Thread: Are There Any Aids To Seeing ?

I recently returned my gas bottle to BOC as the rental cost was too high for my occasional use.
As a result, I'm now running flux-core wire in the MIG.
I have noticed that when I run a bead, I can't see a f###ing thing - just an explosion of light and confusion.
When I ran with gas, I could always see and control my weld puddle.
Maybe what you are experiencing is similar and is a "characteristic" of gasless MIG?

Hey Guys,

When we were running Flux cored wire in the big welder at work, we run CO2 not argo sheild, it's cheaper, but as you originally said the rental is a B&%#h. I am Colour blind and was using a gold coloured lens (from CIG) in my old helmet (not auto darkening) even I could see the different colours, and it was a shade 12, so the glare was limited.

Hope this helps.

HazzaB

Hi
There is a UV crayon that you can purchase with a special filter that goes into your welding helmet.

Whatever you draw with the crayon comes up visible under the shield with the filter fitted.
It was about $30 a couple of yeas ago.it was an aussie product.
it was called easy track and from this mob

Tools That Last - Tajima Tools - Melbourne Australia
Grahame

Different helmets do help. They vary in quality. Having said that I use my crappier helmet for MIG and reserve the better one for TIG.

Helmets can also be fitted with plastic magnifying lenses on the inside.

Scanfor asks a good question. Are you using gasless? The burning flux covers the weld pool shielding it from contamination.

Thanks heaps, guys, what an excellent response.

Yes, I'm using flux cored wire, 'gasless' wire.

But I still am basically in the same situation when I use my stick welder. It is better but not by much.

Looks like I'm not the only one it happens to by a long chalk. Scanfor is getting exactly what I get. I really darken my helmet and that contracts the light flash - but it doesn't help illuminate the surround so's I can see where to weld.

So I'm chasing up this 'ezytrack' path marker. Sounds like exactly what I need.

Exactly.

I've got my fingers crossed.

Thanks again, guys.


ab

In that case, don't expect to see a lot!

You kinda don't start learning MIG by actually joining stuff to be honest.
You get your settings all sorted out running beads on some scrap first.

Once you're happy with it on the scrap, you go do your join and you don't have to see that much.

One other thing about gasless is that I hope you don't have one of those cheap home gasless MIGs.

Grahame has written before about how they are useless and my TAFE instructor just gave the same advice to our class earlier this week.

The gasless concept only works for big wires which those welders can't even feed.

Originally Posted by abrogard

Thanks heaps, guys, what an excellent response.

Yes, I'm using flux cored wire, 'gasless' wire.

But I still am basically in the same situation when I use my stick welder. It is better but not by much.

Looks like I'm not the only one it happens to by a long chalk. Scanfor is getting exactly what I get. I really darken my helmet and that contracts the light flash - but it doesn't help illuminate the surround so's I can see where to weld.

So I'm chasing up this 'ezytrack' path marker. Sounds like exactly what I need.

Exactly.

I've got my fingers crossed.

Thanks again, guys.


ab

Gasless produces a lot of smoke and that will make it difficult to see. When I'm using mig with shielding gas I watch the flame front which does tend to follow the joint, be it a fillet, butt, or outside corner etc.

Originally Posted by Edster

One other thing about gasless is that I hope you don't have one of those cheap home gasless MIGs.

Grahame has written before about how they are useless and my TAFE instructor just gave the same advice to our class earlier this week.

The gasless concept only works for big wires which those welders can't even feed.

I have one, does a ripper job for what I ask and expect of it.

I would not regard it as 'useless'.

BTW I am not saying this to justify an ebay purchase i made 3 months ago either, I have had this machine for 9 years. It's a 120 amp Ryobi branded Decastar ie 'cheap crap made in Italy and not supported in parts' good thing the torch takes standard tweco tips.

On the other hand, the 'Brand name' tig that I bought was 'useless' due to a poorly designed lift arc start. Fortunately I didn't take much of a cost hammering when I onsold it after the experience.

easy track---- If thats that orange colored chalk stuff where u also change the lens for an orange one.

Had it set up in my old school flip style helmet. Put it this way it now sits gathering dust in the corner.

Using my cheapo Unimig auto darkening helmet. Mig set up for gassless. Keep helment lens as clean as possible. Always got a spare front lens cover handy for when it the old one gets too scratched and covered in splatter to see thru.

Doin the job fine for me.

Yep, cheap home crap. I wouldn't call it useless. Call me useless, maybe, but not it.

Couldn't get the ezytrack, got some 'welding pencil' thing instead. Didn't work.

There's got to be a way......

abrogard

I had the same problem,couldn`t see a thing once the light show started(I was using a $300 helmet ) The next door neighbour is/was a panel beater,I asked him what helmet he used,a bunnings helmet`tecsum`?(spelling),I gave it a go,perfect (well as good as I could do).I went straight to the big B,purchased one and have not looked back.

cheers
gidgee 1

Well thanks for that, gidgee, I'll go to bunnings and check it out. Gives me reason to believe that there is a way out of this even if the bunnings helmet doesn't work for me, there might be one that will.... it's not a dead end I'm facing, not a brick wall.....

Originally Posted by BenM78

I have one, does a ripper job for what I ask and expect of it.

I would not regard it as 'useless'.

BTW I am not saying this to justify an ebay purchase i made 3 months ago either, I have had this machine for 9 years. It's a 120 amp Ryobi branded Decastar ie 'cheap crap made in Italy and not supported in parts' good thing the torch takes standard tweco tips.

Understood.

Do you have any images of some welds done gasless?

In industry they don't use gasless wire under a certain thickness because the wire can't hold the amount of flux needed to fully shield the weld.