Thread: Lincoln Jetmig 195

Technically no, as MIGs are constant-voltage machines (i.e. you specify the volts), whereas stick welders are constant-current machines (i.e. you specify the amps).

Short answer - no.
Mig requires a power source with Constant Voltage characteristics, Stick utilises Constant Current.
You would get an arc to strike, (you will need to hold the trigger of the mig gun to power up the welder though), but you will not have proper control of amperage.
For what a set of leads, lugs and electrode holder would cost, you wouldn't be far off getting into a second hand stick welder, which would be more portable into the bargain.
Why do you want to stick weld if you have the mig already? Curiosity or is there an issue you are having with the mig?

Thank you both for your help.

I didn't realise mig was constant voltage (I now see wikipedia says it has to be this way because you control the arc length with feed speed, which makes sense, but not being a mig user I had thought of it more as just a rod that never ran out!!).

Reason for investigating was that he also has a small transformer arc welder, but was wondering if he could sell it and just use the jetmig for both processes, the answer clearly now being no.

Why not just mig? For me, its what I was taught, I only use it occasionally and I like the simplicity, being able to use it with less preparation, easy to have a few different types of rods and switch between them.

As I said, we can't find anything on the Jetmig, I presume it should have been reasonably good at the time, but it is certainly getting on in years.

Cheers,

Austin

Originally Posted by Karl Robbers

Why do you want to stick weld if you have the mig already? Curiosity or is there an issue you are having with the mig?

Karl,

I just told him what you said and also tried to explain the DCEN/ DCEP stuff I had read while trying to answer the question. He said he has been having 'farting' type noises and poor welds since he started using gasless wire a few years ago and I said that from what I read, he should try switching the welder to DCEN (he currently has it on DCEP from when he used gas and solid wire), I assume this is correct?

He also said the wire tended to 'curl over' when it came out of the gun and I suggested that he might need to slow the feed rate with the gasless vs what he was used to with gas and solid wire?

Definitely Electrode negative with the self shielded wire.
It sounds to me that your mate may be having an issue with not getting good contact on either the wire side or the earth side. Usually the wire will stutter and stub before it starts curling over if wire feed is too high, but poor contact can cause what he is experiencing. Technically the feed roller should also be changed to a knurled roller when running fluxcore wire, but this isn't too big an issue normally.
I would email Lincoln Australia and ask for a manual if I were you. Lincoln Electric
Lincoln generally make pretty good gear so it would be well worth keeping this little mig.