I'm using a ThermalArc air cooled setup. Recently, while welding with my WP9 torch every weld went to CRAPOLA! The puddles boiled and when they cooled were porous, with BIG voids. VERY UGLY. I had gas and good flow. But I had just gotten a new bottle or argon, so I suspected the gas might have been suspect. I showed photos to two highly experienced master-welders of all disciplines and both felt that the problem was the gas. But they suggested trying different torches before getting a new bottle. Sunuvagun! The WP24 and WP17 worked fine. So it seems that my WP9 has issues. I suspect that I may have overcooked it at some time and it's pulling in air at the fittings in the head. Now I'm shopping for a new WP9 and wondering if there are any benefits to 1 piece versus 2 piece cables to consider. My "old" WP 9 was 1 piece and my WP24 & 17 are 2 piece. So I have everything I need to connect either way at the machine. The prices seem to be the same for either cable type. But is either type more durable? Or does either type run cooler in a non-water cooled setup?
Don't you just need a torch head? You don't need to buy cables and everything.theMucker wrote:I'm using a ThermalArc air cooled setup. Recently, while welding with my WP9 torch every weld went to CRAPOLA! The puddles boiled and when they cooled were porous, with BIG voids. VERY UGLY. I had gas and good flow. But I had just gotten a new bottle or argon, so I suspected the gas might have been suspect. I showed photos to two highly experienced master-welders of all disciplines and both felt that the problem was the gas. But they suggested trying different torches before getting a new bottle. Sunuvagun! The WP24 and WP17 worked fine. So it seems that my WP9 has issues. I suspect that I may have overcooked it at some time and it's pulling in air at the fittings in the head. Now I'm shopping for a new WP9 and wondering if there are any benefits to 1 piece versus 2 piece cables to consider. My "old" WP 9 was 1 piece and my WP24 & 17 are 2 piece. So I have everything I need to connect either way at the machine. The prices seem to be the same for either cable type. But is either type more durable? Or does either type run cooler in a non-water cooled setup?
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UNLESS, he actually cooked the cables at the torch end fitting. That thing gets super hot, especially when doing AC welding. It will dry rot the hose and make it look like it is 50yrs old sitting out in the sun, in short order. Once you get dry/heat rot, there are cracks that will develop right at the fitting at the torch where it is the hottest and where there is the most stress from the hose hanging off that fitting. At that point, you can stick a fork in it and you need to buy a new cable.Cbking wrote:Don't you just need a torch head? You don't need to buy cables and everything.theMucker wrote:I'm using a ThermalArc air cooled setup. Recently, while welding with my WP9 torch every weld went to CRAPOLA! The puddles boiled and when they cooled were porous, with BIG voids. VERY UGLY. I had gas and good flow. But I had just gotten a new bottle or argon, so I suspected the gas might have been suspect. I showed photos to two highly experienced master-welders of all disciplines and both felt that the problem was the gas. But they suggested trying different torches before getting a new bottle. Sunuvagun! The WP24 and WP17 worked fine. So it seems that my WP9 has issues. I suspect that I may have overcooked it at some time and it's pulling in air at the fittings in the head. Now I'm shopping for a new WP9 and wondering if there are any benefits to 1 piece versus 2 piece cables to consider. My "old" WP 9 was 1 piece and my WP24 & 17 are 2 piece. So I have everything I need to connect either way at the machine. The prices seem to be the same for either cable type. But is either type more durable? Or does either type run cooler in a non-water cooled setup?
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Until things actually get inspected, we won't know what part is actually allowing the introduction of atmospheric oxygen into the shielding gas stream.
Even though Superflex cables are nice, I suspect that they may suffer the same fate if you are pushing the limits of your WP9, especially doing AC welding, as even 60-90A @65% EN will get that tiny wp9 very hot. One advantage IMO of two piece cables, is that they take a larger conductor which may be able to wick out more heat. I personally don't buy into the fact about the shielding gas cooling the conductor much because I wrote paragraph #1 above from previous experience. If the copper cable conductor inside the 1pc hose was cooled by flowing argon gas, I wouldn't have had to deal with the issue that I did. Oh I'm sure it does some cooling, but when you turn off your car/truck, does the temperature of the motor instantly go to ambient temperature? No, it doesn't. There is a lot of heat in the system. Same thing with 1pc cables. The copper conductor inside is still hot long after the argon has stopped flowing. Where is it the hottest? Right at the torch fitting because the torch was very close to a 1,500-2500°F+ electric welding arc.