For what my opinion is worth I think you gas is too low. I run my gas at 25cfh and never have a problem.

 

Happens to me all the time too. The black soot wipes off with a paper towel. I just thought it was normal till now. ????

 

Yea it just wipes off. As far as I know it isn't causing me any legitimate issues I just feel like it shouldn't be there? It's really only from the tack welds it seems. If I make a full weld it's the usual brown/light brown at the toes.

 

Do you clean the weld area with a solvent? Dark black might be oil/ grease/ cutting coolant burning off and leaving carbon.
The brown to light brown soot are iron oxides... Might have your volts a bit too high if your seeing a lot of it.

 

I would expect that on Aluminum, not steel. If you see that, you probably aren't getting enough gas.

 

I would say it's still a little dirty or you're leaning your torch back to far. When you clean your steel rub your finger over the joint before you do anything, and if you get grey on your finger it is still dirty.

 

@ BrooklynBravest - Aloha. Try baselining your flow rate with GMAW @ 25 CFH. Weldermike is also spot on. BTW, what are your settings on the 0.125" wall tubing w/ the Hobart "210"?

 

Are you using nozzle gel? I started using it recently but I can't remember if I was getting the black soot before the nozzle gel. The nozzle gel sure is saving me a lot of headaches with spatter on the nozzle but it seems to be a little drippy sometimes, especially when the nozzle is hot. I am using the nozzle gel sparingly.

 

Try this first........

Leave gas set to 20, cause that is plenty. Seeing as how you got the 210MVP, then simply flip the inside switch to spool gun and depress torch trigger while you count to 5...This will purge all air out of hose and torch...switch back to mig and lite er up.

As a Rule, always start with a short wire stickout, super solid ground, and use brite clean nozzle and electrode and cooking spray inside assembled nozzle....Also make sure electrode is shrouded by nozzle by about 1'8" depth.

OOOOPS, that should read 1/8" depth

 

ok il give it a shot thanks.


Ive been running the machine at 12-15cfh indoors for a while always seemed fine.

 

bad gas

 

Yes, I would suspect that too, except he stated no soot on long welds......

If he is like most of us, his tacks are the first thing he welds after welder has sat idle....In that case the shielding gas has usually bled from hose and it needs purged.

It's become a habit with me to open regulator, turn on machine, flip to spool gun mode and purge, then flip back to mig mode and hit it with tacks....Sure made my tacks mo-better