Need a no spark welder...TIG?

The Count is right about that youtube channel. Good stuff there.
I'd recommend considering buying a used machine, too. It's amazing what you can get a great older AC/DC transformer TIG machine for. It might not be square wave, but that really doesn't matter unless you are making a living welding critical technical stuff. You can get a wonderful, strong yet buttery smooth arc out of the big old TIG machines.
Lincoln Idealarc 250/250 or 300/300's are very good older machines- I just passed on one for $300. That's because I have a 300 amp Airco Heliwelder, which is a comparable large TIG unit. It welds wonderfully, and I got it for $500 with super long leads, and an argon bottle and reg. It's actually a re-branded Miller 330 A/B/P, which is a welder that many people have and use to this day. I've also recently seen several other welders of this class for sale localish to me, at great prices.
The point being that there are lots of these machines out there for quite cheap if you keep an eye out. There's less to break on them too, as the technology is simpler and heavier, and typically there's nothing you'd call a "board" to fry and be cost prohibitive to replace.
They do take up some space, and suck up more power than the newer inverter technology.
With your talent and attention to detail, I'm sure you'd get the hang of TIG quite quickly.
 
Salem, I would love to do that but there are just nothing comparable around here. Only used machines I found were still expensive, enough so that it's worth getting a new one for a just a little more money. There's also the fact that I don't have that much power and the inverters are great for that. Not that I wont to spend 3-4K of course but I might have to. :o

Kevin, don't know how many people in shoptalk would like that but I sure would. Especially TIG. ;)
 
Couple of TIG questions. Are the $800 welders that folks like Easton see even worth looking at? Also, when welding up damascus, there are really two operations. Tacking the stack seems like the easier one if there is such a thing as easy. What I am more concerned about is tacking the handle of dissimilar steel to the stack. That is where I always ran into trouble with my crappy little HD social 110V Lincoln flux core wire welder. Will 110V tis penetrate enough? On a salted note, can you use the TIG welder to weld piece of mild steeltogher for press dies or do you need one that will stick weld to do that?
 
jdm61 said:
Couple of TIG questions. Are the $800 welders that folks like Easton see even worth looking at? Also, when welding up damascus, there are really two operations. Tacking the stack seems like the easier one if there is such a thing as easy. What I am more concerned about is tacking the handle of dissimilar steel to the stack. That is where I always ran into trouble with my crappy little HD social 110V Lincoln flux core wire welder. Will 110V tis penetrate enough? On a salted note, can you use the TIG welder to weld piece of mild steeltogher for press dies or do you need one that will stick weld to do that?
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I have no idea about those machines, but honestly would not buy one as the major name brands can be had for not much more. As with anything in sales theres a huge markup. One thing I always tell people is to ask if theres a local community college discount. The major welding supply stores have discounts for students. That is if you live in an area that has a welding program at a community college. Here the educational discount is 30%. It will weld the handle on no problem. comparing 110V mig and tig is like comparing apples to oranges. the 110v tig will weld thicker sections due to the fact that it doesn't have a consumable electrode to worry about melting. So it focuses the heat on the base metal more efficiently. The welder will weld dies together without issue. Another thing to thing about is that every tig welder on the planet is also a stick welder. They are both Constant current (CC) machines.
 
I bought a 110v Lincoln about 10 years ago. Got a stick and tig setup with it. I have yet to run into anything that I couldn't weld with it. All the parameters and stuff u read is hard to go by. With the right steel prep I can weld just about anything I need too. The only reason I got 110v was that I have no 220v power in my garage. As long as you have a circuit with enough amperage to run a 110v properly you won't be disappointed. If you start sticking rods or your tig torch won't melt the steel or filler then u don't have enough amps!
 
Earlier this year I got the Linconln 210 mp ($999). Straight from the box it can mig and stick weld at about 200 amps. I paid about 55 bucks for the tig adapter and found a tig torch with finger amp control on craigslist for about 25 bucks (a steal). I was able to sell my Hobart 140 mig, thermal arc 95 stick/scratch tig and hobart ac/dc stick welder and it more than covered the cost of the whole setup. It fits my small shop well and reduced space needed for additional welders. I kept an old bullet proof ac/dc thunderbolt as a backup incase the Lincoln has any issues but have not had any yet.

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The disadvantage of smaller machines is that you can't continuos weld for long time...you'll have to stop and wait...
I don't know in english, but there is something as a duty cycle (power/time), and it's related to the size of the machine.
 
I'm absolutely not a welder, but I've welded with both TIG and MIG. I found MIG to be impossible for someone new to do a simple weld. I was able to sort of fix the exhaust on my ratty 2stroke at a friends place with a MIG, but it was far from a decent weld. It broke again when I was near another friends house who has a TIG and it's super simple to make a weld that sticks. Making a good quality weld takes a lot (and a LOT) of practice, but TIG does make it easier and it doesn't make any sparks at all.
 
Stezann-you're right, smaller machines have a lighter duty cycle. I believe mine is around 50%. Which in normal terms is 5minutes u can weld and a 5 minute break. When stick or tig welding you got to remember that after you burn a rod or a piece of filler wire, you stop, chip slag, move your piece being welded, clean up your weld and prepare for the next weld. Very rarely have I ever ran into having my machine duty cycle trip.

Poserman- I'm not sure what kind of Mig you were welding but it's the easiest of all the processes. I'd guess a 2 stroke exhaust was aluminum. Unless the Mig welder was setup for that, (spool gun) no wonder the weld broke. Welding is a lot more than grab whoever's welder and just weld whatever you've broke. Steel type, prep, process being used, gas, wire, filler wire, rods, tungsten, all that plays a part in what kind of weld you need to make.
 
Also your duty cycle is based off max Amp's..If your running less than full power(which most of the time you do) then your duty cycle is longer too..
 
Patrice Lemée;15310369 said:
Just looked at the Grainger catalog, the Synchrovawe 210 is something like 4700+ CAN$. :(
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Thats because you looked at grainger. Try a mathesons, praxair, or airgas.
 
Kentucky said:
Also your duty cycle is based off max Amp's..If your running less than full power(which most of the time you do) then your duty cycle is longer too..
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You would have to look at the specific machine details. Most do not list their duty cycle at max load. I have seen 100% duty cycle machines advertised but when you look at the literature that's at about 20% of the machines maximum output. Duty cycle is time (in minutes) you can CONTINUOUSLY weld before waiting for the machine to cycle. Most garage welds can get by with 20-30% duty cycle.
 
Before I got my well used inverter box, I started out with scratch-start TIG.
That's where you use whatever old stick welder is lying around, add a hand piece with a gas valve, hook up a bottle with regulator, and off you go.
I'm not saying it's in the same league with REAL GTAW, but I'll never forget the thrill of making clean welds without a lot of noise, with such a controllable heat source. It's really easy to learn on, too, since you aren't trying to manage a pedal at the same time.
I think I paid less than 200 for the parts and pieces, and that included a good deal on a used argon bottle.
Try it.
 
Kevin Powers said:
You would have to look at the specific machine details. Most do not list their duty cycle at max load. I have seen 100% duty cycle machines advertised but when you look at the literature that's at about 20% of the machines maximum output. Duty cycle is time (in minutes) you can CONTINUOUSLY weld before waiting for the machine to cycle. Most garage welds can get by with 20-30% duty cycle.
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Im sure your right but my personal welders are listed at near 100% power for their duty cycle.. Ive also welded for 25 years and only ever seen a few welders kick and that was mostly Lincoln 140's after several hours of almost continuous use welding on fence outside on too long extension cords.We used those same little welders on a job in the seg cells welding 1/8" plate steel overhead and they did not shut off for over 8 hours a day for three months.We had to use them because it was the only welders we could fit and get power to in the seg units..I was shocked at what those little things could take..I would not recommend it but Ive done it many times. When I welded for the govt(before I retired) I told my boss that we were pushing some our welders well past their cycle but he said it didn't matter..If they burn out we'll order more(I miss my govt credit card)..Not a one ever did..All Millers and Lincolns..
 
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My HTP Invertig 201 has been excellent in every way. 100% American will amazing customer service. Around 75% the cost of Miller.
 
Anyone have any exp with Longevity or Everlast welders? Ive heard a lot about them the last year or two..
 
Thanks Kevin, I knew Grainger is not the cheapest but I did not think that much. It's 2700$US just on the other side of the border. :( I'll call my local welding supply place and also look up the ones you mentioned.

Element, scratch start sounds like a good way to give it a try but people seem to say that it's only an option if you already have a DC stick welder like you did. If not, it is still cheaper but not cheap. Still an option though, I appreciate you mentioning it.

More research to be done. Thanks again guys.
 
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