How to reduce nozzle garbage

[trade1]

I do Lot's of wire feed welding, do you guys have a solution for minimising the garbage around the nozzle opening?, I use the paste that's supposed to help but. it doesn't last that long.

Thanks

[Supe]

Aside from having your variables set correctly to reduce spatter, not much can be done outside of the paste (which works better than the spray). I always keep my MIG pliers handy and give them a quick twist inside the nozzle before it starts to cake up. Knocks all the crap out, and just be sure to do a quick purge so none of it comes out when you strike an arc.

[specter]

Very well put Supe. I never cared much for spray as it seemed to go places I didn't want it unless I masked off the area or used a piece of cardboard with a hole cut out to match the area being welded. I find the brush on paste easier.

And yes keep cleaning out the nozzle as you work it makes the arc go straighter to the point of the area you are welding, instead of arcing all over the place,

Also remember to check the roundness of the inside of your nozzle. If the inside of the nozzle is eggshaped in the opening that will also cause more cross arcing and more splater. Compare the nozzle opening to an unused nozzle! If the opening on the nozzle being used appears to be a much larger opening then its time to replace that nozzle. That is why they are called consumables..

[Ken Dennis]

Wire feed welding?
As in self shielding wire?
Flux core wire will indeed have lots of spatter, nothing you can do about it really, but by keeping your tip and nozzle as clean as possible and setting the welder up correctly for the material being welded, to minimize the spatter as best as possible and do use that paste, it makes cleaning easier, the spray as said above, doesn't work as well as the paste!
Your next option would be to convert the welder to GMAW "MIG" of which has its benefits and drawbacks, with MIG, the 2 most notable are you get way less spatter, much cleaner welds but its more practical for indoor use where you don't have a lot of wind to blow your shielding gas away from the puddle!

Hope this helps!
Ken.

[3 weelin geezer]

What are you welding with? self shielding, argon, co2? I go to Blowes and get that blue goop you stick in the nozzle and its easy to clean up. Just have to wipe it down once in a while and re-dip when using the self shielding stuff which is not much unless its breezy and I just HAVE to get it done now.

[kringold]

Nozzle Gel is what I think you are wanting. It works real well.
http://http://www.airgas.com/product...ry/RAD64000120

[mn welder]

i seen those mig cleaning tips 3 prongs that shove in nozzle work slick um forney blue nozzle gel works ok i do alot of flux core and just no way around it