Abstract: A controller and method for adjusting an output welding parameter of a D.C. electric arc welder for controlling a welding process wherein a welding wire is advanced toward a workpiece while an arc voltage is applied across the advancing wire and the workpiece, the control and method comprise measuring the rate of spatter events and then adjusting the output parameter to maintain the measured rate of spatter events at a selected rate in the range of 10-30 spatter events per second.

Abstract: A method and system of determining the feedability of a continuous welding wire having a known diameter, said method and system comprising the steps of providing a supply of welding wire; pushing the wire by a wire feeder through a welding cable having a given long length and terminating in a welding gun with a tubular contact tip with a wire receiving passage generally matching the selected diameter of said welding wire, sensing the reactive force of the wire feeder as it pushes the wire through the cable and the tip; and causing a generally fixed current to flow between the contact tip and a workpiece whereby the advancing welding wire is melted and transferred to the workpiece in accordance with a given welding process.

Abstract: A system for locating a voltage sensitive parameter of an electric arc welding wire, which parameter is indicative of the welder perceived welding characteristics of said wire, said system comprises: means for feeding said wire toward a workpiece; means for applying a voltage between said wire and said workpiece whereby a welding arc is created between said wire and said workpiece to melt and deposit said wire onto said workpiece by a voltage sensitive arc welding procedure; means for gradually changing said applied voltage whereby said welding procedure shifts through a transfer region and between spray and globular welding; means detecting the actual voltage between the wire and workpiece as said applied voltage is changed; means for sensing each time when said actual voltage decreases below a selected threshold voltage; means for averaging the sensed number of times; means for detecting the applied voltage value when the averaged sensed number of times equals a selected number; and, means for selecting sai

Abstract: A storage reel for copper coated iron welding electrode wire comprises a tubular core of plywood having opposite ends and flanges of plywood at the opposite ends. A vapor barrier layer preferably having outer layers of aluminum foil and an intermediate layer of paper is bonded to the axially inner surfaces of the flanges to provide a barrier against the migration of moisture and other vapor contaminate in the wood material to the welding electrode wire wound on the reel. A method of constructing the reel is also disclosed.