[TheForge] TIG welders

[Jerry Smith]

Guys,

I am not going to say this is a lesson on TIG welders,
just what I have found out.

1) Going cheap or small doesn't work, all of my
jewelry maker friends found this out after making the
investment
2) If you have a good sized unit, when I am welding
under 100 amps, I see no duty cycling. 
3) Welding some metal like Gold or copper, the fill
material can be the exact material that you are
joining, because you can fuse the metal together
instead of traditional welding.
4) I haven't welded two beer cans together yet, but my
torch can do it. I have done a gold diamond setting to
a gold ring with the tap of the foot pedal.
5) Heavy stuff, like farm equipment is a breeze,
either TIG with appropriate fill material or stick
weld with the right electrodes. I did a plow for one
of my neighbors.
6) Ever try to weld real iron on machinery made before
1900? It a dream with the TIG, use nickle as fill
materials or stick weld with nickle electrodes.
7) I can strike an arc at 2 amps and the unit does a
lot of adjusting work for you, so you can weld and
don't have to change settings.

The down side of owning a big TIG welder:

1) Uses a lot of electricity, I am having the local
electric co-op come over to see about giving me 200
amp service to my shop building, separate from the
house. My TIG needs 100 amp service if I am welding on
armor plate or heavy duty vehicles. Which has happen
once since I bought the place, about 2 months ago.
2) Being more powerful doesn't always mean faster,
just mostly more efficient.
3) If you are welding a real low amp job, don't use
those magnetic arrows that HF sells. The arc will go
to the magnetic source. 
4) The TIG welds something like O/A torch more than a
stick welder. 
5) Don't use coat hangers as fill material, I learned
my lesson already, they don't work well at all.
6) Wear heavy denim or good leathers, because TIG can
work at various frequencies, you will get a "sun burn"
that could be rather painful without the right
clothing. It has happened to me, so I am now protected
from head to toe when using my TIG for normal or heavy
duty work. I only wear my sandals for photo shoots.
7) My Lincoln Precision TIG 275 was the "ready pak"
version so it came with the cooler, foot control, gas
regulator, the torch hose cover and a few other
things. This lists for $4400.00 I got mine for
$3600.00 delivered from Lincoln.
8) Argon gas usage, I got that bottle that weighs like
300 pounds requires a gorilla to move around and
stands about as tall as I do. I was told a job shop
would use that fast, but I figure a year or more for
me. That big bottle wasn't cheap.
8) Get the Advanced Control Panel, I didn't order it
with the welder, it costs about $250, well worth the
money.
9) Your other welders will feel neglected and if you
are not careful, so will your spouse.


Hope this helps people to make decisions, this unit
has been a blessing for me, and it is a far cry from
the hardware MIG welder. Please remember I do metal 4
to 6 hours a day and sometimes make money at it. Momma
only lets me spend what I make, so I have to make lots
of stuff or do lots of work.


Jerry


www.anvilsandinkstudios.com
 
(740) 757-2959
 
P.O. Box 52
Barnesville, Ohio 43713