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Recommend a TIG
Gav - 20/12/05 at 10:47 PM

I fancy getting a TIG to do some ally work.
Now ive not TIGged since colleage and the ones they had there were pedal driven, ive seen ones from machine mart and some other welding supplies.
However these are not pedal driven, so how do you start your arc? strike it like MMA?
Also the machines in my range are SIPs and given my experiences with SIPs MIG welders i certainly wouldnt buy one.
So my budget is around 3-400 what would you recommend?

[Edited on 20/12/05 by Gav]

Gav - 20/12/05 at 10:54 PM

hum what about one of these, just seem a little cheap.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Powershack-TIG-200R-TIG-WELDER-from-Europa-NO-RESERVE_W0QQitemZ7573080762QQcategoryZ64818QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Although i'd have to buy the torch as well.

[Edited on 20/12/05 by Gav]

JoelP - 20/12/05 at 10:57 PM

those are inverters i think, not quite the same as a true tig. I was wondering the actually difference myself just today, a search for 'inverter' yielded no answer though. Im looking for a tig too

Gav - 20/12/05 at 11:02 PM

IIRC from col.leage days, an invertor not only changes AC->DC but you can also choose which way the current flows, i think to TIG different metals you need a different direction of DC flow.
Might be wrong though it's ten years since i went to colleage!

edit: actually i think its DC needed for ally(?)

[Edited on 20/12/05 by Gav]

Gav - 20/12/05 at 11:58 PM

looks like you wont get a AC/DC machine for less than a grand

Alan B - 21/12/05 at 01:24 AM

Mine cost me around 700 quid...at auction recently.....I knew the machine well as it was from my former employer's liquidation sale...

Not just for the car I might add...I need it to expand my business....but it's availability won't hurt..

Sorry James......but you can have a go if you ever visit..


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JoelP - 21/12/05 at 08:37 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Gav
looks like you wont get a AC/DC machine for less than a grand


i found one for a grand, but decided id rather save 500 quid and not do ally now, so a DC machine will do ok. Stainless is more useful i think.

02GF74 - 21/12/05 at 09:12 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Gav
I fancy getting a TIG to do some ally work.


I've looked into this. To do aluminium you need AC TIG. Minimum cost is £1,000.

You need to assess how much you are going to use it and it if is not cheaper to pay a professional. It is also quite ticky to get a decent finish.

mark chandler - 21/12/05 at 10:44 AM

Minimum cost of £1000 is a little steep, you can pick up miller synco's for £500 ish on Ebay now.

You can strap most american TIG's to single phase, the downsize is the current draw. I have a mashall dynabolt which can run up to 350 amps @ 80V so this equates to 120 amps @250v load. To use I have stuck in a seperate consumer unit directly off the company fuse and ran a fat wire to my garage.

Fantastic welder, ended up costing with water torch, pedal etc around £750.

Regards Mark

caber - 26/12/05 at 10:33 PM

I got one of the Powershack 200R on ebay for £120. It comes complete with a torch no tungstens or gas regulator. It is really pokey I now have it turned right down and it is still close to blowing holes in 1.6mm steel. It has a gas control inside that purges and gives a post gas of about 2 seconds.

It is scratch start that I am having some problems getting used to but is an increadable value for money for a proper TIG inverter.

Caber