Measuring voltage

[Joe_echo]

I recently bought a R-tech 180, being new to this welding lark I have no idea what settings to use.

I've got the Miller calculator but I need to find out the voltage of each setting to use it.

What is the best way to find out the voltages at each setting?

Thanks in advance
Joe

 

[Omniata]

Let off the wire tensioner and measure between the contact tip and earth clamp with the trigger pressed I think?

Edit: That will only tell you the OCV, or open circuit voltage, not the voltage provided during welding...
Need to go off "sound and light", if it sounds like bacon sizzling your pretty much spot on for a given setting...

Have a look here: http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/wire-speed.htm
Set the voltage for the material thickness and adjust the wirespeed to suit...

 

[Joe_echo]

Thanks

I did wonder if it was possible to connect the meter to the earth clamp and to the polarity wire inside the machine to get a reading while welding.

 

[AdrianH]

They can all be slightly out/different to each other so the following is only a guide, but from some tests I did after I got my 180 I did some load tests on MIG at various voltage settings here we go:



It did help give starting points and that is all it will do until you get used to the welder and the results it can give.

Adrian

 

[voipio]

It should be OK to connect a meter between earth and the output lead inside the machine, although a more accurate measure would be to take the voltage at the shroud.

 

[Joe_echo]

They can all be slightly out/different to each other so the following is only a guide, but from some tests I did after I got my 180 I did some load tests on MIG at various voltage settings here we go:

View attachment 96217

It did help give starting points and that is all it will do until you get used to the welder and the results it can give.

Adrian

Thanks Adrian

That chart will be a big help.

Out of curiosity how did you do the test?

Thanks

 

[AdrianH]

I had a long piece if 5mm steel cable, and it went between the terminal and clamp.

I measured that the Mig output and the arc output points are the same connection, so set into Mig with the MMA holder in place, slackened off the wire feed. Long steel wire in the MMA holder to earth clamp and varied the and vary the pot and measured it.

The steel wire was an Ohm or two resistance so it gave the set a load to work against.

Adrian

 

[gt6s]

What do people do without having to know the required voltage ?
Guess the power setting, guess the wire speed and test, welding wire burns back = less power / more wire. Wire causes torch to jump away from weld = more power / less wire. No penetration = more power and wire. Burning holes = less power, less wire.
Even knowing the voltages which there is absolutely no need too. You will still need to know the above.
That is the way the rest of us have to do it !

 

[Shedendman]

What do people do without having to know the required voltage ?
Guess the power setting, guess the wire speed and test, welding wire burns back = less power / more wire. Wire causes torch to jump away from weld = more power / less wire. No penetration = more power and wire. Burning holes = less power, less wire.
Even knowing the voltages which there is absolutely no need too. You will still need to know the above.
That is the way the rest of us have to do it !

Yep thats how i learnt,no fancy LED dials or charts

 

[gt6s]

You can sometimes stop burning holes by turning the voltage up and getting a move on...

You are right I should have included that.

 

[AdrianH]

My god this forum is getting full of sarcasm.

Even if you by a Clarke or SIP machine it gives basic settings to start off with when welding various thickness’s. So what is wrong with getting an idea of how set-up of the welder for different tasks, rather than guess and start from trial and error.

Yes you can when you know what you are doing figure it out, but how many posts do you see from new starters, where they ask what they are doing wrong and how to improve.

The Op is new to welding, he says so in the first post. Has a chart so wanted to know how to set up his RTech.


Adrian

 

[gt6s]

It is not intended to be sarcastic. The vast majority of us had to learn on machines with no clear voltage or MIG's with no clear power settings apart from 1 to 6 or even 1, 1 max, 2, 2 max. What makes some people think they can automatically learn to weld from a chart ? You can't. The information I gave is far more relevant than a chart

 

[Shedendman]

Nothing about being sarcastic at all @gt6s just basically summed it up, it is all about tuning the welder for what job is right.
When i started out i to wanted to know amps and voltages etc,but then i read a few bits here and there,then was shown by someone,it all boiled down to looking,listening and remembering,yer its not easy but its a lot less headache looking at charts for figures etc
I bet you two brand new r-techs standing side by side wont really act spot on the same
Not knocking the idea of noting all the figures its good for fault finding if needed
Op has also got to take into account what position they're welding in, yer welding flat is fine but are you going to use the same settings welding overhead say?
@Joe_echo keep practising its a big hill to climb but once at the top you'll look back and think wtf was i worried about

 

[gt6s]

Even these days when I can set the MIG by ear. If a job has to has to be 100% correct I lift a piece of scrap metal the same weight and set up the machine to that first.

 

[daleyd]

Having a chart to work off is going to get you in the right area quicker, especially if you have never welded before or its a new machine to you.

I don't think anyone is saying the figures are the be all and end all, once you at somewhere near and with a bit of experience you can then tweak to suit.

 

[Joe_echo]

I'm happy to attempt to set the machine by ear and eye, but as I have no one to show me what I'm looking for the chart gives me a idea. Once in the ball park I can fine tune it.

I understand its a steep learning curve, as I say I have no one to teach me.

Thanks for all the replies

 

[Shedendman]

I'm happy to attempt to set the machine by ear and eye, but as I have no one to show me what I'm looking for the chart gives me a idea. Once in the ball park I can fine tune it.

I understand its a steep learning curve, as I say I have no one to teach me.

Thanks for all the replies

Check out weldingtipsandtricks on youtube he does a sort of starting out tutorial along with loads of other pointers

 

[Joe_echo]

Check out weldingtipsandtricks on youtube he does a sort of starting out tutorial along with loads of other pointers

I've watched a few of his mig videos and they have helped massively. I will just get out in the garage and get playing about.

 

[gt6s]

I'm happy to attempt to set the machine by ear and eye, but as I have no one to show me what I'm looking for the chart gives me a idea. Once in the ball park I can fine tune it.

I understand its a steep learning curve, as I say I have no one to teach me.

Thanks for all the replies

Get out and play with the machine and have fun learning a new skill. Good luck.

 

[Joe_echo]

As above, youtube can be a good resource.

I suppose I'm being a bit harsh, given that I 'taught' myself how to weld with a combination of a rusty SIP 90 mig and a Clarke buzzbox, in the garden, using a handheld mask, before youtube (or even the internet as we know it) was invented - and I had nobody to show me much either.

I'll go back to my Werther's now

I'm just impatient and want to learn quickly. A problem with my generation, I'll make sure I just have a play with some scrap.