BChild
SIP - enough with the mods!!!!
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- Thread starter BChild
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I finally got to have a play with my Cosmo this weekend and have been pleasantly surprised with the results so far (despite listening to the wire feed doing its own thing with the speed!):
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=8380
Tony
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=8380
Tony
BChild
SIP - enough with the mods!!!!
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- 1,023
Right wire feed transformer modification started
Like a few people I didn't want to fit the additional tranformer in the wire feed side of the welder so I had the unit up on the workmate got the covers off and tape measure out
No room here as std however both the transformers are only rivetted in so I can make some room between them if one is moved
Rivets drilled out and one moved
Extra holes
Now space for the separate wire feed motor transformer
Tommorrow should see it all bolted in
Like a few people I didn't want to fit the additional tranformer in the wire feed side of the welder so I had the unit up on the workmate got the covers off and tape measure out
No room here as std however both the transformers are only rivetted in so I can make some room between them if one is moved
Rivets drilled out and one moved
Extra holes
Now space for the separate wire feed motor transformer
Tommorrow should see it all bolted in
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BChild
SIP - enough with the mods!!!!
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- 1,023
Plans to bolt it all were scuppered by other events
Plans to do it tonight were scuppered by work
Plans to do it tommorrow will be scuppered by a leaking radiator valve
Best hope is next weekend
Plans to bolt it all were scuppered by other events
Plans to do it tonight were scuppered by work
Plans to do it tommorrow will be scuppered by a leaking radiator valve
Best hope is next weekend
Ah, I know that feeling well!!!!
There just aren't enough hours in the day, especially at this time of year!Tony
BChild
SIP - enough with the mods!!!!
- Messages
- 1,023
Ah, I know that feeling well!!!!
Tony
Well I finally plucked up the courage to finish it off
I'll post some pics of the wiring later meantime......
Can you tell which were before practice welds and which were after the wire feed transformer mods?
And from the back
Fully installed and wired up
Nothing on the wire feed side (no holes in the divider)
Just used a hole that was already there for the bridge
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BChild
SIP - enough with the mods!!!!
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So having done the modification time to try it out
Found a rust spot on the other halfs Polo a while back scraped it back to treat it and it made a big hole - oooops
So cut out the rest of the rust and a bit of 20 guage steel to fit behind it
welded the plate in
Grind down the excess weld and slap in a bit of plod
Sand down the plod and quick blow over with primer
I cannot believe how easy it was wire speed was steady and easy to trim sure it's just a little patch but I had confidence in the welder for the first time ever - power settings was on min and wire feed was perfectly in control no variation at all - all the spikes in wire speed are gone
Found a rust spot on the other halfs Polo a while back scraped it back to treat it and it made a big hole - oooops
So cut out the rest of the rust and a bit of 20 guage steel to fit behind it
welded the plate in
Grind down the excess weld and slap in a bit of plod
Sand down the plod and quick blow over with primer
I cannot believe how easy it was wire speed was steady and easy to trim sure it's just a little patch but I had confidence in the welder for the first time ever - power settings was on min and wire feed was perfectly in control no variation at all - all the spikes in wire speed are gone
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BChild
SIP - enough with the mods!!!!
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Still a "Test post" - need to pull the side of the welder and double check where I can't make sense of my notes
240v Transformer input side
A = Piggyback +ve feed from main board
Red wire chosen and goes to
G +ve 240v Transformer input side
B = Piggyback -ve Feed from main board
Black wire chosen and goes to
F -ve 240v Transformer input side
From Transformer to Bridge
E = +ve 12v Transformer output side
Red wire chosen and goes to
M +ve connection of the relay bridge
D = -ve 12v Transformer output side
Black wire chosen and goes to
L -ve connection of the relay bridge
From Bridge
N = +ve 24v Key (or Vertical connector) on bridge
Red wire chosen and goes to I where it changes to black and links to the green connector H
From memory I think this wire originally was a ring connection and went to the main connection at C
O = -ve 24v Diagonally opposire connector on the bridge
Black wire chosen and goes to the -ve side of the wire feed motor K
J White Wire +ve output for motor connects to +ve red wire on the motor
Just trying to get a one picture shows all the elements of the wire modifications and I think I may need to redo the letters for a bit more clarity!!!
240v Transformer input side
A = Piggyback +ve feed from main board
Red wire chosen and goes to
G +ve 240v Transformer input side
B = Piggyback -ve Feed from main board
Black wire chosen and goes to
F -ve 240v Transformer input side
From Transformer to Bridge
E = +ve 12v Transformer output side
Red wire chosen and goes to
M +ve connection of the relay bridge
D = -ve 12v Transformer output side
Black wire chosen and goes to
L -ve connection of the relay bridge
From Bridge
N = +ve 24v Key (or Vertical connector) on bridge
Red wire chosen and goes to I where it changes to black and links to the green connector H
From memory I think this wire originally was a ring connection and went to the main connection at C
O = -ve 24v Diagonally opposire connector on the bridge
Black wire chosen and goes to the -ve side of the wire feed motor K
J White Wire +ve output for motor connects to +ve red wire on the motor
Just trying to get a one picture shows all the elements of the wire modifications and I think I may need to redo the letters for a bit more clarity!!!
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BChild
SIP - enough with the mods!!!!
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OK now some other irritations
Having to contantly slap the torch head against something solid to get the gas valve to shut off
Still noticing some lag on the wire feed (you can pull a bit thro when you trim)
I'm going to convert to Euro torch
So advice welcome
What Amp torch assembly do I need? Assumes 150 would be fine as all the work it does is car body work
Solenoid valve - source - wiring - voltages?
Any other good advice?
Having to contantly slap the torch head against something solid to get the gas valve to shut off
Still noticing some lag on the wire feed (you can pull a bit thro when you trim)
I'm going to convert to Euro torch
So advice welcome
What Amp torch assembly do I need? Assumes 150 would be fine as all the work it does is car body work
Solenoid valve - source - wiring - voltages?
Any other good advice?
madkayaker
Pro sparkey Pro Welder
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just done the same with my Clarke. There is an Euro adaptor on ebay with a new feed motor on Ebay (technical arc in York) They also do the gas valve or PM Weldequip he'll sort you out
BChild
SIP - enough with the mods!!!!
- Messages
- 1,023
Steve from Weldequip has been very helpfull with advice but he doesn't want to get involved with euro torch conversions if he can avoid it - he explained his reasons fully and I have no problems with his viewpoint
So I found one of the parts on ebay and asked the seller a question "can you do a full package for euro torck conversion on a SIP 170 (cosmo)
Reply within 2 hours
Sorted then
madkayaker
Pro sparkey Pro Welder
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found tecarc useful will be ordering a control board and bits after pay day to get an old MIG firing again
BChild
SIP - enough with the mods!!!!
- Messages
- 1,023
Usefull and fast - bearing in mind purchased before a bank holiday weekend I was surprised to see all the parts arrived today
So izzy wizzy lets get busy
Current set up (I post this to highlight one of the other problems with my SIP - birdsnesting between roller feed and torch liner and I already spaced everything out as much as I possibly could to improve this!!!)
Removed and marked up for a big hole!!!
Big hole made
The Euro torch connector needs to be tailored to fit so several trial fittings
I'll take some better pictures but the centre of the euro connector has a sliding brass tube that needs to fit the torch end when torch is fully installed and tightened up and be as close to the rollers as possible at the other end.
It can be just seen in the centre of the largest recess (I know rubbish picture!!)
so for the threaded section 15mm was removed and probably 20mm of the the centre sliding shaft was removed
So one part done I moved onto the gas solenoid valve
Found a location - drilled a couple of holes
And bolted it in
So now all I need to do is
- Get an adaptor to mate the larger bore tubing with my regulator
- Drill a hole for the main current feed wire and grommet it through the front of the casing
- Join the white wire from the euro torch connector to the blue wire (that was connected to the old torch)
- Fix the new crimp to the wire along with the black wire that was originally in there and brown wire from the euro torch connector
Oh and wire it up the gas solenoid!!! (This of course will be last - I hate electrickery!!! - The earth is the easy wire the instructions are generic and not SIP 170 specific so I'll have to work it all out)
Not forgetting adding a few cable ties to tidy up the wiring runs and keep it all neat and tidy
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BChild
SIP - enough with the mods!!!!
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Oh and I didn't take any pictures of the parts before I started but what I would say is the euro torch is a much heavier construction than the original one if you are used to hobby torches and their light weight and compact size think twice before embarking on a conversion
I'll let everyone know how I feel about it after I get back into welding again but it (Euro torch) certainly isn't a lightweight item
I'll let everyone know how I feel about it after I get back into welding again but it (Euro torch) certainly isn't a lightweight item
BChild
SIP - enough with the mods!!!!
- Messages
- 1,023
Progress tonight
- Drill a hole for the main current feed wire (the swap polarity connectors) and grommet it through the front of the casing - Done
- Join the white wire from the euro torch connector to the blue wire (that was connected to the old torch) - Done
- Fix the new crimp to the wire along with the black wire that was originally in there and brown wire from the euro torch connector - Done "Old school crimping style" anvil and a cold chisel as these large connectors are outside the range of my crimpers but it's a good and strong join so I'm happy
- wire it up the gas solenoid!!! - Done I needed a "torch switched" 230 V supply to the solenoid - After trying to get my head round it and leaving a message for Les "Tecarc" (He actually gives his mobile number out if you have any problems with the installation instructions - I couldn't believe that anyone in this day and age would do that!!!) I used the same feeds as I used for the separate wire feed transformer (and realised I was being utterly stupid) and all the hard work had already been done already - Perfect 
Incidently I have nothing but praise for Les as he rang me back about 15mins later but by that time I was all sorted and cursing myself for being such a dumbass
- Added a few cable ties to tidy up the wiring runs and keep it all neat and tidy inside the case - Done
Additional tasks
had to modify the case slightly as it fouled on the bolts holding the gas solenoid so rather than move it I ground a couple of notches in the case shuts
Now I had a fully modded and converted to Euro torch welded and I wanted to try it so as I haven't yet got an adaptor to mate the larger bore tubing required for the gas solenoid to my large gas bottle and regulator I opted for the last of the disposables and cunningly bodged small tube to big tube in order to try out the welder - proper fix next so no photos untill it's all sorted
I quickly realised I needed to trim the wire feed pot straight away as even turned down it was coming out quicker than before so slowest setting now results in the slightest of creeping in terms of wire feed
So what's it like
Brilliant - I tried it on a variety of settings just laying down beads of weld on a 2mm thick sheet of metal and I was very very very happy - so much easier to get a good happy sound (sizzling bacon) straight of the bat - wire feed speed was simple to trim - I'd have started working on the car again but the last of my disposables cried enough!!!
Still I'm very happy now and took some time to reflect on the whole experience
Bottom Line - I should have done my research before purchase (If I had probably the last make I would have bought was an SIP)
However.......
1. I've found a forum that offers genuine honest and friendly advice and some like minded people who are prepared to make something that doesn't work well better
2. When I bought the SIP I was on a budget and wasn't prepared to go over it (actually I couldn't have even if I had wanted to)
3. I've spent £45 on the initial mods roller clamp and separate wire feed transformer and then another £90 for the whole "euro torch conversion kit"
4. It appears I now have a welder that works and I feel confident in using and I've learnt a fair bit in the process so on balance I'm OK with the whole SIP thing
- Drill a hole for the main current feed wire (the swap polarity connectors) and grommet it through the front of the casing - Done
- Join the white wire from the euro torch connector to the blue wire (that was connected to the old torch) - Done
- Fix the new crimp to the wire along with the black wire that was originally in there and brown wire from the euro torch connector - Done "Old school crimping style" anvil and a cold chisel as these large connectors are outside the range of my crimpers but it's a good and strong join so I'm happy
- wire it up the gas solenoid!!! - Done I needed a "torch switched" 230 V supply to the solenoid - After trying to get my head round it and leaving a message for Les "Tecarc" (He actually gives his mobile number out if you have any problems with the installation instructions - I couldn't believe that anyone in this day and age would do that!!!) I used the same feeds as I used for the separate wire feed transformer (and realised I was being utterly stupid
) and all the hard work had already been done already - Perfect Incidently I have nothing but praise for Les as he rang me back about 15mins later but by that time I was all sorted and cursing myself for being such a dumbass
- Added a few cable ties to tidy up the wiring runs and keep it all neat and tidy inside the case - Done
Additional tasks
had to modify the case slightly as it fouled on the bolts holding the gas solenoid so rather than move it I ground a couple of notches in the case shuts
Now I had a fully modded and converted to Euro torch welded and I wanted to try it so as I haven't yet got an adaptor to mate the larger bore tubing required for the gas solenoid to my large gas bottle and regulator I opted for the last of the disposables and cunningly bodged small tube to big tube in order to try out the welder - proper fix next so no photos untill it's all sorted
I quickly realised I needed to trim the wire feed pot straight away as even turned down it was coming out quicker than before so slowest setting now results in the slightest of creeping in terms of wire feed
So what's it like
Brilliant
- I tried it on a variety of settings just laying down beads of weld on a 2mm thick sheet of metal and I was very very very happy - so much easier to get a good happy sound (sizzling bacon) straight of the bat - wire feed speed was simple to trim - I'd have started working on the car again but the last of my disposables cried enough!!!Still I'm very happy now and took some time to reflect on the whole experience
Bottom Line - I should have done my research before purchase (If I had probably the last make I would have bought was an SIP)
However.......
1. I've found a forum that offers genuine honest and friendly advice and some like minded people who are prepared to make something that doesn't work well better
2. When I bought the SIP I was on a budget and wasn't prepared to go over it (actually I couldn't have even if I had wanted to)
3. I've spent £45 on the initial mods roller clamp and separate wire feed transformer and then another £90 for the whole "euro torch conversion kit"
4. It appears I now have a welder that works and I feel confident in using and I've learnt a fair bit in the process so on balance I'm OK with the whole SIP thing
