I will pick up an Hitachi 300 AD-GP2 next Friday

[brockenhammer]

Hello again,
here are some news about my Hitachi catch.
The machine seems to work. I magaged to put a slower 20amps fuse into the workshop electric.
The problem was, that there is a very uncommon gasvalve build into the welder with a thread I don´t know and I have no gashose for. But I managed to start the machine. The fans run then for some seconds. Then they stop. When I push the pedal I could hear the ignition, and the gasvalves switching. Also the fans start to run then.
That all seems normal to me.
I measured the cutted cable in the back. There was 230V at the end. I guess that the former owner took that from somewhere in the machine to run the cooler from that.

Like I mentioned I carried to machine to a very good friend. He allready put a plug on the cutted cable ends. So It can be used again and can cause no harm when someone touches it.
He also tries to find the right threaded gas hose nuts. If thats not possible he wants to change the valve (he has some 24v valves in stock).
He also found a damaged cable at the remote interface. Maybe thats the reason for the uncommon remote with the 2 pots on the footcontrol.

We will find out.

There was a little problem with the cooler also.
When I pushed the start button, the relais worked, the fans started but the pump motor just made some noise. When I stop pushing the start button everything stops, and the relais doesn´t hold.
First I checked if it´s possible to move the motor by hand. It easily turned.
Then a friend measured the capacity on the electic pump motor.
I seems to be broken.
Therefore the motor doesn´t run. The preassure switch (which should protect the pump from running dry), which is mounted behind the pump, doesn´t switch and the relais doesn´t stay switched.

I bought a new capacitor and will put it on the motor when I´m back in the workshop in a few days.
Then it should work and I will build a nice little welder cooling cart hopefully from it.

Maybe out of alu to make the first useful aluwelds in my life.

Kai

 

[Richard.]

Hello again,
here are some news about my Hitachi catch.
The machine seems to work. I magaged to put a slower 20amps fuse into the workshop electric.
The problem was, that there is a very uncommon gasvalve build into the welder with a thread I don´t know and I have no gashose for. But I managed to start the machine. The fans run then for some seconds. Then they stop. When I push the pedal I could hear the ignition, and the gasvalves switching. Also the fans start to run then.
That all seems normal to me.
I measured the cutted cable in the back. There was 230V at the end. I guess that the former owner took that from somewhere in the machine to run the cooler from that.

Like I mentioned I carried to machine to a very good friend. He allready put a plug on the cutted cable ends. So It can be used again and can cause no harm when someone touches it.
He also tries to find the right threaded gas hose nuts. If thats not possible he wants to change the valve (he has some 24v valves in stock).
He also found a damaged cable at the remote interface. Maybe thats the reason for the uncommon remote with the 2 pots on the footcontrol.

We will find out.

There was a little problem with the cooler also.
When I pushed the start button, the relais worked, the fans started but the pump motor just made some noise. When I stop pushing the start button everything stops, and the relais doesn´t hold.
First I checked if it´s possible to move the motor by hand. It easily turned.
Then a friend measured the capacity on the electic pump motor.
I seems to be broken.
Therefore the motor doesn´t run. The preassure switch (which should protect the pump from running dry), which is mounted behind the pump, doesn´t switch and the relais doesn´t stay switched.

I bought a new capacitor and will put it on the motor when I´m back in the workshop in a few days.
Then it should work and I will build a nice little welder cooling cart hopefully from it.

Maybe out of alu to make the first useful aluwelds in my life.

Kai

Hi Kai.
Wouldn't it be easier to take that 230v supply that's been cut and run it straight into another 230v pump/motor. By pass all the switching stuff and make it so the pump is always on when the welder is on.

 

[brockenhammer]

Hi Kai.
Wouldn't it be easier to take that 230v supply that's been cut and run it straight into another 230v pump/motor. By pass all the switching stuff and make it so the pump is always on when the welder is on.

Hi Richard,
yes that would be another option.
The problem was space in the car when I carried the welder to northern germany.
With two little childs on board there was some space for the welder, but not enough for the cooling cart.
So I decided to use the cooler myself (I don´t have one until now).
My friend in my hometown 500km away used to work with cooling, fresh air, air condition and stuff like that for industrial and home use.
So he is able to build his own cooler just from the parts he has in stock when he´s in need of one.
How he wires it up is up to him then....

 

[Rig Pig]

Hello again,
here are some news about my Hitachi catch.
The machine seems to work. I magaged to put a slower 20amps fuse into the workshop electric.
The problem was, that there is a very uncommon gasvalve build into the welder with a thread I don´t know and I have no gashose for. But I managed to start the machine. The fans run then for some seconds. Then they stop. When I push the pedal I could hear the ignition, and the gasvalves switching. Also the fans start to run then.
That all seems normal to me.
I measured the cutted cable in the back. There was 230V at the end. I guess that the former owner took that from somewhere in the machine to run the cooler from that.

Like I mentioned I carried to machine to a very good friend. He allready put a plug on the cutted cable ends. So It can be used again and can cause no harm when someone touches it.
He also tries to find the right threaded gas hose nuts. If thats not possible he wants to change the valve (he has some 24v valves in stock).
He also found a damaged cable at the remote interface. Maybe thats the reason for the uncommon remote with the 2 pots on the footcontrol.

We will find out.

There was a little problem with the cooler also.
When I pushed the start button, the relais worked, the fans started but the pump motor just made some noise. When I stop pushing the start button everything stops, and the relais doesn´t hold.
First I checked if it´s possible to move the motor by hand. It easily turned.
Then a friend measured the capacity on the electic pump motor.
I seems to be broken.
Therefore the motor doesn´t run. The preassure switch (which should protect the pump from running dry), which is mounted behind the pump, doesn´t switch and the relais doesn´t stay switched.

I bought a new capacitor and will put it on the motor when I´m back in the workshop in a few days.
Then it should work and I will build a nice little welder cooling cart hopefully from it.

Maybe out of alu to make the first useful aluwelds in my life.

Kai

If you can post a picture and some dimensions of the thread in the gas valve I'm sure that someone will be able to identify it for you.

 

[HughF]

They 'should' be 3/8bsp straight in the back for gas - at least mine is.

Everything else sounds like it is working correctly, fans go off until arc ignition.

 

[brockenhammer]

Hi,
some news again.
The machine works, I´m happy.
My friend in northern germany found a nut for the uncommon gas valve thread and we could make a first test.
Unfortunately we had no alu tig filler, just some very thin mig wire made in GDR more than 25 years ago and a bicycle fender mounting brace (5 or 6mm thick).
Therefore the results where very pleasing.

One little problem occurs with the pedal. At full stroke it just switches of. Maybe a worn out pot. I think another one or just a little turn on the pot itself (to avoid that area) might help.

If I´m right it also worked with pedal and pulse. I´m not totally shure about it, but mayby the wiring of the custom made pedal with the two pots for min amd max current is a solution for the problem you mentioned Hugh.
We did just a little testing, I had to leave, but I will find out as soon as possible.

 

[HughF]

Worn out pot... mine died a few weeks after buying it. I had a spot about 1/2 way through the travel where it went out. Easy fix.

Nice arc isn't it?

 

[brockenhammer]

Hi Hugh,
yes, a very nice arc especially in AC mode. But to be honest I had just a few minutes of testing and I´m have not much experience in AC welding..

It was not the pot. The little nose which operates the switch made a full turn and just switched it of. It´s fixed now.

Thanks to my friend Stefan the cooler is running now. I "checked" the motor mechanically by turning the fan, but didn´t realized that it was a little loose on the conical shaft. And the bearings where stuck after long time no running. So I thought there was an electrical problem.
That was a little stupid of me ;-)

Maybe I have to change the bearings in a while. The pump runs not very silent..

But first I ordered a watercooled CK torch.....

 

[HughF]

Any update on the old hitachi?

 

[brockenhammer]

Hi Hugh,
not really. I bought a Dinse female plug and a gasplug and gave that to my friend who has it now. He will put these into the machine to get red of the "Euro Zentral" connection.
But I´m not shure if he used it to build something? I have to ask him.

Regarding the cooler.
I have to make some pics next week. Then it might be finished.
But I have to build a roadbikeframe first...

 

[brockenhammer]

I found another Hitachi which is for sale.
Maybe that´s of interest for some of you.
It´s a very powerful 500A GP4.
The seller (I don´t know him) would like to have 2000€ for it. But maybe he is happy with less.
It´s on the marktplaats.nl page