gas holes

[archeryshooter]

Hey guys Im new here and I have a question. I have a a hobart 180 mig and it welds great, I have had it for 5 years now but I have been getting alot of gas holes in my welds lately Im using gas 75% argon 25 carbon around 20 on up on the gauge with no dif. I have pulled the liner out and blew the hose out the difuser and cup are clean I can hear and feel the gas comming out when I hit the trigger. I am welding inside with no fans running. It seemed to have started bad when we changed the wire (035 er70s-6 solid) Is it possable it could be the wire?
Thanks Tony

[yorkiepap]

Hey Tony,
Since you have not had issues previously, start the elimination process to determine when the issue began. You did not indicate wire brand, previous wire dia., gas setting(cfh), and I am presuming your post dictates you have been using solid wire. Start with the wire & replace with what you were using without problems. Since you are welding indoors, reduce your gas flow to 12-15cfh as that is all that is needed. Your material should be clean & free from mill scale, rust, or anything else(paint/oil/etc.) that would contribute to impurities in the weld puddle. If the problem persists, you may have a blockage to the gas flow that is affecting the weld even though you hear a hissing sound of gas. Check for loose hose clamps, the regulator connections are tight, or a hole in the gas line. I had the same issue a couple years ago & discovered a pinhole in the gas line going into the welder. As far as wire brands, I have had excellent results with all the wire(Lincoln/Forney/ESAB,etc.) I use including the imported Italian brand that HF sells. Start with the most logical avenue & take a step at a time....you will find the culprit. Good luck..... Denny

[Hotfoot]

If you are welding thin sheet, the.035 is too big. Did you have .030 or smaller in it before?

[Zrexxer]

you may have a blockage to the gas flow that is affecting the weld even though you hear a hissing sound of gas. Check for loose hose clamps, the regulator connections are tight, or a hole in the gas line.

Also check to be sure that the back end of the gun is seated fully in the machine. If it's out even a fraction it will start to obscure the gas ports and cause loss of shielding.