Hi All,
I have a MIG that has started acting funny today, and was wondering if
anyone has any ideas of the culprit. It seems like the trigger isn't
engaging completely. IN other words at some points depressing the
trigger works well, but if I push it all the way it cuts out.

But sometimes it is fine, and works all the way depressed, and
sometimes it doesn't seem to work at all, just spurts on and off.

Is this simply the indicator that it's time to buy a new gun for the
MIG, or could something else be the problem?

Thanks in advance for your help

Andrew

wrote: (clip) Is this simply the indicator that
it's time to buy a new gun for the MIG, or could something else be the
problem?
(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I have a 120 volt Lincoln MIG, but I have never had this problem. However,
I have had my gun apart several times for other reasons, and it's not hard
to do. The trigger is just a normally open switch that connects top the
welder with two spade connectors. Make sure those connectors are ON. Try
closing the triggering circuit with a jumper a whole bunch of times, to make
sure the problem is not in the welder. After you are reasonable sure it is
the trigger, I would take the gun apart and use spray contact cleaner or
toothpicks, or whatever it takes to clean the switch. You should not have
to buy a whole new gun for something like this.

Thanks for the advice, I will give it a try. Somewhere in the back of
my mind I thought someone told me the gun would go out if you end up
going over the duty cycle. Thought I would ping some knowing folks
before calling the shops tomorrow.

Andrew

On 24 Apr 2005 18:12:05 -0700, wrote:

Hi All,
I have a MIG that has started acting funny today, and was wondering if
anyone has any ideas of the culprit. It seems like the trigger isn't
engaging completely. IN other words at some points depressing the
trigger works well, but if I push it all the way it cuts out.

But sometimes it is fine, and works all the way depressed, and
sometimes it doesn't seem to work at all, just spurts on and off.

Is this simply the indicator that it's time to buy a new gun for the
MIG, or could something else be the problem?

Thanks in advance for your help

Andrew

You have either a bad switch, or a broken wire, or a bad connection at
either end of the cable. Tighten up your connection at the welder
itself, then work your way up. Remove the wire from the liner, and
while twisting and turning the gun, the liner sheath and the welder
connector..see if you can find out where the bad connection is.

Gut I suspect most likely its a bad switch in the gun itself. Unless
is something really crappy..replacement parts are usually available.

Gunner

"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child -
miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied,
demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless.
Liberalism is a philosphy of sniveling brats." -- P.J. O'Rourke

Gunner,
Thanks for the help. So I took apart the trigger aparatus and cleaned
as I could, though it was relatively clean in there. Unfortunately it
didn't fix the problem, so I will move on to your other suggestions.
Thanks again for the ideas, and if you have any others send them my
way.

Andrew

On 27 Apr 2005 09:48:54 -0700, wrote:

Gunner,
Thanks for the help. So I took apart the trigger aparatus and cleaned
as I could, though it was relatively clean in there. Unfortunately it
didn't fix the problem, so I will move on to your other suggestions.
Thanks again for the ideas, and if you have any others send them my
way.

Andrew


Worst comes to worst, call Denise:

ARCO WELDER REPAIR
Santa Fe Springs, CA
562/921-5240


He will be able to tell you. They close at 4pm PST.

Gunner

Liberals - Cosmopolitan critics, men who are the friends
of every country save their own. Benjamin Disraeli