Mig Welder question

[leehljp]

I grew up with heavy duty welders, or stick welders as a kid and teenager. I never needed sheet metal welding back then, but I did buy a cheap mig welder about 13 years ago and had problems with it - because it was so cheap. I never even used a whole roll of wire on it because it was so cantankerous. I recently used a friend's and it was like a completely different machine. Suddenly I like MIG welding - for when I need it. (I have been using 1/16" sticks on my stick welder for thin stuff and even that doesn't work well on thin steel.)


I bought a mid level HF (Titanium 140) and trying to put the welding wire spool on it is a pain. One needs 3 hands: 1 hold the wire on the spool or it will unravel in an instant, 2. one to hold the wire under tension, and 3. one to feed the wire into the feed. I got it done but I had to cut about 10 feet that unraveled and kinked or bent before I could stop it.

My Question: is there a clip that goes around the spool to keep the wire from unraveling while trying to get into position to hold and feed the wire into the feeder?
OR, is there a secret to getting wire into the feed while keeping it from jumping off the spool?

[capncarl]

It may not be on your machine, but the ones I’ve used have some tension on the spool to prevent this unspooling.

Welders have changed for the better. I started off with a Lincoln buzz box and graduate up to a Miller thunderbolt then to a miller that would support a TIG rig. I really liked that machine and job it did. Then I purchased a Lincoln 110v mig. What a joke. It was purchased to weld up EMT conduit for deer stands, and was very disappointing.. Like I stated in my last post that you should buy your last table saw first, the same goes for welders! I purchased a gently use Powermate mig machine from a friend who was updating to a new MiG machine. With this machine I can weld a bead that you would want to take a photo and post it on Facebook and say Look What I Did! I like d the MIG so well that I sold my Stick/TIG rig and Oxyacetylene rig and replaced it with a Small tank oxyacetylene with a Dillion torch rig. I just don’t use my welding equipment as much any more!

Back to my last table saw first statement, I have probably spent 2x as much money updating my welding equipment as I have in my current welding equipment.

[leehljp]

I ended up pulling about 10" - 12" out and putting about 2 inches of duct tape on it to hold it in place. Mine does have a tension on the spool, but if I need to change hands in threading it, and then loose my grip, it unwraps even if the spool is tight. The duct tape held it in place until I was ready to thread it through the feed. I'll have to remember that. But it sure was a pain to get started.

[capncarl]

Careful not to get tape sticky on the wire as it may track in dirt and debris into your cable. The spool of wire is like a big slinky.

[leehljp]

"like a big slinky" is true!