Dan Crabtree Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 We had a millermatic 200 thats about 20 years old in our shop and over time it got weaker and weaker until one day it quit welding altogether. I noticed the handle heated up on the gun and when I took it apart I noticed that it had been repared with electrical tape before and now all the wires were fried and the whole gun was shot. So yesterday I ran out to the welding supply and bought a new gun for it. I hook the gun up and it runs fine for awhile and then I noticed the wirefeed was not quite right. The wire was binding up somewhere in the torch hose or head and causing a birds nest. I took it out and re ran the wire and re-adjusted the tension on the rollers. Then I had the same problem so I flipped the rollers over (im running .035 wire and the rollers are for just .035 I belive, couldnt find any other markings.) and changed the tip and I got it to weld for awhile with no issues but it seems like the rollers might still be slipping. Is there anything I forgot to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Check the wire and make sure it does not have any rust or dirt build up on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretch Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I don't know a lot about Migs, one thing I have heard about is the liner wears out. The hose up to the gun has a liner in it that has to be replaced. I know of two that have been replaced. I think that would make the rolls slip or ball up because of friction in the liner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Covington Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 If your lineris shot try to replace it with a vinyl lined one like you would use for aluminum or stainless. They don't kink like the all wire ones, and last alot longer. We learned the hard way. Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mills Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 First check for or confirm you have clean wire. Then make sure that it is clean. and then ... welp thats the idea. Also If you have a fresh roll you may want to try it as well. I watched one fellow fight with a MIG and when he changed to a new spool the trouble went away. next step, Dan I take it you have a new liner? Then if the rolls are slipping they may be dirty, run a tip of a pocket knife in the groove and see what happens. If they are slipping and more tension causes a bird nest then it is time to look at the system starting with where the wire exits the rolls and goes into the gun. Strt setting and tightening everything. there are other things but try all that then ask again if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 20yrs old, first gun replacement....replace the liner. Not real expensive and it most likely needs it. Most big shops that use MIG will need to replace a liner every 6 months or so. The service manager we use at the plant ( he is Miller trained) has several shops that they service that are replacing liners at this rate. Saves in the long run with down time. You may also think about wiping the wire prior to entering the drive rolls. I use a cigarette filter on mine, both at home and work. Cheap, and the fibers in the filter will clean the wire and leave no residue. Learned that little trick 30someoddyearsago If you need it you can purchase a small can of wire lubricant and place a couple of drops on the cleaner, this helps tremendously with the feeding of wire. Check you local welding supply for this, IIRC, it is about $3-5.00 a can. Will last a long time. Check your tip. A good cleaning with tip cleaners may be needed. If the tip cleaner doesn't do the trick then replace the tip. Often a small piece of splatter will 'weld' itself to the end and cause problems. I have (in extreme cases) filed the end of a tip and cleaned the orfice with a tip cleaner due to this. (best if you can replace the tip tho.) If the gun is still getting too hot you may need to replace the entire lead. It's kinda like if your stinger gets too hot in your hand you can check the ground and/or stinger lead for a bad connection repair/replace as needed and presto changeo the stinger no longer gets hot. The same with the gun. Sorry about the length but hopefully something here will help. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbillysmith Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Definatly the liner. If it's new, make sure it's in properly. It's a common mistake to put them in wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Czar Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Id agree with a best guess as the liner, especially since with the gun replacement it my have gotten a bit twisted, while Im very much a welding newbie one of the issues Ive had to deal with (Miller 210) has been a twisted liner, frayed liner, and given I may be welding in all sorts of odd positions (inside a spiral staircase) keeping track of the gun orientationtwist and radius of the feed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ten Hammers Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 For the sake of arguement I assume the new gun ( lead ) came with a new liner but don't know. As noted starting at the wire end, check the feed tubes and rollers for clean and alignment. If old liner you can remove it and clean it with brake parts cleaner or soak it in carb cleaner and replace it with new one. Then have a clean liner to exchange. Clean ( good quality ) wire is a must. Many folks here have years more experience than I. THese things I have listed may solve your problem. A Nice cheap little clip on felt wiper with some magic juice that they sell in a can may keep the nasties from entering the first tube and then on down the line. good luck. The liner may or may not have a booger on EITHER end as it enters the lead ( or gun end ). Think of this as a cable housing and you want free passage of the wire through the liner ( housing) with no bind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rescuediver Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 If you find that your wire had rust on it you probably need to replace the liner even if its fairly new.It only takes a few feet of dirty wire to ruin a liner. Inspect your wire before firing up your machine every time. Also, there is a difference in wire. Stick with a good brand such as Pro-star or Lincoln super glide. Hobart makes a good wire too. Wire lube pads are a good idea too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Ink Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 A good way to keep your liner clean is to poke the wire through an earplug so its between the roller and the opening for the gun feed this will keep grit out of your liner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Crabtree Posted February 24, 2008 Author Share Posted February 24, 2008 I think I figured out what the problem was. I noticed the liner (its one of the coil spring kind of liners) was longer than it should have been and I believe it may have been kinked a bit so I cut off about a 1/2 inch and welded all day long with no problems. The wire is in pretty good shape. Thanks for all your help. This might not be the end of my problems but it certainly is not as bad as it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mills Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Dan I was asking the same questions last year to get my Miller 35 up and going. Same thing we ran down all the likely trouble spots and then it was something that you just have to SEE. good going My Miller had several problems that I resolved over several troubleshooting sessions. BTW loved your interview. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Always try to buy wire on a plastic or wire spool. The pressed board type will collect moisture between the wire and spool causing rust to form on the wire. Ask me how I know.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longhunter Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Sounds like you fixed your problem keep a eye on the feed rollers @ 20yrs old you may need to replace them at some point depending how much use it has had . I had problems with a new lead at work one time and the liner was to long and trimmed it off and no problems after that . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racer3j Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I run teflon all of the time. Works fine for all wires, though marketed as for aluminum.mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGropp Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Too tight a tension on the rollers can cause the wire to deform and twist ,leading to feeding problems, back off the tension a bit. A piece of felt or flannel, held with a clothes pin at the point where the wire comes off the reel before it enters the rollers helps to wipe off any dirt before it enters the feeder. A new tip screwed in tight also works wonders. Also check that your electrical connections and ground are clean and tight, I was told by a welding shop service technician that a lot of welding problems are due to poor grounding of the work piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welder19 Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Even if you did fix your problem you should still have cleaner and lube pads they come in seperate packages with 6 in ea. pack and are $5 per pack and they last quite a while. They will extend the life of your liner, make for a smoother feed and can improve your weld if you have excessively dirty wire. Well worth the $10. They have them here 2nd from the last on the bottom of the page, not where I buy from but they are the same ones I buy, https://weldingsupply.securesites.com welder19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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