Using a spool gun...

ack

ack

Well-known member
I just purchased a Lincoln Magnum 100 SG spool gun for my MIG welder.

Reading the manual (WTF???) I noticed that, in the spool loading instructions, the text suggests that the spool gun is to be used for aluminum welding only.  The wording is pretty vague on this...


I went ahead and loaded a .35 steel flux spool then tested it for feeding.  I did not actually do any welding - just feeding wire.

It seemed to spool out nice and smooth.

So....

Any opinions on the possibility of using this for steel welding???
 
You can use the spoolgun for mild steel or stainless steel welding. The problem you will run into is that the steel wire is stiffer and has more spring back than the aluminum wire and will try to backlash on the roll. Some guns will allow you to tighten the spool enough to stop it but most of the cheaper ones won't.
 
ddement date=1469832904 said:
You can use the spoolgun for mild steel or stainless steel welding. The problem you will run into is that the steel wire is stiffer and has more spring back than the aluminum wire and will try to backlash on the roll. Some guns will allow you to tighten the spool enough to stop it but most of the cheaper ones won't.
Click to expand...
Well, it looks like this Lincoln gun can be tensioned just right for steel - it seems to spool out evenly while holding the spool so it does not unwind on it's own.

Unfortunately I won't be able to use it as I will be in Australia for the next 3 months...

Ack's trip to Australia

Once back, its back to patching the Tinnie frame and roof damage...
 
Why use the spool gun for anything but aluminum? The reason for the spool gun, as I was told, is because the soft wire wont make the trip from the welder to mig gun. Why not just leave the alum spool on the gun and others in the welder? Enjoy your trip. Jim
 
I'm with redidbull on this one. Why in God's name would you want to lug around a spool gun loaded with steel wire? All that weight in your hand will make it that much more difficult to weld. You will not have the agility to get into tight spaces with a spool hanging on the back end of a gun. What's the up side to this?

Maybe I'm missing something here, I'm over 60 and sometimes I miss the finer points in these discussions.???  Please enlighten me, I'm old, but I can still try to learn something new. [thumbsup]
Enjoy your trip down under Ack. [thumbsup]  
 
What everyone else says........

You'll be able to get into tighter areas with a regular stinger anyway. 

I Just had some tig welding done on an oil cooler. I don't weld aluminum. Now, if I had a spare $6500 in my back pocket, I'd have me a tig welder too! 

 
I have that exact spool gun, specifically for aluminum.  And honestly I can't think of any reason why you would use it willingly.  It's big, heavy, and ackward (hehe, see what I did there ;D  ).  But I needed it for some aluminum welding.  It does the job but I would much rather have a TIG.  That being said, you could use it for steel if you really wanted to.


Speaking of which, you can get some decent TIG machines for far less than a Miller or Lincoln if you're willing to buy one of the off brands.  For example:

https://www.amazon.com/AHP-AlphaTIG-Stick-Welder-PULSE/dp/B00REX6USW
http://www.longevity-inc.com/tig-welders/tigweld-200sx
http://www.everlastgenerators.com/product/tig-stick/powertig-185-dv

I don't own any of these, they're just some models I've been looking at.


C|
 
I've got a Lincoln 180 Square Wave TIG machine that does just fine. I bought it to do light weight stuff and it works great. I have converted the torch head to gas lens for better shielding. I also have a flexiabIe torch head for the TIG. I have a Lincoln 155 Mig and I changed the liner out to run .023/.025 wire for body panel work. For heavier stuff I have an old, old Lincoln 225A Tombstone stick welder.

I bought the TIG from the Lincoln rep at the NHRA drags at Sears Point Raceway. They always offer race specials at good prices. The following year I bought a Lincoln plasma cutter and auto darkening welding helmet at a race discount.
 

https://www.helpavetshine.us/help-a-vet-shine
Top Bottom