[TheForge] TheForge Digest, Vol 62, Issue 2

[Paul Boulay]

Peter, 
You are right about having the wrong gas mix for spray deposition. I did some research into that and found that a 90% Argon / 10% CO2 mix would enable spray deposition and also short circuit mode -- probably neither ideally. That is not a standard mix but it is used by some industrial fabricators. I'm in San Jose and only the guys at AirGas knew what I was talking about. They said they have one customer for that mix in the Salinas area and they sold me an industrial size bottle. Works for me.

But Spray transfer is not appropriate for out of position welding. The weld pool is too liquid. So maybe that is your problem.

Paul Boulay



-----Original Message-----
>
>Message: 1
>Date: Sun, 01 Mar 2009 23:55:03 -0800
>From: Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer <artgawk at thegrid.net>
>Subject: Re: [TheForge] Question about MIG welding, spray deposition?
>To: "terry l. ridder" <terrylr at blauedonau.com>, 	Blacksmithing List
>	Sponsored by ABANA <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>Message-ID: <49AB90D7.3030507 at thegrid.net>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
>Been trying to figure out MIG spray deposition now that i have the power 
>to do it.
>Using .035 wire and argon75% CO2 25% mix gas. Electrode negative.
>If i crank it up to about 400 ipm and about 25 volts i get spray 
>deposition as i imagine it to be, but the nozzle and contact tip seem to 
>foul pretty quickly.
>Part of the problem was the awkward position  of the welds and a sore 
>back...which contributed to the fouling i'm sure.
>Looking on the web, they were talking about a different gas mix ( i was 
>using what i have and can easily get) and electrode positive setting.
>Is that right? I keep imagining the wire fusing to the contact tip as 
>soon as the trigger is pulled with electrode pos.
>Can the gas  i have be made to do spray deposition decently?
>Sure appreciate having you folks around to straighten my path every now 
>and then...pete f
>


Paul Boulay
408-483-1986