My new Baby!

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Well some of you remember that I was shopping for a TIG for some time.. And was actually considering a China machine at one time till the deal went south with the owner of the company.. But after all the research and shopping around on Craigs List I bought a used Miller Syncrowave 250 DX.. I got a great deal on it, it came with all the goods, pedal, thumb wheel, water cooler, tourch, 1/2 tank of Argon and a bunch of extras for the tourch!! I paid 1650.00 for her and drove 9 hours round trip to get it! The guy was asking 2100.00 to start but after a week of dealing via email and phone calls I got him to come down a bit on the price to make up for the time and gas.. I went to Oxnard, CA to get it on Labor day.. I was lucky because there was NO traffic either way when we passed Los Angles!! What a sweet day for a road trip!! I think even with the time and gas I still mad out like a bandit! There was some others listed on CL but for much more money and less goodies to go with it.. Here are the pics... Oh and the filler rod holder I kinda barrowed from a member here.. Lets see if anyone remembers who posted it!!! But the credit go to him on that! The holder is the best idea I've seen!The pics are not that great, I took them with my iPhone, thats all I had handy at the shop.. I even went down there today to get some time in on it.. Love that machine!! Miller 252Miller 250Miller Syncrowave 250Esab Plasma Powercut 1250HF Basic oxy/act torches
Reply:Here is what I consider my best bead so far..  Keep in mind that I have been tig welding for about a total of maybe 5 hours... I know I need more time with her but I'm at it for at least an hour a day and more when I can.. I'm still trying to figure out why the bead are not coming out shinny??? I see pics and vids of others and the shine like a new dime!! Mine have almost zero shine to them! Maybe more gas? I think I was running at 15 on the flow meter, 120 amps, 3/32 tungsten and the same filler on 14 gauge tube.. Any thoughts?Also is there a way to tell what year this machine was made.. The guy told me it was 3 years old but not 100%...JasonLast edited by FluxThis; 09-13-2009 at 09:46 PM.Miller 252Miller 250Miller Syncrowave 250Esab Plasma Powercut 1250HF Basic oxy/act torches
Reply:Congradulations Fluxthis on becoming a new dad  !!!  May your new offspring never break your heart.  That looks like a great deal.  Good machines, spent some time on one years ago.A few of my toys !LinuxMintManjaroMiller Roughneck 2E Lincoln WeldPak 100HTP MTS 160 Chicago Electric 80amp Inverter   Victor O/A
Reply:Congrats on the 'new' rig FluxThis.  Nice! You can determine the year of your unit here http://www.millerwelds.com/service/s...reference.htmlOh, and nice filler rod holders you got there.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Clean the mill scale off for shiny beads.My name's not Jim....
Reply:Originally Posted by duaneb55Congrats on the 'new' rig FluxThis.  Nice! You can determine the year of your unit here http://www.millerwelds.com/service/s...reference.htmlOh, and nice filler rod holders you got there.
Reply:Just playing around.  I have seen the mill scale cause three things.  Not all the time, but most of the time, and not necessarily all at the same time. UndercutBead cracksDull or dirty beadBottom line, clean the mill scale.  Make sure you get all of it.  I've found a grinding stone to work best.My name's not Jim....
Reply:Originally Posted by BoostinjdmJust playing around.  I have seen the mill scale cause three things.  Not all the time, but most of the time, and not necessarily all at the same time. UndercutBead cracksDull or dirty beadBottom line, clean the mill scale.  Make sure you get all of it.  I've found a grinding stone to work best.
Reply:Where did you buy the machine? I see your in Mexico so I assume somewhere in California or Texas. Reason I ask is because I seen a Syn 250 in my area (San Diego) but he wanted 2,500 for the complete kit.Dynasty 200DXNo MIG as of yet....
Reply:Originally Posted by SD_LurkerWhere did you buy the machine? I see your in Mexico so I assume somewhere in California or Texas. Reason I ask is because I seen a Syn 250 in my area (San Diego) but he wanted 2,500 for the complete kit.
Reply:Great DEAL!!   Congrats.keith The older the boys, the more expensive the TOYS!!Previous owned;Linde 300 Amp welderMiller Gas drv welder, Tumbstone,Dayton Miller ac to dc converter,High frequency unitLongevity LS60PCurrrently owned;Longevity WeldAll 200PI
Reply:Congratulations on the find! Most people don't have any idea how rare that was! Smooth driving in L.A., are you kidding me!! Oh, very nice machine too, have fun! City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Flux This,Great deal.Those Sync 250"s will still be welding away (I know.  Been using them for 25 yrs) when the Chinese junk you were considering are taking up space in the local landfill.Just as an aside, you can add the pulser option to that machine (those with the digital displays) for about $200.  Module can be obtained from IOC.  Takes about 20 min. to install it yourself.  Nice for working with stainless and can help a newbie develop your filler dip timing.Wise move all around.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Originally Posted by SundownIIIFlux This,Great deal.Those Sync 250"s will still be welding away (I know.  Been using them for 25 yrs) when the Chinese junk you were considering are taking up space in the local landfill.Just as an aside, you can add the pulser option to that machine (those with the digital displays) for about $200.  Module can be obtained from IOC.  Takes about 20 min. to install it yourself.  Nice for working with stainless and can help a newbie develop your filler dip timing.Wise move all around.
Reply:I used to use that same machine at the shop welding pipe till boss man replaced it. He does it every 2 years. It was a great machine. The only thing i can say is that i had a rookie get ahold of mine to gouge one day when i was not in my booth. Machine quit the next day we had to send it it. Cant say that that caused it for sure but we have a pretty good idea thats what it is. Oh your welds look a little too hot too me. Back your heat down some.Weldandpower 225Heliarc Rig for itTorchesect ect ectLifes Short WELD NAKEDLooking for a SA200
Reply:Well I hate to say it but only got about 20 minutes in on her today.. Got pretty tied up today with customers coming in and out of the shop.. I think tomorrow I'll go in early and see if I can sneek some "alone time" with her!! I'll try dropping the heat down a little and see if that is better... I ground off the mill scale today with a grinding disk but still not a "shinny" looking weld    Maybe tomorrow will bring some better beads..The pulser is for sure on my list of things to get.. Thanks everyone for the help and the good comments!!! I'm glad to know for sure it was a good deal! One thing did i did notice is that the flow meter on the cooler moves kinda of slow.. Is that normal? Is there a filter on that thing somewhere to clean it out???Miller 252Miller 250Miller Syncrowave 250Esab Plasma Powercut 1250HF Basic oxy/act torches
Reply:Originally Posted by jroyster06I used to use that same machine at the shop welding pipe till boss man replaced it. He does it every 2 years. It was a great machine. The only thing i can say is that i had a rookie get ahold of mine to gouge one day when i was not in my booth. Machine quit the next day we had to send it it. Cant say that that caused it for sure but we have a pretty good idea thats what it is. Oh your welds look a little too hot too me. Back your heat down some.
Reply:I can take that metal just as it is now and make the weld shiny. Im not tooting my own horn, but sometimes people on here see a weld thats not perfect and the first thing they jump to is clean the metal. Your metal is plenty clean enough in my opinion. Cleaning never hurts but in this case i dont think its your issue. Your running pure argon correct? I made a post the other day about heat input. Half of tig welding is learning what your looking at (freezlines, suckback crators, digs, ect ect.) My machine at the shop stays set on 250 allllllll day long i never touch the dial on the machine. I use my foot and my eyes to set the heat. It was hard to learn, it just the way i was taught. Now that i have the ability to use the pedal more than the dial, I can make alot nicer welds just for the fact that i have a huge range of heat to go through if i need it. I would try cranking up the machine to oh around 150. Run a bead that you think is wayyyyy to cold. Then run a bead that is so hot you cant control it. Then run one about halfway in between the two and decide if you need to be colder or hotter. Kinda helps you get an idear of where your at. Make sure your tugsten is CLEAAN AND SHARP-expt for aluminum welding. Ugly tugsten makes an ugly weld. I assume your running an 1/8 tugsten and a 3/32 filler rod or an 1/8. Seems to be what i found that same machine while i was running it liked. I stepped up to a 5/32 tugsten for heavier AL. I would not worry about a pulser right now. There is two people in my shop that can run it PROPERLY, My boss who has been welding for 45 years who makes welds for AWS mag all the time and me. He is much better than me but master the basics then move on. Moral of my long babbiling post, Use your foot for the heat not the dial, you'll be happy you learned that way 6mo. for now. When we weld sch 40 stainless pipe the other two welders in the shop get up and change their heat on the machine with every pass, (stringer, hot, cap ect ect) it gets to be a pain much easier to set the dial when you wire it up the machine the first time out of the box and then forget about it. When i learned the guy actually cranked my machine up to 270 gave me bunch of 2" 304 sch40 stainless and took the knob off the machine and said get busy!Last edited by jroyster06; 09-14-2009 at 11:58 PM.Weldandpower 225Heliarc Rig for itTorchesect ect ectLifes Short WELD NAKEDLooking for a SA200
Reply:Thanks for the info on the machine. Im still deciding on buying and old beater and restoring it myself, my way, or buying one already done.Weldandpower 225Heliarc Rig for itTorchesect ect ectLifes Short WELD NAKEDLooking for a SA200
Reply:Thank you for the tips jroyster06!!I am running pure argon, I was going back and forth with tungsten sizes.. 3/32 or 1/8.. My filler has mostly been what I thought was 3/32 but turned out to be 1/16! I went yesterday to get some 3/32 but the LWS was out.. I tried 1/8 a few times but seems to be too thick! For some reason, well not to much any more, I seem to spend more time cleaning tungsten then actually welding.. But I think I'm starting to get over that.. I'm going to start doing what you do, just leave the machine set high and use my foot to control it, that makes perfect sense to me.. I was messing with the thumb control the other day to see how that was, no easy... But I need to learn to use it also since more then 50% of my tig welding will be done inside of trucks and such for roll cages.. I think it would be pretty hard to hit the foot pedal while crammed in some tight spot in a car while on your back.. Should I give up on the pedal and just use the thumb or better to train on both?Oh and any ideas on the cooler flow question?"One thing did i did notice is that the flow meter on the cooler moves kinda of slow.. Is that normal? Is there a filter on that thing somewhere to clean it out or a filter that may be getting clogged???"Last edited by FluxThis; 09-15-2009 at 10:43 AM.Reason: cooler question added....Miller 252Miller 250Miller Syncrowave 250Esab Plasma Powercut 1250HF Basic oxy/act torches
Reply:Flux This,There is a filter (mesh screen) in the water line.  If you go to Millerwelds.com, you can download an owner's manual for that cooler.  If you decide to "flush" your system, you're better off just going to your LWS and have them make you up a short length of hose with a left hand fitting that fits your water connection.  Then you can just pump the old coolant out.  I had my guy make up one with fittings on both ends.  That way I could pump the coolant out,  refill with water, recirculate (without going thru the torch), and then pump the water out.  If your coolant hasn't been changed for awhile (looks dirty), it's probably a good idea to flush it.I tend to disagree with jroysters comment about setting the machine wide open and using the pedal to control the arc (but what do I know, only been tig welding for a little over 40 yrs).  The problem with his solution is that you loose a degree of control with the pedal.  To explain, if you have your machine set at 250A, full pedal movement will control the arc from 0-250A.  On the other hand, if you have your machine set at 125A, full pedal movement will control the arc from 0-125A.  In other words, you have twice the control of the arc.  That's why I don't recommend "cranking the machine wide open, and taking the knobs off".Foot pedal/fingertip control.  Learn to use them both.  Both have their advantages.  Later we can talk about "bump welding" anodized aluminum with a simple on/off button.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:SundownIII,Thanks for the help, I'll check out the cooler today.. I hope to get more time today on the machine.. Today is a Mexican holiday so it will be just me at the shop today.. I plan on spending the day with the tig and getting is some good time on it.JasonMiller 252Miller 250Miller Syncrowave 250Esab Plasma Powercut 1250HF Basic oxy/act torches
Reply:Sundown if you read my post i told him to put the machine on 150 for that very reason not wide open they way i run it.Weldandpower 225Heliarc Rig for itTorchesect ect ectLifes Short WELD NAKEDLooking for a SA200
Reply:Well I did get get some good time on the new machine today.. But for the the life of me I can NOT make a nice shinny weld!!I learned my first big lesson today.. Take a look at these pics...My lesson was never trust that the filler rod your grabbing is what you want!! Or is that what is marked on the package.. I just had a pound of mild steel filler rod sent down from the LWS in Mexico here close to the shop, it was a surprise that they were open today (holiday here).. Told them send me a pound of 3/32 mild steel filler rod.. But as you can see from the pics it was bronze or something like that.. 3 rods out of the bunch were not stamped, but I never bothered to check before I started welding.. I just thought I was doing something right because it was going down good and smooth!! The rest of the rods were okay just not the first one I grabbed! I checked the rest of the bunch and there was 3 out of that batch that were out of place.. Turns out they buy rods in bulk and package them in the store.. It's obvious that some screwed up..After the weld cooled I was inspecting it and noticed a few cracks, thought I had the machine to hot or the breeze the was coming in the shop off the ocean was cooling it too fast.. Well I called one of my guys over and said WTF do you think of this, he then said looks like it's gonna fail.. So I gave it a swift hit with the palm of my hand and cracked the whole freakin tube off the bumper!! (I'll get some pics of the whole bumper tomorrow so you guys can see it) HOLY $HIT!! WTF just happened.. I grabbed a magnet I had close and stuck it to the rod I was using and sure enough it didn't stick!!Had to grind everything clean and start over.. This is what I ended up with.. I reworked the bead with just heat after I welded it with the filler to make it look a little better.. I think it came out pretty good but still dull, no shine one either end of the tube.. HELP!! I WANT MY WELDS TO SHINELesson learned today: Never assume the filler rod you just pulled from the tube is the one you need, READ THE STAMPED NUMBERS!Miller 252Miller 250Miller Syncrowave 250Esab Plasma Powercut 1250HF Basic oxy/act torches
Reply:Originally Posted by FluxThisLesson learned today: Never assume the filler rod you just pulled from the tube is the one you need, READ THE STAMPED NUMBERS!Your getting better i notice undercut. Little less heat and more rod. Was it a brazing rod or what? What were the numbers on them?Weldandpower 225Heliarc Rig for itTorchesect ect ectLifes Short WELD NAKEDLooking for a SA200
Reply:Jason, looks like you got a good deal on the machine, especially with all the extras.  Looks nice.  The general guideline for setting the current is one amp per one thousanth inch of base metal thickness.  Your 14 ga tube is about .090" wall, so that means about 90 amps to make the weld.  If you set the machine for 100 amps and use the pedal to back it off as the metal heats, you'll be right in the heat range for welding the tube to another tube, or another like-thickness member.  Your tube to plate joint current setting depends on the thickness of the plate.  If it's thick, you'll have to set the machine hotter and concentrate the heat on the plate and wash it up onto the tube.  If you concentrate it on the tube, you'll undercut the tube and not fuse well to the plate.Yeah, I've grabbed a stainless rod and dipped it in my aluminum weld a few times.  Not fun grinding it all out!Like the others said, grind off the mill scale, keep the breeze out of the weld and hold the arc length short, no more than 1/8".Have fun with the new machine! :BMM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Originally Posted by jroyster06Your getting better i notice undercut. Little less heat and more rod. Was it a brazing rod or what? What were the numbers on them?
Reply:Well you guys was too busy today to break out the machine.. Maybe tomorrow will bring some play time..Went to San Diego and sold the Trailblazer..Last edited by FluxThis; 09-18-2009 at 12:27 AM.Miller 252Miller 250Miller Syncrowave 250Esab Plasma Powercut 1250HF Basic oxy/act torches