oliwb
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| posted on 8/4/06 at 07:48 PM |
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Super cheap TIG?
Righty I'm on the trail for a super cheap TIG welder talking sub £150. All I'm looking for is something small (inverter like) portable,
capable-ish (have a mig welder too for big stuff this is just for Exhausts and bodywork). So as far as I can gather I need just a DC Inverter with a
TIG kit...will be using a large air products bottle with it so need to be able to couple it to that somehow and smaller bottles for pure argon
etc....I seem to remember talking to someone who picked one up for £120 from "powershack" now a search on google of this name turns up
nothing. Have checked ebay but they all seem to be non-inverters or over priced! Any advice mucho appreciato.....Oli.
If your not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room!
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zilspeed
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| posted on 8/4/06 at 07:51 PM |
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Powershack is the name of very cheap arc and mig sets on ebay. All right quality, but that's about it.
I have one of the mig sets myself.
I bought it because it was super cheap. As in 42 quid brand new.
I wouldn't go searching the world for them though.
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Peteff
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| posted on 8/4/06 at 08:12 PM |
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and smaller bottles for pure argon etc...
You'll need argon whatever you weld with tig, co2 is no good. If you buy a cheap inverter you can arc weld with you will still have to buy a tig
torch etc.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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oliwb
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| posted on 8/4/06 at 08:17 PM |
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Found powershack but they don't seem to be doing TIG machines?! everything else super cheap, checked completed listings aswell!
Hey-ho....anybody got one secondhand they want to get a bit of cash for? I was under the impression you can use TIG with normal welding gas (I use
ferromax 97.5% Argon, fraction of CO2 and a bit of O2 I think to wet it down a bit.....not sure if thats ok for it) Cheers Oli.
If your not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room!
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paulf
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| posted on 8/4/06 at 09:42 PM |
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Ive got a BOC tradetig 140 inverter and have a scratch start tig torch for it, but tend to use the low amp settings and 1.5mm arc rods for exhaust
tubing etc it is much easier than a cheap ac welder at low amps. You really need pure argon for TIG but maybe the argon mix you have will be ok for
non structural welds.I managed to find a spare BOC botle and swapped it for a full one at a local fabricators, the mini bottles last no time at all
and will cost a fortune to use.
Paul.
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garage19
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| posted on 8/4/06 at 10:24 PM |
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Oooooh, DC tig with HF for under £200! Where are you getting that from, looks right up my street!
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mark chandler
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| posted on 8/4/06 at 10:42 PM |
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I think you will find that your gas is not suitable, you need pure argon or for some uses they mix in a bit of helium.
Regards Mark
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daytonadean
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| posted on 9/4/06 at 07:36 AM |
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you need pure 100% pure argon for ac and dc tig. all mixes are for mig aplications only, you will get blackened welds of poor quality if you
use mixed gas.
fimmer are a medium quality italian maker of weldinf kit. dc 130 is a good machine........
dean
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oliwb
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| posted on 9/4/06 at 08:07 AM |
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Yeh please let me know how you get on. Thats the kind of thing I was after but I know you can get them even cheaper still! My bottle is courtesy of
Air Products at westhill....the BOC centre is at bridge of Don industrial estate just outside Aberdeen.....I went with air products because BOC
treated me like an absolute idiot over the phone plis the air products depot is 15 mins from my house....cost me a little extra but its one of their
integra cylinders, so reg is included and its half size at double pressure so equivalent to a BOC full size cylinder....approx £90 for the year I
believe.....Let us know how you get on with your new TIG set...might be interested to come over some time and have a quick shot if that would be OK?
U2U me to arrange something......Cheers Oli.
If your not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room!
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907
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| posted on 9/4/06 at 08:37 AM |
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Perhaps a point to make is that inverters that are intended for dc arc welding,
that you can fit a tig torch to are full power scratch start, and also need a
torch with a gas tap on. I think you would find this a pain.
Sharpening tungstens every five minutes, not to mention weld contamination,
and turning gas on and off for every tack or weld, or wasting gas by leaving it on.
Also, when you see a price that doesn't include the torch you've got to add another £70 (ish)
IMHO lift start is the minimum requirement, and hf is much better. Electrically operated gas flow as well.
Think of it as buying a car with no starter motor. Yes you could bump it, but would you want to?
Paul G
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oliwb
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| posted on 9/4/06 at 09:50 AM |
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Hmmm.....maybe just stick with the MIG for the time being then until I can afford a real one or the prices come down! I just wish someone on ebay
would sell one north of the border...they all seem to be in England-shire....Wonder if I'm missing something and all the scott's sell
somewhere else....hmmm.....Oli.
If your not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room!
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Peteff
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| posted on 9/4/06 at 11:59 AM |
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I found this in my favourites
I knew I'd seen a diy tig somewhere. You might have enough stuff lying tound to build
this one  .
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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caber
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| posted on 9/4/06 at 10:12 PM |
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Oli, I bought a powershack TIG at Christmas time and have done lots with it. It came with a TIG torch kit and is a proper TIG inverter with gas
control.Best bott;e deal is Air Products who do a bottle with built in regulator, I have just finished my first bottle having done almost all my
chassis and quite a few other jobs over tha last 3 and a half months. I really like it for all welding, it is almost as flexible as gas welding, come
and have play with mine when you are next in Edinburgh
Caber
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