I just purchased a Lincoln Mig welder and CO2/Argon gas bottle. The gas regulator has two gauges, one that has increments of 5,10,15,up to 30 and the other is 1000,2000,3000 and 4000. Do these have to be at a certain level when welding? I can't find anything in the owner's manual about these settings. It just says open the valve from the gas bottle. I've only done flux core welding up until now and was tired of the splatter, so I decided to try the gas.

Thanks,
jeff

 

The 1,000 ect is the pressure inside ur tank, the other is the pressure going through your welder you want to set this at around 20-30.

 

The thousand gauge is the pressure in the tank and when you open a full tank will read like 2200 and its in PSI, when its empty, you will need a frest tank. The other is volume, and it needs to be set at 35, and is adjustable by the "T" handle in the regulator, screw it in, and it should increase. This is the volume of gas that creates the shield and is in CFH. If you have a focused head, then you may be able to set your volume lower and save some gas. After you practice, you will know how much it takes to create the shield.

 

i would stick around 20-30 for the shielding gas.

After you get decent with it and learn the system you will be able to tell just by purging the gas while your hand is in front of the torch or by the weld & spatter

 

The smaller reading is FLOW. There is no need for it to be more than 20 unless you are in windy conditions and actually in windy conditions you should just not MIG or turn off the gas and use flux core. Anything over 20 is just wasting gas.

 

Thanks guys! I'm going to give it a try this weekend.......

Jeff

 

When you open the tank valve, don't stop opening it when the thousand-psi gauge first responds. Open it all the way. Something about opening it only partway having the potential to allow gas to leak off rather than get delivered to the nozzle down at the arc.

Then set the "T-handle" valve.


Norm

 

i don't klnow if that comes from diving or where I learned it. It is always a good practise (for any pressurised gas bottle) to open fully and then turn half turn back. So the valve is very very close at fully open but not at the very edge.

dunno if it makes sense

 

Yes, you must ALWAYS "back seat" the valve. Otherwise there will be a slight leak around the valve packing.

 

Jeff is right about opening the bottle all the way. The bottle valve used for C25 shielding gas has a double seating valve (valve seat at the bottom to close it and a valve seat to seal the top when you are using it)
All high pressure bottle valves are double seating.....O2, Argon, C25, Tri mixes, etc.... basically bottles that are up around 2000 psi when full. Low pressure bottles that don't require opening all the way include, Acetylene (200-300 psi), CO2(about 900 psi at 70 deg)....Acetylene only needs to be opened 1/2 turn or so beyond when the bottle pressure gauge is showing full bottle pressure, just in case you need to turn it off quickly