for anyone interested..

I bought a thermal arc ultra flex 350 pulse for a song.. i then bought a weldcraft 17 torch set with reg, a 350 amp stick holder, and the "special" adaptors to make the TA work... oh, yeah, and got a 80cf tank for 119 DELIVERED off ebay... the welding machine wasn't from ebay, and it had never been plugged in.. the plug had never been installed.

Okay, so I got some argon, all the tools, and have transferred what i new about stick, mig, torch and wire welding (wire sucks) and spent about 6 hours learning how to set this thing up...

a certified welder I aint... but I finished my first project... a farly precise mag box for an enfield...

I am in love!!!

this things ranks right up there with my bridgeport j head and my gear head lathe ...

jeffe

Great buy, comes in very handy.

I grew up in my dads welding shop, that why I sell process control systems.

Tig welding is fun, I have one, but without the hi feak.

Yup...

Every houshold should have a lathe and a TIG welder.

And someone skilled in their use!

Billy,
tell me the next time you come up.. you can learn me on it!!


Yep, the lathe I am fairly skilled with, the BP i am learning fairly well.. the tig.. shesh, it's like god's temper for the intensity

jeffe

You damn equipment junkie. Did I mention I am very envious of that TIG welder?

Chic,
envious? Hell, buddy, you KNOW the whole story on that.. that make it better? <grin>

Any time you need it, Pal.

did i mention I am jealous of your BP, jigs, and tooling?

jeffe

Not sure I'm the guy to teach you anymore, my heliarc has much dust on it, can't remember the last time I used it, when I moved I noticed the inspection date on my argon bottle had exspired, I can't even get it filled.

I have welded quite a bit, worked in my dads shop and went to welding school one or two semesters. I was an instrument fitter and welder in my first life. I would set my heliarc back up but I don't have a hi freak, I have a 225 amp ideal arc AC/DC machine I hook it up to. Although I can weld without a hi freak, it helps to stablize the arc when you first strike. The rig you bought has all that built in. You can find a deal thats for sure.

I pretty much just stick rod what I need to do nowdays, my jeep or hi rack etc. I do have a mig machine but can't get the mig gun in the tight places like you can with a stick.

You'll have already leaned by tomorrow evening, just remember to fill the keyhole.

Its much cleaner to heliarc bolt handles and mag boxes etc that gas weld them.

Jeffe, the next time I come to houston we are going to go shoot.

Billy,
bring a trailer full of shooting Irons.. we'll go have a BALL

I am thinking about finding a wirefeed unti for mine... as it will also mig and has 8 pulse schedules built in... I think it was in a Teenut post were i read "how hard is it to use a mig welder"..... the reply was "can you use a ballpoint pen"..

I love the finish on the tig.. just need to get the filler material addition down... make pool.. push pool.. backup just a little... dip filler rod in pool... DO NOT TOUCH THE &^%^%%^& ELECTRODE with the filler rod, or you arc goes all to hell.

You can get the bottle reinspected (h2 test) at a gas supply, i think.... or you can buy them on ebay... i got the 80 cf for 119 delivered, new bottle, new inspection

jeffe

Roger on the bottle. Any welding supply house can get it re-hydro'd for a small fee. Then you're good for another 5 years.

Jeffe,



For Mig, get a spool gun, way cool. I think the prices have come down.

I guess I'm one of those guys that can't use a ball point pen, I got the guy next to me in welding school to do my alum mig test, I was quirtin wire all over the place. That was a long time ago. I was young and dumb, now I'm smarter and way more forgetful.

I retired from the military 4 years ago and will be using some of my VA bennies to take a certificate welding course at the local votech. I grew up using stick, gas and wirefeed but have never used a TIG. The course is 4 months, M-Th, 4 hours per night. Gonna be long days after my regular work day. This is gonna be fun

Jeffe, Try sharpening your tungsten electrode to a long tapered needle point and when you go to start your arc use your fill rod to scratch between base metal and electrode. Works good for me

I have a thermal arc 200 amp machine- DC stick and tig(air cooled). the machine weighs less than the cables, and is the size of a lunchbox. very portable and very handy, runs on 110 or 220.

-tincan

Tincan,
the fella that got me interested in a thermal arc had the pro 80... about the size of a 12pack.. this one is a big.. 19x19x30 or so, and 85#...

I have been trying longer and longer tapers... the longer the taper, the bigger i seem to do, thanks.. that really seems to work

On the bottles, I just bought these (the store wanted 182) and i got it for 119, and they just swaped bottle with me for full ones.. new bottle..


Spoolgun? those aren't a heck of a lot better these days, but getting better in prices...

jeffe

Jag,
the book calls for 2-2.5 diameter tapers... and makeing it WAY longer is seeming to help...


do you have a solution for preserving the tip during a lift start, as mine is?

jeffe

I can tell you are the kind of guy that needs a plasma cutter, and a pulse arc and a.. and ..

Mikel,
funny you mention that.. the wife wants a plasma cutter to do art work... I like a good ole OA torch... plasma welder? now that's OVERKILL for toys... then again, so's the tig.

i got the tig for a song, $1 more than my wife bought my wallyworld wirefeed welder for, and I am just tickled...

jeffe

Jef

Got the tip dia handled but was referring to the fill for start trick.



As far as preserving the tip when sctrach starting the only thing you can really do is just have fast hands. I mean when you roll the torch you have to make contact so contamitantion is going to happen.



DO you know of any generic foot switches out there that will work with my little 80amp inveror tig welder. I remember readin about on but cant find info anywhere. You just put it inline between the torch and the box and away you go.

I have that exact torch. WOrks well, no complaints.

JAG,
What little 80A invertor welder are you using for this little torch? HF doesn't mention any specifics. Probably many out there that will work too. I could probably just build a nice PS supply as well (I'm an electrical engr). Did you find the foot switch? It's been a while since I've been to visit this site...lotz O' work!

Jeffe - How goes the classes?

Regards,
Jeff P

Pfeifer,
the classes are going well.. i had to convince my instructor that i dont CARE about welding 3/8 plate, let's try 16 ga.....

learning lots, have got a much better technique, and have finally stopped having porosity (btw, dont' pull a hot filler metal out of the shielding gas and then put it back in.. it oxidizes and screws up your welding

jeffe

Jeffe & JAG,
Thanks for the updates...I'd love to get something setup to practice technique with and learn enough to know what is needed for nice TIG welds.

I'll keep an eye on this thread for that model number.

Jeff

not for nothing..
i too my 2f test tonight... overall 94%
not perfect, and not as good as the one I ran right after it, but good enough..

that's a horizontal fillet weld, 3/8 coupon

jeffe

Congrats Jeffe!
That was a TIG test I presume?
jp

As far as another comment on things not to do with filler rods, if you're welding aluminum, and have a semi-molten blob on the the end of the filler rod, don't reach up with filler in hand to lift up your welding helmut, as that semi-molten blob might decide to fall off and land on the back of your neck. Chock it up as one of the many ways I've burned myself while welding.

JAG,
What little 80A invertor welder are you using for this little torch?

Jeff P

SOrry for the delay in responding. I havent had a chance to dig it out(just moved) and the link I have for it at HF is no longer active. I'll try to get it out this evening.

JAG

Paul
Try tuning your welding helmet to where you can raise or lower it with a twitch of your head. Hands free is the way to go!