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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Location
    Australia
    Age
    33
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    3

    Default Wire spool friction spring/"brake" too tight - Cigweld Weldskill 185

    Hi all,
    I've just bought my first welder (Cigweld Weldskill 185) and I'm setting it up for the first time with a mini 100mm 0.9kg spool. The instruction manual states to install the minispool, then the spacer, spring and finally nut. The problem I've encountered is that to get the nut threaded on even in the slightest I have to compress the spring so much that the wirespool is held in too tight. Apparently the spool is meant to be loose enough to rotate a fraction after the mig trigger is released so as to not provide too much resistance to the wirefeed rollers. But this is literally impossible as there isn't enough thread on the roller stem to loosen the nut that much without it popping off.

    Has anyone else had this problem? Any possible solutions? Last thing I want to do is wear out wirefeed components before I even teach myself how to weld properly!

    Thanks in advance!
    Dan

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    Welcome to the Forums.


    The spring in its current length is providing too much force/compression/whatever you want to call it.

    The solution is to reduce that force. I suggest a shorter spring. It is an easy fix.

    If you can, locate a another spring and grind/cut the length back to what is shorter than the length of the original spring. Remove at least enough spring length to give a full nut and washer. It could be trial and error process.

    If you mess it up the first time you still have the original. Maybe important if still unit is under warranty.

    Take your spring into a Bunnings where they are likely to have a Century(brand) spring assortment and you can compare. Springs are only a few $.

    Grahame

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Melb, Vic
    Posts
    12

    Default

    I’d be inclined to pull it apart and recheck the orientation. Even try a few different combos as I’ve had a few Cigweld machines and always found plenty of adjustment range for spool tension - from it ain’t gonna spin; to hold-on that’s an awful mess of wire.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Location
    Australia
    Age
    33
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    3

    Default

    Thanks guys much appreciated!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    Hi Dan
    When you get it all sorted can you possibly leave some feedback on what you had to do to get your mig spool / feed performing as it should?

    This could assist some one else in the same boat either now or in the future.

    Thanks

    Grahame

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Location
    Australia
    Age
    33
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    Default

    So to get around this I ended up just removing the spring from the assembly and threading the nut on to the spacer. Basically only tightened it in the very slightest so I could easily rotate the spool but so it wouldn't unravel itself. You could even put a bit of grease/Vaseline between the nut and the spacer if you wanted as well, but I didn't find it necessary.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2021
    Location
    Auckland
    Posts
    1

    Default Wire Spool Friction Spring

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan890 View Post
    So to get around this I ended up just removing the spring from the assembly and threading the nut on to the spacer. Basically only tightened it in the very slightest so I could easily rotate the spool but so it wouldn't unravel itself. You could even put a bit of grease/Vaseline between the nut and the spacer if you wanted as well, but I didn't find it necessary.
    I ended up trying the same thing the plastic nut is very cheap and poor design. In the end I put a rubber grommet in place of the spring it had enough springiness to do the same job

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by M Whittaker View Post
    I ended up trying the same thing the plastic nut is very cheap and poor design. In the end I put a rubber grommet in place of the spring it had enough springiness to do the same job
    Hi M Whittaker
    Welcome to our Metal Work Forums.
    As a new member I think it may be a good idea to introduce yourself to the mob in our Welcome Wagon forum.

    At the moment we don't know you from a bar of soap and its a good way to break the ice.

    In addition, a good introduction can sometimes help ,those people answering a question have a idea of your background and experience or lack of ,if you are a novice. If they can better understand what sort of metalworking you do they can respond more appropriately and usually much quicker.

    Tell us about yourself ,your metalwork interests and about the metalwork tools and equipment you have and the projects you have interest in.


    To navigate around our forums and also find the welcome wagon do ( it is sixth line down- see the directions below)

    goto the Home box (its up there in the top left hand corner of the page-rectangle with Home and a small white arrow in the rectangle box)

    Click on it.
    A drop down menu appears with a 5 line drop down list.

    Select Forum Home at the top of the drop down menu list. Scan down the titles to look at the sub forum and its help pages.

    Please make an effort to read the TOU'S -Terms of Use -our Rules - pretty standard for many forums these days.

    By joining the forum its automatic that they apply to you as a member. Not having read the the TOUs won't be of help if someone does not follow them.

    Members are deemed to automatically accept those rules when joining but its good to read and understand them.

    Sometimes the soft ware works so you can't post pics or links until 10 posts are made ( or such links and pics are cleared by a mod)

    Its anti spam thing.

    There are all sorts of forums that might be parallel with your interests, found as described above.
    FOR any other queries about how the forum works please PM me.

    PS a good tip is to check the date of the post you are replying to.This one is only a year old and still is reasonably current. Some posts can be years old and can lose relevance over time.

    Again a big Welcome !

    Grahame

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