A warm machine is a happy machine..

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Cold enough for ya?Frozen water in your welder is never a good thing...Nasty things happen.Split open water solenoids...Frozen torch coolant tubes...Water exhaust tube frozen...With these relentless below zero and single digit temps at night there was only one thing to do in a shop with LITTLE heat...Works great so far..The machine loves it!Granted I take the exhaust tube in at night but that's like closing the barn door after the horses all went away...Nothing has froze up yet and I use this overnight and all weekend if needed.Gotta keep checking for water flow even if I am welding..15 min break and the tube outside freezes that fast so we must keep an eye on things all the time.I get all the fun jobs.....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:Somehow I thought you were in California.Regards,RobGreat Basin WeldingInstagramBlue weldersRed weldersMy luscious Table DIY TIG Torch cooler
Reply:Originally Posted by Robert HallSomehow I thought you were in California.
Reply:K, won't whine about the 30f here then. Regards,RobGreat Basin WeldingInstagramBlue weldersRed weldersMy luscious Table DIY TIG Torch cooler
Reply:It's teeth shattering cold here !http://www.yr.no/place/Costa_Rica/Gu.../Tilar%C3%A1n/Bubble gumTooth pixDuct tapeBlack glueGBMF hammerScrew gun --bad battery (see above)
Reply:Started my TB 302 up at 1*F yesterday morning -- pretty dang cold for VA but mild compared to y'all up north.  I think that's the coldest weather I've run it in, and it started just fine for an old-tech carbureted engine.  My welding leads were all frozen to the bed -- customer's employees were getting a kick out of watching me rip them out of the ice.  Joke was on them, though, because it was 70 degrees plus inside my respirator (once I got the valves thawed out)....
Reply:Can't you put glycol in there? I got some in mine.Miller trailblazer301gLincoln sa200Miller251Miller spectrum 625Victor oxy-acc2002 Chevy duramax 3500 dually 4x4
Reply:Had to fire up my tb 302 the other night. -21f it wasn't  happy at first but it got over it. I on the other hand still was kinda chilly.
Reply:Originally Posted by BlackbeardCan't you put glycol in there? I got some in mine.
Reply:am i missing something wtih the exhaust tube?   why does your tig have exhaust and why is it outside?Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:Zaps 330 uses regular tap water for cooling and he dumps the "waste" water outside for disposal. He's not using a recirculating cooler on his machine..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Oh wow as much tig as he does i figured he would definately have a cooler,   seems like kind of a waste to me...     How big is the ice slick out side?Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:When it was -25 the other night I found the one tractor that still had straight #2 fuel in it. Looked like jello in the tank. Drag it to the shop for a nice warm up. Welding in the cold is definitly not fun but sometimes is required. When you have to hold your breath so not to fog the lens its getting coldMillermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer
Reply:Originally Posted by DualieOh wow as much tig as he does i figured he would definately have a cooler,   seems like kind of a waste to me...     How big is the ice slick out side?
Reply:Originally Posted by farmshopWhen it was -25 the other night I found the one tractor that still had straight #2 fuel in it. Looked like jello in the tank. Drag it to the shop for a nice warm up. Welding in the cold is definitly not fun but sometimes is required. When you have to hold your breath so not to fog the lens its getting cold
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterGranted I take the exhaust tube in at night but that's like closing the barn door after the horses all went away...
Reply:Never heard to do it with gas. I'd always heard to do it with kerosene.I've had one customer who's had her home heating oil gel twice in this super cold weather. 1st time she'd already called the heating guy before calling me, and he made it to her place before I got there with the antigel. No biggie. I managed to get to talk to him about how to bleed the hot water hydronic floor system before he left. I moved about 150 gal of heating oil from the spare tanks down to her place since she was running low to carry her over until the fuel oil guy got there. Well Tuesday I got another call from her saying the heat was off in both systems and asking if I'd dumped in the antigel. I told her since she'd said the heating guy had already done so, I hadn't bothered, but the 2 quarts were still up at the shop on the workbench and she could just dump them in and I'd get some more while I was out running errands..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by BlackbeardCan't you put glycol in there? I got some in mine.
Reply:Never tried gas. Always thought gas plus diesel engine equals problem.Millermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer
Reply:Originally Posted by DualieOh wow as much tig as he does i figured he would definately have a cooler,   seems like kind of a waste to me...     How big is the ice slick out side?
Reply:Originally Posted by farmshopNever tried gas. Always thought gas plus diesel engine equals problem.
Reply:Originally Posted by farmshopNever tried gas. Always thought gas plus diesel engine equals problem.
Reply:Originally Posted by Stick-manAll you had to do was add 3 to 5% gasoline, and give it a few. I was pushing a snow dump area with a CAT 963 one cold winter night. The transfer tank on my F350 had the pump, meter, and filter. It froze! My old timer buddy screamed at me (because I never felt comfortable trying this) to go to the gas station and add 3 gallons of gas to my 100 gallons of gelled diesel. When I got back from the 1.5 mile round trip, the pump whined for about 10 seconds, then full flow!!! Now, I always treat my transfer tank with 2% gas, unless I know it will be brutally cold then 3%, and I've never had a problem since.
Reply:I know this thread is basically about gas-powered welders and issues they have during sub-freezing temps - but I found it on a search for posts/threads about welders and cold surrounding temperatures.  I'm a rural handyman who for years had an O/A setup for brazing, bending/heat-forming, cutting, and a little welding.  Now also I've got a Lincoln 240v Mig Pak.  My metal-working shop is a roofed-over portion at the back of our barn, but exposed to winter air.  I don't feel comfortable doing any work back there when temps are too far under 32*F, but sometimes need to (say, to around 27 or 28*F).  So the machine is sitting in these temps.  If I use it out there at these surrounding temps, is this bad for my wirefeed machine?Last edited by Joel_BC; 11-15-2014 at 10:53 AM.