Tig Welding with an Old DC Welder ?s.
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,414
Likes: 28
Tig Welding with an Old DC Welder ?s. Is it possible to use an old AC/DC Welder, and convert it to tig welding? I know I will need a tig torch, argon, and gauges. What else needs to be done?
Or What about a Harbor Freight AC/DC Welder and converting it to do tig?
Thanks.
Or What about a Harbor Freight AC/DC Welder and converting it to do tig?
Thanks.
Last edited by Stampede4ever; Oct 22, 2008 at 01:31 PM.
You can weld anything you dont need to use AC/High freq. on with basically any lugged DC power supply. Just add the parts you mentioned. The only bad thing about those old cracker box welders, you are probably going to get alot of "dig" in your arc. The preset spark gap and windings for those things are meant to be run with 6010-6011 rods.
Stampede, i have tried that before, and it didn't work. The end of the torch probes kept burning off and the arc was just too big, hot and too hard to get going. I asked a guy who came in to modify some equipment from the manufacturer (doing some stainless Tig work) what my problem was. He said if we bought the freq. box to add on to our Miller welder, we would be good to go. We never did; most of our welding we could do with Mig and stick just fine. Xfactor may be a welding pro; i can weld but i ain't no pro, so maybe he has it scoped out.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,516
Likes: 0
RedZ99, that sounds like you were welding on the wrong polarity. You need to be on DC- polarity to tig weld no matter what machine you are on. Welding off of any dc welder can be done with a tig rig argon hose and a bottle. You wont have foot pedal control, but you can do it. That is what we do to weld pipe.
If you do not use a foot pedal then whatever heat setting you put the machine on, you will be welding at that level the whole time you are welding. With a foot pedal / hand control you can set the machine at a higher setting and adjust your foot or hand accordingly (similar to a gas pedal in a car, the more gas you give the faster the car goes, with welding its heat)
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Topdon ONE vs. Artidiag 800 BT2: Which is the Diagnostic Tablet For You?
Pouria Savadkouei
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Teching In
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 46
Likes: 1
Theyre all right, im a pipe-fitter and have never run anything but argon through any purge on stainless. All we do are food grade lines so SS is all Ive done for quite awhile. If it doesnt sugar 1/16" SS tube, nothing will. Make sure your torch is plugged into the negative terminal. heres a helpful hint; If your just starting, buy a tungsten grinding jig cuz your gonna be using it alot just starting. sharpen your tungsten to a fine point but do not make it so thin that the end breaks when you strike your arc, if this doenst make sense it soon will. Any more q's feel free to pm
On The Tree
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
Last edited by rice4eatingnotdrivin; Nov 20, 2008 at 10:20 PM.
On The Tree
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
also if ur doing SS pipe cover both end of the pipe with tin foil and put a hose off a argon tank on the inside and purge the inside of the pipe... this will help with penetration and keep the weld nice, clean, and strong
Teching In
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 46
Likes: 1
On The Tree
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
umm no, use masking tape w/ a hole the size of a pushpin head open for purge flow in the tape cap. now for a purge line off your regulator.... buy a cap with a standard disconnect just like a normal air nipple on air hose. If you've never tig'd before this is over your head to tig. As far as the argon helping penetration is incorrect. It only removes the oxygen inside with an inert gas to prevent contamination of your tube on the inside...Internet welders arent the most reliable, and mostly just keybord jockies full of BS, Pick up a coppy of TIG WELDING FOR DUMMIES and take some vocational classes or your welds will be about as strong as an internet welders advice rotlmao
well no **** argon removes oxygen it says it right on the label of the tank. what i wrote helium mixed with argon helps with penetration.... if u do purge the inside of a SS pipe with just argon u do get better penetration. have u ever noticed when u did that u didnt get the "sugar" on the backside???? im sure u never looked....
Teching In
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 46
Likes: 1
ok, lets see your sanitary welds then? mine are cut open all day, your the one who said helium/argon mix. read your reply. stack-o-dimes=out....mouse ears=in, lets see what ya got. play nice now remember i do this for a living, sanitary welding 1/16" tube, it puts food on my table so think before you speak.
