I am trying to ascertain if there would be any interest in a universal 3D printed TIG pedal from members of this forum. A couple of things to note: I am NOT looking to sell them or the plans and while I have a 3D printer I am not offering to print these (there are services on the net [ebay] which offer very affordable printing). Assuming others want it I will make everything available for free. If nobody wants it I will just make it for myself.
I have a couple of TIGs for which I will be attempting to make the pedal compatible. However, I should note that I have never used a foot pedal before. So here lies a bit of a predicament: I dont need help with 3D modelling and, as long as others can get the wiring diagrams for their specific welder, they will be able to simply change the potentiometers for the values their welders require (or, in the case of voltage dividers, use values which will work). But I do need the input from others on things they find mandatory and desirable in a pedal. Failing receiving input, I will simply copy commercial designs and see how that goes. With input from others and through iterations in the development, we could potentially have a nice, open-source pedal for people to make.
I will be using standard, off-the-shelf components in the design. Probably cost less than £10 excluding the printing (and the surprisingly expensive welder input plugs). I'd imagine the printing will cost about £25-30. So, not free, but not that expensive for those of us not making a living off sticking bits of metal together.
For those who have read this far before losing interest, perhaps you will also let me know if this is something that you are NOT interested in and what your reasons are. I would imagine people will talk about having a lightweight plastic part in a workshop, being susceptible to hot weld spatter and other things like that. Your comments may be useful, even if they are criticism.
I have a couple of TIGs for which I will be attempting to make the pedal compatible. However, I should note that I have never used a foot pedal before. So here lies a bit of a predicament: I dont need help with 3D modelling and, as long as others can get the wiring diagrams for their specific welder, they will be able to simply change the potentiometers for the values their welders require (or, in the case of voltage dividers, use values which will work). But I do need the input from others on things they find mandatory and desirable in a pedal. Failing receiving input, I will simply copy commercial designs and see how that goes. With input from others and through iterations in the development, we could potentially have a nice, open-source pedal for people to make.
I will be using standard, off-the-shelf components in the design. Probably cost less than £10 excluding the printing (and the surprisingly expensive welder input plugs). I'd imagine the printing will cost about £25-30. So, not free, but not that expensive for those of us not making a living off sticking bits of metal together.
For those who have read this far before losing interest, perhaps you will also let me know if this is something that you are NOT interested in and what your reasons are. I would imagine people will talk about having a lightweight plastic part in a workshop, being susceptible to hot weld spatter and other things like that. Your comments may be useful, even if they are criticism.