Paton Standard 160 and Paton ProTig 200ac/dc

[Earburn60]

Hi, new to the forum, but have been lurking on the sidelines for sometime. I purchased a Paton Standard 160 Mig welder 3 years ago and have been very happy with it. After much deliberation I’ve recently purchased a Paton ProTig 200ac/dc, it’s probably overkill for what I’ll be using it for, but decided I should treat myself before the government taxes me into extinction.

I last used a tig welder in 1991 at college. I got frustrated (polite word) with the amount of time I spent at the bench grinder, grinding tungstens. I preferred oxyacetylene welding for car restoration work. Tig welders at that time were huge transformer based machines that to a novice like me were a bit scary. Mig welders were generally used for complete panel replacement or situations where it would have been impossible to planish an oxyacetylene weld.

I’m looking forward to tig welding and have been busy watching YouTube videos. I’ve had a look at some of the Paton videos online and would like to hear from any other Paton users. Advice on tig welding 20g and 22g steel would also be welcome. I’m thinking of things like tungsten type, size, gas flow, lens etc. All advice would be appreciated.

 

[Popcorn]

Have you had a look at the tutorial sections at the top the page in green, tons of useful info there:

TIG Welding Tutorial

This tutorial is aimed at beginner and intermediate TIG welders and was developed by professionals. Videos show the techniques, and the advice explains what to look for and how to avoid common problems.

www.mig-welding.co.uk

 

[Earburn60]

Thanks, yes, I’ve had a look at those and have been impressed with all the info available. To be honest I was looking at the tutorials before I made the decision to get a tig. I take ages making decisions when I’m considering a big purchase. I’m waiting for a bottle of argon to be delivered. The downside of living in rural Devon is that anything considered unusual has to be ordered in. Easy to get argon/CO2 mix because there’s more demand. I’ve been watching some tig tutorials on YouTube and found one last night that explained about tungsten size and tig cup size etc. Probably sounds daft, but I’ve been doing some dry runs practicing with the torch moving along smoothly without touching down with the tungsten! The tig came with a pedal so that’s going to be a big learning curve for me. I definitely won’t be attempting aluminium until I’m comfortable with steel.

 

[tom2207]

jody at welding tips and tricks or 6061 on you tube show some great start off videos,, once youve read lots and watched lots , have a go , remember to keep your first welds ,,, you will then be able to look back in years to come and have a giggle ,,

 

[Earburn60]

That’s funny! A few years ago I was moving house and came across a shoe box full of welding samples I’d done decades earlier at college. Yes, I’ve had a look at Jody on YouTube. I think he came up with the Tig Finger protector. I bought one off Amazon and will try it out in an attempt to steady my torch hand.

 

[paulo1974]

@Earburn60 welcome to the forum.
you could do tig on the paton 160 also , but only dc mode. As for the ac/dc paton machine it was release a new version with a knob like the 5th generation mig.
Another thing that you should consider it to aquire a cooler because with higher amperage or longer welding time the torch will very hot.