making the grooves for a mig feed roller?

[desbromilow]

I'm resurrecting an obsolete MIG welder and you can't buy feed rollers for it anymore.
I'm obviously looking to see what other models/ brands are adaptable, but if push comes to shove, I will consider making a feed roller to suit hard wire, and to suit flux core.

anyone got ideas on how to do the flux core one?

I figure the hard wire is simply a v groove of suitable depth, and the soft wire is a "u" shaped groove of similar depth (say 50% wire diameter)

thanks,
Des

[BuffaloJohn]

I found the flux core roller for my Millermatic 150 and it had a pattern in the groove. You might be able to find a Miller part that you could use/modify, or get fancy and make a groove with a knurl?

[rebuilder1954]

Hi, Des.

looking at my own welder, it reminds me of the knurls that Chris created in this video. perhaps this could work for you?

[tooly]

I used a knurl, Machined a piece of tool steel to a V shaped edge then used a straight knurl to impress a pattern on it, it made a good result on a prepared grove.

[desbromilow]

I used a knurl, Machined a piece of tool steel to a V shaped edge then used a straight knurl to impress a pattern on it, it made a good result on a prepared grove.

Thanks all - I'm looking at my options with modifying a Bossweld part, or using a dental bur (IC) to create the knurl, or the suggestion from tooly. Speed and ease may tilt towards the modification - but I will have a go at making one "for the exercise". working with 0.8 or 0.9mm wire means the groove and knurl will be small.

[jdurand]

you could run it against the side of a tap and simply cut a worm around it.

[trevor_60_r]

Thanks all - I'm looking at my options with modifying a Bossweld part, or using a dental bur (IC) to create the knurl, or the suggestion from tooly. Speed and ease may tilt towards the modification - but I will have a go at making one "for the exercise". working with 0.8 or 0.9mm wire means the groove and knurl will be small.

Hi Des, can you tell me what brand & size of the mig welder as I may have some parts from old welders

Thanks Trevor

[desbromilow]

Hi Des, can you tell me what brand & size of the mig welder as I may have some parts from old welders

Thanks Trevor

It's my Dad's old transMIG 190 - the rollers are 30mm in diameter. I found Bossweld offers a range of 30mm rollers which are 19mm wide, and that allows me to put a M5 set screw between the grooves (0.8 and 0.9 mm) to engage on the flat of the shaft.
The welder came to me broken down with some intermittent faults stopping the wire feed. I found nearly every connection inside was loose, and the pilot relay from the handpiece switch is on it's way out. I think I now have it fixed, so the next step is getting it to feed wire.

Des

[trevor_60_r]

A lot of the wire feed motors are 12v or 24v DC which you can test with a car battery. Most of the Mig stuff i have is the separate wirefeed units from 3 phase machines, I do have some spare feed rollers from some of them but not sure what diameter they are. There are heaps of different size and styles of rollers from different manufactures that i have seen in over 47 years as a boilermaker. I will see if I can have a look tomorrow what i have that comes close to the dimensions you have described. Some of the knurled rollers that are used on fluxcore wire are made in 2 halves split at the grove and held together with screws, that would make it a bit easier to knurl each half then clamp together align up the knurls and drill for screw holes. Just some of my thoughts for now.

Thanks Trevor

[desbromilow]

A lot of the wire feed motors are 12v or 24v DC which you can test with a car battery. Most of the Mig stuff i have is the separate wirefeed units from 3 phase machines, I do have some spare feed rollers from some of them but not sure what diameter they are. There are heaps of different size and styles of rollers from different manufactures that i have seen in over 47 years as a boilermaker. I will see if I can have a look tomorrow what i have that comes close to the dimensions you have described. Some of the knurled rollers that are used on fluxcore wire are made in 2 halves split at the grove and held together with screws, that would make it a bit easier to knurl each half then clamp together align up the knurls and drill for screw holes. Just some of my thoughts for now.

Thanks Trevor

Trevor,

Thanks for the suggestion on the split roller - I never thought of that option.