Cebora pocket 130 gas flow rate

[Fuchs915]

Hi all,

Continuing to prepare my welder and have just bought a flow meter, one that fits over the nozzle and has a ball bearing in it. I will start by welding thinner metal, 1.00 - 1.2 mm, using 0.6mm wire and 86% argon / 14% CO2 and wondered what the flow rate should be for the shielding gas.

Thanks

Kevin

 

[Robotstar5]

Start around 10-12 lpm.

 

[Fuchs915]

That's great, thanks RS5. I assume I would need to adjust that upwards if welding outdoors. I will be indoors for a while to come, but useful to know.

Cheers

Kevin

 

[Fuchs915]

OK, so had a quick play with the flow meter. Most I can get is 4-5 lpm. I have a disposable gas cylinder. Will that be enough or do I need to increase flow? If I need extra flow, how do I go about it?

Thanks

Kevin

 

[Bill Edwards]

A fairly normal flow to aim for is 10 lpm. You might manage at 4-5, but I think you'll be pushing it.
What are the welds like, that can be a good indicator?

Outdoors will be a struggle whatever gas flow you have, but it certainly won't take much to blow away that amount of gas.
If you've got the tap fully open and your bottle isn't empty then I don't think there is anything you can do, you may have a faulty regulator but I think you'll find the problem is just that disposable gas cylinders and the regulators/taps they come with are rubbish.
Unless you're going to pull the welder out for a two minute session every year you're probably better off getting a proper cylinder that'll last several times as long, with a proper regulator. There are various deals available depending on how much you'll use (you can pay a deposit on a cylinder, or rent one). For thin metal aim for a lower amount of CO2 in the gas, ideally 5%.

 

[Robotstar5]

OK, so had a quick play with the flow meter. Most I can get is 4-5 lpm. I have a disposable gas cylinder. Will that be enough or do I need to increase flow? If I need extra flow, how do I go about it?

Didn't realise you were using disposable bottles, just use max setting on reg, disposables will only last about 10 mins arc on time so if you plan a lot of welding look for a refillable bottle, e.g. Volkzone deal.

 

[brokenbiker]

disposable bottles aren't adjustable for gas flow rate. they are either on or off, and they don't stay on for a long time either. you will get very frustrated when you get set up and realise you have no gas left. no problem, just change the bottle, then you run a crap bead, adjust the settings, run a bit better bead, adjust again, run a good bead...out of gas, change bottle again, run a few beads, change bottle, alter settings for thicker or thinner metal, get to grips with that, out of gas...

you get the idea. they are ok for testing a welder will actually weld but that is about it imo, unless the welder is only being used for emergency repairs where you already know what settings you can bodge along with and only need a few seconds of welding time until it can be done properly on a bench

 

[Fuchs915]

Thanks guys. I am just getting started, so will persevere with the disposables for now, but suspect I made need to invest in something bigger/better at some stage. I will be playing/learning for a while, but the plan is to do some welding on the car eventually, so I'll need to have upgraded before then.

Cheers

Kevin

 

[brokenbiker]

not much beats the volkzone deal at the moment if you plan on doing a bit of welding and can see yourself needing more than 1 bottle

 

[sharpboy]

i have a question if anyone can help i want to change the mains lead on my cebora /snapon 130 mig can i change it to 3m lenght if so what size wire should i use and how long can i make i make it ////////what size fuse ehould i have in my garage fuse box is it ok to use it on 16amp fuse or should i rewire in 4mill wire with bigger fuse

 

[elltee]

i have a question if anyone can help i want to change the mains lead on my cebora /snapon 130 mig can i change it to 3m lenght if so what size wire should i use and how long can i make i make it ////////what size fuse ehould i have in my garage fuse box is it ok to use it on 16amp fuse or should i rewire in 4mill wire with bigger fuse

If i remember 1.5mm cable can take upto 16A @240V, which is fine assuming your using a 3 pin plug any way where the max fuse rating is 13a.

3m length will have a minimal effect on vault drop or increase in resistance (which would cause additional current draw) so theres no need to worry about that.
Using an only calculator i worked out that you can have a 30 meter 1.5mm cable pulling 13a if your really wanted

Id imagine most socket circuits are already running on 16a or 32a MCBs depending on how many circuits you have in the house

 

[elltee]

If i remember 1.5mm cable can take upto 16A @240V, which is fine assuming your using a 3 pin plug any way where the max fuse rating is 13a.

3m length will have a minimal effect on vault drop or increase in resistance (which would cause additional current draw) so theres no need to worry about that.
Using an only calculator i worked out that you can have a 30 meter 1.5mm cable pulling 13a if your really wanted

Id imagine most socket circuits are already running on 16a or 32a MCBs depending on how many circuits you have in the house

Rereading your post- coming straight from your 16a MCB shouldnt be a problem