Would the welders look at this please Options

[BPic]

I've been welding in this car for a year and never had anything like this happen.

I ran out of gas and the welder was doing fine. Got a new bottle delivered today and hooked it up. When I started welding it sounded different, lots of soot, the metal doesn't puddle the way it did before and the welds look like crap! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)



The other thing that happens is that the wire fuses itself to the gun tip. Settings are the same on the machine and everything was fine. The only thing that changed was a new bottle of gas. I'm sure it's possible for them to put the wrong mix or the wrong gas but before I call them is there something else I should be looking at? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

Thanks in advance, Brad

[Jeff Hail]

I've been welding in this car for a year and never had anything like this happen.

I ran out of gas and the welder was doing fine. Got a new bottle delivered today and hooked it up. When I started welding it sounded different, lots of soot, the metal doesn't puddle the way it did before and the welds look like crap! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)



The other thing that happens is that the wire fuses itself to the gun tip. Settings are the same on the machine and everything was fine. The only thing that changed was a new bottle of gas. I'm sure it's possible for them to put the wrong mix or the wrong gas but before I call them is there something else I should be looking at? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

Thanks in advance, Brad

Try this first.
First issue is that steel is coated. Need to grind it clean like that small swipe halfway through the upper weld except everywhere you are going to sample. Pull the nozzle off and clean the slag out as it may be shorting your contact tip causing the wire to stick to the tip. Check the gas diffuser while the nozzle is off while you are in their and make sure its not plugged with slag balls and gas is flowing. Change the tip. Purge both sides of the regulator. Open the tank valve and then while you are squeezing the gun trigger open up the flow regulator to about 45, then wind it back down to normal flow rate .

What regulator are you using? C02? C02 with adaptor or an Argon regulator?

That rusty almond frost around your welds looks like restricted shielding gas or really low to almost no flow.

Gas blends vary by far with industrial suppliers so perfect 75/25 mixes aren't realistic, 75 – 95 percent Argon and 5 – 25 percent CO2 is considered the normal these days when filled from a manifold. Its not much of an issue welding, both work fine even if the blend % is off. Most people would not notice it.

Does the tank they gave you have a painted shoulder that's different than the primary color of the tank? If so what color is the shoulder?

Last.
If you think the fill is contaminated take the tank back and tell them you have a slugged tank, they should exchange it -it happens.