British-Cars.org

Welcome to the DMR Site for British Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - MIG wire thickness

A little while ago there was mention by someone here of some advantage in going for a lighter gauge of MIG welding wire. But I cannot remember who it was or what the particular advantage was.

I have always used 8mm wire but am nearing the end of a reel and wondered if I should try a 6mm wire next time. Will a thinner wire give a hotter "burn" at any equivalent setting?

Guy
Guy

I used to use 0.6mm, and found it to often be a PITA to use. I could never get my welder set quite right, although that may have more to do with my welder being poor quality. I brought a 5kg 0.8mm reel about 4 years ago and I'm still only maybe half way through it. Welding is easier, cleaner and quicker now. But I have also had a lot more recent practice, so that account for some of the change.
Either way, I'd not go back t 0.6mm wire unless I had to for some reason.
S Overy

Guy. I've used both and I prefer 0.8. Having said that, if you get your mig set up right you will get a neater weld with less to grind off where it needs to be ground off ie on outer panels. Also, try to use Argon/CO2 mix for a better weld, but if I remember correctly, you were already trying to source the gas a couple of months ago so you will already aware of that.

bernie
b higginson

Yes Bernie, I am using arogoshield. The only difficulty I really have is that the settings keep changing after a few minutes of welding as the transformer heats up. I have taken to using a fan heater (on cold air only setting !!) to help cool the windings. I was wondering if a thinner wire would need less current and therefore the transformer would be less inclined to overheat.

Someone definitely recommended trying a thinner wire. Perhaps it was Pete from over in Ireland ?
Guy

Yup, was me.

I like it due to the lack of work you have to do after. I also find once set up nicely you have less chance of distortion.

Ill try and dig up my post
PeterJMoore

if your using an extension lead always have it fully extended and the biggest cable size you can buy, 2.5mm cable is idea, some cheap welders run better on 0.6 and some on 0.8, buy nylon coated liners and clean it out if welder has not been used for some time, use the next size tip (0.8 for 0.6, and 1.0 for 0.8) warm the welder up before you start welding by laying down some weld on a heavy bit of spare steel and use the positive terminal as the earth if the welder lets you, dont weld outside on a windy day as it blows the gas away from the weld, use the shortest distance from tip to earth, ensure the wire feed rollers are clean and correctly feeding, position the welder so the torch lead is as straight as possible and you can weld rust!!!!!
Alex Sturgeon

As a rank amatuer I find 0.6mm is much easier than 0.8mm - I made swiss cheese of lots of steel sheet with the fatter wire before I changed. I've tried pub gas and even flux cored but argon/CO2 is the only one that I've found to work.
Andrew Dunn

I have been MIG welding for the last 20 years -not continuously,or the welder would have overheated. But have always used the same 0.8mm wire.

Sound advice there, but no one has actually answered the question :
<<Will a thinner wire give a hotter "burn" at any equivalent setting?>>
Guy

This thread was discussed between 17/04/2011 and 25/04/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join this live forum now