18
Operation of this welder consists of selecting
and adjusting operating controls for opti-
mum voltage (welding heat) and wire speed
settings.
CONTROLS AND INDICATORS
POWER SWITCH - The power switch supplies
electrical current to the welder. ALWAYS turn
the power switch to the OFF position and
unplug the welder before performing any
maintenance.
VOLTAGE SELECTOR - The voltage selector
controls the welding heat. The voltage selec-
tor is numbered 1-4. Number 1 is the lowest
heat and number 4 is the highest. Refer to
the label under the welder hood (or on page
33 of this manual) for recommended heat
settings for your welding job.
WIRE SPEED CONTROL - The wire speed con-
trol adjusts the speed at which the wire is fed
out of the welding gun. The wire speed needs
to be closely matched (tuned-in) to the rate
at which it is being melted off. Some things
that affect wire speed selection are the type
and diameter of the wire being used, the heat
setting selected, and the welding position to
be used.
Note: The wire will feed faster without an arc.
When an arc is being drawn, the wire speed
will slow down.
TUNING IN THE WIRE SPEED
This is one of the most important parts of
MIG welder operation and must be done
before starting each welding job or whenever
any of the following variables are changed:
heat setting wire diameter, or wire type.
1. Set up and ground a scrap piece of the
same type of material which you will be
welding. It should be equal to or greater
that the thickness of the actual work piece,
and free of oil, paint, rust, etc.
2. Select a heat setting.
3. Hold the gun in one hand, allowing the
nozzle to rest on the edge of the workpiece
farthest away from you, and at an angle
similar to that which will be used when
welding. (SEE HOLDING THE GUN on page
19 if you are uncertain of the angle at
which you will be welding)
4. With your free hand, turn the Wire Speed
Dial to maximum and continue to hold
onto the knob.
WARNING
EXPOSURE TO A WELDING ARC IS
EXTREMELY HARMFUL TO THE EYES AND
SKIN! Prolonged exposure to the welding arc
can cause blindness and burns. Never strike
an arc or being welding until you are ade-
quately protected. Wear flameproof welding
gloves, a heavy long sleeved shirt, cuffless
trousers, high topped shoes and a welding
helmet.
5. Lower your welding helmet and pull the
trigger on the gun to start an arc, then
begin to drag the gun towards you while
simultaneously turning the Wire Speed Dial
counter-clockwise.
6. LISTEN! As you decrease the wire speed,
the sound that the arc makes will change
from a sputtering to a high-pitched
buzzing sound and then will begin sputter-
ing again if you decrease the wire speed
too much. The wire speed that creates a
smooth high-pitched buzzing sound will
achieve the best quality weld.
You can use the wire speed control to slightly
increase or decrease the heat and penetration
for a given heat setting by selecting hugher or
lower wire speed settings. Repeat this tune-in
procedure if you select a new heat setting, a
different diameter wire, or a different type of
welding wire.
LEARNING TO WELD
MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding is the process
of uniting metallic parts by heating and
allowing the metals to flow together through
the use of an electrical arc. The electrical arc
is created between a continuous consumable
OPERATION
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