Mig Speed Woes

Friend of mine does that and says it works fine. He uses a lathe on slow speed to spin the small spool and guides the wire using a stick with a hole in it. This for flux cored wire.

While I do have a spool gun I prefer to use the gun that gets fed from the 15kg wire spool but my MIG only weighs 40 kg with its wire spool and I lift it on the gantry if I have to. Different story with the big old transformer units.

PDW

 

PDW

Great Idea, love the stick part keep the hands and contaminates off the wire. I have a spare lathe could be just the ticket.
Don't think Ill be lifting that old mig must weigh 60kg empty, plus my project is outside, no gantries to hang off.
Thanks

 

You're welding aluminium IIRC. I'd probably use a piece of UHMW (white plastic breadboard) as the wire guide.

Put a brake on the big spool so it can't overrun. A spring bearing on the side of the spool is probably enough.

I built my workshop first, then the gantry setup, then the steel grid base and only after all that I started on the boat.

PDW