Technical Your TIG Welder and Best Tig Weld

Lincoln makes a slide amp control that goes on the torch finger operated in place of a foot pedal control works great when you in tight place, on your back, etc, don't remember $$. They also make a little lever control to go on the torch but that was $650.00 last I checked. Wiring properly, especially with TIG and high frequency is involved; the manual for the welder [in my case a Lincoln square wave 175 (1996)] will tell how to wire properly; it is involved with dedicated circuit, steel conduit and receptacles and grounds. Or you can cook a few computers like lightning could.

 

I have found that 308/309/310-16 tend to "fill in" pinholes in mild steel welds.(think a thinner/soupier puddle flowing over a mild steel weld with pinholes).
I can't see a think worng with the weld job you have done completed on your headers !! Nice work.
6sally6

 

Thanks for the reply. The remark about free air jogged my memory. Air is the culprit. I checked my argon line for a pin hole. Found none. Took the torch head apart and cleaned it. Turned the flow from 10 up to 15. Still used the S/S rod. Flowed like ****er. Test weld. Ground weld down flush. No porosity. Just like the old days. I'm thinking about getting a gas lens for this torch. Have one on my other welder.

 

I have wanted to TIG weld for years and have been following the great information in this this thread. I have decided to buy a Prime Weld 225x. I know I have a long learning curve ahead and have been watching hours of on line courses on Youtube. I do have a couple questions... I have a 220 volt 30 amp dryer plug, I intend to use. I notice people use a 50 amp breaker...will my 30 amp work? What size Argon bottle is good for a home shop?

 

Not at full power for that machine. I just looked at the specs for the PrimeWeld 225x. At 220v, it draws between 33 and 38 amps so you'l need a larger breaker. This was one of the reasons I went with the machine I went with. I can run full power on a 30A breaker.

 

Thank you , I will talk to an electrician friend of mine and have him do the needed upgrades.

 

I have three 150 Argon bottles, good size for a home shop. Much easier to handle than my 300.

 

Thank you, my plan is to go with a 150.

Thank you, My plan is to go with 150 bottle.
Marty, I have been following your Top Banana dragster build, your work is fantastic!

 

A full year has gone by without any progress on either project, I really need to get a TIG unit if anything is going to happen. Build a pile of money is step one, call an electrician and have an outlet installed in the ba*****t and garage panel after I decide what unit to buy. Still worry about frying the computer & TV.

 

I run an old 300/300 Lincoln never hurt any electronics. Does make the stereo volume change if I have the AC cranked up.

 

The reason I asked, when I used to drive up to the local welding shop the van radio would go nuts as soon as I got within sight of the building.

 

You can unplug everything that has electronics in it before you start.
It’s easier if the wife has gone out for the day, doesn’t interfere with her baking………..

 

Years ago I had an MSD-6A on my DD; the neighbors always knew when I came home because it would mess with their television reception.

 

I have found..... sharpening/re-sharpening Tungsten is WAYYY better using a belt sander than a grinding wheel.
I can get a nice point (for steel/stainless) and also keep a container of water handy to cool of the Tungsten when sharpening........
Works-for-me.....
6sally6

 

I spin it in a cord less drill on a belt sander also that way it doesn’t burn my fingers

 

Bob, you know what I can do!

 

I remember a long time ago we had a jar with a white paste and we would dip our Tungsten to sharpen it. Does any one remember this ?

 

When I was a kid, my mom had to plan our meals around the projects my dad and I had going in the garage. With 60 AMP service to the house, the 30 amp "Range Circuit" had to do double duty. She could also never figure out why the clock on the stove was never right. There's always a way.

 

The talk about the electrical service reminds me of a funny story from about 20 years ago in my, now retired, career as a UK equivalent of a US CPA. A client had 3 engineering businesses operating at separate locations and whilst they each operated in different fields there were obviously many duplications and huge savings to be made, as well as synergies, by consolidation to a single site. All three were to be moved to a newly built facility. Deals done, no going back. Then a problem arose. It was realised that the chest freezer sized tig plant(s) wouldn't work on the supply at the new location, the died in the wool guys said they needed the big machines to do their work, and the upgrade of the service was many hundreds of thousands of pounds / dollars. The owner had sleepness nights over this dilemma until he strongly persuaded to guys to try out one of the relatively new fangled inverter machines. After a very short test period the guys refused to return the inverter machine, demanded a few more, and the big old machines didn't make the move to the new facility!

My 185a ac/dc Lorch (German) machines will work fine off a 13a supply (standard UK) outlet without problem at moderate amperage. I have it on a dedicated 30a supply but rarely have the amps more than 120 or so, which is plenty for car building and other tasks around my home. We're not building ships!

Chris

 

I bought a 6” Bauer grinder that had been returned to HF, a diamond faced grinding wheel from Amazon for another $20 or $30, and mounted the whole thing in a little shelf screwed to the wall.

I also bought an inexpensive Skil cordless drill dedicated to sharpening tungsten.

Everything is dedicated to keep contamination down, and I can use the belt sander for other things.

 

I can still see the TIG bead on the bobbed rear fenders of the UFO-32, first TIG Weld on steel I'd ever seen.....PERFECT.

 

I thought Bob was allergic to electricity?

 

Yes, the invisible electricity, welding can be seen and produces a product. See you at Hershey Doug.