I just purchased a gas conversion kit for my Lincoln weld-pac 100. I followed the very good directions and it went together like I actually knew what I was doing. My question is how much gas flow do I need to set the regulator for? The regulator that came in the kit is marked in litres per minute, I tried it out last night at between 5 and 10 and it SEEMED to work okay. But it did nothing to improve my welding skills.{ yet!} LOL. Any advice is welcomed.
You don't need a ton of flow, all you need is a gas 'envelope' directly over the weld area. How much air circulation you have in the area (i.e. wind) will effect this but if it's too windy it won't matter how much gas you put down, it'll just blow away. I run mine at about 4 psi.
You need to figure out if you have a regulator only, or a regulator with a flow gauge. Regulator (drops pressure, technically controls flow, but does not spell out the rate, you'd have to do the math.): See that the output side is rated in PSI. Regulator with flow gauge: Or: See that the output side is rated in CFH ot LPM (cubic feet per hour/liters per minute). Either one works, but you need to make sure that everyone is talking about the same scale. Also, nozzle diameter makes a difference in how much gas you will need. For my big Miller, with the large Tweco gun, I use 20 CFH. You might be more near 15, if you have a flow gauge. I don't use straight regulators, because 20CFH @ 5psi and 5CFH @ 5psi both show at 5psi, but are decidedly not the same thing.
Maybe this will help clear up the confusion. This is a Smith flowgauge, with a CGA 320 fitting: Note that it is rated in CFH/LPM on the output side. This is a Smith regulator, also with a CGA 320 fitting: Note that it is rated in PSI/BAR on the output side. Both fit the same bottle. Both work just fine for MIG welding. Both are widely sold across the North American continent for MIG welding. My welding supplier stocks both of them. They each come in a box marked CO2, CGA 320. One says flowgauge, one says regulator. Neither fits an Oxygen bottle, which has a CGA 540 fitting. Sure a CGA 320 looks similar to a CGA 540, but they are most decidedly not interchangeable. Just for reference, here is a Smith Oxygen regulator: You will note that it looks similar, but the fittings on both sides are different, and don't interchange. If you have sharp eyes, you will note that the brass fittings at the bottom of each gauge on the Oxygen regulator are marked LH and RH, as they have left-hand and right-hand threads, respectively. This is a practice common only on flammable gasses, and accelerants, so you don't blow yourself up.
Of MIG regulators, there are two common bottle connections: CGA 320, which has male threads on the bottle, and has a regulator/flowgauge (not shown) fitting that looks like this: These are most commonly found on straight CO2 bottles. And CGA 580, which has female threads on the bottle, and has a regulator/flowgauge (not shown) fitting that looks like this: These are most commonly found on mixed gas bottles, or straight Argon. I say most commonly, because I have seen variants with my own eyes, and never would claim to know everything. Use your vision, and common sense. Each of those two above assemblies is sold so that you can convert one regulator or flowgauge into the other style (or just fix a messed-up one). If you don'r need to or want to convert permanently from one to the other, there are simple adapters, from one way: Or the other: Pretty basic stuff. You just need to know what you have, so the received advice makes sense in context.
I got my mig mid/late 80's, I told the guy at the counter "I don't know shit, fix me up". I still don't know shit but I never looked back.
Gas flow will vary with type of metal being welded, type of gas used, short arc or spray, air movement around the weld pocket and a lot of other variables. Google mig weld gas setup or something similar to get information for your specific application. One setting doesn't fit all.
Okay I’m out. I don’t know why you feel that you need to try to teach the teacher. As is far too common in these threads the information presented is partly right and more often partly wrong. And many times it’s confusing as is some of what you posted especially in your description of the left and right hand thread markings. Also you’re off the mark in your description of the regulator purposes and uses. In any event it just isn’t worth the effort to carry on the discussion. That will just keep the misinformation coming. I posted the info the op asked for, the rest has been a waste of time.[/QUOTE]You don't sound out. You show up here, call me wrong, after I prove I am not, and then don't bother to prove yourself right. Is that because you can't? Some teacher. Sounds like you still have a long way to go on your journey. Take care, as hubris leads to nemesis. Good luck. You'll need it.
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