My Harbor Freight 80 AMP Inverter DC Tig build

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Hey everyone,I've been itching to learn the basics of TIG welding, and I have decided how I am going to test the waters.The purpose of this build is to give me hands on experience TIG welding, so that when I pick up the torch next semester, I will be ahead of the curve. I also hope to use the welder to build small things for the garage.The plan is to start with a 80A 110v Harbor Freight Inverter DC stick welder, attach a TIG torch, get a bottle, and a regulator/flow meter and lay some beads.I would also like to replace the ground clamp and stinger with a nicer one, and keep the others for spares.I'm hoping to lease the bottle and come in under $250 for the whole setup.Last edited by Taiden; 10-17-2010 at 05:30 PM.
Reply:To start, I went on craigslist and luckily I found one for sale. Asking price $125 and new in box.I met the guy, and bartered with him. I ended up buying the unit complete for $50 + $3 gas.Here are some pics of the welder, and some pics of it next to my iPhone for size comparison for those who are curious.
Reply:With the hundreds of dollars your 'iPhone' cost, you should have spent that money on a better welder...Having said that, I think I can safely say that we're all interested to see how this machine is going to lay a weld bead in both Stick and TIG.  Looking forward to the photos!Cheers,Miller Diversion 165120 amp Buzz BoxVictor Oxy/Ace Oxy/LPGSmith "Little" Oxy/LPGHypertherm Powermax 30Lot's of Misc. tools n' crap....
Reply:Originally Posted by jmanWith the hundreds of dollars your 'iPhone' cost, you should have spent that money on a better welder...
Reply:Welcome to the thread jman,I actually buy and sell iphones on the side (I get them on Craigslist), and I am happy to tell you that the iPhone cost me $50. I also use it on T-Mobile, and I don't use a data plan so the service is cheap too.Also, I only have 110v in the garage, so anything better would have been... thousands of dollars better.As for pics, I had some 5 year old 3/32 6013 rod laying around in the garage. These are just "screwing around" beads. This is on 1/4" flat bar and I don't yet have a welding table, so I do this on the concrete floor held up by some jackstands.
Reply:did u buy the lifetime warranty?!
Reply:Originally Posted by bp626indamixdid u buy the lifetime warranty?!
Reply:Doesn't look too bad.  You are going to be somewhat limited with an 80 amp top end, but should be fun to play around with.  Funny thing is, you'll spend at least twice that on a TIG torch, and a couple hundred more on a regulator and shield gas.  But, even if you end up not liking the machine, you should be able to get your $50 back out of it.
Reply:Glad to hear the Phone is 'inexpensive'...  I have a CrackBerry and the stupid plans are crazy expensive...although, not as bad as iPHONE from what I hear.Some of those beads look pretty good, especially considering it's STICK on a mere 80 amp box.  Looks like you got yourself a decent deal...Cheers,Miller Diversion 165120 amp Buzz BoxVictor Oxy/Ace Oxy/LPGSmith "Little" Oxy/LPGHypertherm Powermax 30Lot's of Misc. tools n' crap....
Reply:Originally Posted by jmanGlad to hear the Phone is 'inexpensive'...  I have a CrackBerry and the stupid plans are crazy expensive...although, not as bad as iPHONE from what I hear.Some of those beads look pretty good, especially considering it's STICK on a mere 80 amp box.  Looks like you got yourself a decent deal...Cheers,
Reply:Hi, before you go out and buy 1/8 rod, look at some electrode amperage charts http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...-skills/stick/  and click on the "guidelines for stick welding" pdf). I'm pretty sure you'll be limited to 3/32 or smaller with 80 amps.Have fun...JasonXMT 350 MPA Dynasty 280DXSuitcase 8RC / OptimaSpoolmatic 30AThermco Ar / C02 mixerAssorted O/A gear
Reply:Originally Posted by BCRDHi, before you go out and buy 1/8 rod, look at some electrode amperage charts http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...-skills/stick/  and click on the "guidelines for stick welding" pdf). I'm pretty sure you'll be limited to 3/32 or smaller with 80 amps.Have fun...Jason
Reply:yep sorry I meant 1/8" steel. I have selected 1/16 rod for tig and 3/32 rod for stick as per welding charts in my welding textbook.
Reply:Ah yes, of course. You'll be all set...JasonXMT 350 MPA Dynasty 280DXSuitcase 8RC / OptimaSpoolmatic 30AThermco Ar / C02 mixerAssorted O/A gear
Reply:Well, it looks like filler rod is half the price of online at the LWS, and their regulator is only slightly more expensive than online... so I will be getting rod/reg/flowmeter/bottle at the LWS. I feel better getting a flowmeter/regulator in person, that way if something goes wrong I can ask for help.Price is $150 (free fill) for a 60CF argon bottle, with $30 fills afterOr $45/yr lease + $25 depositI am going to lease, so that way I can switch bottles to a bigger/smaller size if I need to.But, I ordered the following from weldingdirect.com just nowWP9 style rigid torch with 12.5' two piece cable0.040" & 1/16" collets + collet bodies0.040" & 1/16" 2% thoriated tungsten at 7 incheslong back cap#4,5,6 cupsand a 3/8 male dinse connector so I can plug it directly into my welderhttp://weldingdirect.com/sr9vtigtowpa.htmlhttp://weldingdirect.com/ak1ackit.htmlhttp://weldingdirect.com/co1025di32am.html80a inverter stick welder: $53Tig Torch setup: $79.65Total: $132.65all I need is a bottle/regulator and filler rod (and perhaps various fittings, who knows?)Last edited by Taiden; 10-18-2010 at 11:43 AM.
Reply:My edit period is up on my last post, so I'll just type it here. Shipping from weldingdirect ended up being $14 UPS ground... everything is scheduled to arrive on Thursday! That's fast!80a inverter stick welder: $53Tig Torch setup: $79.65 + $13.88 shippingTotal: $146.53
Reply:The WP-9V-12 has a gas valve built in, how does that end up working?  Is it an on off knob  or button or momentary ( ie hold it down while welding, let go to stop welding) type control ?I am shopping for the parts to add Tig to an existing power source ( diy engine driven alternators) and your list looks pretty much exactly what I need with the regulator and bottle exception since I have those already...  I was just curious how the gas controlled torches work...  Also, I have heard them called gas cooled, not air cooled, as in the shielding gas does the cooling, not ambient air.. Does this mean a water cooled torch uses less air than a gas cooled torch?  (sorry for slight thread jack)Anyways, kudos on the good deal for the inverter. Any way you would slip the cover off and take a few pics??
Reply:it's just a knob type on off valve, you can open & close it & even regulate the flow to a certain extent. I actually got one on my tig even though it has a valve built in just to be able to reduce the flow when neededmiller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:Originally Posted by jdchmielThe WP-9V-12 has a gas valve built in, how does that end up working?  Is it an on off knob  or button or momentary ( ie hold it down while welding, let go to stop welding) type control ?I am shopping for the parts to add Tig to an existing power source ( diy engine driven alternators) and your list looks pretty much exactly what I need with the regulator and bottle exception since I have those already...  I was just curious how the gas controlled torches work...  Also, I have heard them called gas cooled, not air cooled, as in the shielding gas does the cooling, not ambient air.. Does this mean a water cooled torch uses less air than a gas cooled torch?  (sorry for slight thread jack)Anyways, kudos on the good deal for the inverter. Any way you would slip the cover off and take a few pics??
Reply:ha, good for you brother, best thing to do is just keep practicing & practicing, at least now you have a setup to practice with. I tell you, for some reason I find these budget tig setups intriguing so much so that even though I have my dynasty, part of me wants to just pick up a budget welder to play with too, only thing that would suck for me is when I then realize that I could have done the same thing for under $500 that my $4,000 set up does  good luck with it miller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:Originally Posted by turbocad6ha, good for you brother, best thing to do is just keep practicing & practicing, at least now you have a setup to practice with. I tell you, for some reason I find these budget tig setups intriguing so much so that even though I have my dynasty, part of me wants to just pick up a budget welder to play with too, only thing that would suck for me is when I then realize that I could have done the same thing for under $500 that my $4,000 set up does  good luck with it
Reply:HF start you can build a diy HF unit  It's just time if you have most / all of the parts laying around, but if you need to buy a bunch of them it actually isn't cost effective to build, lol.thanks for the valve info guys!
Reply:Originally Posted by jdchmielHF start you can build a diy HF unit  It's just time if you have most / all of the parts laying around, but if you need to buy a bunch of them it actually isn't cost effective to build, lol.thanks for the valve info guys!
Reply:Great job on putting together a little TIG for yourself.  Keep your eyes out for another identical power supply and you can connect them in parallel for 2x the output.http://www.millerwelds.com/pdf/Paralleling.pdf
Reply:http://www.casano.com/projects/hfstart/index.html  do a google search for diy HF box, diy tig, diy welder etc.  Search here and at cnczone for a few good threads.  I would give you more precise sources, but the bookmarks are on my home machineDoes DC essentially limit this to steels?  I'd like to dabble in aluminum myself..
Reply:Originally Posted by pulserGreat job on putting together a little TIG for yourself.  Keep your eyes out for another identical power supply and you can connect them in parallel for 2x the output.http://www.millerwelds.com/pdf/Paralleling.pdf
Reply:I dont think it's fair to say "limit you to steel." You can do a lot of materials with DCEN, I think aluminum is pretty much the only one you can't. So the answer is no, you can't really do aluminum, but you can do pretty much anything else.If I'm wrong, someone please correct me.
Reply:Well, I've been exploring my options for adding a foot pedal when the time is right... Here's the thread about that. The excellent users on this site have been collecting excellent information and posting it in my thread. Thanks so much guys! Here's a link to that thread...http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?p=431131So today was the 'big day.' Everything arrived in the mail. Upon opening the package, I quickly realized that the accessory kit was the wrong one. It was a kit designed for a WP-17 torch, unlike my WP-9. I called WeldingDirect.com, the same woman who picked up the phone a few days ago picked up today... that's always a great sign in my eyes! I told her what happened, and she figured out what was wrong. She told me that she'd send the right kit out today, and she'd include a return sticker so I could send back the WP17 accessory kit. That was good customer service in my eyes.Then I asked if there was any way for me to get it before the weekend, since I was really looking forward to 'starting a project this weekend.' She put me on hold for about 15 seconds, and said "Yes, we'll have it in the mail today and it will be at your house by Saturday."WOW!We'll see if they keep up their end of the bargain, but I for one have to say that I am very impressed with their customer service. We'll see how it goes.So today all I did was take pictures of the stuff that came in the mail, and installed the DINSE 3/8" male connector on the torch lead.Unpacking the torchThe Nu-tech WP-9 style torch with valve and separated gas/leadThe incorrect WP-17 accessory kit, The tape is my fault Yes, the male dinse connector is correct!The old torch lead endMy ghetto crimp job before I realize I should probably solder it… But in reality, I found out that it was better crimped because otherwise the set screw wouldn't fit under the rubber boot.Done
Reply:Originally Posted by TaidenMy ghetto crimp job before I realize I should probably solder it… But in reality, I found out that it was better crimped because otherwise the set screw wouldn't fit under the rubber boot.
Reply:Cool. I was thinking, heat it up with a propane torch and feed electrical solder through the tip?I'll do this tomorrow.
Reply:Great!! Glad to see the stuff came.Ya gotta spend money to make money!
Reply:Originally Posted by TaidenCool. I was thinking, heat it up with a propane torch and feed electrical solder through the tip?I'll do this tomorrow.
Reply:Thats a pretty neat little welder you have there! Looks like your setup will really help this thing shine! Not too bad for stick beads either! Hey Rugar, not to get off topic but how do you like your Power Tig 250 EX? I just ordered a PP256.
Reply:I'm having trouble deciding on an argon tank size and whether to buy it or lease or rent.I only have a station wagon to transport it, and I often will be the only one picking it up, so I need it to be something I can handle myself. I'm not really strong, I'd say about average.They suggested that I get a 60 cf, and on this low duty machine I can't decide if that's a good idea or not. I almost want to aim for the biggest one I can fit in the Impreza wagon. I can't seem to find dimensions of tanks online...Here are two price comparison breakdowns of the two local gas shops. I would say Maine Oxy is a much better deal... and is open on Saturday. The only good thing about Advantage is they are literally 5 minutes away. Maine Oxy is about 15 minutes away.Advantage Gas60 cf --- $47 fill60 cf ---- $125 buy + 1/2 off on first fill ($148.50)60 cf --- lease 1 year $47 + $25 deposit, $115 5 year no deposit60 cf --- $9.20 a monthbuy $125 + $24 = $149 start up and i own itlease $47 + $47 + $25 deep = $119 start up Maine Oxy-Acetylene Supply60 cf - $38 fill60 cf - $150 buy + free fill60 cf - lease 1 year $45 + $25 deposit60 cf - $0.29 a day (approx $8.99 a mo, $8.12 in 3/4 februarys )Last edited by Taiden; 10-22-2010 at 07:43 PM.
Reply:60 is a pretty decent size. Any bigger and it starts to be a pain to lug around as you've mentioned. I personally like to buy the tanks and get a straight refill. Airgas by my house (350 yards away) most times swaps out my bottle and I don't have to drop off. I can be in and out with a full one in 5 minutes. Only when the date on the bottle gets up there do they hesitate to swap. I then get it re certified or sell it used and by another depending on the circumstances. (upgrading to a larger tank etc.)  With the savings on the lease or rental the tank pays for itself. Maine Oxy would be my choice because of the price savings. However, if Advantage would match Oxy's price on a refill then it would come down to preference/convenience. If they both agree to the same price, I would go with the one that would allow you to swap out your tank. It will save you time and an extra trip back to the store. Just my 2C.
Reply:That's a good point. Advantage is their fill station... the industrial one.Maine Oxy has a huge stash of tanks, I think both of them swap them out.Is it common for gas companies to match prices? If so, I would love to go with Advantage.
Reply:I eneded up going with Maine Oxy. When I got there, they told me a fill on a 60CF was actually $27. Plus, if I lease (which I did), I can change sizes at no extra cost. AND they are open on Saturdays. ANNNND they just swap out bottles, no need to wait for a fill. Score! For those of you who might be wondering what size bottle to get... I gotta say the 60CF is pretty small and is really easy to move around. That's the size I ended up leasing, but I'm going to grab an 80CF when this one runs out. A 120CF would still be fairly easy to move around, I would have no trouble getting it in my wagon.Anyway, here's a picture of my makeshift cylinder cart. It's an old handcart and a belt. The belt is getting replaced on Monday when I can go out and buy something better. I'm also going to figure out a way to chain it to the wall, right now it just stands free.And here's a picture of the regulator I got. Only cost $40 and after playing with it for a while, I'm really pleased with it. I still haven't received my stuff from WeldingDirect... we'll see.
Reply:Hey Taiden - looks like you are on your way to TIG welding stainless steels (and of course, mild steels as well) with that setup!The WP9 torch I think will be a good match with that unit.Regarding gas tank size, I started out as a hobbiest, now I'm dabbing in professional welding jobs for people on the side.  Anyhow I started out with a 60cf.  Ran out almost right away, upgraded to an 80cf.  Unsatisfied with that also, I investigated options and am now at a 150cf.  It's the longest that will fit across the back seat area of my passenger car, so I'm happy with it.  I made some changes to my regulator setup supply hose that help it conserve gas too - but it doesn't apply to a torch operated valve.  You could go to the LWS and ask to see their tanks, bring a measuring tape.I can't really say what LWS is best, but in my area I have experienced drastic differences in price and service / "attitude".  Luckily for me it's a no brainer, because the cheaper shop in town also has the best service and best attitude.  I own my tank and exchange it for refills.  The good thing about this is I can go to any shop I want also (since I own the tank.)Best of luck with getting up and tig'ing!----edit: I JUST saw your last post.  I have that same regulator (well, at least it looks the same, I bought mine from HTP) and its a good one!  In fact, I'm working on an upgrade for it to dual outlet, so I'll be able to back purge stainless tubing welds.  It's internal regulated pressure is probably 50psi, which is a bit higher than necessary for TIG (30 psi would have been fine) but you shouldn't have any problems with it using it for torch controlled valve.  Just make sure your hose connections are good n' tight.Last edited by jakeru; 10-23-2010 at 02:02 PM.
Reply:Price breakdown thus far:Equipment:$53.00 -- 80a inverter stick welder: $93.53 -- WP-9V "style" Tig Torch setup (shipped, includes collets+bodies,cups,long backcap,and two pieces of tungsten)$42.77 -- Argon Regulator/Flowmeter----------------------------------------------------$189.30 -- TotalBottle: $24.61 fill (60cf)$45.00 one year lease (any bottle size)$25.00 deposit$2.46 hazmat charge--------------------------$97.07 -- TotalOther Consumables:$5.50 -- 1lb of 1/16" ER70S-2Last edited by Taiden; 10-23-2010 at 02:14 PM.
Reply:Awosome. Glad to see its comming along. You got the same setup i use when i use my little hf 80 amp inverter too! I have the same tig torch too! I also have that same htp flow meter that jakeru is talking about. I had problems with my first on but that replaced it right away no questions asked, so far its been great. Hope that stuff comes today or its gonna be a looooong weekend!Last edited by welderShane; 10-23-2010 at 04:21 PM.Ya gotta spend money to make money!
Reply:Originally Posted by mrprismHey Rugar, not to get off topic but how do you like your Power Tig 250 EX? I just ordered a PP256.
Reply:Originally Posted by Taiden.They suggested that I get a 60 cf, and on this low duty machine I can't decide if that's a good idea or not. I almost want to aim for the biggest one I can fit in the Impreza wagon. I can't seem to find dimensions of tanks online...
Reply:How much welding will you get out of 60cf of gas?
Reply:depends on argon flow rate... 10 cfh? 6 hours. 15 cfh? 4 hours.
Reply:Originally Posted by Taidendepends on argon flow rate... 10 cfh? 6 hours. 15 cfh? 4 hours.
Reply:Looks like the package didn't make it today... oh well. I'll call on Monday and see what's up. Part of me hopes they didn't send it at all, because the accessory kit is WAY overpriced. You can piece together all the items in the acessory kit and come out at about half the price. I could piece together the kit and get a set of ten 1/16" 2% ceriated tungsten and still be ahead of the kit price.Oh well. Live and learn, right?
Reply:everything showed up in the mail today. There will be pics later tonight. I'm going to go set this thing up and try to run some beads without filler!
Reply:First impressions... Not so bad, really fun and VERY relaxing. The arc is almost completely silent. Put on some good music and have a blast. Material: 1/8" mild steel sheet scrap.Tungsten: 1/16" 2% thoriated (red cap)Cup: #4 in the beginning, then I switched to a #5 and it seemed to work better (less funky looking welds)Prep: lightly hand sand with 80 grit sandpaper, then wire brush with a fresh (just bought today) brushFiller: ER70S-2 1/16" filler rodHeat: 80A DCENArgon Flow Rate: ball right between 10 and 15 cfmImpressions:It's really funIt's really relaxingI feel like I got better in the 30 minutes I was screwing around with it.Shade 10 seemed too dark...going from 10 cfm to 15 cfm made a huge difference.I had an epic fail on bead "N" (see below) LOLQuestions:Sometimes I would be going just fine and my arc would get REALLY soft. If I pulled away for a second (maintaining arc gap at like 1/2") it would seem to "clear up" and go back to having a strong arc again. This seemed to correlate with me dipping the tip in the puddle. Is this a telltale sign of tungsten contamination via puddle?What's the deal with that flash rust? It wipes right off. Is that something I can change, or is that the nature of the beast?How do I read CFM on my ball type flow meter. Top or bottom of the ball? is shade 9 typical for low current DC tig welding steel?Beads A through K are no filler... just practicing moving the puddle and keeping my tip out of the puddle.My first try at sharpening tungsten. Best on the left, worst on the right. I tried to give it a flat point, and it just folded over. I might want a higher grit grinder for that?Overall view of my first triesOverall view of my second triesLast edited by Taiden; 10-25-2010 at 06:21 PM.
Reply:Last edited by Taiden; 10-25-2010 at 06:20 PM.