10 replies to this topic

[Kevinmini]

I have a sip mig mate 130 and I gave it a test run tonight on some test mild steel. I had some really good welds to start and it proved me wrong as I was uncertain if this welder would be up to the job of a shell repair - then pigeon looking welds appeared and I wondered if it was the gas flow...


1- how do I know if the gas is full / low / do I need a pressure gauge?
2 - what is the best gas to use I have the small white bottle, is c02 / argon mix better than just c02

Any other tips would be really helpful! im almost certain I will be buying a rusty mini to tackle and repair myself

Thanks mini fans

[Daz1968]

If you join mig welding forum loads of advice on there,

As for gas an argon mix is best in a larger bottle with regulator, you can either go rent free or rent one from boc,
I chose to rent one as for how much I currently use it's much cheaper.
Weld quality is a combination of voltage setting, wire speed and gas.
If you have problems then could be problems with wire feed which could be feed roller or torch liner related.
I would get some scrap material and practice with different settings and see how you get on with it.
Once you get into it it's not too difficult.

[pete l]

Practice practice practice practice practice practice practice

[sonikk4]

Gas or lack of gas will give a porous looking weld, pigeon poo welds can be a lack of wire speed and power. Also if the earth is poor this will cause issues as well.

[BusheyTrader]

Hi,

I have a Sip Migmate 130T. It had sat in the corner of a dry garage unused for years after some light use until I bought my rust riddled Spi. I practised my welding on spare sheet metal before I started seriously but it was all pants....... It was too erratic.

I finally got it working consistently by

Fitting a larger stronger earth clamp as the standard one was too weak for reliable contact,

a steel liner as the wire was binding in the std plastic one,

a wire feed alignment strap similar to this http://www.ebay.co.u...z8AAMXQWzNShj9m to enable a consistent action on the wire

and a proper gas bottle and regulator to replace the small disposable ones, again providing a consistent gas flow.

Once I'd done all this the mig became predictable and consistent to use. I'd originally bought the machine years ago as it was rated a Best Buy in one of the classic car magazines, but I had to make all these mods for it to work predictably years later.

[Kevinmini]

Hi,
I have a Sip Migmate 130T. It had sat in the corner of a dry garage unused for years after some light use until I bought my rust riddled Spi. I practised my welding on spare sheet metal before I started seriously but it was all pants....... It was too erratic.
I finally got it working consistently by
Fitting a larger stronger earth clamp as the standard one was too weak for reliable contact,
a steel liner as the wire was binding in the std plastic one,
a wire feed alignment strap similar to this http://www.ebay.co.u...z8AAMXQWzNShj9m to enable a consistent action on the wire
and a proper gas bottle and regulator to replace the small disposable ones, again providing a consistent gas flow.
Once I'd done all this the mig became predictable and consistent to use. I'd originally bought the machine years ago as it was rated a Best Buy in one of the classic car magazines, but I had to make all these mods for it to work predictably years later.

If you have any pics? Especially of the internal wire feed set up? I don't know what bottle to get argon / c02 mix and where to find them - I assume a Clarke 0.6 wire would be okay

Thanks for your help

[Daz1968]

If you want a rent free bottle go on the hobbyweld site and look for nearest dealer, think it's £60 deposit and between £30 and £40 for gas dependant upon what the dealer charges. You want the 5% argon mix gas. I use 0.6mm wire but have also used 0.8mm before, both can be used on car bodywork but 0.6mm is easier. If you have any feed problems then fit a new liner first as they are inexpensive just ensure you get correct one for wire size, think red is for 0.6-0.8 wire and blue for 1.0-1.2 wire.
I would also recommend a euro connector upgrade if it isn't already equipped especially if you are planning a lot of welding as the torches and parts are readily available and cheap, think I just paid £20 for a new mb15 torch complete.

[BusheyTrader]

Agree with Daz. I buy my gas from Barnet Welding supplies near St Albans. I paid a one off fee for the bottle and then for each refill of gas. You'll need the valve and gauges to go on the top of the gas bottle and an adaptor kit to run from this to the back of the Sip mig.

http://www.barnet-welding.co.uk/#

I've only used 0.6mm wire for welding.

I don't have access to mine to photo it but the picture on this link is the same as mine. http://www.ebay.co.u...3-/291357432709

[GT Jimmy]

If you want a rent free bottle go on the hobbyweld site and look for nearest dealer, think it's £60 deposit and between £30 and £40 for gas dependant upon what the dealer charges. You want the 5% argon mix gas. I use 0.6mm wire but have also used 0.8mm before, both can be used on car bodywork but 0.6mm is easier. If you have any feed problems then fit a new liner first as they are inexpensive just ensure you get correct one for wire size, think red is for 0.6-0.8 wire and blue for 1.0-1.2 wire.
I would also recommend a euro connector upgrade if it isn't already equipped especially if you are planning a lot of welding as the torches and parts are readily available and cheap, think I just paid £20 for a new mb15 torch complete.

Hiya Daz, was thinking of getting hobbyweld gas. on average how long do their cylinders last? I have an Air Liquide depot about a mile from our house so not sure if I should try them first, thanks, Jim

[Daz1968]

As a rough guide a hobby weld cylinder is 9 litres at what should be 137 bar but in reality I haven't had one more than 110bar. This means it has 9x110= 990 litres of gas and you generally use 10litres per minute when welding so you have theoretically 99 minutes of welding. When I started my project I used a bottle in a weekend. You will need to ask air liquide and see if they have any hobby deals going. I use boc and I get approx 4x gas of hobby weld cylinder for same refill cost but it does incur an annual rental of about £48 but no deposit. So by my calculations if I use more than 1 bottle of hobby weld in a year it's cheaper for me to rent. I also had issues with my local stockist not having any hobbyweld in stock, boc seem to always have stock.
You need to find a deal that suits you.

[GT Jimmy]

Thanks for the reply. Got a day off tomorrow so will call in to air liquid. I'll let you know how I get on