Century 117-084-002 Owner’s Manual

SEARS

CRRFTSMRN

Operator's Guide

WIRE FEED

MIG WELDER

Model No.

934.205592

• WARRANTY

• INTRODUCTION

• SAFETY SUMMARY

• SPECIFICATIONS

• INSTALLATION

• OPERATION

• MAINTENANCE

• SCHEMATIC

• WIRING DIAGRAM

• REPLACEMENT PARTS

CAUTION: Read and follow
all Safety Rules and

Operating Instructions before
First Use of this Product.

Sears, Roebuck and Co., Hoffman Estates, IL 60179 USA

811-642-000 September 2001

On Welding Gun or Cables, Welder, and Welder's Transformer

Full One Year Warranty for Craftsman
Welding Gun or Cables. For one year

from the date of purchase, when the

welding gun or cables are operated and
maintained according to the owner's
manual instructions, if the welding gun

or cables fail due to a defect in material
or workmanship, Sears will repair or

replace the welding gun or cables free of
charge. This warranty does not cover
parts consumed in normal operation,
such as contact tips, nozzles, gun liners,

and drive rollers.
Full Three Year Warranty on Craftsman

Welder For three years from the date of
purchase, when the welder is operated

and maintained according to the owner's
manual instructions, if the welder fails
due to a defect in material or

workmanship, Sears will repair or
replace the welder free of charge. This

warranty does not cover the welding
gun, cables, or normal consumable

parts.

WARRANTY SERVICE IS AVAILABLE
BY SIMPLY CONTACTING THE
NEAREST SEARS SERVICE CENTER.

This warranty applies only while this
product is in use in the United States.

This warranty gives you specific legal
rights, and you may also have other

rights which vary from state to state.
Sears Roebuck and Co., Dept. 817WA,

Hoffman Estates, IL 60179.

CRAFTSMAN FULL WARRANTY ......................................................... 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................... 3

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 4

SAFETY SUMMARY ............................................................................... 5

SAFETY INFORMATION ...................................................................... 5

SHOCK HAZARDS ............................................................................. 6

FIRE HAZARDS .................................................................................. 6

FLASH HAZARDS .............................................................................. 6

FUME HAZARDS ................................................................................ 6

COMPRESSED GASSES AND EQUIPMENT HAZARDS .................. 6

BURN HAZARDS ................................................................................ 7

ADDITIONAL SAFETY INFORMATION ............................................... 7

WELDER SPECIFICATIONS .................................................................. 8

DESCRIPTION ...................................................................................... 8

WELDER OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS ...................................... 8

DUTY CYCLE ..................................................................................... 8

INTERNAL THERMAL PROTECTION .................................................. 8

WELDER INSTALLATION ..................................................................... 9

POWER SOURCE CONNECTION ....................................................... 9

POWER REQUIREMENTS ................................................................. 9

CONNECT TO POWER SOURCE ...................................................... 9

EXTENSION CORDS .......................................................................... 9

ASSEMBLING THE WELDER ............................................................... 9

UNPACKING THE WELDER ............................................................... 9

INSTALL THE GROUND CLAMP ....................................................... 9

INSTALL THE TANK TRAY AND BRACKET ........................................ 9

INSTALL THE SHIELDING GAS ....................................................... 10

CHECK THE GAS FLOW .................................................................... 11

ALIGN AND SET THE DRIVE ROLLER ............................................. 11

STANDARD DRIVE ROLLER ............................................................ 11

INSTALL THE WELDING WIRE .......................................................... 12

SET THE WIRE DRIVE TENSION ...................................................... 14

PREPARATION .................................................................................... 15

CHANGE POLARITY ........................................................................ 15

OPERATION ......................................................................................... 16

CONTROLS AND INDICATORS ......................................................... 16

MAINTENANCE .................................................................................... 17

GENERAL ........................................................................................... 17

REPLACE A GUN LINER .................................................................. 17

MAINTAINING THE CONTACT TIP .................................................. 20

MAINTAINING THE NOZZLE ........................................................... 20

TESTING FOR A SHORTED NOZZLE ............................................ 21

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE ......................................................... 21

TROUBLESHOOTING ........................................................................ 21

WIRING DIAGRAM ............................................................................... 23

REPLACEMENT PARTS LIST ............................................................. 24

SCHEMATIC ......................................................................................... 26

This Welder User's Guide provides

specific information about your wire

feed welder. It is to be used together

with the Welding Instruction Guide to
provide all of the information needed to
safely and effectively use your wire

feed welder. The information in this

book applies to your specific model of
wire feed welder and gives instruction
on set-up, installation, and actual use

of the welder.

Where information is shown that does
not necessarily apply to all models or

brands of welder, it will be marked as
either optional on some welder models

or does not apply to all models.

Every craftsman respects the tools with
which they work. They know that the

tools represent years of constantly

improved designs and developments.

The true craftsman also knows that tools

are dangerous if misused or abused.
Reading this Operator's Guide and the

Welding Instruction Guide before using

the welder will enable you to do a better,

safer job. Learn the welder's
applications and limitations as well as

the specific potential hazards peculiar to

welding.

SAFETY INFORMATION

The following safety information is

provided as guidelines to help you
operate your new welder under the
safest possible conditions. Any
equipment that uses electrical power
can be potentially dangerous to use
when safety or safe handling instructions

are not known or not followed. The

following safety information is provided
to give you the information necessary for

safe use and operation.
When a procedure step is preceded by

a WARNING, it is an indication that the
step contains a procedure that might be

injurious to a person if proper safety
precautions are not heeded.

When a procedure step is preceded by
a CAUTION, it is an indication that the

step contains a procedure that might
damage the equipment being used.

A NOTE may be used before or after a
procedure step to highlight or explain
something in that step.

READ ALL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
CAREFULLY before attempting to

install, operate, or service this welder.
Failure to comply with these instructions
could result In personal injury and/or
property damage.

RETAIN THESE INSTRUCTIONS

FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.

Note: The followingsafety alert

symbols identify important
safety messages in this manual.

When you see one of the symbols
shown here, be alert to the possibility of
personal injury and carefully read the
message that follows.

This symbol indicates that the

possibility of electric shock
hazard exists during the
operation of the step(s) that

follow.

This symbol indicates that the

possibility of fire hazard exists
during the operation of the
step(s) that follow.

This symbol indicates that the

helmet must be worn during

the step(s) that follow to

protect against eye damage
and burns due to flash

hazard.

This symbol indicates that the

possibility of toxic gas hazard
exists during operation of the
step(s) that follow.

This symbol indicates that the

possibility of being burned by
hot slag exists during
operation of the step(s) that

follow.

This symbol indicates that the

eye protection should be worn

to protect against flying debris

in the following step(s).

This symbol indicates that the

possibility of injury or death
exists due to improper
handling and maintenance of
compressed gas cylinders or
regulators

Full explanations of the specific hazards
are shown in the WELDING

INSTRUCTION GUIDE. Make sure you
have read and understand all of the

informationbeforeproceedingwithany
oftheinstructionscontainedinthis

user'sguide.
Publishedstandardsonsafetyare

available.Theyarelistedin
ADDITIONALSAFETYINFORMATION

attheendofthisSAFETYSUMMARY.

TheNationalElectricalCode,

OccupationalSafetyandHealthAct
regulations,localindustrialcodesand
localinspectionrequirementsalso
provideabasisforequipment

installation,use,andservice.

SHOCKHAZARDS

WARNING

FLASH HAZARDS

WARNING

ARC RAYS CAN INJURE EYES
AND BURN SKIN! To reduce risk of

injury from arc rays, read,
understand, and follow the following
safety instructions. In addition, make
certain that anyone else that uses
this welding equipment, or is a
bystander in the welding area,
understands and follows these safety

instructions as well.

FUME HAZARDS

ELECTRIC SHOCK CAN KILL! To

reduce the risk of death or serious
injury from shock, read, understand,

and follow the following safety
instructions. In addition, make

certain that anyone else who uses

this welding equipment, or who is a

bystander in the welding area
understands and follows these safety

instructions as well.

FIRE HAZARDS

WARNING

FIRE OR EXPLOSION CAN CAUSE
DEATH, INJURY, AND PROPERTY

DAMAGE! To reduce risk of death,

injury, or property damage from fire
or explosion, read, understand, and

follow the following safety

instructions. In addition, make
certain that anyone else that uses

this welding equipment, or is a

bystander in the welding area,
understands and follows these safety
instructions as well. REMEMBER!

Welding by nature produces sparks,
hot spatter, molten metal drops, hot

slag, and hot metal parts that can
start fires, burn skin, and damage

eyes.

6

WARNING

FUMES, GASSES, AND VAPORS
CAN CAUSE DISCOMFORT,
ILLNESS, AND DEATH! To reduce

risk of discomfort, illness, or death,
read, understand, and follow the
following safety instructions. In
addition, make certain that anyone
else that uses this welding equipment
or is a bystander in the welding area,
understands and follows these safety

instructions as well.

COMPRESSED GASSES AND
EQUIPMENT HAZARDS

WARNING

IMPROPER HANDLING AND
MAINTENANCE OF COMPRESSED
GAS CYLINDERS AND
REGULATORS CAN RESULT IN
SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH! To

reduce risk of injury or death from
compressed gasses and equipment

hazards, read understand and follow
the following safety instructions. In

addition, make certain that anyone
else who uses this welding

equipmentorabystanderinthe
weldingareaunderstandsand

followsthesesafetyinstructionsas

well.
Donotuseflammablegasseswith

MIGwelders.Onlyinertor
nonflammablegassesaresuitablefor
MIGwelding.ExamplesareCarbon
Dioxide,Argon,Helium,etc.or

mixturesofmorethanoneofthese
gasses.

BURN HAZARDS

WARNING

Hot slag can cause fires and
serious injury from burns. To

reduce the risk of discomfort or
serious injury due to burns always

wear heavy protective clothing, eye
and face protection, and gloves
designed for welding. To prevent the
risk of fires starting, use a metal plate
or some other material with a high

flash point to catch and shield

combustibles from the hot slag.

ADDITIONAL SAFETY
INFORMATION

For additional information concerning
welding safety, refer to the following
standards and comply with them as
applicable.

• ANSI Standard Z49.1 i SAFETY IN

WELDING AND CUTTING i
obtainable from the American Welding

Society, 550 NW Le Jeune Road,
Miami, FL 33126 Telephone (800)
443-9353, Fax [phone] i
www.amweld.org or www.aws.org

• ANSI Standard Z87.1 i SAFE
PRACTICE FOR OCCUPATION AND
EDUCATIONAL EYE AND FACE
PROTECTION i obtainable from the

American National Standards Institute,

11 West 42 ndSt., New York, NY 10036

Telephone [phone], Fax (212)
398-0023 i www.ansi.org

• NFPA Standard 51B i CUTTING

AND WELDING PROCESS i
obtainable from the National Fire

Protection Association, 1
Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101,

Quincy, MA 02269-9101 Telephone

[phone], Fax [phone]

i www.nfpa.org

• CGA Pamphlet P-I i SAFE
HANDLING OF COMPRESSED

GASSES IN CYLINDERS i
obtainable from the Compressed Gas

Association, 1725 Jefferson Davis

Highway, Suite 1004, Arlington, VA

22202-4102 Telephone (703) 412-
0900 Fax [phone] i
www.cagnet.com

• OSHA Standard 29 CFR, Part 1910,

Subpart Q., WELDING, CUTTING
AND BRAZING i obtainable from

your state OSHA office or U. S. Dept.
of Labor OSHA, Office of Public
Affairs, Room N3647, 200 Constitution
Ave. Washington, DC 20210 i
www.osha.gov

• CSA Standard W117.2 i Code for

SAFETY IN WELDING AND
CUTTING. i obtainable from

Canadian Standards Association, 178

Rexdale Blvd. Etobicoke, Ontario
M9W 1R3 i www.csa.ca

• American Welding Society Standard

A6.0. WELDING AND CUTTING
CONTAINERS WHICH HAVE HELD
COMBUSTIBLES. i obtainable from

the American Welding Society, 550

NW Le Jeune Road, Miami, FL 33126

Telephone [phone], Fax (305)
443-7559 i www.amweld.org or
www.aws.org

DESCRIPTION

Your new wire feed welder is designed

for maintenance and sheet metal
fabrication. The welder consists of a

single-phase power transformer,
stabilizer, rectifier, and a unique built-in

control/feeder. This MIG welder is
capable of welding with 0.024 (0.6mm)

and 0.030 (0.8mm), solid steel wire on
dc reverse polarity and with .030 inch
self-shielding flux-core wire on dc
straight polarity. Larger, 0.035 inch
(0.9mm) diameter solid steel wire, on dc
reverse polarity, and self shielding flux-
core wire on dc straight polarity may

also be used on this welder. The use of
larger diameter wire makes welding

difficult and the results cannot be
guaranteed. The manufacturer does not

recommend the use of larger diameter
wire.

Now you can weld sheet metal from 24
gauge up to 1/4 inch thick with a single

pass. You can weld thicker steel with
beveling and multiple pass techniques.

Table 1 lists your MIG welder

specifications.

Table 1. Welder Specifications

Primary (input) volts 120 Vac
Primary (inputs) Amps 25
Phase Single

Frequency 60 Hz
Secondary (output) volts 19.5
Secondary (UL output) ampsl05
Open Circuit Volts (Max.) 28 Vdc

Duty Cycle Rating 20%

WELDER OPERATING

CHARACTERISTICS

DUTY CYCLE

The duty cycle rating of a welder defines

how long the operator can weld and
how long the welder must be rested and
cooled. Duty cycle is expressed as a
percentage of 10 minutes and
represents the maximum welding time

8

allowed. The balance of the 10-minute
cycle is required for cooling.

Your new welder has a duty cycle rating
of 20% at the rated output. This means
that you can weld for two (2) minutes out
of 10 with the remaining eight (8) minutes

required for cooling. (See Table 2).

Table 2. Duty Cycle Ratings

Duty Maximum Required

Cycle Welding Resting

Rating Time Time

20% 2 minutes 8 minutes
40% 4 minutes 6 minutes
60% 6 minutes 4 minutes
80% 8 minutes 2 minutes

100% 10 minutes 0 minutes

INTERNAL THERMAL
PROTECTION

CAUTION

Do not constantly exceed the duty

cycle or damage to this welder can

result. If you exceed the duty cycle of

your welder, an internal thermal

protector will open, shutting off all
welder functions except the cooling
fan. If this happens, DO NOT SHUT

OFF THE WELDER. Leave the
welder turned on with the fan running.

After cooling, the thermal protector will

automatically reset and the welder will
function normally again. However,
you should wait at least 10 minutes

after the thermal protector opens

before resuming welding. You must

do this even if the thermal protector

resets itself before the 10 minutes is

up or you may experience less than
specified duty cycle performance.

If you find that your welder will not weld
for 2 minutes without stopping, reduce
the wire speed slightly and tune the
welder in at the lowest wire speed
setting that still produces a smooth arc.
Welding with the wire speed set too high

causes excessive current draw and
shortens the duty cycle.

POWER SOURCE
CONNECTION

POWER REQUIREMENTS

This welder is designed to operate on a

properly grounded 120 Volt, 60 Hz,
single-phase alternating current (ac)
power source fused with a 20 amp time-
delayed fuse or circuit breaker. It is
recommended that a qualified electrician

verify the ACTUAL VOLTAGE at the

receptacle into which the welder will be
plugged and confirm that the receptacle

is properly fused and grounded. The
use of the proper circuit size can

eliminate nuisance circuit breaker

tripping when welding.

DO HOT OPERATE THIS WELDER if

the ACTUAL power source voltage is

less than 105 Volts ac or greater than
132 Volts ac. Contact a qualified
electrician if this problem exists.
Improper performance and/or damage to

the welder will result if operated on

inadequate or excessive power.

CONNECT TO POWER SOURCE

WARNING

High voltage danger from power
source! Consult a qualified electrician

for proper installation of receptacle at
the power source.

This welder must be grounded while in

use to protect the operator from
electrical shock. If you are not sure if

your outlet is properly grounded, have it

checked by a qualified electrician. Do
not cut off the grounding prong or alter

the plug in any way and do not use any

adapters between the welder's power
cord and the power source receptacle.

Make sure the POWER switch is OFF

then connect your welder's power cord
to a properly grounded 120 Vac, 60 Hz,

single phase, 20 amp power source.

EXTENSION CORDS

For optimum welder performance, an

extension cord should not be used

unless absolutely necessary. If

necessary, care must be taken in

selecting an extension cord appropriate

for use with your specific welder.

Select a properly grounded extension

cord that will mate directly with the ac

power source receptacle and the welder

power cord without the use of adapters.

Make certain that the extension is properly

wired and in good electrical condition.

Extension cords must be at the smallest

a #12 gauge cord. Do not use an

extension cord over 25 ft. in length.

ASSEMBLING THE

WELDER

The following procedures describe the

process required to assemble, install,

maintain, and prepare to weld with your

new wire feed welder.

UNPACKING THE WELDER

1. Remove any cartons or bags
containing parts/accessories.

2. Open the cartons or bags packed
with your welder and inspect their

contents for damage. Report any
missing or damaged items

immediately.

3. Grasp the top handle of the welder
and lift the welder out of the carton.

INSTALL THE GROUND CLAMP

Connect the ground clamp to the ground
cable (coming out the front of the
welder) according to the instructions
packaged with the ground clamp.

INSTALL THE TANK TRAY
AND BRACKET

The tank tray bracket is installed on the
back of the welder, see Figure 1.

IMPORTANT - GAS CYLINDER SIZE
RESTRICTION! The tank tray you have

just installed on the back of the welder
will handle gas cylinders no larger than
20 cubic feet. If you select a cylinder
larger than 20 cubic feet, it must be
chained to a wall or other fixed support.

j 1

Figure 1. Mount Tank Tray Bracket

ToWelder

Align the four tank tray bracket (1)
mounting holes (as shown in Figure

1) with the four staked nuts on the

rear of the welder.

2.

Start one 1_inch split lock washer
(2) and a 1_-20x _/2inch hex bolt (3)
in one of the top tank tray bracket
(1) mounting holes, then start each
of the other three split lock nuts (2)
and _-20 x 1/2inch hex bolts (3)
through the remaining mounting

holes.

3. Tighten all four hex bolts.

INSTALL THE SHIELDING GAS

1.

Remove the protective cap from the
cylinder and inspect the regulator
connecting threads for dust, dirt oil,
and grease. Remove any dust or

dirt with a clean cloth. DO NOT
ATTACH THE REGULATOR IF OIL,

GREASE, OR DAMAGE ARE
PRESENT.

2. Open the cylinder valve FOR JUST
AN INSTANT to blow out any
foreign matter inside the valve port
to reduce the risk of plugging or
damaging the regulator. Never aim
the open cylinder valve port at
yourself or bystanders.

3. Screw the regulator supplied with
this welder (see Figure 2) into the

cylinder valve and tighten with a
wrench.

Adjustable Regulator Preset Regulator

WARNING

IMPROPER HANDLING AND

MAINTENANCE OF COMPRESSED
GAS CYLINDERS AND REGULATORS

CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY
OR DEATH! Always secure gas

cylinders to the tank bracket kit, a wall,
or other fixed support to prevent the
cylinder from falling over and rupturing.

Read, understand, and follow all the
COMPRESSED GASSES AND

EQUIPMENT HAZARDS in the SAFETY
SUMMARY at the front of this manual.

Secure your gas cylinder to the tank
bracket kit, a wall, or other fixed support.

10

Figure 2. Gas Regulators

4. Insert the gas hose into the outlet
port of the gas regulator. The hose
locks in place in the fitting when
pressed into the port.

5. To remove the gas hose, press
down on the ring at the rear of the
gas fitting, and pull the hose out of
the fitting.

CHECK THE GAS FLOW

WARNING

IMPROPER HANDLING AND
MAINTENANCE OF COMPRESSED
GAS CYLINDERS AND REGULATORS
CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY

OR DEATH! To reduce the risk of injury

or death, always stand to the side of the
cylinder opposite the regulator when
opening the cylinder valve, keeping the
cylinder valve between you and the
regulator. Never aim the open cylinder

valve port at yourself or bystanders.

Failure to comply with this warning could
result in serious personal injury.

Note: If the cylinder you have is

equipped with male regulator
connecting threads instead of

female, you will need to obtain
a special compressed gas

cylinder adapter from your gas
supplier to install between your

gas cylinder and regulator.

• The gas control function does
not require the welder to be

turned on or plugged in.

1. Slowly crack open the cylinder
valve, then turn open ALL THE

WAY.

2.

Pull the trigger on the gun to allow

the gas to flow. KEEP THE
TRIGGER PULLED. Listen and feel

for gas flowing from the end of the

welding gun. If your regulator has
no adjustment, it has been pre-set
at the factory for a flow of 20 cubic

feet per hour. If your gas regulator

has an adjustment to control the
gas flow rate, turn the adjustment
key clockwise to increase gas flow;

counterclockwise to reduce flow.
For most welding, the gas flow

should be set at 15-20 cubic feet
per hour. If no gas is heard or felt,

verify all steps involved in

connecting the gas.

3. Release the trigger.
Note: If welding outside or in a draft, it

may become necessary to set
up a windbreak to keep the

shielding gas from being blown
from the weld area.

• MAKE SURE TO TURN OFF
THE GAS CYLINDER VALVE
WHEN DONE WELDING.

ALIGN AND SET THE DRIVE

ROLLER

Before installing any welding wire into
the unit, the proper sized groove must
be placed into position on the wire drive
mechanism. Change to a neoprene
drive roller when welding with

aluminum wire.

STANDARD DRIVE ROLLER

Change the standard drive roller
according to the following steps:

1. Remove the drive tension by
unscrewing the tension adjusting
screw (ALL THE WAY in a counter-
clockwise direction). The drive
tension screw will come loose,
allowing you to pull the drive
tension arm up away from the drive
roller. Make sure to keep the screw
and the spring in place with the

drive tension arm.

2.

If there is wire already installed in
the welder, roll it back onto the wire

spool by hand-turning the spool
counter-clockwise. Be careful not

to allow the wire to come out of the
rear end of the gun without holding

onto it or it will unspool itself. Put
the end of the wire into the hole on

the outside edge of the wire spool
and bend it over to hold the wire in

place. Remove the spool of wire
from the welder.

3.

Loosen the drive roller setscrew
and pull the drive roller off the drive

shaft.

11

Note: 6. Tighten the setscrew, while holding

The drive roller has two wire
size grooves built into it. When

installing the drive roller the
number stamped on the drive
roller for the wire size you are

the drive roller in place.

INSTALL THE WELDING
WIRE

using should be facing away
from you. If you can read the
wire size you are using on the

drive roller, it is installed
backwards. Use only the

proper size drive roller when
using your welder.

Find the side of the drive roller that

4,

is stamped with the same wire
diameter as that of the wire being
installed (see Figure 3, and if in

metric, see DESCRIPTION in the
WELDER SPECIFICATIONS

section). Make certain the spacing
washer is still on the motor shaft

and push the drive roller onto the
motor shaft, aligning the setscrew

with the flat side of the drive shaft.

Make sure the side stamped with
the desired wire diameter is away
from you.

Electric shock can kill! Always turn
the POWER switch OFF and unplug the
power cord from the ac power source
before installing wire.

Be very careful when removing the
welding nozzle. The contact tip on this
welder is electrically hot as long as

POWER is turned ON. Make certain
POWER is turned OFF.

1,

2.

WARNING

Remove the nozzle and contact tip
from the end of the gun assembly.

Make sure the proper groove on
the drive roller is in place for the

wire being installed. If the proper
groove is not in place, change the
drive roller as described above.

Drive Roller

3,

Unwrap the spool of wire then find
the leading end of the wire (it goes
through a hole in the outer edge of
the spool and is bent over the spool
edge to prevent the wire from
unspooling) BUT DO NOT

UNHOOK IT YET.

Shaft

4,

Place the spool on the spindle in
such a manner that when the wire

comes off the spool, it will look like

Washer

Figure 3. Drive Roller

5,

Slide the roller onto the shaft so

the top illustration in Figure 4. The
welding wire should always come

off the top of the spool into the drive
mechanism.

that the groove in the roller lines up

with the inlet tube and the welding

gun liner. You can look at the

alignment from the top of the

welder.

12

RightWay

WrongWay

Figure 4. Right and Wrong Way To

Feed Wire From Spool

5. If you are installing a four-inch
spool of wire, install the drive brake
hardware on the top of the spool of

wire according to Figure 5A. If you Note:
are installing an eight-inch spool,

install the spindle adapter and drive
brake hardware as shown in Figure
5B. The purpose of the drive brake
is to cause the spool of wire to stop

turning at nearly the same moment
that wire feeding stops.

6. Once the drive brake hardware is
installed, set the spool tension.

With one hand, turn the wire spool 7.
and continue turning it while
adjusting the tension on the spool.
With your free hand, tighten (turn
clockwise) the wing nut that holds

the spool in place. Stop tightening

when drag is felt on the wire spool

that you are turning, then stop hand 8.
turning the wire spool.

4" Spool

8" Spool

Figure 5. Drive Brake Assemblies
with Four Inch and Eight Inch Wire

Spools

If TOO MUCH tension is
applied to the wire spool, the

wire will slip on the drive roller

or will not be able to feed at all.
If TOO LITTLE tension is

applied, the spool of wire will

want to unspool itself. Readjust
the drive brake tension as

necessary to correct for either
problem.

After checking to make sure that
your welder is disconnected from

the ac power source, free the
leading end of the wire from the

spool, but do not let go of it until told
to do so, or the wire will unspool

itself.
Using a wire cutter, cut the bent end

off the leading end of the wire so
that only a straight leading end

remains.

9,

Loosen the tension adjusting screw
holding the drive tension arm in
place and lift the tension arm up off

the drive roller.

10.

Insert the leading end of the wire
into the inlet guide tube. Then push

it across the drive roller and into the
gun assembly about six inches.

13

CAUTION

Make certain that the welding wire is
actually going into the gun liner. Be
very sure it has not somehow been
accidentally been routed alongside

the liner or even in some other
direction. If this should happen, the

wire could feed inside the cable
casing or take a right angle and follow

the wires and gas hose inside the
welder. It could also feed back on

itself jamming up the mechanism.

11. Line the wire up in the inside groove
of the drive roller, then allow the

drive tension arm to drop onto the
drive roller.

12. Tighten (turn clockwise)the drive

tension adjusting screw until the
tension roller is applying enough

force on the wire to prevent it from

slipping out of the drive assembly.

13. Let go of the wire.

14. Connect the welder power cord to

the ac power source. Turn the

welder POWER switch ON. Set the
VOLTAGE switch to the voltage

(heat) setting recommended for the
gauge metal that is to be welded.
Refer to the label mounted on the

cover, inside the drive
compartment, for recommended

voltage (heat) settings for your

welding job. The VOLTAGE
selector controls the weld heat.

There are eight voltage (heat)

selections (numbered 1 through 8)
available on this welder.

Numbered position 1 provides the
lowest voltage (heat) and position
8 the highest voltage (heat).

15. Set the WIRE SPEED control to the
middle of the wire speed range.

16. Pull the trigger on the welding gun

to feed the wire through the gun

assembly.

17. When at least an inch of wire sticks
out past the end of the gun, release

the trigger.

18. Select a contact tip stamped with
the same diameter as the wire

being used. If stamped in metric,
see DESCRIPTION.

19. Slide the contact tip over the wire
(protruding from the end of the

gun). Thread the contact tip into
the end of the gun and hand-tighten

securely.

20. Install the nozzle on the gun
assembly. For best results, coat the

inside of the nozzle with anti-stick
spray or gel (part #4312, not

supplied).

21. Cut off the excess wire that extends
past the end of the nozzle.

SET THE WIRE DRIVE
TENSION

WARNING

To reduce the risk of arc flash, make
certain that the wire coming out of
the end of the gun does not come in
contact with the workpiece clamp or
any grounded material during the
drive tension setting process or
arcing will occur.

1,

Pull the trigger on the gun.

2.

Turn the drive tension adjustment
knob clockwise, increasing the

drive tension until the wire seems
to feed smoothly without slipping.

3,

Block the end of the nozzle by
holding it up against something

that doesn't conduct electricity,
such as a block of wood or a

concrete floor, then trigger the gun
again. The wire should slip at the
drive roller. However, if the wire
bird-nests at the drive roller,

rethread the drive system using
less drive tension and try again.

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4, When the drive tension is set

correctly, there should be no
slippage between the wire and the

drive roller. However, if an
obstruction occurs along the wire

feed path, the wire should then slip

on the drive roller.

PREPARATION

CHANGE POLARITY

This welder allows you the capability to

change the welding current polarity.
You may select either dc Straight (dc -
Flux Cored) or dc Reverse Polarity (dc +
MIG). For welding steel with solid wire,
stainless steel, flux cored hardfacing of
steel, and silicon bronze welding of
steel, select dc Reverse Polarity (dc +
MIG). When using self-shielding, flux-
core steel wire, use dc Straight Polarity
(dc - Flux Cored).

Change the polarity of your welder
according to the following procedure steps.
Figure 8 shows what the polarity block
should look like for each polarity setting.

WARNING

Electric shock can kill! Always turn the
POWER switch OFF and unplug the
power cord from the ac power source
before changing polarity.

CAUTION

Do not use a ratchet, crescent or other
lever type wrench to tighten the nuts

on the polarity bus. The nuts must be

hand tightened with a 7/16 inch nut

driver only. Too much torque applied
to the one of the nuts could cause the

threaded post to break off.

Tools Required:

• 7/16 inch nut driver

1,

With a 7/16 inch nut driver, remove
all four nuts and pull out the

vertically mounted copper straps.

2,

Replace the copper straps
horizontally in the dc Straight

Polarity (dc - Flux Cored)
configuration shown in Figure 6.

DC+ DC
MIG FLUX CORED

Figure 6. Welder Polarity Selections

3. Start the four nuts on the four
connecting posts and hand snug

each nut with the 7/16 nut driver.
Do not use a ratchet, crescent or

other lever type wrench.

15

Operation of this welder consists of
selecting and adjusting operating
controls for optimum voltage (welding
heat) and wire speed settings.

CONTROLS AND
INDICATORS

WARNING

Electric shock can kill! To remove

the risk of electric shock, be aware
that the VOLTAGE selector, when

OFF, does not remove power from all
internal circuitry in the welder.

POWER - This welder has a POWER
switch mounted on the front panel. The

POWER switch is used to initiate (turn

the welder ON) or extinguish (turn the

welder OFF) ac power to the welder.

VOLTAGE SELECTOR - The voltage
selector controls the welding heat. The
voltage selector provides continuous
voltage (heat) adjustment but has
reference number settings 1-8.
Number 1 is the lowest voltage (heat)
setting and number 8 the highest. Refer

to the label under the welder hood for
recommended voltage (heat) settings

for your welding job.
WIRE SPEED CONTROL - The WIRE

SPEED CONTROL adjusts the speed at
which the wire is fed out of the welding
gun. The wire speed needs to be
closely matched (tuned-in) to the rate at
which it is being melted off (see
TUNING IN THE WIRE SPEED, (in the
Welding Instruction Guide). Some
things that affect wire speed selection
are the type and diameter of the wire
being used, the heat setting selected,
and the welding position to be used.

16

GENERAL

This welder has been engineered to give

many years of trouble-free service
providing that a few very simple steps
are taken to properly maintain it.

1. Keep the wire drive compartment lid
closed at all times unless the wire

needs to be changed or the drive

tension needs adjusting.

2. Keep all consumables (contact tips,
nozzles, and gun liner) clean and
replace when necessary. See

CONSUMABLE MAINTENANCE
AND TROUBLESHOOTING later in

this section for detailed information.

3,

Replace power cord, ground cable,
ground clamp, or gun assembly

when damaged or worn.

4,

Periodically clean dust, dirt, grease,
etc. from your welder. Every six
months or as necessary, remove

the side panels from the welder and

air-blow any dust and dirt that may
have accumulated inside the

welder.

WARNING

ELECTRIC SHOCK CAN KILL! To

reduce the risk of electric shock, always
unplug the welder from its ac power
source before removing side panels.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN
THE CONSUMABLES TO AVOID THE
NEED FOR PREMATURE
REPLACEMENT OF THE GUN
ASSEMBLY.

The GUN LINER is intended to provide
an unrestricted path for the welding wire
to flow through the gun assembly. Over
time it will accumulate dust, dirt, and
other debris. Replacement is necessary
when these accumulations begin to
restrict the free flow of wire through the
gun assembly.

REPLACE A GUN LINER

When removing or installing a gun liner,
care must be taken not to kink or

otherwise damage the gun liner or
replacement will be necessary. See
Figure 7 for the drive assembly and
Figure 8 for the gun assembly.

17