Looking to get into a TIG machine

patooyee · Mar 9, 2014

It seems like I am a needy little bitch when it comes to welding aluminum. I have a buddy that does it for me for free but I feel like I am a trouble / bother to him and it is also inconvenient for me to work around another person's schedule. (He is not at all difficult to deal with, its just that he and I are both busy people and working around two busy schedules is difficult.) I feel like it is time I get into doing it myself. This is strictly hobby and about 80% of what I do is sheet metal. But 20% is 1/4" plate so I need that ability. My shop is a 100+ year old building with electrical that is already overtaxed. I do have a 20-hp 3-phase motor that I use to run my 3-phase lathe though. I could drw 3-phase off of that to run a welder I think?

What should I be looking for? My budget is $2000 or less.

kmcminn · Mar 9, 2014

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/Equipment/Pages/product.aspx?product=K1478-5(LincolnElectric)

This is what I have. It is fine for radiators, tube adapters and what not. I am far from being an expert or anything remotely close, so my opinion doesnt count for much. The best way for me to set it up is to sets the amps to the thickness of the aluminum. An example being. 100 material 100amps. Setting it like that I can back off the pedal if it starts melting to quick. :dunno:

patooyee · Mar 9, 2014

Can you do 1/4" AL with that? I've heard that you need a 200 amp machine min for 1/4".

Elliott · Mar 9, 2014

Tigs are single phase machines, at least all of them was when I bought mine, but that was several years ago.Biggest thing is to get a water cooled machine, the others work ok but there is a big difference.

Jduck · Mar 9, 2014

Yeah you'll need at least 200a for 1/4" aluminum. Start watching for a synchro wave 250 and it'll do anything you'll need to do plus some. You can add a water cooler to one as well, will come in handy welding higher amp stuff.

patooyee · Mar 9, 2014

Jduck said:
Yeah you'll need at least 200a for 1/4" aluminum. Start watching for a synchro wave 250 and it'll do anything you'll need to do plus some. You can add a water cooler to one as well, will come in handy welding higher amp stuff.

What is a fair price for a used one? I've seen 2 come up on CL recently near me and they both wanted $2800 for the entire setup. Neither of them are on CL anymore so I guess that means they sold for something near that. That's definitely out of my budget.

bradzuki · Mar 9, 2014

Miller syncro-wave is what we were looking to get into. We done a large job for Pet-Safe in Knoxville building all of their dog kennels out of aluminum. Ended up getting a Esab Mig-Master 250 w/ spool gun for less than half the price.

I'd still like to get a small TIG machine but for that job, the spool gun was better. I'd still be out there TIGing all those kennels together.

1/4" steel is the thickest thing I'd ever weld with it. I'll watch to see what pops up for you.

patooyee · Mar 9, 2014

I have a spool gun for my Lincoln 185 MIG welder. I have never been happy with the results I've got with it. I admit that I probably need a lot more practice though. Should I just stick with doing 1/4" with the MIG and get a smaller TIG for the thinner aluminum stuff? I can't seem to get my MIG to weld cool enough to do any aluminum sheet. It wants to melt all the way through the instant I strike an arc even on its lowest setting.

bradzuki · Mar 9, 2014

The spool gun takes some practice for sure. I've welded every day for years and when I picked it up it came out looking like my kid done it. I'd have to leave drops laying around so I could get a few passes in every day before I touched any of the kennels. We made them all out of 1/8" materials (1x2 sq.tube, 1x1 sq.tube, 1/8x1 flat bar, & 1/8" woven wire mesh) . Once I got started, I could have each one knocked out in about 20-30 mins total (over 100 welds each)

patooyee · Mar 9, 2014

bradzuki said:
The spool gun takes some practice for sure. I've welded every day for years and when I picked it up it came out looking like my kid done it. I'd have to leave drops laying around so I could get a few passes in every day before I touched any of the kennels. We made them all out of 1/8" materials (1x2 sq.tube, 1x1 sq.tube, 1/8x1 flat bar, & 1/8" woven wire mesh) . Once I got started, I could have each one knocked out in about 20-30 mins total (over 100 welds each)

So what was the tricks you found for mastery? I know I have to push the gun, not pull, and as far as I can tell you have to move fast as all hell. My issue is that I feel like just moving fast in a straight line doesn't do right since I do little arcs or circles when I MIG steel. I could be completely off there.

I'de probably be perfectly happy with a 165 - 185 TIG machine for less than 1/4" stuff if I could master the spool gun for the 1/4". My spool gun will weld the AL so hot I feel like I could do 1" if I had to!

sledneck · Mar 9, 2014

Craigslist, craigslist, craigslist. If your not doing production work a air cooled torch is fine. I hate them, but they work fine if your not using all day everyday.

patooyee · Mar 9, 2014

Definitely not production. I might turn the thing on once every few weeks for an hour or two at a time.

There is an old Idealarc 250 for sale near me ...

patooyee · Mar 9, 2014

water cooled just cools it down to extend the duty cycle, right? It has no impact on weld quality?

Jduck · Mar 9, 2014

Water cooler is for the torch keeps it cooler. At work we use water cooled stuff, my 250 at the house is air cooled. Would like to eventually put a water cooler on but like said it's not necessary for "hobby" welding.

Toddy · Mar 9, 2014

The water cools the torch. Gas cools it on other torches and doesn't do a good job. On mine I just got a water cooled set up and hook water hose to it a another hose to other side and let it run. You could always just use a small pump and tank and build one yourself. That's what I've been planning but water hose has never let me down for the amount I use mine.
Water cooled just cools the torch. An air cooled set up is much larger so it can carry the amps. And air cooled will get hot as hell on Alum.

Toddy

SomewhiteGuy · Mar 9, 2014

I have the same Lincoln squarewave 175 listed above and it is a great tig for the money, just throw away the regulator that comes with it and buy a gas lense setup and burn away. It will burn 1/4" al running wide open on a 50amp breaker, that said its no dynasty or syncro wave there are no pulse or preflow/post flow settings. Once you get used to using it you will be able to lay down some quality beads.

bradzuki · Mar 9, 2014

On the spool gun, yes, you have to push instead of pull. On aluminum, yes, you have to move fast. I had a time getting it dialed in but finally got it to where I could lay some damn good beads. Either push it fast with the wire speed set up fast or I use a "C" weave with the wire speed so low that it would almost melt the tips if you weren't careful.

mikebrsa · Mar 9, 2014

I definitley agree on the water cooled. I love mine. I prefer Lincoln welders with tig and millers for mig. If you plan on doing mostly aluminum with it try to find one with pulse .

patooyee · Mar 9, 2014

I still don't get the water cooled issue. You say it just cools the torch. As in to make it easier to hold? Or does cooling the torch contribute to longevity of the overall machine?

Jduck · Mar 9, 2014

patooyee said:
I still don't get the water cooled issue. You say it just cools the torch. As in to make it easier to hold? Or does cooling the torch contribute to longevity of the overall machine?

Yup for holding the torch, does nothing for the machine.