10
KNOW YOUR WELDER
Handle – Rugged, top mounted handle
allows for easy transport of your welder.
Wire Speed Control – Use this dial to adjust
the speed at which the welder feeds wire to the
gun. 1 is the slowest wire feed speed, 10 is the
highest. You will need to adjust or “tune-in”
your wire speed for different welding conditions
(thickness of metals, gas -vs- gasless welding,
metal type, wire size, etc.). When the wire speed
is properly “tuned-in” the welding wire will melt
into the material you are welding as quickly as
it is fed through the welding gun.
Voltage Selector – The voltage selectors
control the weld heat. There are six voltage
heat selections available on this welder. Lower
voltage (less heat) is achieved by setting the
Voltage Selector Switch to the MIN position
and/or the Voltage Selector Dial to a lower
number. Higher voltage (more heat) is
achieved by setting the Voltage Selector
Switch to the MAX position and/or the
Voltage Selector Dial to a higher number.
Different materials and material thickness will
require different voltage settings. You will
need to adjust your voltage accordingly for
different welding conditions. By properly
adjusting your voltage settings and wire feed
speed, you will enable clean, precision welds.
(Refer to the Suggested Settings Chart on p.33
of this manual OR on the inside of the door of
the welder.)
Power Switch – This switch turns the welder
ON and OFF. (Make sure the power switch is
in the OFF position before performing any
maintenance on the welder.)
Power Cord – This is a standard, 230 volt
power cord with a NEMA 6-50P 50 amp
plug. (Make sure you are using a properly
grounded 230 VAC, 60Hz, single phase, 50
amp power source.)
Ground Clamp – Attaching the ground
clamp to your work piece “completes” the
welding current circuit. You must attach the
ground clamp to the metal you are welding.
If the ground clamp is not connected to the
metal work piece you intend to weld, the
welder will not have a completed circuit and
you will be unable to weld. A poor connec-
tion at the ground clamp will waste power
and heat. Scrape away dirt, rust, scale, oil or
paint before attaching the ground clamp.
Ground Cable – The ground cable connects
the ground clamp to the internal workings of
the welder.
Welding Gun and Cable – The welding gun
controls the delivery of the welding wire to the
material to be welded. The welding wire is fed
through the welding cable and welding gun
when the welding gun trigger is pulled. You will
need to install a contact tip and welding nozzle
to the end of the welding gun, as described
later in this manual, prior to welding.
Welding Terms
Now that you are familiar with the main
parts of the welder, make note of the follow-
ing terms. You will see them used through-
out this manual.
weld puddle: The localized volume of molten
metal in a weld prior to its solidification.
weld angle: The angle of the welding wire,
as it extends from the welding gun, in rela-
tion to the item being welded.
slag: The protective coating that forms on
the surface of molten metal.
arc: A sustained luminous discharge of elec-
tricity across a gap in a circuit.
welding bead: The extended build up of a weld,
made by pushing or pulling the weld puddle.
Figure 1. Model Cat. 3175
Welding Gun
Ground
Clamp
Power
Cable
Ground
Cable
Voltage
Selector
Dial
Power
Switch
Wire
Speed
Gun
Cable
Handle
Voltage Selector Switch
