Everlast Welders - Welders and Plasma Cutters by Everlast

[Mark @ Everlast]

Don't forget there is a fan and radiator involved to cool the heated water.

 

[Shield Arc]

And the water cooled torches are smaller, and lighter than air cooled.

 

[deereman75]

We do have some guys doing limited air arc...but the electrodes are fairly small that they use.

You may want to make a try for our NEW PA 300...or our MTS 400 with a special setting just for air arc.

I was just thinking of running 1/8" carbons. How well would it work at that? Arcair's website said the 1/8" carbons need 60-80 amps, but I am not sure if running those are harder on the machine then normal welding, I know next to nothing about air carbon arc. The problem with a bigger machine for me is that I only have 30 amp power, I am just going with the PA-200 for duty cycle reasons

 

[Shield Arc]

I was just thinking of running 1/8" carbons. How well would it work at that? Arcair's website said the 1/8" carbons need 60-80 amps, but I am not sure if running those are harder on the machine then normal welding, I know next to nothing about air carbon arc. The problem with a bigger machine for me is that I only have 30 amp power, I am just going with the PA-200 for duty cycle reasons

You know I always thought I could tell the difference in a machine that had a steady diet of gouging. But take into account we always ran 3/8 and 1/2 inch carbons, in the 400 + -amp range, on engine drives. Hey if you're gonna move some iron, then move some iron:laughing:! In the 1970's I worked in a fab shop for about 3-years, they had a dedicated 700-amp Lincoln electric machine just for carbon arc gouging, sometimes we would use 3/4 inch carbons, with a couple hundred pounds of air behind it! Few hours of that and your arms started to cramp up!

This subject came up a few years ago on the Miller forum, one of the Miller techs jumped in and said there is no proof that carbon arc gouging will damage a welding machine:confused2:. To this day if my plasma couldn't scarf it out, I'd rent a 400-amp engine drive to do it. In my opinion, welding machines are for welding, old beat up almost dead welding machines are for carbon arcing.

 

[deereman75]

You know I always thought I could tell the difference in a machine that had a steady diet of gouging. But take into account we always ran 3/8 and 1/2 inch carbons, in the 400 + -amp range, on engine drives. Hey if you're gonna move some iron, then move some iron:laughing:! In the 1970's I worked in a fab shop for about 3-years, they had a dedicated 700-amp Lincoln electric machine just for carbon arc gouging, sometimes we would use 3/4 inch carbons, with a couple hundred pounds of air behind it! Few hours of that and your arms started to cramp up!

This subject came up a few years ago on the Miller forum, one of the Miller techs jumped in and said there is no proof that carbon arc gouging will damage a welding machine:confused2:. To this day if my plasma couldn't scarf it out, I'd rent a 400-amp engine drive to do it. In my opinion, welding machines are for welding, old beat up almost dead welding machines are for carbon arcing.

Do you think my old lincoln tombstone would be better to use? I would probably only use it for maby half an hour a month (at most), so do you think I should worry about damage?

 

[Shield Arc]

If you plan on buying a PowerArc 200, I would surly keep it for a "welding" machine. Your next concern is air! Carbon arcs eat air like candy! They use to sell a two hole carbon arc torch, but most are three hole, the two hole torch is what I'd look for if using it on a home owner type compressor. We never used anything less than a 185-cfm. I'll tell you what, carbon arcing with a compressor that can't keep up will make the Pope curse:laughing:!

 

[Shield Arc]

The specifications on this torch look pretty good.

Products

 

[deereman75]

If you plan on buying a PowerArc 200, I would surly keep it for a "welding" machine. Your next concern is air! Carbon arcs eat air like candy! They use to sell a two hole carbon arc torch, but most are three hole, the two hole torch is what I'd look for if using it on a home owner type compressor. We never used anything less than a 185-cfm. I'll tell you what, carbon arcing with a compressor that can't keep up will make the Pope curse:laughing:!

well my compressor is a 3 hp 220v unit, rated 10 cfm. do you think that would work well enough for a two hole torch? The one problem is that the power in my shop can`t handle both the welder and air compressor at the same time. I am thinking of either buying a cheep generator at princess auto, or building one.

 

[deereman75]

The specifications on this torch look pretty good.

Products

Ha! That was actualy the torch I was looking at. I know that it says it would be small enough for my compressor, I just wasnt sure if that was a honest rating. After buying a DA sander that used 2x the air that was listed on the box, I always question ratings close to the output of my compressor.

 

[Shield Arc]

Hey I know what you mean, the psi and cfm sounds really low to me too. I haven't touched a carbon arc torch in years. So I thought they may have improved them. I know they use to really eat the air. Do you really think you need one? Man these things can move the iron, just can't see where the average guy needs one! There is nothing romantic about them! One thing you can count on, is getting burned. One time I spent good part of a day arcing out some flatbar that was fully welded inside about a 20 inch square box. The sparks had nowhere to go but right back in my face! Oh what fun!:thumbdown: