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While we're at TIG talk, I had this idea that in the future some time I'll pick up a scratch start for my stick welder, seems a cheap way to get access to two welding methods with one welder. I could see having the occasional use for it, but not a lot.
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Mar 9, 2016 12:14
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His Divine Shadow posted:While we're at TIG talk, I had this idea that in the future some time I'll pick up a scratch start for my stick welder, seems a cheap way to get access to two welding methods with one welder. I could see having the occasional use for it, but not a lot. You don't need a "scratch start" for your welder, you need a TIG electrode, some way to attach it to the welder (power block) an argon cylinder, regulator, flow meter and hose and obviously a TIG torch with a gas valve on it. If your stick welder has tapped amperage (notches to set various output levels) you're going to have a really bad experience. As in, you'll almost always be either too cold or too hot. Also, no aluminum unless it it AC. Most other things are gonna be a bitch if it's AC only. It's generally just a bad idea for a hobby welder. To adjust amperage you have to stop welding and touch the welder. When you stop you have no good way of doing it so you end up pulling the arc out by flicking your wrist which means you also don't have any opportunity to post flow so the ends of your welds are all contaminated. I can see how this kind of setup would work for certain types of production work, where you set the machine up once and just weld. But as a hobby welder it seems like a recipe for not wanting to TIG weld anymore.
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Mar 9, 2016 13:20
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Motronic posted:You don't need a "scratch start" for your welder, you need a TIG electrode, some way to attach it to the welder (power block) an argon cylinder, regulator, flow meter and hose and obviously a TIG torch with a gas valve on it. I know what's involved in a scratch start setup. There's just no point in writing it all out.
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Mar 9, 2016 14:11
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So here's the $AUD600 welder Not currently working and located at a welder repair business (owner seems like a nice guy), and I'm told he'll get it going, throw in a gun, regulator & leads, for $600. From memory the placard says 25% duty @ 210A, 35% duty @ 160A, 100% duty @ 135A. I know nothing else about it. Given my goals are primarily aluminum (first project is an alloy-framed go-kart thing) and general steel hollow sections where arc is unusable, does this still sound like a decent buy?
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Mar 9, 2016 14:27
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It's a great buy. See what the guy will charge you to throw in a spoolgun. You'll need a spoolgun for aluminium MIG.
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Mar 9, 2016 15:04
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His Divine Shadow posted:Yeah, most my stuff is woodworking related. There'd be no problems at all for me to make a wooden or plywood table with a slot or groove in it, but I want to work in metal more. Pretty likely I'm going the jb weld path I think. Get a metal cutting carbide blade and put it in your table saw. Use the fence as a guide and take small cuts out of a block of metal and make your groove using that setup. It might take a long time if your saw isn't super powerful (take small bites) but it will work and will be fairly precise.
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Mar 9, 2016 17:15
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yeah, if you're not gonna get the thing milled that's deffo the strongest + cleanest + least infuriating way to cut the slot you need yourself. trying to do large fabrication with jb-weld is... inadvisable
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Mar 9, 2016 22:31
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Brekelefuw posted:I might have one spot in the car if you need a ride. I have advance notice so I'll be able to borrow a van to cart my haul home with, but thanks~
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Mar 9, 2016 22:34
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LibertyCat posted:So here's the $AUD600 welder Check for parts availability, older or off brand machines can be a PITA to repair. Like AMW said, you need a spool gun for MIG aluminum.
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Mar 10, 2016 02:54
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Ambrose Burnside posted:yeah, if you're not gonna get the thing milled that's deffo the strongest + cleanest + least infuriating way to cut the slot you need yourself. trying to do large fabrication with jb-weld is... inadvisable It's a tiny tiny table/tool rest about the size of my palm, wouldn't call it large fabrication. And to me it sounds easier and more accurate to set up. Using the actual runner that will go in the slots as a template to make the slot should make it the most precise method. I am pretty much decided on this method of using three pieces anyway, it's exactly the kind of operation I am familiar with and have tools to clamp up solidly. I might try silver soldering though, or just spot welding a few places and try to avoid heating the piece up, not a high stress area really. EDIT: Pretty sure I have it planned out now, I will use this thick heavy table as is and later put it on my future 2x72 grinder for hogging off metal, I don't need a track in the table (they that sounds like the word, a track) for that. I also checked out how fast the RPM is on my table saw, says 2900 RPM, sounds slow, sounds infact like a 1-1 pulley ratio for a 2-pole induction motor at 50hz so it makes sense. That means it could theoretically take a metal cutting blade. But I don't think I want to cut metal on this saw, it's a professional saw that is too valuable to cut metal on (wear and tear, metal bits gouging the cast iron table, etc). His Divine Shadow fucked around with this message at 08:29 on Mar 10, 2016 |
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Mar 10, 2016 06:04
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AbsentMindedWelder posted:It's a great buy. See what the guy will charge you to throw in a spoolgun. You'll need a spoolgun for aluminium MIG. the spyder posted:Check for parts availability, older or off brand machines can be a PITA to repair. Like AMW said, you need a spool gun for MIG aluminum. The owner claims that parts aren't a problem as it's basically a rebadged Lincoln. I'm seriously considering pulling the trigger on this one.
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Mar 10, 2016 13:05
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I found a manual for a LiquidArc product on Licoln's site: https://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/servicenavigator-public/lincoln3/im711.pdf Not the same model, but it clearly establishes that Lincoln does indeed make LiquidArc products. Was not able to find anything on the MaxMig 210i. I expect since it's made by Lincoln it'll have a code number just like regular Lincolns have, which when you find it will make searching for the manual and parts alot easier. $1000 for that machine with all the accessories and spoolgun is a drat good deal.
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Mar 10, 2016 14:15
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LibertyCat posted:$1000 all up for a new 200Aish spoolgun fitted with the welder. Haha, I just noticed it says Made in Australia by the Lincoln Electric Company. Is there a equivalent of Zoro or other industrial supplier there? Lots of people have been buying Miller 211's with Spoolgun/Cart/125CF tank for $1200 brand new after discount. Might not be relevant, but I would definitely look at all your options before pulling the trigger.
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Mar 10, 2016 18:54
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Cool, my dad says I can have his old gas welding equipment, so I only need gas then. Better start farting into bottles.
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Mar 11, 2016 09:45
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the spyder posted:Haha, I just noticed it says Made in Australia by the Lincoln Electric Company. Is there a equivalent of Zoro or other industrial supplier there? Lots of people have been buying Miller 211's with Spoolgun/Cart/125CF tank for $1200 brand new after discount. Might not be relevant, but I would definitely look at all your options before pulling the trigger. I've looked but the "Australia Tax" comes into play - buying a house-brand Chinese welder + spool gun is at least $1500. Real ones seem to start at 2 grand. I've told the gentleman at the repair place that I'll take it. Thanks everyone for your comments.
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Mar 11, 2016 10:47
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Anybody have a source for thick (1/8" +) commercially-pure titanium wire? The existence of vapes makes searching for non-tiny-gauge titanium wire totally impossible.
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Mar 11, 2016 17:53
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Ambrose Burnside posted:Anybody have a source for thick (1/8" +) commercially-pure titanium wire? The existence of vapes makes searching for non-tiny-gauge titanium wire totally impossible. At that thickness you're talking about round bar for titanium. You might be able to find braided cable that thick though.
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Mar 11, 2016 18:16
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Random Number posted:At that thickness you're talking about round bar for titanium. You might be able to find braided cable that thick though. Nah, I mean wire. ~8 gauge and larger is what I'm looking for. I've found one retailer that offers it but they're out of stock. I'm fine with round bar too- I'd actually prefer it- but I can't find a Canadian supplier and cross-border/international shipping costs for a small quantity of something with very awkward dimensions is murderous. Also I care more about ductility than strength, and wire comes in grade 1 while barstock doesn't.
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Mar 11, 2016 18:49
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Ambrose Burnside posted:Nah, I mean wire. ~8 gauge and larger is what I'm looking for. I've found one retailer that offers it but they're out of stock. I'm fine with round bar too- I'd actually prefer it- but I can't find a Canadian supplier and cross-border/international shipping costs for a small quantity of something with very awkward dimensions is murderous. A quick google says that online metals isn't too bad for shipping to the great white north. Apparently their parent company has some canadian locations, so you might try them, although you might have a hard time getting them to sell in small quantities. https://www.onlinemetals.com/ohcanada.cfm CBJamo fucked around with this message at 19:01 on Mar 11, 2016 |
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Mar 11, 2016 18:58
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Online metals is my last resort, $55 minimum USD shipping on the $20 of barstock i need for prototyping ahoy
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Mar 11, 2016 23:37
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I'm sure there's some other stock that you could order to add to your collection. Milling machine news: Here's a mid-air shot of moving the pedestal.  Pedestal is bolted to the 4x4's with lag screws. Pallet jack has no problem sliding under and lifting it, of course. This will make it easy to move the machine around the shop until I put it in it's final location.  The turret has been cleaned and the spider bolted in. I used anti-seize on the 4 bolts. I put a generous coating of Mobil Vactra #4 way oil on the mating surfaces, and lanolin on the rest to prevent rust. Tomorrow I'll be working on the ram and the neck. 
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Mar 12, 2016 03:40
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I bought 2ft of .675" nickel silver rod from online metals, and the $60 piece of metal cost $66 to ship to Canada.
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Mar 12, 2016 04:31
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Amazon has a lot of metal stock now. Don't know about Canada, but 72" of angle iron stock was $15 shipped to me, which is cheaper than the local yard charges in Phoenix.
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Mar 12, 2016 06:03
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Went and checked out my dads old gas welding equipment It was all in this box:  Torch and a mixing valve  Loads of extra nozzles  Dunno what this is  Valve for acetylene  O2 valve, the dial is broken:  Dunno if this is too old to be safe to use anymore or not.
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Mar 12, 2016 12:40
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Don't know what it's like in your neck of the woods, but over here I would take that to my Local Welding Shop, who would have it refurbished for a very reasonable fee. All the used gas equipment I've purchased has ended up being refurbed and when I get it back it's in basically brand new condition (They even bead blast it) and for a very reasonable cost. So you typically end up with better quality stuff then what they make new, and still have spent less money in the end.
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Mar 12, 2016 14:05
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Sounds good, some of the other comments I've had on it was it was too old and in bad shape, parts missing etc. I dunno my dad isn't home but I think there's more stuff than what i found, he mentioned hoses and having two sets when we talked over FB. I remember that torch and handle though, I used to play with it as a kid in the 80s, those goggles too. So this whole set has some nostalgic value. I wonder if it could be adapted for oxy/propane use? Propanes way cheaper than acetylene and I am told it works as well for soldering and cutting, which would be the main uses I could see for a setup like this.
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Mar 12, 2016 14:49
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His Divine Shadow posted:Dunno what this is Left is a hose barb. The rounded end is the seal. Its missing the nut that slips over it. Right  While making old equipment work again is cool, you're right to doubt its safety, and the time/expense of restoring oxy/fuel equiptment just isn't worth it. A new set will cost less, work better and be safer. Keep the blood on the inside. Edit: Left and right are hard. ductonius fucked around with this message at 06:16 on Mar 13, 2016 |
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Mar 12, 2016 18:44
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Geirskogul posted:Amazon has a lot of metal stock now. Don't know about Canada, but 72" of angle iron stock was $15 shipped to me, which is cheaper than the local yard charges in Phoenix. Amazon.CA has very little in the way of raw materials and tools. .com feels like paradise , but exchange rate and finding a seller that ships to Canada is a pain.
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Mar 12, 2016 18:54
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Showed my dad the pics and he said that's not all. But he's not in country now so it'll have to wait. New set of the same type X11 AGA is 500> euros, so I think this whole idea might be put on forever hold in that case.
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Mar 12, 2016 19:07
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His Divine Shadow posted:I wonder if it could be adapted for oxy/propane use? Propanes way cheaper than acetylene and I am told it works as well for soldering and cutting, which would be the main uses I could see for a setup like this. The ram has been cleaned. Had to run home and get my household vacuum as the shop vac's accessories were too big to fit inside of the ram. A buddy dropped off a mower deck today which needs some welding. Tomorrow I'll get the neck cleaned up and may even assemble the turret assembly and bolt the head back on. Also hope to start cleaning the knee. 
AbsentMindedWelder fucked around with this message at 01:54 on Mar 13, 2016 |
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Mar 13, 2016 01:48
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I was informed the gas mixing handle is not legally usable anymore, it has no valves to prevent backflow in the handle. It's an AGA X-11 torch and I was told that in 1978 this guy bought an X-11 handle and it had safety valves, so my handle was old and obsoleted over 35 years ago. Looks like I won't be daring to use it. But the stuff that attaches to the handle could be made good.
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Mar 13, 2016 20:29
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None of my torches have check valves or flash arrestsors built in, those can be added on separately, between the hose and torch.
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Mar 14, 2016 03:06
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I got the neck cleaned up. I didn't use any water or barkeeper's friend on this. I used Marevel's Mystery Oil and scotchbrite to clean up the machined surfaces and then gave it a kerosene bath int he part's washer. There's still some stains, but it is 100% clean metal. This is all the hardware for the turret assembly about to go get a few rounds in the ultrasonic cleaner. Came out good, no other pics as my battery died on my phone. That big pin you see on the bottom which is what the neck pivots on, has a small spring pin that locates the head into the ram so the pin can't spin. Turns out that pin sheared. I was able to punch it out of the big pin easy enough, and I got a little bit drilled out of what's left in the ram, but I need to get some better drill bits to finish it off. I'm hoping the local hardware store has metric spring pins. 
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Mar 14, 2016 03:25
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AbsentMindedWelder posted:None of my torches have check valves or flash arrestsors built in, those can be added on separately, between the hose and torch. I asked similar questions to that but was told the internals might or probably worn out / leaking and fixing is probably more expensive than new. Everyone basically said it was a huge risk as a beginner to start with such an old and out of code torch, if I had an accident insurance wouldn't cover anything due to the code violations etc. I asked if it could be restored or renovated like you mentioned but they said that stopped being economically viable in the 70s.. :/ I figure I should at least ask someone at a welding store though. His Divine Shadow fucked around with this message at 05:28 on Mar 14, 2016 |
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Mar 14, 2016 05:22
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Just get 2 sets of flashback arrestors, put a set at each end of the hose and call it a day.
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Mar 14, 2016 05:52
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AbsentMindedWelder posted:I got the neck cleaned up. I didn't use any water or barkeeper's friend on this. I used Marevel's Mystery Oil and scotchbrite to clean up the machined surfaces and then gave it a kerosene bath int he part's washer. There's still some stains, but it is 100% clean metal. Looking good! We keep ~10 gallons of Ed's Red mixed up for soaking/cleaning parts. Check it out.
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Mar 14, 2016 08:32
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fps_bill posted:Just get 2 sets of flashback arrestors, put a set at each end of the hose and call it a day. That sounds like a good idea, though my handle cannot take the flashback arresters, I'd need to have a few inches of hose from the handle, then the arresters, then the full length hose.
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Mar 14, 2016 08:53
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the spyder posted:Looking good! We keep ~10 gallons of Ed's Red mixed up for soaking/cleaning parts. Check it out. I'm a big fan of Ed's Red. For stuff like this tho I typically just use straight kerosene.
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Mar 14, 2016 11:31
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His Divine Shadow posted:That sounds like a good idea, though my handle cannot take the flashback arresters, I'd need to have a few inches of hose from the handle, then the arresters, then the full length hose. Looks doable with this kit: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Oxygen-Acetylene-FLASHBACK-ARRESTOR-CHECK-VALVE-Sets-Torch-Welding-Cutting-/371486883726?ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT And then this adapter or similar, then I just need a short length of hose between the torch and check valve and I should be up to modern standards: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-4PT-Femal...aEAAOSwoydWq9Km
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Mar 14, 2016 13:04
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If anyone needs any 3x16mm spring pins, let me know... I will have plenty of them, just ordered 200 of them from McMaster. Of course, Grainger never has what you need in stock and it has to dropship, Fastenal "doesn't stock metric stuff" according to the guy I spoke to, United Refrigeration doesn’t' even know what a spring pin is, Amazon can't get it to me till Wednesday or Thursday, and my local hardware store only has SAE spring pins.
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Mar 14, 2016 19:36
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