Thread: What tig do you recommend

TIG welders can be anywhere between $500-$50 000.(somehow I think this is a little extreme )
Before we can look at models and brands, firstly:
•Is this a once-only project, or do you plan on using your TIG a lot more or at least occasionally after that?
•What is YOUR budget?

If you have a browse around yourself, look for two things:
•Duty cycle, which is the % of time in a ten minute interval that you can weld at a certain amperage for. That's a little complicated, but an example is 80% at 80 Amps, which would mean with the current set at 80 Amps you can weld for 8 minutes in every 10 - that's plenty, seeing as you take breaks in between each run. I believe that if duty cycle was 80% at 80 Amps it would also be 40% at 160 Amps. Not too many machines go that high though. Remember this is just an example.
•High frequency start (HFS?) and Gas solenoid valve (GSV?). High frequency start means you can press a button and go, rather than tapping or touching the electrode, potentially contaminating it. With a gas solenoid valve, the welder will turn on the shielding gas a couple of seconds before the arc starts (or simultaneously). The manual valve models require you to physically undo a valve for every weld, which is rather tedious.

Anyway I hope my random babbling is some help to you

Thank edd that all made scence...

I will be makes several of these chassis.
My budget is about $1500. Id like to have HFS and GSV..My knowlage of Tig is fairly limeted as you have proably already worked out.. i have done a fair bit of brazing and have used a few tigs, but never bothered to find out the specs of the machines.

I dont mind what brand aslong as it is a high quality machine.

Thanks Andrew.

You could check out what This guy has. I have heard some good reports, but I don't personally know the quality. Fronius are an excellent company, but you don't get as much for the money you spend, simply because they are built to a very high quality standard and are made to be compact machines. Lincoln and CIGWeld are good too. Can anyone point out some good models? Grahame, maybe you have some insight on this?

Anyone else got any info?


Andrew..

Mig-O-Mag and Kemppi are also very good machines. For your budget i'd be trying to find a 2nd hand machine perhaps. But if you only want to do Steel and not Aluminium, you should be able to find a pretty decent machine on your budget, with all the features you want.

There was another thread on here a short while ago on this topic, it also have a lot of infor that you may wanna read.

I am still searching for a TIG welder. I went to an auction last week and 2 DC TIGS went for $1200 & $1000 both were Lincoln's but I found out via the repairer that they had a lot of wear and had several problems over the past few months with them.

I contacted Supa Gas last Friday and I was quoted $5000 for a CIG AC/DC 200A but $500 less for the equivalent Migatronic. I have seen these (no name welders) being sold on EBay by Token Tools and others but they are made in Asia and I worry about the back up service if you have problems. I like the look of the Kempi's. Greame will be able to help you out with the fronius.

This previous thread may help

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=30153

Cheers
David

Hi Andrew,
I was at my local welding supplies company the other day and they were showing me a inverter unit which would have been suitable for our school, but we already have a Tig.. It was a DC only unit which means you would be limited to welding steel.
The unit also is a stick machine.It was around $900.If these fellows were selling it will come with back up.Global Welding are the guys who are on the net. Bear in mind the gear does not include ,a gas pressure regulator ,flowmeter,or gas cylinder rental or gas.I'll let you chase up prices on those.
I would say you must have to have prior experience at least with oxy welding at least, to have the correct technique for TIG welding - for beginners its not-as it is very difficuly not to run the bead and not have the filler wire stick to the tungsten.It is then useless until re shaped to a sharp point. In turn one then must regrind the electrode or change it.
Half a dozen instances of this and you are ready to chuck the lot.
Our school has recently aquired a new Kempi Master Tig. Our boys who have oxy welded are having trouble even with this $4000 plus machine.

The process depends on a very steady hand and the ability to dip the filler rod with a regular and steadily moving motion into the molten pool. Just the process of "walking' the filler wire through the fingers of one hand is a skill in itself. Remember you are holding the tig unit in your other hand. Too many beginners melt the wire with the welding arc and usually touch the tungsten tip while doing so.

Viable processess applicable to the material you describe are
Inverter stick- a very neat bead is possible
Mig- - very nice job is possible.With everything it is set up and technique.

Some more info on your chassis material please.Is is shs or round tube, mild steel or chromemoly. It makes a great deal of difference.
Grahame

Thanks Grahame..

It the chassis will be made out of ERW round steel tube. At the moment im only interested in welding steel with a tig...


Thanks Andrew

A few more points:
•Inverter technology means the welder can be a smaller, more portable package.
•DC machines can weld steel, stainless steel or copper, but you must make sure you have the right gas/filler rod. They can NOT weld aluminium.
•In my opinion, the most versatile tungstens to buy are 1.6mm Ceriated. 2.4mm is good for bigger stuff.
•For sharpening, you need a belt or grinding wheel that only sharpens the tungsten. Other metals may contaminate it. I've found the best way is a bench grinder with a "multitool" attachment. This adds a belt and a disc sander to one side of the grinder. Take a fine belt and write "TUNGSTEN ONLY" on it, then use it every time you sharpen electrodes. Changing a belt is much, much easier than changing a grinding wheel.

Andrew,
It sounds like you have a lot of these chassis welds to do.
Given that you will be limited to welding Electrode DC - this means steel or stainless steel but no aluminium,I think it should suit you well.

A small inverter unit I saw should do the job well.As a bonus it will run stick as well.When I saw it I was focussed on other things and can,t recall the brand,but rest assured if this company was selling it ,it won't be junk and will be supported.
Given your budget was around $1500 the unit I saw at around $900 should fill the bill nicely and give you extra dollars for the gas and regs as I described.
If it was me I would shout myself a an good electric helmet, stainless steel converged wire brush some dedicated tig gloves and a pot of chemical sharpening paste. Much cheaper than a new grinder and grinder wheel, all you do is heat the tungsten red hot and repeatedly dip it in the paste
Also when you buy the filler wire tell the retailer exactly what you are welding and you will get the correct filler wire.
I have witnessed results from blokes that chose a higher tensile filler than needed and it resulted in a large amount of excess shrinkage and distortion. Also the procedure should be thought out to tack opposing joints and then weld them in the same sequence.

.
Would you like me to chase the details of this little inverter and get them to you? If you would like to send me a PM, I will get on it this Monday. I get on well with the boys at Global and am sure they can refer us to a retailer of this unit near where you live.
Hope this also helps
Grahame Collins

Andrew,
I can recommend a ESAB caddy 150,
They were one of the first compact tig welders to hit the market. A lot of suppliers don't sell them now because of the price, but your budget, you should be able to get one. I have one and have been using it for the last 12 years. We only use them at work and they get hell!, (chemical industry) great stick welders also. My guys love the start up, they reckon there is none better?

Cheers,
Gary