Tig break test.

[deereman75]

Ok we have a nice smiths aircraft torch on our blueshield rig that is very nice to use. I am wanting to learn how to tig weld, and will try to get good with stick and gas welding first, then get a tig. Also, have you used the lincoln electric invertec v155-s? It looks like a good machine to get as a first tig welder, because it isnt a fancy $2k+ machine, and it would also make a nice dc stick welder that is much more portable then our buzz box. I know it cant weld aluminum, but I NEVER work with aluminum, so that isnt a problem for me. If you have any other recomendations for a first tig welder, please tell me.

 

[Shield Arc]

Never heard of Invertec v155-s.
If you want to get into Tig on the cheap, for under $200.00 Less the argon bottle. Get a scratch start, air cooled Tig rig, flow meter, and consumables. I just helped a kid on another site with this setup, and he runs it on his Hobart Stickmate. If you get good with one of these, when you get a Tig machine with pedal you'll think you've died and gone to heaven.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170330999732&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140514184508&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

 

[k0ua]

Never heard of Invertec v155-s.
If you want to get into Tig on the cheap, for under $200.00 Less the argon bottle. Get a scratch start, air cooled Tig rig, flow meter, and consumables. I just helped a kid on another site with this setup, and he runs it on his Hobart Stickmate. If you get good with one of these, when you get a Tig machine with pedal you'll think you've died and gone to heaven.

Shield can you do good work with a setup like that? (on steel of course) I have debated it on and off for some time. I have the PA160 Everlast inverter.
which I use for stick welding, and a small (HVAC guys OA setup) for some light welding and odd cutting.. I use my Grizzley bandsaw :thumbsup: for serious stock cutting. Back to the Scratch start TIG. if I thought I would get good results I would probably get the 17V torch and the other parts, but I have always wondered if it was worth about a $300 investment for torch, cylinder, regulator, consumables.

Please comment.. Thanks

James K0UA

 

[Shield Arc]

In construction a Tig rig is about all you'll see. I've been in the testing facility where pipe weldors come into test. They're so out of place with a foot pedal, they have to set a tool box on the pedal. And this is to take an X-ray pipe test.
During the 1980's Nuclear plant boom, Tig rigs were about all you seen.

Here's a stainless steel Tig weld I made with my Everlast PowerArc 200 and my Tig rig, and I'm nowhere near a Tig weldor!

 

[k0ua]

Well I would sure be happy with that, I dont need to weld much stainless or aluminum. but I often do need to repair some small lightweight steel part. A few days ago I had to repair a Living room lamp harp. The cheaply done spot weld broke off when the wife went to turn it off. I was able to stick it with some 6013 1/16 inch and about 25 amps, but it was a strain. I done a pretty fair job, and it wont break again, but a TIG would have been a lot nicer. The heat affected zone with the OA is pretty large, and looks matter on this thing.

I might look back into getting together all the parts. and teach my self to TIG. I have watched Jody (weldingtipsandtricks.com ) weld a million things with TIG. and am always envious. I realize I need a HF AC machine for aluminum and I realize the limitation of lift start, no pulse, no post flow (except manual) but if you can do that good a job with the PA200, well I guess I can give it a try..need to save up my pennies

James K0UA

 

[crbr]

.
During the 1980's Nuclear plant boom, Tig rigs were about all you seen.

All depends on the application. I have seen as much (or more) stick as mig or tig in the power industry over the past 30 uears. I got in it in 1979 as an engineer in quality and welding, thus I've seen a lot of welds.

Nuclear power has a lot of structural steel that is stick. A lot of carbon pipe that is stick and a lot of plate. Stainless smallbore is tig. Just saying that it depends on what you may or may not have done in the power industry. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Shield Arc]

This kid I helped get setup with a Tig rig is only 17, and only has one high school year of welding. You should see his first Tig welds! Hardest part is getting the arc started with out sticking the tungsten, once you get going, it's the same as any other Tig machine. Breaking the arc is a trick, but only for high end or X-ray quality welds. For guys like us it's no big deal.

 

[deereman75]

My lincoln buzz box is an ac only, so I dont think that the tig rig idea would work, unless a added a large rectifire, I have seen them for converting an ac welder to a dc welder, for about $100 at a pawn shop. Also the tomb stone I have increases the amps about 15 at a time, not really adjustible enough for tig. Sometime I would like to upgrade to something like a lincoln idealarc, or a miller dialarc, but the ac 225 works well enough, and I am a bit short on cash right now.

 

[Shield Arc]

All depends on the application. I have seen as much (or more) stick as mig or tig in the power industry over the past 30 uears. I got in it in 1979 as an engineer in quality and welding, thus I've seen a lot of welds.

Nuclear power has a lot of structural steel that is stick. A lot of carbon pipe that is stick and a lot of plate. Stainless smallbore is tig. Just saying that it depends on what you may or may not have done in the power industry. Your mileage may vary.

Yeah I should have clarified, I was meaning to say small bore stainless steel pipe. Sorry for the confusion!

 

[crbr]

This kid I helped get setup with a Tig rig is only 17, and only has one high school year of welding. You should see his first Tig welds! Hardest part is getting the arc started with out sticking the tungsten, once you get going, it's the same as any other Tig machine. Breaking the arc is a trick, but only for high end or X-ray quality welds. For guys like us it's no big deal.

I used to look at welds for quality (AWS CWI). There was a guy in the trade that always welded small bore stainless, tig. To the day I left the job site, I never once saw a bad weld that he had made. I looked at hundreds of his welds. He always had nice welds and were a pleasure to look at compared to some welders. No grinding either, just nice welds. The young lad at 17 has a good start.

 

[deereman75]

Shieldarc what do you think of your powerarc 200, I am thinking I might get one in a few months for dc stick and for portability. (ac 225 works great, but I want to try dc, and maby set up a tig rig) Also, can you please to a break test with a 7024 rod, I saw some welds with one on welding tips and tricks, and they look very nice, I am just wondering how the strenght compairs to like a 7018, or 6011.

 

[Shield Arc]

I can't say enough good things about my little Everlast PowerArc 200! For the money it's the best machine I've ever run. The sad part is it will out weld my $6,000.00 Dynasty on SMAW! And run 6010 right there with either one of my Lincoln Shorthoods, and run 7018 with either one of my Lincoln Red Faces! I will say my Lincoln Invertec 350 Pro has more control over the puddle. The hot start on the 350-Pro is so hot you cannot tack with it on the high setting! Seems as I remember reading in the manual if the hot start is set all the way up its 100 times the amp setting. The arc force on the 350-Pro is also more noticeable than on the PowerArc 200. But we're talking a machine that is 10 times the price. In the mid $300.00 range I'd like to see a machine that can run with the PowerArc 200!


I don't have any 7024, haven't run any since the late 1970's or early 1980's, wire feeders just about killed 7024 in my line of work.

 

[deereman75]

Hmmm Mark answered a few questions about it, and now that someone with as many top of the line machines as you says it is great, it looks like when I get the cash for it, I will get one. I am thinking I will use it for basically all my welding, and with my 25 foot extension cord for it, it will be great for portability. Also, how much better is dc then ac for stick welding.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

DC is as different as using real whole milk over powdered skim Milk.

 

[deereman75]

DC is as different as using real whole milk over powdered skim Milk.

OK that is a comparision I can relate to, I think I know what the next addition to my shop will be.

 

[Shield Arc]

You know I never thought about stick welding on AC before joining these tractor sites. I came right out of welding school into heavy civil construction, 99.9% of my welding was done with engine drives. In the 60's 70's and into the 80's AC on an engine drive was very uncommon, if ever. And why would you run AC when you had DC? Just doesn't make sense! Other than Tig on aluminum I have no need for AC.

I was going to reply to your conversation with Mark in the Everlast thread about your welding lead question. I had Tweco to dins adapters for my Dynasty when I got my PowerArc 200, so I just rolled up their leads and put them on the shelf. I'd suggest to you is cut their leads about two feet from the male end and and buy a set of male and female Tweco fittings. Put female Tweco fittings on the Everlast leads, then you have a short "pigtail". And male Tweco fittings on your leads.

 

[Shield Arc]

DC is as different as using real whole milk over powdered skim Milk.

OK that is a comparision I can relate to, I think I know what the next addition to my shop will be.

You guys got to stop talking when an old guy is trying to work this keyboard.:laughing:

 

[deereman75]

I already have a bernard shortstub 400 amp on my buzz box, so when I get an everlast i will probably switch the bernard over ot it. I like the idea of the tweco fittings, I am sure the local air liquide would have them. Also, would you make the stinger cable longer then the ground cable, because it is like that on my lincoln, and I find it quite useful.

 

[Shield Arc]

Yeah my stinger / whip / electrode holder cable is probably twice as long as the ground lead. Another reason I like the Tweco fittings is I have another 200-feet of lead in 50-feet increments I can add when and where I want. Just working on the welding table I use a short ground lead about 10 to 12-feet long, where as the stinger is over 20-feet long.

 

[deereman75]

How much do those tweco fittings cost? Also, do you think an auto darking helmet is worth it, I learned with an old school fixed lense helmet, and I am used to it.