Author Topic: The new welder arrived.  (Read 3856 times)

Offline TexasT

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 364
    • Where I can be found
The new welder arrived.
« on: December 16, 2019, 08:58:38 PM »
To go with the plasma cutter, I've wanted to learn how to tig weld. My "special" car got rear ended in august. It was traumatic but I try not to let things get me down. I bought the car new and have had it over thirty yrs. Anyway. The insurance compensated, and really more than I thought they would. So, I bought the plasma cutter to cut the damaged quarter off my car, and bought a parts car so it will cut that quarter too. I already have a little wire feed that can be a mig with a cylinder of the right gas, so I bought a 150 cylinder of c25 and a regulator, and hose. While we were at it, I did some looking at a tig machine. Went ahead and bought a 150 cylinder of argon, and an AHP 201xd.
It will definitely take a bunch of practice as it seems I will be sharpening a lot of tungstens. It is really cool. I've been watching youtube vids, they sure make it look easy.








Some beads with no filler.

Balled up tungstens, I see why guys recommend sharpening several.

Just running the bead seemed pretty easy, haha, so I decided to try with some filler. Promptly, stuck the filler and the tungsten.

https://ahpwelds.com/product/ahp-alphatig-201xd-out-stock-pre-order-now-taking-orders-january-shipment
I ordered this one on Nov 9, I think. It came about a month later the first part of December. So I guess they sell em out fast as they can get them. So far, It sure is fun.

If anyone has some pointers I'd love for you to post them.
Rich

Offline goodfellow

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4321
Re: The new welder arrived.
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2019, 09:04:43 PM »
Make or buy yourself some clean coupons -- aluminum, stainless, and carbon steel. Then clean the coupon with a wire brush and acetone (along with your filler rod) before welding. It makes a big difference in your ability to lay a good bead. Remember to dedicate a stainless wire brush for exclusively cleaning aluminum before welding.

Good luck!

Offline slip knot

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2586
Re: The new welder arrived.
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2019, 09:46:47 PM »
Keep after it.

 TIG is one skillset I want to get ahold of. What little I've done has had similar outcomes as yours.

 The AHP machine seems like a good starter , be interested to see how it holds up. I was looking at the Vulcan protig at HF but it wasn't ac/dc. in the $600 price range also. The AHP unit looks like a better deal.

Offline walrus

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 796
Re: The new welder arrived.
« Reply #3 on: December 17, 2019, 05:48:36 PM »
I've always wanted to Tig weld, never done it before. I need to repair floor in my mustang I wonder if it would be better to TIG or MIG?

Offline TacticalFun

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 622
Re: The new welder arrived.
« Reply #4 on: December 17, 2019, 08:34:54 PM »
1. Buy a handheld tungsten grinder. 2. Watch as many youtube videos as you can.

Tig is the hardest weld type to be good at. It takes patience,  timing, rhythm and good work ethic.  I tig weld pipe at least once a week and if i go on vacation for too long i have to practice for a few hrs before my welds are good enough to xray. I also reccomend fetting a standards book. This will help you with amperage / metal thickness/ penetration. Enjoy!

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


Offline jabberwoki

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2633
Re: The new welder arrived.
« Reply #5 on: December 17, 2019, 10:08:11 PM »
Pix of the Special car now that you`ve tweaked my interest.
Is the need enough? Or does the want suffice?

Offline pep

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1179
  • Personal TEXT
Re: The new welder arrived.
« Reply #6 on: December 18, 2019, 06:53:37 AM »
Smart move buying the cylinder ........ sticking the tungsten .... ;D.... then comes the walk of shame to the grinder ......... hell I thought that was part of the regular process LMAO

Enjoy looks like a nice machine.

handheld tungsten grinder >> waste of money >> diamond wheels do not last, nothing more then an over priced dremel tool.

Pointer... clean bright surface, acetone the area to be welded, the heat is fast and focused, do not use magnets to hold work, they will attract the arc, once the filler starts, adjust the heat as you run the bead, look for and adjust the puddle, when reaching the end or sides, start to back off the heat, helps with the edge under cut.

Tig skills can be viewed or seen as  similar to gas welding, I believe anyone that can weld, braze with a  torch will cut the learning curve by easy 50%

Clean coupons are good to train with, however personally. I suggest you stick with the materials you will be working with, solving  problems that you will be encountering.
 Rust, paint, dirt, oils, general contaminates found on or in the car or project to be welded.


Cheers,
Pep
« Last Edit: December 18, 2019, 07:21:55 AM by pep »
1776 ................... what happened!

Offline TexasT

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 364
    • Where I can be found
Re: The new welder arrived.
« Reply #7 on: December 18, 2019, 10:32:41 AM »
Pix of the Special car now that you`ve tweaked my interest.


Me with it not long after I bought it in 1988. It is a low option WE4(one of 1547,third rarest Turbo Reagl in 1987 behind the Turbo Limited 1035 and the GNX 547). My first new car, and pretty much a part of my life for over half of it.


when we put the trans in.


On the side of the road the morning the lady ran into it.


Its resting place until I can get the parts car cut up and it into the garage.


At my buddies body shop getting the frame pulled. We might replace the frame or might cut it and notch it with a plate to get strength and more tire clearance. Not sure yet.


The roller I bought with a good frame, quarter, and some other nifty pieces, but no engine/trans. I have a dream for a rosewood limited Turbo Regal and one kinda popped up. I never thought I'd have the money for one but this one is all taken apart(the guy was doing an LS swap and lost interest), so it is in my budget and comes with a frame that has already been notched. Im hoping to secure it after the first of the year and pull the engine and trans out of the black car. Son wants to build a 4.1 or at least a stroked 3.8 and see how fast the black one will go. I think we should do up a real "stock" one and see. It is a light weight with manual windows and such. Not many options so it is pretty light compared to other Regals and I know we could lighten it up even more. Kinda off track with the welding subject but I like Buicks so I have a lot to say, haha.

As far as the tungsten sharpening, I bought some little diamond wheels, I figured to use the dremel but haven't located it yet(might have to make a purchase at hf.). They came with some arbors so I chucked it into the drill and sharpened like that. Pretty time consuming, so I am doing several at a time. Really makes you pay attention to the arc length so you don't stick it.


The little diamond wheel in the battery drill. Slow but better than nothing until I can find the dremel or get another.

I'm also going to look into a metal table of some kind as I think it will be easier to goof with the pedal standing or sitting on a taller stool. I'm on my little roll around stool and it is hard to control the pedal and lean in to see the arc at the same time. Also ordered some stubby gas lenses and pyrex cups. Might help me see better. And some bifocal safety glasses. Jody at welding tip and tricks sez if you cant see, you will have a hard time welding.


The rosewood car I have my eye on. It needs a bunch of work and is missing the drive train. This is one of the reasons I bought that roller. I can use the frame to get this rosewood one rolling(It is sitting on a stack of 40x48 pallets) and put the engine and trans out of the black car in. I have a could 4.1L v6 engines and some 2004r transmissions so I'm kinda set there. I'm thinking of doing a 4.1L with some hard block to stiffen it up, with a chinese forged crank. Should be fun.
« Last Edit: December 18, 2019, 10:58:29 AM by TexasT »
Rich

Offline jabberwoki

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2633
Re: The new welder arrived.
« Reply #8 on: December 18, 2019, 05:15:17 PM »
Nice work , I`m a Buick guy myself.
Is the need enough? Or does the want suffice?

Offline TexasT

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 364
    • Where I can be found
Re: The new welder arrived.
« Reply #9 on: March 14, 2020, 09:27:31 AM »
Well, with the "scare" of 2020 I might get some time to do more fun! I bought some stainless steel wire brushes. I do notice in the vids they seem to like to run the brush over the weld area. I will start doing that. I have a gallon of acetone so I wiped down the filler wire and the weld area. seemed to pick up a lot of crud.

Also been looking at picking up some 309l stainless filler to go along with the er70s or what ever it is I bought.

I got a couple flex head torches, number 9 and number 17, a new hose and dinse end so I could just swap between tool free. This lead to a bunch of different consumables for these different size torches and some gas lenses and pyrex cups to help me see. I did locate the dremel and this definitely helped with the tungsten sharpening as the dremel spins way faster than the drill.


Cheap filler wire I got off ebay.

Dinse connector I bought off ebay. I cut the threaded gas hose end off and installed a quick connect.

Hose I bought, also off ebay. seems to be the chicom copy of the ck worldwide one. Works pretty good but I wouldn't know the difference. 
These must be decent as I went back to get another hose and connector as I like to have stuff like that on hand and they were sold out. Might be because of the 2020 scare/shut down so Ill keep an eye out. I have had several sellers on the ebay refund my money so it seems they are having a time of it over there. Im not sure cheap stuff is worth the whole world shutting down over stuff. But that should be in the political forum so I'll leave that be. I do see where ch3 banned any talk of the world happenings. Kinda nazish but his sandbox, his rules.

I love the machine.
Rich