Author Topic: Tig, Stick, Plasma: Combo welder worth buying?  (Read 16226 times)

rcavictim

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Re: Tig, Stick, Plasma: Combo welder worth buying?
« Reply #15 on: October 26, 2007, 12:15:36 AM »
Unfortunately a AC/DC transformer based TIG welder loses a lot of that simplicity, add pulse and hi frequency start and it gets worse.  I also applied to become a repair center, for the obvious benefits.  ;)



What?!  You want to be bothered by stupid people at all hours of the day or night banging on your door or phoning you to fix their welder and you find out that the reason it doesn`t work is because their service panel fuse is blown and you don`t have the heart to charge them for being stupid and this happens over and over and you end up a nervous wreck and addicted to prescription tranquilizers all because you thought that being a `repair center` would get you access to free or discounted parts.  Is this what you want?   ;D
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Doug

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Re: Tig, Stick, Plasma: Combo welder worth buying?
« Reply #16 on: October 26, 2007, 12:25:22 AM »
Oh no the best was the guy who brought in the welder and tells me it just doesn't weld properly on DC....

After an hour of finding nothing I found out he was using the + and common instead of the + and -.....

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clytle374

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Re: Tig, Stick, Plasma: Combo welder worth buying?
« Reply #17 on: October 26, 2007, 12:41:48 AM »
Unfortunately a AC/DC transformer based TIG welder loses a lot of that simplicity, add pulse and hi frequency start and it gets worse.  I also applied to become a repair center, for the obvious benefits.  ;)



What?!  You want to be bothered by stupid people at all hours of the day or night banging on your door or phoning you to fix their welder and you find out that the reason it doesn`t work is because their service panel fuse is blown and you don`t have the heart to charge them for being stupid and this happens over and over and you end up a nervous wreck and addicted to prescription tranquilizers all because you thought that being a `repair center` would get you access to free or discounted parts.  Is this what you want?   ;D

#1 I had a computer repair business for 3 years, I got over the "feeling bad to charge them for that".
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#6 Everyone else here is addicted to some form of prescription drug, and I want to fit in.

clytle374

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Re: Tig, Stick, Plasma: Combo welder worth buying?
« Reply #18 on: November 02, 2007, 03:48:53 AM »
I got it today.  I went to town to get a tank, tungsten, and filler rods.  Good news the TIG torch is 100% standard stuff, and looks like the plasma torch only has one variation, the electrode it reversible.  Both torches only plug into the gas outlet  ???  But the gas outlet ohms zero to the stick output, and the hose ohms zero to the torch tip.  Is this common?   

If it burns up it wasn't for a lack of heat sinks, %75 of the inside is heat sink.   

Now I would try it out, but I forgot to get a power plug >:( :( :-[ :'(   

Better news the people responded to my question in the time I wrote this post.  Gas and power are the same line.

« Last Edit: November 02, 2007, 03:53:57 AM by clytle374 »

clytle374

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Re: Tig, Stick, Plasma: Combo welder worth buying?
« Reply #19 on: November 03, 2007, 04:15:23 AM »
In case anyone is curious the manual is just as bad as the GM-90 manual.
Might go to town tomorrow and get a power plug but I'm really busy and with the price of fuel, maybe not.

clytle374

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Re: Tig, Stick, Plasma: Combo welder worth buying?
« Reply #20 on: November 09, 2007, 08:00:50 PM »
Plasma cutter works, tig works good.  The HF start is awesome, starts at 1/2" easily!!!  Haven't tried the stick welding out yet.





clytle374

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Re: Tig, Stick, Plasma: Combo welder worth buying?
« Reply #21 on: November 23, 2007, 12:20:53 AM »
Well, I have about 30 hours on it so far.  It works very good, how long it works really good is the question.
So far it has ran twice as many hours as my listeroid did before breaking.  Which aggravates me severely.

clytle374

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Stabbing oneself with red hot tungsten
« Reply #22 on: December 19, 2007, 05:23:54 AM »
TIG torch fell of the table and stuck in my leg :o
Didn't even hurt until later.   :'(

4x4_Welder

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Re: Tig, Stick, Plasma: Combo welder worth buying?
« Reply #23 on: December 19, 2007, 05:31:35 AM »
Yeah, that sucks.  I have done that a few times, usually get my arm or my hand when I go after a falling torch though.
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mobile_bob

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Re: Tig, Stick, Plasma: Combo welder worth buying?
« Reply #24 on: December 19, 2007, 05:37:50 AM »
hey look at the bright side

i can't imagine needing a tetnus shot for that puncture wound :)

bob g
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clytle374

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Re: Tig, Stick, Plasma: Combo welder worth buying?
« Reply #25 on: December 19, 2007, 09:13:32 AM »
hey look at the bright side

i can't imagine needing a tetnus shot for that puncture wound :)

bob g

It is nice and clean, no need for a shot, plus I think I'm up to date anyway.
I didn't think it really got me, until I smelt it.   Still wishing I didn't have the tungsten sticking out over 1/2"
Vaporized a hole about 3/8" diameter.
 

mike90045

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Re: Stabbing oneself with red hot tungsten
« Reply #26 on: December 19, 2007, 03:13:17 PM »
TIG torch fell of the table and stuck in my leg

When the rod sticks, is that a case of not enough, or too much current ?

Bluecometk

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Re: Tig, Stick, Plasma: Combo welder worth buying?
« Reply #27 on: December 19, 2007, 03:58:39 PM »
 OUCH!!!! That's not even funny that had to hurt!!. I have a 1936 Forney A/C Welder that was my dads.
I cant weld very good. I make a lot of pigeon shit on the metal. So I asked a pro to come over and see if the darn thing was broke. He used it for about 10 minutes and said he wanted to buy it. He said it welded like it was D/C instead of A/C.I can still get parts for it .It ways in at 250lbs and its only a transformer.

I have two Snap on welders at the shop. They are all fancy with dials and frequency knobs. The guys said they were the bestest mostest.  They are at the repair shop more than at our shop And I have to bring in the 1936 Forney for them to use. Since it was new the only things that were done to it were leads and power cord replaced and I put a fan in it to help it stay cool. It was just a hunch but I figured the insulation is 70+ years old and might be getting thin and brittle

Moral of the story I think simpler is better. End of stupid story.
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rcavictim

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Re: Tig, Stick, Plasma: Combo welder worth buying?
« Reply #28 on: December 19, 2007, 06:28:34 PM »
hey look at the bright side

i can't imagine needing a tetnus shot for that puncture wound :)

bob g

It is nice and clean, no need for a shot, plus I think I'm up to date anyway.
I didn't think it really got me, until I smelt it.   Still wishing I didn't have the tungsten sticking out over 1/2"
Vaporized a hole about 3/8" diameter.
 

That is a RF burn and those go deep into the tissue.  They usually take very much longer to heal than surface burns for this reason.  That is really nasty.  Hope it heals well.
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clytle374

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Re: Tig, Stick, Plasma: Combo welder worth buying?
« Reply #29 on: December 19, 2007, 07:49:52 PM »
That is a RF burn and those go deep into the tissue.  They usually take very much longer to heal than surface burns for this reason.  That is really nasty.  Hope it heals well.
I had my foot off the petal so luckily no power was involved, the bad news was I was laying it down because it was to hot to hold on to and the tungsten was well into red hot.   

I bet the HF start would have been real bad news.