SMP Strike1 HF Add-on Unit

[tombardier]

Hi all, I've just purchased this on eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272061437887?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

(just in case the eBay link is disallowed, it's item number 272061437887, and I've already bought it, so it can't be misconstrued as me selling stuff through the back door )

I wanted to try my hand at some TIG, but not spend a huge amount! I'm thinking I might get myself an r-tech unit to go with my other welders if I get in to it. In any case. I don't know an awful lot about it, and there doesn't seem to be any information about the thing either (and it probably isn't going to arrive until next week too!).

The gentleman I bought it from said he used a cheap Aldi arc welder to power it, but I've found this advert saying that it uses a DC input:

http://www.westermans.com/smp-dc-hi...ock---just-add-to-a-welding-power-source.aspx

However, I've also found this thread on the forums about a similar box which will give you AC output with an AC input and DC for DC.

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/...for-ac-tig-work-how-practical-are-they.56119/

I've got an Oxford Bantam 180 oil-cooled AC arc welder and two DC output R-tech inverters (an MM140 and a MIG180 with DC MMA). It'd be cool if I could use both of them!

Any information/opinion is most welcome

 

[BrokenBiker]

Think it will only work on ac, but the dc mma welders will do scratch anyway which is how I taught myself the basics with my xti using lift arc

 

[tombardier]

Ah, interesting. My colleague at work is an electrician, and says he's going to have a look for me before using it. Checking the spark-gap apparently! I wonder if I can use the TIG lead bits that come with this to do DC scratch TIG if I can't use the unit itself. I'm not sure how I'd control the gas though.

 

[BrokenBiker]

The tig torch would work fine if t fits the sockets on your machines but gas flow is the issue. For this reason you can buy torches with a manual gas valve on the handle instead of a torch switch so you just turn the valve on, weld, then turn it off. I'm sure with a quarter turn ball valve and a few plumbing bits you can connect an argon bottle to a normal torch though and control it with the valve if you really don't want to buy a new torch. You can get torches off weld equip for about 80 quid that are specifially designed for use with scratch/lift arc tig welders

 

[tombardier]

If you think this is AC input only, I'm guessing that it will be DC output? I was wanting to weld steel and stainless steel instead of aluminium, so this would suit me. I can plug in to my Oxford Bantam no problem. It'll be nice to actually use it for something

 

[BrokenBiker]

I thought that was just a hf unit? Linked to an ac arc welder it allows you to tig weld using you buzz box power unit. That unit only creates a hf arc to start and maintain the ac waveform during tig welding.

 

[tombardier]

Well. I'm just confused because the advert I linked to says it has DC input and output, and the forum link on my OP mentions a magical box doing a similar thing that can operate on both AC and DC inputs with the corresponding output I'll wait until I get it I guess!

 

[BrokenBiker]

Not sure then. I thought the output was the same as the input so if it will take ac and do then it should work with all your welders

 

[tombardier]

That would be absolutely brilliant, so I'm hoping that's how it works!

 

[Bill Edwards]

It appears to take DC in (the connections are clearly marked on the back of the unit) and gives DC out, visible on the front of the unit - the 'earth' lead, and a socket for mma welding and an alternative for the TIG work. The gas is controlled by the unit, the input is at the rear and the output is on the front. It's designed for a switched torch which plugs into the front panel, operating the switch will turn on both the electricity and gas.
I would expect it to have high frequency start, but can't see any option for disabling it which is odd. There can be times when you don't want high frequency, such as for vehicle repair work.
It is a very basic setup with no controls for upslope, downslope, preflow or post flow.

 

[tombardier]

This is what the chap on ebay said about it so it sounds like he was using it on AC

It is a high frequency start tig. I just used a cheap arc welder from aldi. All i did was snip the leads in half and fit female and male dinse sockets to each end of your cut leads that fit straight on the back of the add on box. You can get these on ebay.

 

[tombardier]

I don't think I'll want to use it on a vehicle to be honest. I just want to start playing with it before I consider getting a proper rig. I honestly haven't even researched what up and down slope are even about!

 

[tombardier]

I honestly haven't even researched what up and down slope are even about!

I have now LOL

 

[tombardier]

Well, I got it yesterday, and it works! I'm running it from my DC R-tech MIG180 in MMA mode, and it's really working a treat! I had to re-sharpen my tungsten around 10 times in half an hour, but the pictured beads are where I got to. I have a lot of learning and a lot of practicing to do!

Cheers.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Either that's not pure argon or there isn't enough of it.

At a guess I would say that is being run on the same gas the mig is bein run on?

 

[tombardier]

No it's pure argon. Could be that I was being lazy and didn't clean my mill scale off though

 

[tombardier]

Here's some more playing around I did on some stainless that I messed up on my milling machine. a bit thicker so I could put a bit more heat in to it without melting through

 

[roofman]

Here's some more playing around I did on some stainless that I messed up on my milling machine. a bit thicker so I could put a bit more heat in to it without melting through

that looks a bit more tig like than the 1st pics