kit and what do I need to buy (and whee from)

[rich broom]

Google rent free gas bottles.
You pay a deposit and carriage but you don't pay lots in rent
I think they have built in regulator

[fazzer]

if you know a pub landlord you could ask for a co2 bottle preferably full then buy a regulator,i use a pub bottle which is about 20 inches high easy to move around as im a mobile welder and I get it filled with argoshield costing £20 to fill it.

[dave lfc]

if you know a pub landlord you could ask for a co2 bottle preferably full then buy a regulator,i use a pub bottle which is about 20 inches high easy to move around as im a mobile welder and I get it filled with argoshield costing £20 to fill it.

yes I will try and sort a bottle out today as this seems the way to go/use these welders.do I need a sort of adapter to run this as all I have or can see is a small plastic tube coming from the back.cheers dave

[clift_d]

if you know a pub landlord you could ask for a co2 bottle preferably full then buy a regulator,i use a pub bottle which is about 20 inches high easy to move around as im a mobile welder and I get it filled with argoshield costing £20 to fill it.

yes I will try and sort a bottle out today as this seems the way to go/use these welders.do I need a sort of adapter to run this as all I have or can see is a small plastic tube coming from the back.cheers dave

You'll probably need a regulator and hose connection to your welder - something like this

Rent free gas cylinders can be obtained form a number of different companies - Hobbyweld is one with stockists across the country. You pay a returnable deposit on the cylinder and a charge for the gas. If you want to refill you just exchange cylinders and you only pay for the gas.

In terms of welding wire, all the recommendations I've seen are that you should buy it from a decent manufacturer like Sif or Lincoln. Cheap wire can cause feed problems as it catches as it comes off the reel, can cause spatter due to inconsistent composition, and tends to corrode more easily.

Finally, if you aren't already, get yourself on to this mig-welding forum - it has loads of info and there are many experts on their who will provide advice on any problems or issues you have.

Good luck with it.

[what2do]

if you know a pub landlord you could ask for a co2 bottle preferably full then buy a regulator,i use a pub bottle which is about 20 inches high easy to move around as im a mobile welder and I get it filled with argoshield costing £20 to fill it.

Really? I'm in awe, where do you manage to get your co2 bottles filled at that price with argoshield? That sounds too good to be true. You don't have a tick oirish accent and a white transit pick up do you? Be Jesus! Seriously, I could save a fortune by doing it this way. Cheers.