WTF... I have a small Lincoln Electric mig welder. I snapped the hose fitting that connects the hose to the gauges.The piece that I snapped is a 1/8 male for the guage side to a 3/8 female to the hose side. Oh well, should be an easy fix . So I thought. I go to multiple welding shops, multiple auto stores and even home depot. I can't even find peices to rig something together in multiple pieces . So, I finally call Lincoln. I tell the guy what I need. He has no clue. Finally I get a part number from him and he tells me to call there subsidiary company to order the part. I call the subsidiary company (Harris ?) and get someone on the phone. I tell her my story and what I need. She then asks me for my account number. I say I don't have one. She says that I need to go to one of there distributers to get the part, I can't order from them direct. After getting info for a distibuter near me, I hang up and head over there. Now I enter the distributer and show them what I need. They don't have it. She tells me I have to send out my regulator to the factory for $65.00 because its a safety issue and apparently I am too stupid to connect the hose to the regulator myself . Meanwhile when you buy the unit, you connect the other side yourself. I don't understand it. All I need is a $2.00 coupling. I did not want to wait fo rmy regulator to get sent out, fixed and returned. I need to use my welder over the nex't few days. So I had to buy a new regulator for $90.00 . Again...WTF.
On stuff like this, I've found that small "mom and pop" type hardware stores are a lot better than Lowes or Home Depot.
Regulator got hit and damaged on my Daytona Mig. Bought a better regulator set up online [not from Daytona - previous parts service problem - worthy of a whole 'nuther rant] but fittings didn't match and couldn't find any combination of "adapter fittings" locally. Figgured dealing with an inert gas only problem might be loosing $$ [as well as poorer welds] with a leak so wound up making my own by using some "standard" stuff off the hardware store rack, slipping one inside the other and sealing with JB Weld in a couple of stages. Used grease to protect the threaded portions and flushed out with carb cleaner after. WOULD NOT TRY ON ANY THING TO DO WITH OXYGEN LINES. Gave it a soapy water leak test, checked OK, no problems since I did it 3 or 4 months ago. Guard mounted on the cart to protect the regulator/fittings is now on the "to do someday list". Ed
going from 1/8" male pipe thread to 3/8" barb should not be a big problem..any good hardware store should have what you need looking in my Weatherhead catalog part # 1068x6x2.....your local Napa store should be able to get it , or at least cross it toEdelmann
The first thing you have to do is find someone at the store that actually knows something about the fittings, and is willing to help a customer. I used to manage an Ace Hardware store and we had a teriffic stainless steel nut/bolt selection, and all the brass fittings you could want. If there wasn't a one piece available, it would be KISS simple to do it within two adapters. The owner was an old school hardware man, and mandated that, short of a pickle barrel in the entry way, it was to be operated with the values/service of a 1950's store. We stressed to the employees that if they were asked a question and didn't know the answer, they darn well better ask every other employee in the store, before they sent the customer away. If an employee didn't make every attempt to help the customer, they were quickly known as former employees.
Next time try to find a hydraulic hose repair company. They repair hoses for everything from dump trucks to John Deere's. They don't care who made it. All they care about is which standardized threads are required to fix it and they will have them in stock. Contractors and farmers don't like to wait either.
i agree with hustlinhillbilly , fittings are something that about 99.99999999% of store employees do not understand. they seam to be happy with telling you they don't have that and you walking away..even though they may have it or could get it. it doesn't matter if it's an auto parts , big box , or hardware store after telling my local parts stores for many years how lame they were... the owner of the Napa gave me a Weatherhead catalog and told me to look up what i wanted in the future. the Carquest store gave me an Edelmann catalog. it shouldn't have to be this way , but it does make things a lot easier. now i just walk in and tell them the numbers i guess what i'm trying to say poor service is almost normal now....if you are in this hobby and what to stay sane , do what you need to become self reliant
Wow! The owner of that store should be given a medal! I would pay extra for that kind of customer service every time.
I went to Napa. Great guys that know there shit. The problem is the way the fitting is flared. But i will keep looking. Hate to get rid of a good set of gauges for something like this. I guess i'll try a hydraulic place next.
I know the pic request around here are pretty stupid, but can you post a simple pic of the piece you broke. We might have a spare at the weldshop I can send ya. I've made brass lines to purge my personal tanks, one to the other. Like when my knee high tank runs empty and I need that specific tank. Anyway....I really can't see this being super hard to acquire and if we have a simple piece at the shop, I'd be glad to help. We keep alot of junk welders around for parts to repair others. Carl Hagan
Go find you an HVAC parts store...Baker Dist. they are local in B.R., they will have a assortment of brass fittings to do anything you want to do. And if you don't want to go find them, find a Hose, and Hydraulics repair shop.
Like this? www.mcmaster.com <TABLE class=FullWidthBorder border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=PartNbr>5350K26</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left><TABLE class=FullWidthBorder border=0 cellSpacing=5 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=PartNbrDesc>Zinc-Plated Steel Barbed Hose Fitting Thk-Wall Adapter, 3/8" Hose ID X 1/8" NPT Male Pipe</TD></TR><TR><TD class=PriceInfo align=left>In stock at $1.98 Each</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> McMaster Carr rocks, usually get things the very next day you order them.
Did you break the fitting that's on the rubber hose that goes from the Tank to the Regulator.........or the hose fitting that goes from the Regulator to the Machine.......or did you break the fitting sticking out of the back of the welding machine that the rubber hose attaches too. Carl
So being a shielding gas they must be afraid you'll stop yourself from getting blown up from a leak then?? Cuz it aint like it's flammible
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