"New" TIG machine, and new to TIG

[teddykan]

I want to progress from MIG to TIG, particularly on thin sheet metalwork on old car restoration. I hence bought a TIG machine off eBay. I did a bit of preliminary investigation, via this forum, beforehand and am pleased that I ended up with a "HF start" (as opposed to "scratch start"), with up to 180A capability (although I shall concentrate on thin sheet which won't go anywhere near full power).

Can you advise me on the detailed spec on this machine? Is "Invert-R" a decent make?

I plan to use my MIG shielding gas (pub CO2) to shield my test welds on mild steel sheets using this. That should be OK, shouldn't it?

Also, I wonder whether my 6kW generator can run this - it struggles to power my 130A Cebora-lookalike portable MIG, even at the lowest setting. Does a TIG consume more power, at any given power setting, compared to a MIG (I would hope not, as the TIG doesn't have to work a wire feed motor).

Can you tell me what the attachments on the front panels are (torch and earth should be obvious)?

Thanks,
teddykan

 

[Bigjoe]

Teddykan,
You can only Tig weld with pure argon (or helium mix for specialist stuff) as anything else will burn the tungsten up. (i think)

Joe

 

[oceanobsession]

Re new tig machine and new to tig

Hello and welcome to the forum if you post a close up front on im sure
someone will help with the controls cheers ocean

 

[welder103]

mostly ryt

Teddykan,
You can only Tig weld with pure argon (or helium mix for specialist stuff) as anything else will burn the tungsten up. (i think)

Joe

hi yeh most of that is right but whats best for mild steel is aron sheild light and never heard of that make but aslong as it welds it should be ok and tig dont use as much power as mig so that should be fine last thing its to hard to tell which goes on which but uve probly figured it out it was posted 3 years ago only just found this forum so sorry i havnt posted like when you need the answer but hope it helps someone

 

[simon718]

teddykan you don't seem to be reading what has been written, you can ONLY use argon/helium for tig welding, any gas containing carbon dioxide (including argoshield) will very quickly destroy your tungstens, they are only for MIG.

 

[irondarren]

Argoshield light using Tig. Pure argon only im afraid.

 

[hotrodder]

Will need a better pic for the dials. Torch goes to -ve socket, work return to +ve, brass connector is for gas to torch (PURE argon only, as said) and the other connector will be for the torch switch

Be VERY careful about connecting it to a genny. Inverters contain lots of PCBs and other delicate electronics that a basic transformer welder doesn't. Know several people that have fried TIG/stick inverters running them off of small gennys

 

[teddykan]

Advice on getting started on TIG

Looks like I'll need to get industrial argon gas then - I think I'll go for the BOC "Y" sized cylinder, based on what Malcolm and the others have been debating previously.

My generator is rated at some 6kW output but has over-current protection. It has powered my 130A MIG OK but cuts out frequently on any over-current. I'm hoping that the generator won't cut out so much on a TIG, ie, that current surges are less, during welding, than for a MIG.

Any ideas?
Thanks,
teddykan

 

[simon718]

is there no way you can get permenant power to where you are welding, i would be a bit worried about running anything with sensitive electronics from a generator, especially a tig

 

[DIY Welding]

Machine is supplied by a company called swp, Chinese made had a few problems with circuit boards but nothing serious, would not like to run them from a gennie

 

[teddykan]

Using a gennie out at a scrapyard

is there no way you can get permenant power to where you are welding, i would be a bit worried about running anything with sensitive electronics from a generator, especially a tig

Not really. I work at an open yard and there's a domestic 240V supply some 200yd away, which is only 13A rated, and its protection trips out frequently. Have to resort to a portable gennie, I'm afraid.

 

[teddykan]

Machine make

Machine is supplied by a company called swp, Chinese made had a few problems with circuit boards but nothing serious, would not like to run them from a gennie

I'll get better pics on this forum next week, after the machine arrives in the post. Thanks

 

[simon718]

Well from the replies you have had, dont be surprised if the tig fries quite quickly. If it was me i would bite the bullet and get a proper supply fitted

 

[madkayaker]

200Yrds can be over come by a proper sparky

 

[simon718]

what cable thickness would you need for 16a over 200 yards mk? 6mm? are there any calculators for it about on the internet that you know of?

 

[madkayaker]

the VD calculation is in the regs and it cable length*current*Milli Volt per amp per meter (table in regs)/ 1000. Most of the online calculators are wrong now as the permissive VD has dropped to 3% for lighting and 6% for rest. N.B this is total and from source. I'll work it out but at a guess probably about 25mm ish

 

[madkayaker]

worked it out for a 5% VD (not 6% my bad) 16mm is the smallest allowed witch gives a drop of 8.96V and 25mm gives a drop of 5.6V so dependant on the VD to the start of the cable its 16 or 25mm.

 

[Wozzaaah]

200 yards of 25mm SWA, ouch!!!!!

 

[madkayaker]

One other point is ZS depending on what the supply ZE is might have to be bigger to get a low enough ZS for the MCB especially if C or D type was used.

 

[simon718]

damn i may have slightly under-estimated well teddykan it aint gonna be cheap, but yet again neither is a replacement tig when the one you just got fries