Sunday evening fun with old junk...

[HughF]

What could possibly be going on here I wonder...?





475hz sine wave, 50/50 balance, no contactor... I expected the arc to extinguish as soon as I let off the torch switch, but it carried on so had to snap out.



This is a 1/8 zirconiated after some prolonged 200a action on some thick stuff:

 

[penfold]

Top bit of packaging design there, the exhaust discharging into your face when you're adjusting the current.

 

[HughF]

Deafening at 200a, reminds me of the days I used to work with a Miller aerowave at 450hz... This has a nice smooth, buttery arc though being a sine wave, the high frequency of 475hz means the arc is quite tight and focused, even with fixed balance and the resulting rounded tungsten.

Ran a 1/8 tungsten right down to 50a and it lit up and stayed perfectly stable.

The hf box was a gamble at 35 quid off eBay and I just fancied seeing if this would work.

 

[Bill Edwards]

Looks like a gamble that paid off nicely at £35!

 

[arther dailey]

£35,victory !

 

[HughF]

best HF box I've ever had, and I've had a few!

 

[Richard.]

That's awesome mate. I've used a few cobbled together hf boxes and they've not produced results like that.
When dose the Gp2 arrive.

 

[HughF]

Saturday Richard, I am collecting it from the dealer in bristol, 40 mins from my partners place. I went up there last Saturday for a demo.

I'm going to sell on that ck 18 though, it arrived today and is a bloody monster. I will go speedway sw320 I think. It's only money after all...

Regarding the above aluminium work, I think it's 100% down to the engine drive being used as the power source, and the fact that it runs at 475hz with a wonderful stable sine wave arc. The Miller 251 is a good hf box though, adjustable hf intensity is a nice feature. I taught myself to tig 12 years ago on a similar setup, hf box, Oxford oil cooled, gas valve, this is 100 times better and I think it is down to be power source.