Can i compress hf mig

Over time it can wear and become oblong — this will also cause wire-feeding issues. It can cause contact-tip burnback, which in turn leads to wire-feeding issues. You may also fine-tune your tip-to-weld distance for optimal performance. Ready to increase the lifetime of your consumables and the quality of your cuts or welds by switching to American Torch Tip? We are so sure you will love our products that we will replace all of your torches — for free — with lifetime warranties when you become a regular customer.

Reach out to learn more. Join our community of over 20, industry experts and subscribe to our newsletters to receive product announcements and offers. Not everything is worth it though. Case in point: Mig wire. I was in the process of modifying a Harbor Freight 20 ton hydraulic press to 32 ton air over hydraulic operation. To allow for the extra 12 tons, I did have to add some reinforcement to the top and bottom of the press along with using a 1 inch thick plate with the supplied cast iron blocks for the table.

In the process of reinforcing the press, I noticed that the Harbor freight mig wire was crap! I ended up grinding all the Harbor Freight wire welds off and starting over. Once I put the Hobart wire on, everything was beautiful. I did do a few tests with the HF wire and found that the arc was not nearly as smooth as the other manufacturers wire. For some reason, the HF wire's arc was erratic and the welds were porous.

It seems that the batch of wire I got had some kind of contamination in or on it. It felt oily and dirty. The areas I was welding were paint free and clean. So I got some metal and tried and tried to get a good stable arc and a good weld. It was just not going to happen.

I will say that Harbor Freight do have some excellent tools and other products. I got a great deal on the 20 ton hydraulic press which is an excellent product. But there are some things that should be avoided and mig wire, at least for me, is one of them.

Mig Wire. Originally Posted by Steve. Tampon for your wire Some stuff is good but most is crap. Andy New Everlast PowerTig EX that is begging for me to come up with a few welding projects so it can stretch it's legs. Did someone say aluminum??? I cherry pick. Some things I'll buy and use, some I'll buy and modify, some things I won't even look at the price.

Their MIG wire and flux core have been discussed on the forum before, if I recall, one or two folks said it was ok, everyone else called it absolute crap. I just turned down an offer of several spools of it. I've had trouble with hobart flux core. The diameter wasn't consistent and it had some sort of black grease on it. Plugged the contact tip often, 2 x2lb rolls and one 10lb roll. Originally Posted by youngnstudly. I like your press modification!

That should really come in handy and seems like a nice upgrade over the non-modified version. I've been thinking of how handy a smaller press would be.

This includes a sputtering or erratic arc, inconsistent weld appearance and frequent contact tip burn-back. These problems occur because resistance in the circuit reduces the amount of current that can flow to the welding arc. When the power source senses the reduced current at the arc, it sends a surge of voltage in order to overcome the restricted current flow. This increased voltage causes the popping and sputtering that leads to poor and inconsistent weld quality.

Being able to correctly identify and troubleshoot excessive electrical resistance is critical to reducing the equipment and rework costs. The mechanical connections between the welding components account for most interruptions in conductivity.

Routinely check these connections before problems arise in order to avoid compounded problems down the road. There are three main types of power cable terminations: compression, set screw and crimped.

Compression fittings typically provide the best combination of durability and reparability. Repairing set screw fittings are easy, but often come loose and require frequent tightening. Crimped fittings provide good contact between the cable and gun, but are also susceptible to overheating and gradual degradation.

Tighten loose cable, gun and power source connections to manufacturer specifications or replace if damaged. Because the welding wire wears the bore over time, the contact tip should be one of the first areas checked during troubleshooting. Paint and other surface contaminants can reduce the conductivity of the work lead connection.

To ensure maximum electrical flow, attach the work lead clamp to clean, unpainted metal and as close to the weld joint as possible. If using rotating work leads, such as turntables and positioners, conductive grease can help increase the conductive surface area between the moving and non-moving parts. The other most frequent source of interruptions in conductivity is frayed copper stranding within the gun or, less frequently, in the work lead cables.

Also, thermal stresses can cause the copper stranding to become brittle, increasing the likelihood of fatigue failure.