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Convert my stick welder to a TIG welder

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moody07747

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ok guys heres a new idea

i have a neon sign transformer comming in soon and i have this wiring sheet of a miller H15 high frequency unit for a welder
https://www.electro-tech-online.com/custompdfs/2005/10/o610g_mil.pdf

my plan is to upgrade my microwave transformer from 110v to 220v by adding 6 more microwave transformers to it all

after doing that i want to convert it to a tig welder

this means having AC or DC as the push of a button
building a foot pedal to control the amperage
and wiring the high frequency unit into it all

basicly, a tig and stick welder are the same type of power (constant current) but tig uses a high frequency unit to start an arc and stabilize the arc.

any ideas on where i should start?
 
Do you know what TIG even stands for?? Yes the high frequency current is one thing but you also have to consider the fact that TIG does not need flux as opposed to stick welders which do. (that black stuff you have to chip off)

TIG means Tungsten Inert Gas. A tungsten tip is the electrode, the inert gas can be anything from CO2, nitrogen, argon or helium. In fact any gas that doesn't oxidise the metal can be used.

It would probably be cheaper to buy a commercial unit anyway.
 
pike said:
Do you know what TIG even stands for?? Yes the high frequency current is one thing but you also have to consider the fact that TIG does not need flux as opposed to stick welders which do. (that black stuff you have to chip off)

TIG means Tungsten Inert Gas. A tungsten tip is the electrode, the inert gas can be anything from CO2, nitrogen, argon or helium. In fact any gas that doesn't oxidise the metal can be used.

It would probably be cheaper to buy a commercial unit anyway.

If i were "Moody" i would be insulted by this reply. Not to mention still wanting to know if there is an answer to my question.

Andy
 
i did get a few links for reference
and yes i know i would have to add gas, i would go with 100% Argon


links:

**broken link removed**

**broken link removed**

**broken link removed**

**broken link removed**

**broken link removed**
 
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I saw some neon sign transformers about the size and weight of a couple of bricks. Their output is 12kV at 10mA. I thought welding uses tens or hundreds of Amps. :?: :?:
 
it does...

somehow the neon sign transformer is suppost to hook up to the welders power supply but i have no idea where im suppost to hook it in.

thats one of the main reasons i made this thread...

the neon transformer is suppost to ionize the air at the tip of the torch which starts the arc for you so you dont have to touch the tungsten to the steel (scratch start), the NST also stabilizes the arc so its not like mig or stick with that huge arc, spatter and loud sizzling sound.
 
I get it.
Lighning begins with a low-current, high-voltage "leader" arc that ionises the air for the main high current to follow. Same thing here.
 
Hiya Moody,
I made up a crude tig welder out of a bank of 360amp diodes on a huge heatsink rigged up with an aluminium wound ac arc welder. It still works OK but I named it R2D2 due to it being so cumbersum to move around and the thermal cutout used to **** me off. So rather than try and re-invent the wheel I lashed out and bought a 140 amp Lincoln inverter caddy welder. Fair enough it cost $1,190 Oz with the tig kit but as I only have solar or genset power this welder is designed to be used with a genset and welding @ 100amps it still got 100% duty cycle and only draws 3.9KVA. For my 2 bob's worth this the the rolls royce of caddy welders. So if your a real welder just lash out and buy the right equipment, however, in my case I had to be sure I wouldn't blow the caddy up by running it on a genset and I have burned out a few rentals even after asking if it would run of a genny.

Just my thoughts Bryan :D
 
bryan1 said:
Hiya Moody,
I made up a crude tig welder out of a bank of 360amp diodes on a huge heatsink rigged up with an aluminium wound ac arc welder.

what about the high frequency unit to stabilize the arc?


bryan1 said:
Fair enough it cost $1,190 Oz with the tig kit but as I only have solar or genset power this welder is designed to be used with a genset and welding @ 100amps it still got 100% duty cycle and only draws 3.9KVA. For my 2 bob's worth this the the rolls royce of caddy welders. So if your a real welder just lash out and buy the right equipment, however, in my case I had to be sure I wouldn't blow the caddy up by running it on a genset and I have burned out a few rentals even after asking if it would run of a genny.

Just my thoughts Bryan :D

i bought a millermatic 175 mig welder 2 months ago and am still paying the bills on it. so buying a TIG is out of the queston

$700, new with an $80 cart which is a piece of sh**.

im only doing welding as a hobby, my job is electrician and im working to get my licence.

im modifying the cart
just added a handle today and will be welding some new casters on it soon

here is what i did today

i still have to add some 3" casters to replace the tiny ones on there and add a hook for the cables
 
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Hiya Moody,
Eh mate nice looking trolley :D It looks like your using flux core mig wire as I can't see a gas bottle anywhere. But with that trolley design it should be easy enough to turn the welder 180 degrees and add a bottle holder to the handle. One of my jobs is to make up a trolley for the caddy but as I got some oxy- actel bottles yesterday that trolley will be first on the list. But with all the jobs my wife has given me it will be ages before I can get back in me shed for a play :cry:

Cheers Bryan 8)
 
What are you welding that you need TIG? If you need the best welds possible do you think you’ll get that with a make-shift TIG welded? There is more to it than power supply, torch, foot control, and high frequency. What about cooling, thermo projection, duty cycle, valve for gas, how about a cabinet to put it in. Last is safety. If you have ever been bit by HF you learn that you don’t want to make that a habit. If you weld with a Miller 175, 210, and 255, you’ll see that you get what you pay for. The same goes for TIG welders.

Save some money, get a tank of C25 and use that. Then save some more money and get a plasma cutter. :D
 
Ok I finished the cart mods...last week
have not had a chance to get back to this board.

Here is an update on my stick to tig.
I'm leaning towards finding a high frequency unit because it will save me allot of cash in the long run
as seen at this link:
**broken link removed**

There is another link there that has plans for a HF unit
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/6160/welder/arcstarter/hf.html

As for pics of the welder cart mods...
pic 1 - another great weld on caster
pic 2 - done, far shot

I still have to wire wheel all the welded areas and repaint the cart, im hoping it will stop raining soon so I can get that done
 
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tee_2 said:
What are you welding that you need TIG? If you need the best welds possible do you think you’ll get that with a make-shift TIG welded? There is more to it than power supply, torch, foot control, and high frequency. What about cooling, thermo projection, duty cycle, valve for gas, how about a cabinet to put it in. Last is safety. If you have ever been bit by HF you learn that you don’t want to make that a habit. If you weld with a Miller 175, 210, and 255, you’ll see that you get what you pay for. The same goes for TIG welders.

Save some money, get a tank of C25 and use that. Then save some more money and get a plasma cutter. :D

i just want a tig to fool around with in the shop
ill be learning tig welding at class soon and would like to have something that i can use for a while

my microwave welder was a stick weler, then i made it a flux core spool gun welder. after i got the miller i made it a stick welder again and now i want to make it a tig... all i really need is a HF unit and then i have to rewire the welder to put out 150A min. and DC power.
 
Thats a pretty spiffy cart there. That was the first thing I made when I got my Mig. I welded a table thing over top of mine for extra storage and whatnot.
Also, I ended up using 4 swivel casters for the wheels, it was a pretty big pain in the butt to move it around.
 
jrz126 said:
Thats a pretty spiffy cart there. That was the first thing I made when I got my Mig. I welded a table thing over top of mine for extra storage and whatnot.
Also, I ended up using 4 swivel casters for the wheels, it was a pretty big pain in the butt to move it around.

thanks, im in the middle of making a table right now

just need some more scraps
ill get those this weekend
 
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Make a new thread and I will help.
This thread is dead it has not been used for since october 2005!
 
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