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HughF
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I'd be converting the push-pull to a stepper/servo motor (that motor looks like it has an encoder on the back anyway) and building an interface card to convert the phoenix to drive the new motor...
Hood
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No encoder Hugh, just a bog standard DC brushed motor.
I think my problem would be integrating with the EWM as it takes control of both the standard wire feed in the welder and also the motor in the gun to regulate the speed.
Hood
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The copper bit on the back is where the power cable enters, it is a weird setup as the power cable also carries the gas and the copper section splits the gas off and puts it through the copper tubes at the bottom of the gun and then out of the nozzle.
Hood
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Ok kind of going back a bit. As mentioned earlier I got a Binzel PP36D (I think ) in with the deal I got on the EWM Phoenix when I bought it from @Jim Davey .
It is for the most part fine for what I do although the two shortcomings of it are the pistol grip style can, on rare occasions, be problematic reaching in to bits I am welding and the other is it is only 6m. The former I can live with but the latter can be a real pain at times. As an example I was welding the boat, in the pic below, the last day and because it was in the hoist I had to shift the car twice as I just couldn't reach the bits I was welding from one location.
So today I got a Euro connector socket and I think it should be relatively easy to adapt it to suit the cable from the Fronius torch I have and thus allow me to join the Binzel and the made up extension together.
Two things however I am wondering about.
1. Will 15m of torch lead length cause a problem for the wire being pulled through with the Binzel torch? It seems that 8m is the normal length.
2. The gas hose in the Binzel is, according to the manual, 4.9mm ID with a 1.5mm wall thickness. I have two different sizes of hose that I could use, one is 4mm ID 6mm OD and the other is 5.5mm ID with 8mm OD. I would prefer to use the 6mm OD hose as it would be easier to get fed through the outer sleeve but would it cause too much of a restriction over the length or would it simply mean I have to increase the regulator pressure a bit to get the 15LPM flow rate I require out of the torch?
It is for the most part fine for what I do although the two shortcomings of it are the pistol grip style can, on rare occasions, be problematic reaching in to bits I am welding and the other is it is only 6m. The former I can live with but the latter can be a real pain at times. As an example I was welding the boat, in the pic below, the last day and because it was in the hoist I had to shift the car twice as I just couldn't reach the bits I was welding from one location.
So today I got a Euro connector socket and I think it should be relatively easy to adapt it to suit the cable from the Fronius torch I have and thus allow me to join the Binzel and the made up extension together.
Two things however I am wondering about.
1. Will 15m of torch lead length cause a problem for the wire being pulled through with the Binzel torch? It seems that 8m is the normal length.
2. The gas hose in the Binzel is, according to the manual, 4.9mm ID with a 1.5mm wall thickness. I have two different sizes of hose that I could use, one is 4mm ID 6mm OD and the other is 5.5mm ID with 8mm OD. I would prefer to use the 6mm OD hose as it would be easier to get fed through the outer sleeve but would it cause too much of a restriction over the length or would it simply mean I have to increase the regulator pressure a bit to get the 15LPM flow rate I require out of the torch?
Jim Davey
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I think you are going to have problems over that length Robin.
The motor in the gun is going to have to work very hard to pull that extra length as soon as there is a bend and also the simple act of first feeding up of new wire will be a real challenge unless you have the space to get the torch laid out completely straight.
Personally I’d shoot for 8-10 meters max or look at trying to adapt a Lorch nanofeed or GYS push-pull system.
The motor in the gun is going to have to work very hard to pull that extra length as soon as there is a bend and also the simple act of first feeding up of new wire will be a real challenge unless you have the space to get the torch laid out completely straight.
Personally I’d shoot for 8-10 meters max or look at trying to adapt a Lorch nanofeed or GYS push-pull system.
HughF
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Spoolgun has got to be the solution to that kind of problem? Will the ewm work with a seperate feeder? In otherwords can you pull the cv welding output from the + and - dinse connectors reserved for mma/lift tig?
A PD sized bottle of Ar and a pair of 15m 25mm2 leads
A PD sized bottle of Ar and a pair of 15m 25mm2 leads
Hood
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Will have to do a search but the Lorch nanofeed sounds like it may similar to the Kemppi Super Snake.
Will see what the GYS one is as well but I think all I saw from them was a standard type push/pull gun.
It is a shame I can't use a spool gun with the EWM in pulse mode, it would still have the limitations of access and also has the disadvantage of small rolls but length of lead wouldn't be an issue.
Looks like I am going to have to just stick with what I have for now.
Will see what the GYS one is as well but I think all I saw from them was a standard type push/pull gun.
It is a shame I can't use a spool gun with the EWM in pulse mode, it would still have the limitations of access and also has the disadvantage of small rolls but length of lead wouldn't be an issue.
Looks like I am going to have to just stick with what I have for now.
Hood
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Think the problem with the spool gun is the EWM won't work in pulse mode with it.
HughF
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Sell it and buy a miller xmt350p and a cobramatic
best of both worlds, power source doesn't care what feeder it's driving...
Hood
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Aye probably the best option but not happening for me until I see how things pan out with both the direction the Industry takes in the next year or so and whether my health lasts
Reckon I would be cheaper just buying an EWM Push/PullSell it and buy a miller xmt350p and a cobramatic
HughF
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It seems totally mad that the phoenix won't run it's full pulse programs when it's driving a spoolgun, surely they can't have designed it like that? What about the applications where you're working down inside a crawl space that's 15m away from the power source? Remote pendant and a spool gun would solve that problem.
Hood
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I suppose the answer to that would have been to buy a Phoenix with a separate wire feed instead of the compact.
Jim Davey
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Why not trade in your Phoenix compact and buy a Phoenix with a separate feeder unit? I can supply one with an uprated pump that can cope with a 30 metre interconnection hose package that can be extended can be extended a further 15 metres with an EWM MiniDrive that you could then run your 6 metre or a conventional 3-4 metre gun.
HughF
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I was totally unaware they made it with a seperate feeder, that explains it all...
Hood
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Probably for the same reasons I don't want to splash out on an 8m Push Pull, ie I am skint and not sure how long my knees are going to last
Hood
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Not sure if it was an option on the Phoenix 330 but there were others in the Phoenix range that were separates.
Jim Davey
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The 330 is a compact but there was a 300,350,400,450 and 500 in the lineup. Now you know the Phoenix does the job I’d be looking to get a separate.
I’d suggest adding a minidrive but the auxiliary transformer in the early compacts like yours isn’t up to the strain of running a second big drive motor. In the later Phoenix 355 machines this issue is addressed and a minidrive would solve all your problems.
I’ve just bought a very clean used 355 with a cooler on a trolley. Could be up for a deal...
I’d suggest adding a minidrive but the auxiliary transformer in the early compacts like yours isn’t up to the strain of running a second big drive motor. In the later Phoenix 355 machines this issue is addressed and a minidrive would solve all your problems.
I’ve just bought a very clean used 355 with a cooler on a trolley. Could be up for a deal...
