On Fri, 30 Dec 2005 19:20:59 -0500, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

My baby MIG has been cantankerous lately: wire sticking, funky arc.
Looking at it closely, I could see some rust on the wire. There wasn't
much left, so I bought a new roll. WOW, what a difference!! The poor
performance had crept up on me over a long time, so it wasn't noticeable
until it was really bad.

The old roll was Fourney, from local hardware store; the new one Anchor
brand from a welding store. But I suspect it was the rust, more than
the brand, that was the problem. I'm now thinking about some kind of
enclosure around the spool, with a dessicant in it. Anybody done it?

Bob

Ive a few rolls of wire...G and they all live in their very own
garbage bag, all neatly twist tied shut, with a bag of dessicant in
each. Even the stainless steel ones. I too had a rusting problem,
with the symptoms exactly like yours. At certain times of the year, we
have fog ..heavy fog, as well as a certain amount of H2S that drifts
in from the oil fields..can be a hells brew on un oiled stuff.

Btw...1 gallon zip lock bags from the dollar store work pretty good
for the small rolls, and you can see whats inside.

Gunner



BTW - the welding shop invoice:

wire ................ $4
cleaning pads ........ 6
---
$10
compliance charge ... $4
---
$14


"compliance charge"?? WTF?? !!

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner