el-cheapo- tig / arc welder at HF

[frederic]

Dave - okay on the brass comment. I've never tried it myself, but I've seen people electrically weld brass. I *thought* it was Tig, but I can be wrong. This didn't occur yesterday. I've used my wire-mig in fluxcore mode in the rain before (not pouring rain mind you) and never worried about it because of the leather gloves, and my rubber soled workboots. I never EVER touch the work and the welding gun at the same time, even though the gun is some kind of hardened plastic thus an insulator. My aforementioned welding friend taught me to weld this way. This is probably why I suffer so much trying to arc and tig weld - requires two hands, and I learned one handed welding first. It's like learnign to drive an automatic before a stick - the stick is then harder to learn, then learning it first.

Regarding aluminum, the problem I have with welding it is what you said - it goes from hard/stiff to soggy/runny in a very small temperature range, so more often than not when doing aluminum work I will use my oxy/acetelyne torch so I can see the ripples on the aluminum just before it melts. Also, there is no obvious color change, and with a #11 lense I can barely see the project to begin with. Also, brazing with a torch doesn't require a #11 shade lens, so I can actually see what I'm doing. One of the troublesome things for my initial welding experience (with electric welders of any kind) was consistantly directing the weld in the direction I want it to go... because I really can't see waht I'm doing unless I have my face shield as part of the weld. So I've learned to weld with two 500W halogens about a foot away from what I'm working on. Welding a complex structure like an automotive chassis requires constant movement of the lights. But at least I can see.

I won't admit to how many times (before the lights) I've run beads right off the side of my project right to the steel-top welding table which is ground.

That does not make for fun grinding /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[davesisk]

Hmm...ya know, I've heard that it's actually possible to braze with TIG...you just use the arc to get the metal the right temp (but not molten), and touch the rod to it. Could that be what you've seen done? I've never tried it, but TIG and gas welding are similar enough in technique, and you use gas for brazing. I'm pretty sure that I don't have the talent to braze with TIG though!

On the aluminum, just before aluminum melts, it's surface gets very shiny. That's what I use as my indicator.

If you don't have one, get a decent auto-darkening hood with adjustable shade. For me, that has worked wonders for being able to see what I'm doing, both in terms of the auto-darkening and the adjustable shade.

Dave

 

[Soundguy]

[quoteHmmm...I've heard this is possible, but I've never tried it. Aluminum is pretty difficult even with TIG or MIG. There's )</font>

If I ever try.. I'll let you know. I do know one thing though.. the local welding supply store likes those aluminum electrodes.. the sell a pack of -2- 1/16 electrodes for the same price as a pack of say -16- 1/16 6011 electrodes.. etc.

Guess they don't figure much aluminum welding is going on?

I may just try it for the sheer heck of it one day... the weld will probably look like a chicken with an intestinal infection did it.. but what the heck.. it's worth posting the pic ang getting a few of you guys to spry some coffee on your monitor when you see it..right? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

Here's a question.. I was talking about welding to a friend of mine today.. he's a comercial salvage diver.. and he says he welds under water all the time?? I had to go and couldn't press him for details?? What is he talking baout? ARC? Gas welding? can't be mig? right?

Soundguy

 

[slowrev]

Cheap chinese units ??? Where do you think several of the brand name units are made. I saw my $49.99 HF autodark welding hood at TSC last year with a Hobart sticker on it for $149.00.
Not sure where the Stickmate welders are made, but many of the display units I have seen already have broken control knobs on them ......
At HF you know you are buying cheap stuff, buy a brand name and you still MIGHT be getting cheap stuff for more money....

Just some thoughts and observations on this subject.
Ben

 

[Mike52]

be VERY careful of what you get from HF. What they say in the catalog listing is not always very accurate. I once bought a small wirefeed welder from them. Catalog said it would work on a 110v line. The duty cycle was little short but I wasn't planning on working it too hard sooo...the price was right and I bought it.

When i tried to use it it didn't work....nothing would feed. Called them up and found out that it needed to be plugged in to a 30 amp breaker (I know...110v @ 30A ???). Didn't feel like re-wiring the outlet (20A) and wasn't comfortable with just swapping breakers. So I sent it back. They said that it was an error in advertising copy and that it would be corrected in the next catalog....that was 6 catalogs ago.....

 

[slowrev]

Mike,
I have a similiar complaint with many online shopping sources. Not enough information to make a good purchasing decision.
Ben

 

[ScottV]

Miller and Hobart out source their welding hoods, but
not their welding machines. Parts are made all over
the world and there is no way around that one for
any welding machine manufacter.
I would not buy a Miller helmet for other reasons, like I happen
trust Optrel or Speedglas for my eyes.

http://www.optrel.com/index2.htm
http://www.hornell.com/

With little Chinese imports it's harder to
get good welds, then with a decent machine made elsewhere.
This is not a tig weld but a mig weld done with a Miller
passport. If anybody can post a picture of a better
weld made with a Chi-com wire feed, I will sell my Miller
and buy it!!! You get what you pay for and generally way less if
you are looking for a bargin.
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MadReferee]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( This is not a tig weld but a mig weld done with a Miller
passport. )</font>

Ho, Hum. Another pretty weld.

The real question is, if I beat on that joint with a hammer will the weld break? If is does break or bend or crack then all you have done is showed us a picture of a beautiful weld.

Making a purchase decision based on how pretty a weld looks is not the proper way to evaluate a welding machine. There is more to a good weld than beauty.

 

[ScottV]

You are right on the good looking weld but if you keep the parmeters set correctly and follow so basic welding technics,(penetration into the root, toes wetted out. etc.)
a good looking weld is generally better. A lumpy cobbled up piece
of chicken scratch will probably have all sorts of stress risers built it to it. Even if the both survive the BFH it still does not mean everything. It does not hurt to test though.