What type of tig torch, air-cooled or water-cooled, do you use for your gun work, and why?

For gun work, I have a 2016 Lincoln 200amp, AC/DC, Square Wave machine, and it came with a 17 torch. For welding handles and filling lock screw holes and other little tasks, it works just fine. The torch is air cooled. Production work is where you'd want water cooled. A machine that uses 230V runs much more stably than 120V machine. It's 200% better than the old fashioned AC/DC power source rigged up for a tig torch that we had in school 30+ yrs ago.

Air; you aren't going to bet welding long enough for water cooled. And I never need over 100 amps or so on bolt handles; usually less. I assume you already know how to weld.

Air cooled for the hobbyist.
Water cooled for the professional.

A #17 torch is cumbersome & transfers heat to the operator from the long collets & cups.
#18 is the water cooled version.

A #9 torch is maneuverable.held like holding a pen or pencil & uses short collets & cups.
#20 is the water cooled version.

C K Conley Kleppin(sp) torches are JUNK.

Thanks. I do know how to weld and have both air and water-cooled torches. I prefer the air for 95% of what I do, but I am not a professional. I was curious as to what those who do gunsmithing professionally use. I have an old Miller 320ABP welding power supply, plus a small Lincoln wire-feed. The Miller is an oldie but goodie.

Mine is a Miller Dial-Arc...had it for many years...water cooled. pretty big unit by todays standards, but lacks for nothing

quote:

Originally posted by Dans40XC:
Air cooled for the hobbyist.
Water cooled for the professional.

A #17 torch is cumbersome & transfers heat to the operator from the long collets & cups.
#18 is the water cooled version.

A #9 torch is maneuverable.held like holding a pen or pencil & uses short collets & cups.
#20 is the water cooled version.

C K Conley Kleppin(sp) torches are JUNK.

Hey Buckwheat, someone took down your Mauser Bolt handle SHITTY WELD JOB PICTS you were bragging about on your web site?? WTF?

A friend of mine bought one of those $100 tig welders off amazon and does really nice welds.

Don't know how.

I've had a Lincoln 175 I bought used over 10 years ago. Works great for bolt handles, receivers, tooling, random junk people need welded.

I've welded with the absolute top of the line Lincolns and Millers welding powdered metals, die details, stitching graveled pieces of 68Rc material back together.

The 175 sucks by comparison, but it's all you need for gunsmithing. Air cooled torch is fine.