Help, I need some advice! Jasic MMA worry.

[TurtleDude]

Infant mortality is a recurring problem with all electronics.

It could be something like a connection which has worked loose in transit, and you could take the covers off (the instruction book probably tells you to do that and clear out dust every few months) and check for anything loose.

However, since it's brand new, I'd be inclined to do nothing apart from take it back.

Precisely what I intend to do. I don't want to invalidate my warranty by messing about inside, and shouldn't have to on a new machine.

Graham's been spot on throughout the whole buying process, and given me great advice and keen prices, after a mishap with a clearance welder I tried to buy online that was already sold. I'm sure if he can't get it working when I take it in he'll offer to exchange it.

It's more the comedown and disappointment after several weekends where I've been too busy to try it, then the big build up today. Finally I'm there, all set up, sweating my cods off in a cotton overall, esab gloves, helmet and boots, all for a wet fart ending

I sulked off to the shower where I dropped the blinking soap several times the only thing that could have made this afternoon worse would have been if any of this happened in prison (especially the soap dropping! ).

I'm all packed away now, and drinking a cold beer. The silver lining is, seeing my grumpy mood the girlfriend has decided to make home made gravy to go with our roast chicken as a treat. Hope it's not lumpy lol.

 

[TurtleDude]

Which way round did you put the wires in the plug?

The correct way round. Like a I said the fan came on, just no lights or action from the control panel.

If I'd wired the plug incorrectly, there would be nothing, surely.

 

[PTvor]

Unless you mixed up the earth and live, in which case you could have had a belt of the case but the fan probably wouldn't have worked.

Swapping line and neutral shouldn't make a difference (although they ought to be wired correctly) because the electronics is powered via a rectifier.

Anyway, I assume you know how to wire a 13A plug.

 

[TurtleDude]

Does this pass muster?

 

[Spark plug]

View attachment 68134

Does this pass muster?

It's wired correctly, if I where to be pedantic I would say the neutral is too long and the earth is too short, but won't stop the welder from working.

 

[PTvor]

Yes. Stop worrying about it. There isn't realistically anything more you can do apart from return the welder.

Time to sit back and enjoy your beer and roast chicken with home made gravy.

 

[TurtleDude]

It's wired correctly, if I where to be pedantic I would say the neutral is too long and the earth is too short, but won't stop the welder from working.

Thanks, I was going for speed rather than flair on this occasion, sweating my boo lacks off in overalls, all eager to get crackin.

I agree, a better length could have been achieved for top marks.

Doesn't really matter now though lol

 

[TurtleDude]

Yes. Stop worrying about it. There isn't realistically anything more you can do apart from return the welder.

Time to sit back and enjoy your beer and roast chicken with home made gravy.

Best post ever.

 

[Spark plug]

Thanks, I was going for speed rather than flair on this occasion, sweating my boo lacks off in overalls, all eager to get crackin.

I agree, a better length could have been achieved for top marks.

Doesn't really matter now though lol

Don't forget to keep us in the loop when you take it back.

 

[TurtleDude]

Also, the grip isn't gripping the outer insulation like it should.

Functional, but 3/10 for presentation

Neither would it fit in the aperture, being supersize wire and insulation.

Thanks for the feedback though.

 

[TurtleDude]

Don't forget to keep us in the loop when you take it back.

Will do, have already had a text back from Graham at CWS, I'm gonna call him in the morning to talk it through. I'll let you know the outcome, unless I've made an embarrassing mistake of course, in which case I'll disappear forever and return under a new user name. Like you'd all do

 

[Kent]

Quite seriously as regards shock, don't fret mostly you only get them when you are wet. Proper PPE like welding gloves and the correct overalls are good insulators for purpose. Boots? well the soles are very important don't let them get thin as hot stuff like electrode stubs can burn through.

Likely you will pop quite a few 13amp fuses till you get the right supply sorted

 

[TurtleDude]

Thankfully, the only shock I got was that the welder was FUBAR out of the box lol.

I've got many pairs of safety boots, 100% cotton overalls, esab gauntlets, an auto darkening helmet, and some old leather jackets for when it gets cooler.

I didn't realise welding was so dangerous.

 

[TurtleDude]

Quite seriously as regards shock, don't fret mostly you only get them when you are wet. Proper PPE like welding gloves and the correct overalls are good insulators for purpose. Boots? well the soles are very important don't let them get thin as hot stuff like electrode stubs can burn through.

Likely you will pop quite a few 13amp fuses till you get the right supply sorted

Just out of interest, can I just connect up a 16a socket to an existing part of my ring main, or do I need a dedicated supply from a free fuse on the consumer unit?

I wanted ideally to stay in the 13a hobby club.

 

[PTvor]

You can just connect up a 240V 63A industrial socket to an existing ring main, but apart from being totally contrary to the wiring regulations, which are there for good reasons, it's a silly thing to do. For a start, industrial plugs are not fused.

You need a dedicated garage type connection with appropriate cables and MCBs to feed a 16 A industrial plug and socket, unless you are going to go for a Commando to a standard 13A plug adapter, in which case the wiring is protected by a 13A cartridge fuse in the 13A plug.

However, most of us get by with 13A plugs and sockets and provided the wiring of the place is in good condition, that's enough. Experience suggests that's about 130A with an MMA inverter of about 85% efficiency, if not a bit more. Fuses will get tired and blow. If you want to go beyond that you are not in the 13A hobby club.

 

[PTvor]

I didn't realise welding was so dangerous.

All sorts of things are dangerous; driving cars, working on cars, mountaineering, crossing the street. It's a question of knowing what the dangers are and taking appropriate precautions.

 

[Kent]

Just out of interest, can I just connect up a 16a socket to an existing part of my ring main, or do I need a dedicated supply from a free fuse on the consumer unit?

I wanted ideally to stay in the 13a hobby club.

Its not to difficult, the fuse goes in at the box so there is no plug fuse (like an old cooker circuit). I work of a domestic supply which I split off a heavy duty in line fused tail after the house meter but before the house fuse box. This goes to the workshop were I have another meter to monitor my Commercial use but obviously its one bill and one payment for house and workshop (I just take the correct amount for my accounts) . Ok so for 13 amp hobby club, is there an advantage? Yes most certainly there are all sorts of you should get this , that and t'other statements are made but in reality it varies depending what your doing and perhaps fluctuations in the incoming supply also bother it? Don't know for sure but what I can say traveling around to spots were I only have 13 amp plug in is 90-100 amps running a 2.5m hot is the best I can re-plan plan on having. Fuses pop at times when you arc up, make a bad start, stick in and sometimes when you have run heavy amps for a period, at others you can get fade through the wiring (so you dialing 160 say and its not popping but aint actually running no better than 110-130 at the hot end) . I keep a fair old stock of 13 amp fuses in the truck though they are as important as electrodes when you are without
It need not be as expensive as you think to do from 1/2 day and minimum stuff but it depends on what you have to deal with, would you pay £100 say for a way better welder? most would, this is what a correctly fused supply gives you "a BETTER WELDER by far".
Just done / doing a re-build on my place new roof etc. Also re-working a load of electrics in the shop over this week. 3x32 amp, 3x16 amp, 8x LED lighting, 2x non corrosive 6 ft fluorescents and 5x 13 amp double sockets to the roof instead of the walls to prevent accidental impacts. Also all the cabling and I recon I will beat £500 getting the spark in only for the harder / better qualified stuff. Ok that's not worthwhile for many but a proper fused supply most certainly is .

 

[TurtleDude]

Its not to difficult, the fuse goes in at the box so there is no plug fuse (like an old cooker circuit). I work of a domestic supply which I split off a heavy duty in line fused tail after the house meter but before the house fuse box. This goes to the workshop were I have another meter to monitor my Commercial use but obviously its one bill and one payment for house and workshop (I just take the correct amount for my accounts) . Ok so for 13 amp hobby club, is there an advantage? Yes most certainly there are all sorts of you should get this , that and t'other statements are made but in reality it varies depending what your doing and perhaps fluctuations in the incoming supply also bother it? Don't know for sure but what I can say traveling around to spots were I only have 13 amp plug in is 90-100 amps running a 2.5m hot is the best I can re-plan plan on having. Fuses pop at times when you arc up, make a bad start, stick in and sometimes when you have run heavy amps for a period, at others you can get fade through the wiring (so you dialing 160 say and its not popping but aint actually running no better than 110-130 at the hot end) . I keep a fair old stock of 13 amp fuses in the truck though they are as important as electrodes when you are without
It need not be as expensive as you think to do from 1/2 day and minimum stuff but it depends on what you have to deal with, would you pay £100 say for a way better welder? most would, this is what a correctly fused supply gives you "a BETTER WELDER by far".
Just done / doing a re-build on my place new roof etc. Also re-working a load of electrics in the shop over this week. 3x32 amp, 3x16 amp, 8x LED lighting, 2x non corrosive 6 ft fluorescents and 5x 13 amp double sockets to the roof instead of the walls to prevent accidental impacts. Also all the cabling and I recon I will beat £500 getting the spark in only for the harder / better qualified stuff. Ok that's not worthwhile for many but a proper fused supply most certainly is .

I think you're right, and the fact I opted for a 200 amp Pulse TIG/MMA Jasic in the first place was to add some 'future proofing' to my welding antics, albeit still a firm member of 'hobby club' be it 13a or 16a.

For now I'll muddle on blowing fuses and swearing at the sky a lot, but longer term I'm gonna do it all properly.

My teas ready now so I'll give my promised update in the broken welder in a while...standby all!

 

[Richard.]

Tig side of things there should be no issue using the full scope from a 3 pin 13amp. Mine dose and it's far from modern. Mma I can get safely to 130amps and all goes well. At 140 I'm pushing things too far and fuses/trips etc won't take the strain. This is more than ideal as I don't burn bigger than a 3.2 at home and more often it's 2.5's. The way I see it I don't think you'll have much restriction using that off a 3 pin unless you intend to burn 4 Millie's. If my old tig will do it I'm sure a new shiny inverter out the box will too.

 

[TurtleDude]

Ok, update for those that care.

I went to see my man Graham at the ever helpful Cheltenham Welding Supplies (Noz Alls). The Jasic will be sent back under warranty for repair/whatever.

In the meantime he lent me a similar machine so that I could get cracking.

I eventually have done my first weld!

Nothing pretty, struck an arc quite easily, experimented with different ampages, and managed to join steel to steel.

In fact I found the joining bit easier than the 'laying strips' thing. Was only using 3mm box so blew a hole on my first enthusiastic effort. Was well impressed with the GR8+ helmet, which allayed my fears of getting arc eye.

Found it easy to strike an arc, less easy to gauge the distance needed between the electrode and the steel, which is ever decreasing.

I think with practice, speed distance and amps will sort themselves out. I joined some steel to some other steel, which to me is what welding is for, therefore I was quite pleased with my first efforts. Now the refinement starts.

Then I'll get my own machine back and start all over again lol.

I like welding. Glad I decided to try it.