OK, now to further muddy the waters: When you are using these 110V Migs make sure you are on a DEDICATED OUTLET as stated in the instructions, these little units are vary sensitive to voltage input. Be extremely careful when using extension cords on these units for the very same reason. These littke units are very capable in the right conditions, BUT they can leave a weak weld that does look pretty. John
OMG...... to sum this up........... use about 20-35 psi, a GOOD regulator and dont listen to that darkhorse dude. oh.. and rock some welding lenses... or ill hurt you ha.
Ok, one of my questions was answered in this post, but the other question is what size bottle is best to use in a small home shop? Thanks, later plmczy
here's some sizes, I have two sets, one big for in the shop and one small for haulin' around. I would think something right in the middle would be fine for home use, like the 125cf O2 and the 75cf Acc. Paul
[ QUOTE ] OK, now to further muddy the waters: When you are using these 110V Migs make sure you are on a DEDICATED OUTLET as stated in the instructions, these little units are vary sensitive to voltage input. Be extremely careful when using extension cords on these units for the very same reason. These littke units are very capable in the right conditions, BUT they can leave a weak weld that does look pretty. John [/ QUOTE ] Where is the best place to put the dedicated outlet for a 110 mig welder? If you have to an extension cord, how heavy a cord should you use? Thanks,later plmczy
If you can: put one recepticle on each side of the shop off the same circut. Label them "welder only". I ran 12GA to each of the recipticles and then made an extension cord with 10 GA. This is for the 110V Hobart Handler 135 For the 230V H175 I made one outlet using 10 GA and made a 25' extension cord using 8 GA. If you have any doubts, please consult a qualified electrician, I am not one; but I did ask one if my setup was safe. Another addition: I TRY to run my extension cords one GA larger than the recepticle supply. John
Cool, I have a Hobart 125 so that should be plenty enough. I have a small 2 car garage so outlets on both sides in the middle of the wall should work out just fine. Thanks for the info guy's. later plmczy
I prefer to use a flowmeter with my regulator. I don't weld every day but I did stay at a Holiday Inn express last night. I like helium for the Tig , when you get tired of welding you can take garbage bags and write ransom notes on them. Fill them with Helium and set them free. It's more fun than welding anyway.
Interesting stuff. Here's what works for me along with a couple of safe, but inadvertent experiments. First up, a dedicated outlet for the welder is nice and a good idea, but it works about as well to simply use the outlet closest to the meter/panel on the 120V welders. (I use a Miller 130 fwiw and really like it.) If you have an older house with 14 gage wire and probably 2 prong outlets, you need to do what BanzaiToyota has done and run a grounded (three prong) 120V circuit with 12 gage wire. And watch it with the extension cords as well. I like his recommendation on using a large one. What's happening is, use a smaller extension cord and the voltage at the welder is down and you're not getting the voltage and amps you have dialed in or at the least are tryuing to use. If you're welding thinner stuff and the machine would be selected to one of the lower settings, then going up one setting if you're using a small extension cord should work ok. A lot of it depends on how long the house circuit is. Fwiw - I had a one HP air compressor plugged into the furthest out 120V outlet in the garage and the compressor would trip the breaker about half the time when it started. Moving the compressor to a plug - on the same circuit - that was closer to the meter/panel allowed the compressor to function just fine. Right before I bought the little MIG, I had a TIG frequency adapter gadget on my AC/DC buzz box. It worked pretty well, but was a ***** to start cuz it didn't have foot pedal. You set the welder amps, laid the ceramic cup on the metal sideways and tipped it until the arc fired and then you could start welding. As you can imagine, the tungsten stuck to the base metal more than a few times. So, owning a weirdo TIG setup I ended up with a tank of straight argon - mit regulator similar to an Oxy-Acet regulator - and it worked with that gas just fine. When I bought the Miller 130 MIG I asked the welding shop guy if straight argon worked with the MIG. He ***ured me that it did. It didn't. I couldn't believe how poor the beads and penetration was and I'd done a smidge of MIG welding with my friends larger 240V Miller. Went back and swapped for the Argon/Co2 mix. Worked great. Saved up my quarters, worked some OT and got a Miller Econotig*. Same welding shop guy ***ured me the TIG would work fine with the Argon/C02 mix. The TIG wouldn't weld worth a damn with the Argon/Co2 mix. The welds were sad and there was a light brown residue left along the bead area. (I'm not the greatest welder, but I did - at the time - ok with arc and better with Oxy-Acet.) Went back and bought another regulator - same style as Oxy-Acet, got a bottle of straight Argon and the TIG worked pretty good. Then I found the welding shop guy was a salesman and not a welder. Talking to the welding shop owner I got good advice, but the salesman was interested more in the sale than knowing about the product. *The early style Miller Econo-Tigs don't have a controllable pedal like the later ones do. It's more of a set the level on the machine and use the pedal to fire the arc. Never did care for it and after talking to a Miller rep found that Miller did it that way so new TIG welding guys and gals would find it easier to learn. Worked backwards in my opinion. Sold the Econo-TIG to a friend - outlining the reasons why prior to - and it works ok for him in welding thin stuff in a semi-production setting. I bought a Miller Synchro-Wave TIG and I'm more than happy with it. It starts easy, I hardly ever screw up the tunsten and it makes nice welds - provided I do my part. I'm still prone to lay on the heat a little too much, but I'm learning. Incidentally the little Miller 130 is rated to 3/16" single p*** steel welds and it's worked fine for building the 31's ch***is. A few of the more experienced welders have recommended against it for welding 1/8" or welding 3/16" to 1/8", but I think they are thinking welding speed on a sorta production line basis. They are correct in stating you need to watch it and be sure to get good penetration when using the smaller welder, but they prefer the larger ones. So would I if I had one and I'm saving my quarters towards that. Bout half way there now. My most interesting welding story - interesting to me at least - is the guy little brother brought over so I could do some welding for him . . . for free. In the middle of the job, he looks at my lightweight aluminum Marquette Oxy-Acet welder and states, "I wouldn't have nothin but a Victor." I told him they were nice, but also noted he didn't have a welder and was at my garage getting free welding so it shouldn't make too much difference. I didn't have to tell little brother not to bring the ***hole around anymore....
as I think someone said....Mig stands for metal inert gas.... this is the mane of the welding process... with bare wire you need to have some shielding gas covering the weld to keep the molten metal from getting contaminated by oxygen... co2 is the cheap gas for this... argon will work too... so will helium... mixed g***es are also available... and also increase weld strength... for most folks CO2 works great... I think the question was how much gas?????? the answer is just enough to keep the weld covered.... don't use more than you need... and the machine does not regulate the gas.... if there's a breeze... use more gas in the shop use less... don't mig in the wind.. it'll blow the gas away...you can also switch to flux core... the process is known as FCAW (Flux core arc welding) no gas required....
anybody here using a thumb trigger with their tig? there have been a few times where I'm crawling around and trying to weld something, when I'm on my knees I find it next to impossible with the foot control. of the guys using them, do you switch back and forth or use the thumb control exclusively? anything to watch for when shopping for one? besides salesmen that don't know their products I'm still learning on the tig and mostly use the mig.. Paul
[ QUOTE ] I prefer to use a flowmeter with my regulator. [/ QUOTE ] a flow meatered regulater is a good thing to use on eather a tig or mig. high velosity gas ****s oxygen into the envelope. it's inportent to open the valve all the way to the top on any high pressure gas bottle, the packing in the valve stem cant hold the pressure and the gas escapes so the valves are designed to seal at both ends. i use argon for mig and tig welding. I don't like to add carbon (co2) to a weld. heleum being lighter than air wants to move the gas envelope up from the surface of the weld.(might be good for overhead welding)
[ QUOTE ] anybody here using a thumb trigger with their tig? Paul [/ QUOTE ] I use the thumb control 99 percent of the time. When I have used the foot control it's been when I'm comfortably positioned at a bench so I can control it, but I really like the thumb better. Had to use it for a while when my thumb control broke and had to be repaired by Miller. I've actually gotten used to the thumb control in either hand, and in my right hand I have used it holding the torch like a pencil and operating it with my index finger to get into tight spaces ( but not my favorite position). What I hate about mine is the cable jacket comes apart at the base of the control and everytime the high frequency hits I get a major jolt off the ground wire in the cable. Lots of fun welding Aluminum that way. I've repaired it several times but it keeps coming apart. My control is held on with velcro which makes it easy when I switch from right to left hands, I just rotate the control over slightly to make it comfortable.
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] I prefer to use a flowmeter with my regulator. [/ QUOTE ] a flow meatered regulater is a good thing to use on eather a tig or mig. high velosity gas ****s oxygen into the envelope. it's inportent to open the valve all the way to the top on any high pressure gas bottle, the packing in the valve stem cant hold the pressure and the gas escapes so the valves are designed to seal at both ends. i use argon for mig and tig welding. I don't like to add carbon (co2) to a weld. heleum being lighter than air wants to move the gas envelope up from the surface of the weld.(might be good for overhead welding) [/ QUOTE ] just clarifying something, though i don't know the reasons, but i know some are probably confused, re: regulator vs. flowmeter. a regulator will have guages to read, the flowmeter has a clear plastic tube, with a little floaty ball in it, when you are on the trigger, you watch to see how high the ball floats(indicating gas flow). i'n not sure the differance in function, but "real" weldors seem to prefer a flowmeter. and whats this about "adding carbon" with co2? never heard of such a thing, as far as i know carbon dioxide is not carbon. but then what do i know, i've never tried argon with my oxy/acet rig!
Doing the one legged dance with the foot pedal is where I have a tough time. The thumb control sounds like a good way to go since most of the TIG stuff I want to do is not at a workbench. What's required for the thumb trigger? I'm guessing an extra wire or two going to the torch or do you need to buy a whole new torch? Either way, what's a rough price on a thumb trigger?
[ QUOTE ] Doing the one legged dance with the foot pedal is where I have a tough time. [/ QUOTE ] it do make for an odd lookin skip. 'was doin some down low stuff and ended up tuckin the pedal in my armpit ta git it done the thumb controls I've seen were taped to the torch and plugged in just like your pedal. Paul here's a Lincoln one for a A QUARTER OF A THOUSAND DOLLARS! I wasn't expecting that much but I geuss in reality that's prolly 'bout right.. Hand Amptrol
[ [/ QUOTE ] and whats this about "adding carbon" with co2? never heard of such a thing, as far as i know carbon dioxide is not carbon. but then what do i know, i've never tried argon with my oxy/acet rig! [/ QUOTE ] CO2 one part Carbon two parts of Oxygen. in extreme heat(welding)componds can break down and recombine with other atoms. pogo
Paul, nearly finished my TIG welding course, and we've been pushed by the teachers to use just the thumb control units (as opposed to the foot control units). Being a learner, I fumbled at first getting coordinated etc, but, I expect, anyone who has prior experience with a TIG would pick it up really easily. Cheers, Drewfus
[ QUOTE ] What's required for the thumb trigger? I'm guessing an extra wire or two going to the torch or do you need to buy a whole new torch? Either way, what's a rough price on a thumb trigger? [/ QUOTE ] The thumb control attaches to your existing torch and adds a small cable to the group that goes back to the welder. I bought mine a few years back and at that time it was $124 from Miller. They call it an RCC-14 Fingertip Control.
Ray, a regulator is for setting a maximum pressure of gas flowing through it, and it will read zero unless you have some resistance to the gas going through. If you plug the flow of gas it will read whatever pressure you set it to. Hence the inaccuracy for using it welding with MIG or TIG, as the actual flow will vary with the size of outlet you have on your handset. A flowmeter tells you exactly how much 'volume' of gas you have going through a pipe or welding nozzle.It will tell you cubic metres per minute, or cubic feet. etc. This is what pro-welders use. Usually it is a ball sitting in a close fitting tube, and the gas pushes the ball upwards and you read off the calibrations marked on the side. However, you will still need a regulator to control the flow of gas.
Thanks, guys, for salvaging this post and turning it from something really idiotic to something really informative!
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