tickhound93
ArboristSite Guru
Looking for some help on welder internals. If you can offer some advice let me know.
Thanks, Cody
Thanks, Cody
Any electrical engineers here? Or welder gurus?
- Thread starter tickhound93
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54stude
ArboristSite Operative
Weldingweb.com forum
tickhound93
ArboristSite Guru
Nothing wrong yet. Looking at different options for my new shop. Have a cheapo flux welder and a good ac/DC arc welder. What I really want and need is a tig, but don't have the funds for a nice miller or Lincoln etc. I'm the kinda guy who likes to make things work so my options
1. Buy a used acdc tig, still spendy
2. Buy a cheapo DC tig and learn to DC tig aluminum
3. Convert my arc welder to high frequency and set it up for tig, but I have no idea how.
I started this business without borrowing money and I want to keep it that way
1. Buy a used acdc tig, still spendy
2. Buy a cheapo DC tig and learn to DC tig aluminum
3. Convert my arc welder to high frequency and set it up for tig, but I have no idea how.
I started this business without borrowing money and I want to keep it that way
54stude
ArboristSite Operative
Need square wave? Have 100 amp plus service? Not sure how far this is from you, but for about 500 these are usually around on craigslist as a Miller 320 or 330 a/bp, or painted orange and branded as an airco.
https://rockford.craigslist.org/tls/5428440387.html
https://rockford.craigslist.org/tls/5428440387.html
tickhound93
ArboristSite Guru
I'm not sure what I have for service. As far as square wave I'm kinda lost. I haven't tigged in a couple years, and I didn't do much of it then. The link you posted is what I would like to find, but closer. I have a line on one but it supposedly kept popping the breaker or something.
54stude
ArboristSite Operative
Look up welding tips and tricks on you tube. Watch all of Jody's videos, practice, then ask questions.
tickhound93
ArboristSite Guru
I am very comfortable with a mig, for steel welding it is definitely suitable. Its the aluminum welding that I need a tig for. I have used spool guns for aluminum and I'm not a fan for my purposes. When I weld aluminum, its dirty, and a spool gun isn't so good for that. I've used a tig to repair busted Harley cases and that is the way to go
tickhound93
ArboristSite Guru
I like the idea of DC rigging aluminum, same gas for steel, good penetration, but I'm worried it will be too hot small stuff, say 16 gauge aluminum
tickhound93
ArboristSite Guru
Problem solved. Just got a miller 330 a/bp. Local deal. Its huge but it was cheap.
Hey good for you. Nothing wrong with used, I have a syncrowave 250 that I bought used. It is pretty heavy also. I use it for welding mag on chainsaws. They are pretty dirty also. I sand blast them before welding.
I think you made a good choice for doing your aluminum work on Harleys.
tickhound93
ArboristSite Guru
I am going the wrong way with my equipment, working on saws and bikes and ATVs means I should have small tools right? Wrong, my valve grinder has got to be one of the biggest made, my air compressor is 300 gallon, my new tig weighs 900 pounds, and I can fit a small block 350 Chevy in my parts washer. Size matters folks.
Dc tig is for areospace stuff with incredible purity in the stuff welded and incredible cleanliness in the prep. It isn't balloon grade helium. To think welding cast aluminum or magnesium falls into suitable for this process seems silly to me. I have played with helium and tig on steel never even thought of trying it for something usually done with ac.
Tig takes a lot of skill and most welding takes eyesight to be able to see what is actually going on. The first improvement to the tig ac machine is the penetrate /clean adjustment. Then there is pulse, then there is wave form, maybe even more by now. Then is learning how to use all of that.
Like post 2 here go to weldingweb and wander around there. There is nothing wrong with the library as well, you can order in books from elsewhere those of us dating to before the internet most likely have done this.
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