another mig owner thread

[Regneufeld]

I picked up a used miller regency 250, I always thought I wanted a mig (I have been getting along fine with a lincon 250 buzz box). Anyway this guy was moving out of a shop and wanted to sell this unit, so I took it home. Now I am doing some research after the fact to see if I was an idiot or not. Seems to weld fine. For the last owner he could do magic with it. Been mostly welding scrap together to get a feel for how much heat and how much wire to feed to get something I can stand to look at.

One question I do have is how do you know how much gas to let out. I went through a tank pretty quickly as I didn't change anything from when I got it. It was pretty much at the max. Also there was a part in the plastic tube that was broke so I got a new one of those I could hear it leaking a bit. Seems the little ball hits it if you turn the valve on too quickly.
I have now gone and purchased a auto darkening mask which is sure nice to use. (my birthday present from my kids, wife was good with that excuse)

 

[rbcsaver]

Very nice looking unit. You didn't mention the price. You shouldn't empty a tank that fast.
Your flows were probably too high. Did you consult the owner's manual or contact Miller customer service for details?
Did you google or otherwise research your question? I started to, but then realized that it's YOUR Miller. My Lincoln 125
runs just fine and doesn't consume a lot of gas
regards,
Steve

 

[RonMar]

Turn the gas off and run a few short beads without it. Note how the weld looks, it should be a little porus. The weld will also sound different as the wire melts into the base metal without shielding gas. Now add gas till you get smooth weld metal. You will probably find that the ball in the tube is only being lifted off the bottom just a little bit(1/4-3/8" or so) to get a smooth weld. Your atmospheric conditions will also effect this. More air movement in the area of the weld, and you will need more gasflow to replace what is being blown away. Best to avoid any breeze in the weld area as much as possible. Nice welder...

 

[77transam]

Here's the link... (C'mon, how much did you pay?)

(That's a right fancy-lookin' helmet there too!)

Miller - Owners Manuals

 

[Jim in ICT]

Try around 25-30 CFH. Shouldn't need more than that under most circumstances.

 

[Regneufeld]

thanks for info. makes sense to turn it off and bring it up. As far as the price goes I may have paid top dollar but it was a bit of a spontaneous thing. I have 1000 into it with tank and new spool of wire. The brand new miller I was looking at was over 2500, ( If I buy something I tend to over do it) and I do not weld enough to justify doing that. Getting this one was over kill as well. It has been used a lot but should be good for a very long time for my use.

Now to get the metal together to do a few projects I have on my mind.

 

[DaveOmak]

When MIG welding, wire dia, material thickness and material chemistry suggest; adjustments to amperage/voltage, wire stick-out, CFH gas flow, gas make up, inches/minute travel, inches/minute wire feed etc.
Visit your local welding shop and discuss your concerns with them. Tell them what you purchased and that you are needing help and looking to make a long term relationship with them for consumables. (wire, rod, gasses, gloves, etc)
They should be very willing to help you with pamphlets and discussion to get you going in a friendly manner.
Their profit is in the supplies end of the business.
If they don't bend over backwards to help you, find another welding shop.

 

[Shield Arc]

Inside my shop with doors closed, running bare wire gas coverage, (Mig) I run 15 to 20-CFH, (cubic feet hour).
When running dual shield wires, some require 30 to 35-CFH, some require 35 to 40-CFH. This is all 75% Argon / 25% CO2.

 

[RPW]

On smaller jobs I tend to run between 10 ~ 20. Also important to note is to make sure your metal is clean. That's the main difference in welding with MIG verses Stick. I think you'll find that fabricating projects goes a lot faster with MIG in general. Also a bottle of gas should last you months for a normal home user (large bottle).

Good luck.

 

[Ford tractor]

If you don't mind the welds being a bit cruder looking (but just as strong), try straight CO2 gas. Much cheaper to buy and as it's a liquid it goes much farther than compressed gas.