i've never tried tig but i have a job booked in where thers a need was going to sub it out then thought my portable welder in the van has that function its an' inverter fusion' 151[the green handbag looking welder],the welds are 90 degree fillets in 5mm s/steel?
- Thread starter nickk
- Start date
Would have thought it'd be better (and cheaper) to sub it out. This time at least... price for a bottle of argon, some wire and a valved TIG torch might be less than the job is worth but you also need to learn to TIG weld which could take weeks (or even months) to reach a standard suitable for paying jobs
Like pretty much any DC MMA/stick welder it's capapable of 'scratch TIG'. Basically the machine is missing all the control functions of a 'real' TIG so you use a torch with a valve in it to control the gas flow as there's no gas solenoid in the machine. The torch is permantly live so you have to 'scratch' (short) the tungsten to the work to strike an arc. It's not that disimilar to striking an arc with MMA but needs a softer touch and some practice as the tip of the tungsten is paramount- trash it and the arc loses focus/wanders. There's various ways to end a weld as a workaround for the lack of 'slope out'. Snap the torch away sharply and you tend to leave a crater which is fine if it's a stop/start, not so much for a final tie in / if you can't use run off tabs. One way around it for a final tie in is to increase travel speed until the weldpool freezes and then you can break the arc without leaving a giant crater
While very doable on thicker stuff scratch TIG tends to be a bit of a PITA when the going gets thin
Like pretty much any DC MMA/stick welder it's capapable of 'scratch TIG'. Basically the machine is missing all the control functions of a 'real' TIG so you use a torch with a valve in it to control the gas flow as there's no gas solenoid in the machine. The torch is permantly live so you have to 'scratch' (short) the tungsten to the work to strike an arc. It's not that disimilar to striking an arc with MMA but needs a softer touch and some practice as the tip of the tungsten is paramount- trash it and the arc loses focus/wanders. There's various ways to end a weld as a workaround for the lack of 'slope out'. Snap the torch away sharply and you tend to leave a crater which is fine if it's a stop/start, not so much for a final tie in / if you can't use run off tabs. One way around it for a final tie in is to increase travel speed until the weldpool freezes and then you can break the arc without leaving a giant crater
While very doable on thicker stuff scratch TIG tends to be a bit of a PITA when the going gets thin
Jan
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Now there's a happy coincidence! I was going to ask if I could 'merely' 
add a valved TIG torch to my old - but perfectly working (couldn't break it by driving a bus over it) - arc welder. For the price of a decent torch could I give TIG a go with it? On mild would Argoshield Lite be up to the task?
add a valved TIG torch to my old - but perfectly working (couldn't break it by driving a bus over it) - arc welder. For the price of a decent torch could I give TIG a go with it? On mild would Argoshield Lite be up to the task?
shenion
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Now there's a happy coincidence! I was going to ask if I could 'merely'
It must be a DC arc welder ad you need pure argon.
Sorry by thicker stuff i just ment not thin 
Sheet metal is a whole bunch easier with a 'real' TIG but once you're above 1.5 - 2mm the lack of slope control etc is less of a deal. Miles of X ray quality welds are made on pipe with basic scratch TIGs daily, not so much hygienic stainless sheet/tube though...
Forgot to mention, TIG torch goes in the -ve, return clamp +ve
Sheet metal is a whole bunch easier with a 'real' TIG but once you're above 1.5 - 2mm the lack of slope control etc is less of a deal. Miles of X ray quality welds are made on pipe with basic scratch TIGs daily, not so much hygienic stainless sheet/tube though...Forgot to mention, TIG torch goes in the -ve, return clamp +ve
They do a scratch TIG version as well as the HF and PHF (pulse) but it's only listed under the complete fusion range and MMA category (i scanned through the manual earlier to see if it was lift or scratch start)... http://www.inverterfusion.co.uk/151ma/ has a TIG/MMA switch and looks pretty much the same, just missing a few bits inside
I appear to have conveniently invented the fact it's an MA though as i've just realised Nickk never stated the full model
i just assumed it was a TIG from a stick welder thread 
If it's got a threaded fitting at the bottom left corner (out and down from the din plug) and a second display under the amperage one then you've got a full fat TIG and it'll be easier and nicer to use
I appear to have conveniently invented the fact it's an MA though as i've just realised Nickk never stated the full model
i just assumed it was a TIG from a stick welder thread If it's got a threaded fitting at the bottom left corner (out and down from the din plug) and a second display under the amperage one then you've got a full fat TIG and it'll be easier and nicer to use 