Thread: Transmig 180se configuration (and other) question(s)

none of your set up is much of a problem. It'll work, just dont tighten your rollers down too tight, but firm enough to push the wire through and keep your torch lead as straight as you can. What's the problem with your weld? Are you burning holes? The weld not fusing to both pieces? Can you see the weld pool? (It is hard to see the pool with gassless wire on low volts ) What direction are you traveling with the weld? It would be better to help you with your weld problem rather than spend money on going to a gas set up

I agree. You should be able to weld 1.6mm section with 0.9mm gasless wire, and I'm not convinced that going out buying new gear will magically solve the problem.

As Brenton suggested, describe the problems you're encountering, take pics if you can and maybe the other welders here can help you out.

Thanks for the input guys. I will go out today/tomorrow do some welding with the 1.6 and describe better my problem(s) and hopefully take some photos that I can post.

When I tried the mig a few days ago for the first time in a long, lont time. I started with 3.0mm painted rhs. I used the voltage and wire speed chart posted inside the panel for gasless welding. This was very, very close and I got the nice sizzling sound.

I then tried the 1.6mm rhs (next step down sizewise for what I have laying around). Again, I looked at the chart. The chart indicated a much higher voltage setting than the 3.0mm. I suspect this is because the chart calls for gas with 1.6mm and for gas or no gas for 3.0mm (I used the no gass settings, which worked good) .

So rather than following the chart which would have me go UP in voltage, I went DOWN because I was going to thinner material. I found that I needed to keep the wire speed roughly the same.

When welding the 1.6mm, yes it was hard (if not impossible) to see the well pool. I tried pushing and pulling, didn't see much difference. The main problem occurred when I had the rhs end butted against the side of the rhs and there is no edge contact (i.e. - small gap) because of the fillet on the rhs. Things worked out better when I was butt welding edge to edge. I never did acquire the nice sizzling sound that I had with the 3.0mm and because I couln't see the pool very well, I would get off line and not be welding near the edges of the material. The welds were a dull grey in apperance even after the wire brushing.

I was only burning through on exposed edges, the pieces fuse OK when I can get the weld in the correct spot! But it is just not smooth like welding the 3.0mm, hard to describe.

I did find when I set the roller pressure with the cable layed out straight, I had to increase the pressure when I moved the torch cable into a curved position to actually weld.

The welder comes equiped with a 0.6/0.8mm roller, 0.9mm liner and 0.9mm tip. When I bought the welder and my first roll of wire, the dealer recommended 0.8 wire (which I bought). For the second roll, the dealer was out of the 0.8mm and said I could use 0.9mm. So I got 0.9mm wire and 0.9mm tips. I don't know if the dealer didn't realize that I had a 0.8mm roller or it just didn't matter.

It is good to hear that I don't require gas for 1.6mm, this is the thinnest I plan to use on my projects. To me, gas is just another variable to contend with! But it might be worth it if the welding improves considerable!

However, It is odd that the settings chart inside the welder recommend gas for anything under 3.0mm. For 3.0mm and up, I'll just use my Ozito AC buzz box, that is user-friendly and trouble free.

I'll update in the next few days after more practice!!

Again, thanks for the help!!!