Sip wire feed solution number 2

[justgeorge]

Hi fellas, I'm a first time poster. I bought a second hand SIP t150p with the usual wire feed problem, and was about to solve the problem by throwing the welder into the ocean. I should have known that something was wrong by how fast the guy who sold it to me drove away - it's the first time I've seen someone do a wheelie in a 4 wheel drive.

Anyway, I found this forum, and darrencambs solution to the problem, as per this thread:

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/sip-cosmo-wire-feed-solution.3993/

I was a bit dubious about doing it Darren's way because I couldn't be bothered working with enough precision to make it work, so I hunted around until I found something that would work, that wouldn't require cutting/drilling/measuring.

The way I went about it isn't as pretty, but seems to work just as well. Plus it took about 2 minutes, which is always nice, and required no special skills apart from turning a screwdriver.

In short, the difference between my way and Darrencambs way is that Darren uses a flap of metal as a brace, while I use a bolt, which thus allows you to adjust the tension of your impromptu brace by turning the nut until your problem goes away. Both work, so it's a matter of preference and how much time/skill you have.

Much respect to Darren, thanks mate, I was going mad

 

[cumbriasteve]

Simple and effective...well done, perhaps a small lock washer under the nut to stop any chance of it self adjusting with vibration.

 

[justgeorge]

Good idea, cumbriasteve Now that the shops are open, I'll go get some nylon nuts, a better bolt, and trim those brackets a little bit. I banged it together at about midnight with whatever was lying around after reading darrens thread. I was so desperate that I was about to unscrew the screws by a little bit so as to create a lip, and use a cable tie.

The people who make these welders should be ashamed of themselves - there is plenty of room on the chassis for them to use a stronger plastic bracket with a second screw to stop this problem without changing any other aspect of the design, or getting in the way of any electronics. The welder is actually useful now, where as before the modification, it was in the "only for emergency use, when all other welders are broken" category.

Thanks everyone for saving a tool

 

[Sean]

have you tried using it with the separate transformer for wire speed mod? - makes a huge difference.

also take the main cover off and make sure the metal tabs aren't pinching the gas line too much - yours looks painfully tight but might just be the photo

 

[justgeorge]

have you tried using it with the separate transformer for wire speed mod? - makes a huge difference.

also take the main cover off and make sure the metal tabs aren't pinching the gas line too much - yours looks painfully tight but might just be the photo

I will definitely take your advice and mod the wire feed tranny. Previously, the wire would stutter and slip. I welded for about 2 hours straight today, and now that the rollers are nice and tight, noticed that the wire speed itself was fluctuating wildly - one minute, the wire is coming out slow and steady, and the next minute, I could hear the motor roaring, with wire coming out very quickly. My guess is that either a component controlling the wire feed dial is failing, or the power going to the wire feed motor isn't constant. I suspect the latter, and so will hunt down the parts the next time it starts raining and the job stops

It already feels like a completely different welder, with welds looking like a bead of silicone. Previously, the wire feed was so bad that I had to max out the volts/amps to get decent weld penetration. My thinking was that it is better to have an ugly haemorrhoid weld done at max settings that is at least very strong, rather than have a nicer looking weld that hasn't penetrated and isn't forming a good bond.

You're right about the gas line - I don't like the way this welder fits together, so I'll also be adding some hinges to the lid, so as to stop the gas line being fouled, as well as general ease of use. To be honest this machine will be used almost exclusively for gasless welding of steel frame walls, but I may as well put it all in order now that I have some time. I'm in the market for a decent welder for use with gas - probably something like the lincoln 180i or similar, since I want to do some S/S TIG work to finish a vodka refluxer for a mate. It's only been 2 years since I promised him

Cheers for the tips