making the grooves for a mig feed roller?

[desbromilow]

I'm resurrecting an obsolete MIG welder and you can't buy feed rollers for it anymore.
I'm obviously looking to see what other models/ brands are adaptable, but if push comes to shove, I will consider making a feed roller to suit hard wire, and to suit flux core.

anyone got ideas on how to do the flux core one?

I figure the hard wire is simply a v groove of suitable depth, and the soft wire is a "u" shaped groove of similar depth (say 50% wire diameter)

thanks,
Des

[BuffaloJohn]

I found the flux core roller for my Millermatic 150 and it had a pattern in the groove. You might be able to find a Miller part that you could use/modify, or get fancy and make a groove with a knurl?

[tooly]

I used a knurl, Machined a piece of tool steel to a V shaped edge then used a straight knurl to impress a pattern on it, it made a good result on a prepared grove.

[desbromilow]

I used a knurl, Machined a piece of tool steel to a V shaped edge then used a straight knurl to impress a pattern on it, it made a good result on a prepared grove.

Thanks all - I'm looking at my options with modifying a Bossweld part, or using a dental bur (IC) to create the knurl, or the suggestion from tooly. Speed and ease may tilt towards the modification - but I will have a go at making one "for the exercise". working with 0.8 or 0.9mm wire means the groove and knurl will be small.

[trevor_60_r]

Thanks all - I'm looking at my options with modifying a Bossweld part, or using a dental bur (IC) to create the knurl, or the suggestion from tooly. Speed and ease may tilt towards the modification - but I will have a go at making one "for the exercise". working with 0.8 or 0.9mm wire means the groove and knurl will be small.

Hi Des, can you tell me what brand & size of the mig welder as I may have some parts from old welders

Thanks Trevor

[desbromilow]

Hi Des, can you tell me what brand & size of the mig welder as I may have some parts from old welders

Thanks Trevor

It's my Dad's old transMIG 190 - the rollers are 30mm in diameter. I found Bossweld offers a range of 30mm rollers which are 19mm wide, and that allows me to put a M5 set screw between the grooves (0.8 and 0.9 mm) to engage on the flat of the shaft.
The welder came to me broken down with some intermittent faults stopping the wire feed. I found nearly every connection inside was loose, and the pilot relay from the handpiece switch is on it's way out. I think I now have it fixed, so the next step is getting it to feed wire.

Des

[rebuilder1954]

Hi, Des.

looking at my own welder, it reminds me of the knurls that Chris created in this video. perhaps this could work for you?

[jdurand]

you could run it against the side of a tap and simply cut a worm around it.

[Frank S]

Des; Have you tried to contact Bob the welder in Ballina 02 6681 3393 He may be able to locate them for you or direct you to where you can find them.
Cigweld is an Essab brand this link may direct you
https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=51933...JvbGxzLw&ntb=1
Anning if it welds for a while and shuts down a few have found the transformer on the PCB had an intermittent short replacing the 12va transformer with a slightly larger Va rated one solved the issue. connecting the machine to a circuit on the mains with a higher amperage rating has helped others. Any of these smaller machines no matter the manufacture does not fare well with voltage drop from line loss. I've had Telwin, Hobart, Miller, Lincoln, and numerous other brand units, that would die because of trying to use them on too long of a small diameter extension cord. Line voltage loss is a huge killer of anything.

[nova_robotics]

You can buy an entire wire feed assembly on AliExpress for like $70.

Also they have a wide variety of rollers, some which may be a direct fit or some others with very large arbor holes which would be ideal if you were to make your own bushing.

https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesa...wire-feed.html

Lots of options on there.

Or you can buy an absolutely DIRT cheap spool gun and convert your machine to use that. I've bought a bunch of them. They're far better than they have any business being for $50.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33041973384.html