putting my list together, need some input......

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hello all, as many of you know i have been planning to buy the precision tig 225.i will be buying the ready pack with cart(includes pta 17 air cooled torch, reg, hose and work lead with clamp) im buying the biggest argon bottle praxair can give me,a lincoln vista 3000 helmet, hand amptrol, 20ft if #2 welding cable with electrode holder and,some 1/8" 6010 and several other things that i need help with. i need to get a set of tig gloves, any recommendations? i will be starting out on around 1/8 steel for learning but i want to have all of the tungstens and fillers i will need in the future for anything from 20g to 1/4 m/s and somwhere around 1/8in or less aluminum. i know i need er70s-2 OR/AND 6 filler but what would be the best size to get the most of? also i need to know what the best sizes of tungsten i should get.i belive i want to get mostly red correct? i was thinking of getting some orange and blue also.  i should be able to use the orange with aluminum when that time comes shouldnt i? i was thinking of getting  6,8,10 gas lenses too.anyone want to throw any ideas to me? i go on vacation starting the 28th so i am ordering everything the week before with praxair and i will be picking it up the monday of my vac.  i am trying to get everything together so i can avoid going back to the welding shopMillermatic 211weldpack 3200 squirtgunsquare wave 200victory journeyman kitHypertherm 30xptoo much other crap to listtinkerer extraordinaire
Reply:You might want a bench top grinder for sharpening tungstens if you don't have one.  I use 2% thoriated (red) for everything.  I've never had a problem so far with it.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:ah yes, im glad you reminded me. i have a 6in that i use for steel and i was thinking of going to harbor freight and buying  one of their little 4in grinders to dedicate just to tungsten. one of the few things i will buy from themMillermatic 211weldpack 3200 squirtgunsquare wave 200victory journeyman kitHypertherm 30xptoo much other crap to listtinkerer extraordinaire
Reply:Just buy one color tungsten, then you can sharpen both ends without loosing track of which is which. I'll probably step up to blue when I run out of red. Any but green will work on both steel and alum.Filler; mostly 3/32, some 1/8. Remember that filler size dictates weld size. If you want a real small pretty weld, you'll need some 1/16 filler.Tungsten; 3/32 will do a lot of welding. But you'll need 1/8 on occassion (for your 1/4" stuff), but it will get hot fast with an aircooled torch. I'd buy 2 or 3 3/32 and one 1/8. I also have 1/16 but rarely use it. You'll need collets for each size also.Buy 3 or 4 #8 cups, bigger is better coverage for ME. Gas lense's have better flow quality, but I don't use them. The screens get dirty so I figure one less complication.I don't overthink gloves, with TIG you can use a lighter glove than MIG or stick. Some guys just use leather gardening gloves.If you're welding for money, heavier everything, including a water cooled torch.FWIW: hobby guy perspective. 9-11-2001......We Will Never ForgetRetired desk jockey. Hobby weldor with a little training. Craftsman O/A---Flat, Vert, Ovhd, Horz. Miller Syncrowave 250
Reply:3/32 tungstens. i always used red for m/s and green for aluminum. always worked well for me/http://www.aloumac.ca/
Reply:Save your $$$$$ and get a watercooled torch set up..You will NEVER go back to air.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterSave your $$$$$ and get a watercooled torch set up..You will NEVER go back to air.....zap!
Reply:Originally Posted by MatthewNEVER??
Reply:I agree, water cooled for sure...Are all you guys really using air cooled torches???The best things in life all come on a stick!
Reply:i allways use red 2% thoriated even on aluminum untill i gotmy dynasty 200dx a inverter i still use red on steel & stainlessbut with a inverter and welding aluminum 2% ceriated works better
Reply:I use a water cooled torch in the shop, and an air cooled on the service truck.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Water cooled for shop work and air cooled for the truck here. Tillman deer skin tig gloves can't be beat. I use them for mig and stick welding in the summer as well, as garden variety work gloves, and for riding gloves on my Harley. Soft, comfortable and last a long time.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterSave your $$$$$ and get a watercooled torch set up..You will NEVER go back to air.....zap!
Reply:Originally Posted by kmaysobhey zap, you dont have nightmares about having to weld with an air cooled do you?
Reply:Originally Posted by kmaysobhello all, as many of you know i have been planning to buy the precision tig 225.i will be buying the ready pack with cart(includes pta 17 air cooled torch, reg, hose and work lead with clamp) im buying the biggest argon bottle praxair can give me,a lincoln vista 3000 helmet, hand amptrol, 20ft if #2 welding cable with electrode holder and,some 1/8" 6010 and several other things that i need help with. i need to get a set of tig gloves, any recommendations? i will be starting out on around 1/8 steel for learning but i want to have all of the tungstens and fillers i will need in the future for anything from 20g to 1/4 m/s and somwhere around 1/8in or less aluminum. i know i need er70s-2 OR/AND 6 filler but what would be the best size to get the most of? also i need to know what the best sizes of tungsten i should get.i belive i want to get mostly red correct? i was thinking of getting some orange and blue also.  i should be able to use the orange with aluminum when that time comes shouldnt i? i was thinking of getting  6,8,10 gas lenses too.anyone want to throw any ideas to me? i go on vacation starting the 28th so i am ordering everything the week before with praxair and i will be picking it up the monday of my vac.  i am trying to get everything together so i can avoid going back to the welding shop
Reply:well, i ordered it all today. you should have seen his face when i showed him the list.  id say he was a little happy. hes throwin in a set of tig gloves,a skull cap and 20ft of #2 welding cable for free. it may not be anything high dollar, but thats the kind of thing that makes customers for life.Millermatic 211weldpack 3200 squirtgunsquare wave 200victory journeyman kitHypertherm 30xptoo much other crap to listtinkerer extraordinaire
Reply:You'll discover soon enough that a water-cooled torch is nice. When I got my Miller 200 Syncrowave, it came with an air-cooled torch, After using liquid coolng on my old Lincoln for a long time, I got spoiled. I changed the Miller to liquid really fast. TIG really needs to have liquid cooling if you intend to do any extensive bench work with your machine. The air-cooled torch is fine for short burst but not for the long haul. I hope you got a good deal from your LWS. If I bought all that equipment from my LWS, I'd have to take out a new mortgage on my house.
Reply:oh, im sure im getting a good deal. the machine is only a few dollars less than the other shops around here, but the helmets i am getting a really good deal on, and the tank is over 150 cheaper through him than the competitors. hes giving me several items for free, and he almost always knocks a little off on the prices for me. i can pretty much buy anything i need from him for about the same price of anyone else. as far as the pricing with the lws goes, i have no problem paying a little extra to get the kind of service i do with him , im just lucky that he gives me such a good deal. he closes at 4 and i left work at 330. i called him and asked if he could stay a little late so i could get down there. he said no problem. that is great customer service if you ask me. i grew up wanting to weld but  my dad , even though he always wanted to know how to weld,  couldnt justify the cost of a welder. i live on my own now, and am fortunate enough to be making very good money.(btw im only 20) im a mechanic and when it comes to tools, i do not buy cheap. so i am lucky in the fact that i can afford to buy these machines before i am married and have kids. i still have a whole list of equipment to get too.Millermatic 211weldpack 3200 squirtgunsquare wave 200victory journeyman kitHypertherm 30xptoo much other crap to listtinkerer extraordinaire
Reply:Congratulations, you lucky dog. Tools aren't an expense, they're an investment. They'll pay you back everytime you use them for the rest of your life. If you buy cheap chinese cwap, you'll get to cuss everytime for the rest of your life. I don't understand that market appeal.My small LWS treats me well also, even though I'm just a hobby guy.I bought a Syncrowave 250 MANY years ago, I still grin when I use it. My air-cooled works fine for me, but I'm not 'on the clock'. It was an easy choice, the watercooler added $600; something I couldn't justify back then. An interim choice is a #26 torch, if the 17 gets too hot. It's still air, but will handle more amps, longer. You'll know soon enough, if it's too hot to hold; you need more.9-11-2001......We Will Never ForgetRetired desk jockey. Hobby weldor with a little training. Craftsman O/A---Flat, Vert, Ovhd, Horz. Miller Syncrowave 250
Reply:thanksoh i know all about the investment standpoint. my dads still trying to get over the shock of what i paid for my matco tool box.all of my tools are either matco or craftsman.i have a feeling im gonna be grinning just as big when i open that box. it should be the best monday i ever had.  first i get to go shooting for a couple hours in the morning while i wait for the lws to open up and then once i pick that up its off to the steel yard.the water cooler will come next year possibly. although i am looking at getting a power mig 255 and a hypertherm 30 next year.  well shall see if i find the need for the cooler.Millermatic 211weldpack 3200 squirtgunsquare wave 200victory journeyman kitHypertherm 30xptoo much other crap to listtinkerer extraordinaire
Reply:well i got it monday. ive only gotten about an hour of play time with it since bringing it home. (im bodydropping a buddys s10 so im running the wire feed at the moment)i bought some 1/8'' plate cleaned the mill scale of with a flap disk and ran a couple of beads. ok, so i ran like 30 or 40. i need to cut that piece of plate up so i can run a bead and then let it cool. my beads look pretty decent, i will post some pics of them soon. i know several were way cold and some were way hot. i still havent recived the helmets yet. hopefully soon.here is a pic of it in my "work shop" Attached ImagesMillermatic 211weldpack 3200 squirtgunsquare wave 200victory journeyman kitHypertherm 30xptoo much other crap to listtinkerer extraordinaire