- Thread starter MattH
- Start date
C
Chris Stevens
Guest
If you are a beginner and want to try flex head, get hold of a cheap one................there is no real need to pay £300 for one.
C
Chris Stevens
Guest
If you want the best possible flex head torch for a good price, then get hold of a CK or Speedway from the US. You can get US made torches from UK suppliers, but seem to cost a fair bit more (4m CK Flex Loc UK price is £300!)
- Messages
- 6,157
- Location
- SW Scotland
Just to throw another one in the pot for you Matt; the Parweld range is (IMHO) a bit clumsy with the MIGsy type handles for TIG. However, Tom was posting about some new ones coming along that are apparently not as bulky. I mention because it doesn't sound long and Parweld are usually decent quality for the price. Other than the bulky handle they're a nice unit.
If you're buying a complete torch with cables/hoses then a large chunk of what you pay for is quality/flexibility of the hoses themselves i.e. dirt cheap with relatively stiff nasty hoses that may have the water passage partly blocked by a badly crimped, stiff power cable or more spendy with overbraided silicon rubber hoses and better quality/more flexible power cable in it etc. While CK are about the only ones shouting about their 'superflex' cables they aren't the only source as silicon overbraided cables have existed for eons
I haven't used a flexhead torch for years but i'm guessing that watercooled versions are still less flexible than air/gas cooled versions for the obvious reasons? As said any flex head will fatigue and break eventually if you actually flex them about to make life easier so the head itself becomes a consumable and one that (rarely) can drive you temporarily insane if they spring a leak inside rather than just fail completely
Things like flex loc or roto head fix the fatigue thing (just an extra O ring or two) and offer more anglular adjustment but in some situations will be bulkier than a regular torch of the same size due to the layout of the neck. Another variation is a ball joint which gives a bit of adjustment and a choice of heads... http://www.weldmarkuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/WTB-Ball-Joint-i-Head-Torches-2016.pdf
Personally i don't miss a flex head torch, rarely think such and such would be easier with one and on the rare occasion when i can't get at the joint with a fixed wp20 a flex neck some other posh/spendy variation on it wouldn't help as there simply isn't physically room. It's time to swap to wp24 or proper micro torch and prat about with stupidly short tungstens
I haven't used a flexhead torch for years but i'm guessing that watercooled versions are still less flexible than air/gas cooled versions for the obvious reasons? As said any flex head will fatigue and break eventually if you actually flex them about to make life easier so the head itself becomes a consumable and one that (rarely) can drive you temporarily insane if they spring a leak inside rather than just fail completely
Things like flex loc or roto head fix the fatigue thing (just an extra O ring or two) and offer more anglular adjustment but in some situations will be bulkier than a regular torch of the same size due to the layout of the neck. Another variation is a ball joint which gives a bit of adjustment and a choice of heads... http://www.weldmarkuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/WTB-Ball-Joint-i-Head-Torches-2016.pdf
Personally i don't miss a flex head torch, rarely think such and such would be easier with one and on the rare occasion when i can't get at the joint with a fixed wp20 a flex neck some other posh/spendy variation on it wouldn't help as there simply isn't physically room. It's time to swap to wp24 or proper micro torch and prat about with stupidly short tungstens
Richard.
Member
- Messages
- 18,344
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
I've done exactly that not that long ago in a box section probably slightly smaller than in that vid.
The only issue I had was seeing around the cup so I used a Pyrex cup which sorted that out. This was a ridged neck sw320.
MattH
Member
- Messages
- 4,524
- Location
- Cornwall
So far I've been ignoring the Parweld for that exact reason. I would like something much slimmer than those mig type handles. Interesting that they're coming out with some new ones.
MattH
Member
- Messages
- 4,524
- Location
- Cornwall
Thanks for the info. One of the reasons for wanting something decent quality was for the flexibility of the hoses etc. It may be that with that added flexibility a flex head would not be required.
TBF I was at it for about an hour today doing inside and outside joints with a standard wp20 and didn't have any issues with positioning.
Richard.
Member
- Messages
- 18,344
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
Weld craft should be up there too.
I've had a cs310 on my old Fronius which IMO is a brilliant torch. Again usa made and again stupidly spendy on this side of the coast.
Richard.
Member
- Messages
- 18,344
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
And you won't Matt.
There will maybe be the odd time where you approach a joint in and around other obstructions to which a little tweak to the torch angle may make things easier. When I say easier I mean it makes it a little more comfortable.
Every thing i do and have ever done has been achieved with a wp20 ridged neck. I make my life easier with things like different length caps and tungstens, if needed I have selection of cups and in really tricky areas for viewing ive a couple Pyrex ones too although ive only used them twice. Having the flexibility in the neck only takes out the fact that you might not need to change your own position as much. I currently have a ck20 which is a decent torch. I've had a couple weld crafts in the past again very nice but my personal fav was the sw320. Quality of feel on every part is superior compared to the ck especially which feels rather plasticy in comparison.
No a lathe is easier.....
Richard.
Member
- Messages
- 18,344
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
I'm not convinced.No a lathe is easier.....
Gonna be a hell of a long time before I'm putting cubes in cubes.
addjunkie
Member
- Messages
- 13,376
- Location
- Northumberland. Reet oot in the sticks
Your half way there machining as your having a go at threads, i agree machining is easier to learn than tig.
Now get back to torches, as i want small, light, flexible cables, and cheap.....my wp 26 paraweld does my head in.
MattH
Member
- Messages
- 4,524
- Location
- Cornwall
Same requirements minus the cheap. After spending on the rig it all comes down to what you hold in your hand. I'm happy to spend the money there.
addjunkie
Member
- Messages
- 13,376
- Location
- Northumberland. Reet oot in the sticks
So am I but since buying a small farm, and being the preverbial incommer, Im growing my tight wad behaviours to fit in around here
HughF
Member
- Messages
- 6,480
- Location
- Work: Dorchester, Workshop: Corfe Castle, Wife's place: Frome
Make sure it isn't one of those horrible euro style ones... Like the 26 I gave you. The round handled ones are much better. That wp20 you have is a starparts and is about 15 yrs old, they make a good, reasonably priced product.
MattH
Member
- Messages
- 4,524
- Location
- Cornwall
Yep that's the sort I want, just a plan round body.
HughF
Member
- Messages
- 6,480
- Location
- Work: Dorchester, Workshop: Corfe Castle, Wife's place: Frome
The speedway is a cracking torch, real nice build quality, but unless you need the high current capability in the wp20 size, it is un necessary. I would suggest just a regular wp20f torch. The flex-loc is an interesting torch though, you should try one if you can, to get a feel for whether the adjustability is what you need to get ahead. I have used Chris's when I was trying out his gp2 and the adjustability is certainly different. I wouldn't need it for the type of work I do so I got a regular torch.
MattH
Member
- Messages
- 4,524
- Location
- Cornwall
The only thinking behind a Flex was to tweak the angle between the tungsten and my wrist as I find I tense up my wrist and then run out of position after a short run.
This is not something confined to me learning to Tig so I pretty much know it won't change as I learn more.
I feel when welding that I'd like the head tipped back just a little to ease my positioning. Buying a quality torch is just sensible in my mind.
This is not something confined to me learning to Tig so I pretty much know it won't change as I learn more.
I feel when welding that I'd like the head tipped back just a little to ease my positioning. Buying a quality torch is just sensible in my mind.
