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I just picked up a Miller Synchrowave 250 today and I have NEVER Tig'd before.What gas should i buy? I picked up a package of red tungsten from the welding store.Is there a write up on where i should start as far as settings and what not?Thanks guys
Reply:Is it a used machine or new? If its new read the owners manual....if its used check out You Tube and type in what you what to know....It will be there....You will most likely start with Pure Argon....... Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:Well , I am excited and feel sorry for you all at the same time! It is awesome learning to tig (by far my favorite process). It is also verry frustrating as well. Before i got ahead of myself , i would make sure certain things were in order. Is it water cooled? If so i would make sure the water cooler is pumping as it should and the coolant / antifreeze was good to go. I would make sure that none of the water or gas fitting leaked. I would probably go with straight argon gas (you will need this to test the gas fittings). After this strike a few arcs with the machine turned way up to see if its going to trip a breaker. If all is good , search the site for steel tig , DC tig , Aluminum tig , AC tig , etc..... Good luck!
Reply:As mentioned the cooler fluid should be distilled water NOT Automotive Anti-Freeze..Some anti-freeze compounds have tiny metal particles to seal leaks in auto cooling systems and when used in a tig cooler they will short out the high freak and in time ruin your torch...... Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:Yes it has a miller coolmate 3 torch cooler,Where can i get antifreeze/coolant for it?It is used, sorry for all the dumb questions i just got it today and im super excited to learn how to do thisI picked up a pound of aluminum, stainless, and mild filler rod so i can practice
Reply:1st off before you get started make sure you have the proper PPE. Next get some consumables such as Tig gloves, tungsten red (SS/MS) 3/32, Green (aluminum) 3/32 and the appropirate sized SS, MS, Aluminum filler rods for what you will be welding. I also, recommend getting a gas lens setup if you're going to be welding steel. As the other guys mentioned get some Argon and check out online videos for help. You might want to start with steel 1st since its a lot easier than aluminum.
Reply:http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/TIGhandbook/http://www.millerwelds.com/om/o353u_mil.pdfEd Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Originally Posted by bluchevYes it has a miller coolmate 3 torch cooler,Where can i get antifreeze/coolant for it?It is used, sorry for all the dumb questions i just got it today and im super excited to learn how to do thisI picked up a pound of aluminum, stainless, and mild filler rod so i can practice
Reply:probably not really necessary but I ground my machines to an 8 foot copper rod driven in the ground.......Helps with TVI in your house and neighborhood....( Close neighbors) Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:Thanks guys, when i get a day off im gonna go get a cylinder of argon and start playing. Gonna try to track down a manual too.I bought a pair of tig gloves with the tungsten earlier today.Ill be practicing with exhaust tubing roughly 14-16, gauge. What size filler rod should i be using? I bought 1/16 mild , alum, and stainless rod.
Reply:Originally Posted by bluchevIll be practicing with exhaust tubing roughly 14-16, gauge. What size filler rod should i be using? I bought 1/16 mild , alum, and stainless rod.
Reply:Do a search on "tig coolant" and save yourself $60.The miller coolant is pure ethylene glycol and distilled water, that's it. No dye or corrosion inhibitors like auto AF. It's $25-30 a gallon. You'll need 3. If you can find pure EG, you can duplicate it yourself. If your area will never go below freezing, just used distilled. I use 1 gallon of propylene glycol AF with 2 gallons of distilled in my Coolmate with a CK 230 torch with zero problems. So I was done for less than $20.Congrats on the machine. I shouldve just kept my Syncro 250. It was all the machine I would've ever needed, it just woulda cost me more to run the power for it than the upgrade to an inverter.Get 2% Lanthanated tungsten on eBay. It's around $20 a pack, works great on AC or DC and no theoretical concern about radiation dust going in your lungs. The miller manual is gonna recommend pure for AC, but you will soon hate it. It's the cheapest tungsten, so if you wanna try a pack go for it.Last edited by Drf255; 03-01-2013 at 04:20 AM.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:I almost envy you. Learning was the fun part. Now it's work and not as fun anymore. I still love it but the excitement of finally getting good beads is no longer there. Good luck and enjoy your new machine. That's the exact machine I use at work.
Reply:Originally Posted by bluchevIs there a write up on where i should start as far as settings and what not?
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI've done so many "how to tig" threads here I've lost count... I should probably start tagging them with "new tig thread" or something like that to make them easier to find.1st go on line to Miller and download their tig handbook as well as the manual for your machine. Read thru them and they will answer most of your basic questions on this. http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/TIGhandbook/As suggested, get some 1/8" steel ( we use 3" wide 6" long pieces) and grind/sand off the mill scale, both sides preferably. If the steel is oily, you'll also need to wipe it down with acetone ( do not use brake cleaner!) You can skip the grinding if you buy cold rolled rather than hot rolled, but CR is more money. It's usually cheaper to grind. Note a wire wheel will not remove rust or mill scale, only polish it. You need to grind sand to prep.Grind your 3/32" tungsten to a pencil point and set the machine at roughly 125 amps on DC, argon at about 15-20 cfh. Extend the tungsten out of the cup about 3/8" roughly. This will let you see the arc better.1st drill I usually have students do is to just run beads with no filler on flat plate. Try and get comfortable and set up so you can maintain a consistent arc length and travel speed across the piece. You will be using the pedal to manipulate the amps in this drill. As you run the beads, play with the pedal to get a feel on what happens as you depress the pedal. Make the puddle smaller and larger at will. Remember the plate will heat up and if you don't keep cooling it down, it will act like you are upping the amps. I tell students the pieces are cool enough when you can handle them with your bare hands. A quench bucket and several pieces to work with will allow you to keep practicing without having to wait all day for coupons to cool between beads,Next reset the amps to say 90-95 and floor the pedal. In this drill you will now vary either the distance you have the tungsten from the work, or your travel speed ( drill #3 is to vary the one you didn't do in this drill) Get a feel how these changes affect the arc and puddle. Don't worry too much about these right now, the idea is mostly to get you to understand that varying these will change and effect the puddle. For most of the rest of the drills, you'll want to try and maintain as consistent travel speed and arc length as possible and just change your amps with the pedal.After these drills, say maybe an hour of "play time", try to run a bead by adding filler. 1/16" filler is a good size to work with. I usually suggest the students start with a lay wire method where they keep the filler in contact with the plate, and bring the puddle to the filler. Remember you melt the filler with the puddle, not the arc. You can slide the filler along the plate and into and out of the puddle as needed. If your amps are on the low side, some times the filler rod tends to be "sticky" and want to stick to the plate using this method though. Add a few more amps with the pedal if this is the issue. You can also "tap" the filler in like a drum stick or "stab" the filler at the puddle. I usually don't suggest new students stab the filler at the beginning as they usually will constantly hit the tungsten and foul it. get used to grinding your tungsten and get in the habit of stopping to regrind as soon as you foul the tungsten.You also will want to practice feeding filler with your left hand ( assuming you are right handed). Get yourself a length of filler rod, and practice feeding it thru your hand while wearing your tig glove when you are watching tv to help develop the muscle memory for doing this.Once you can run consistent beads the full 6" length of the plate, try overlapping the previous bead by 50%. Once you can consistently do these, you can move on to lap joints, followed by T joints, outside corners, and finally but joints in that order.Then you go back to the beginning for horizontal joints and start the whole process all over again with beads on flat plate... Then the same thing for vertical followed by overhead. After all of this, you can move to thinner material and start all over again with say 1/16" and then finally start on round tube.Post up picts of your practice pieces along with your settings etc and we'll help you with this.One other thing. Because tig allows you the most control over the weld, it means that there are a lot of things you will have to manage all at once and keep the same to get good results. Best way to learn is to take a class so that someone can watch as you weld and pick up on many of these small changes that you are not aware of. There's only so much that can be done with picts. It's much easier to pick out a lot of this stuff if someone is watching you though.Good luck.
Reply:Wow!Thanks guys, excellent info. I cant wait to get started!
Reply:Doug,I am always amazed at your throughough responses to questions, it's very much appreciated by us on the other side looking to learn.I too have a Syncrowave 250, and it will finally be wired on Sunday. Been waiting for a friend to fulfill his side of a barter for about 6 months, could not wait anymore and hired someone else.Very excited to get it hooked up finally, have lights in the garage, and be able to get some projects going before spring. Just wish I called the other guy sooner!Between DSW, and Miller's resource page, there is a lot there to get a beginning understanding on what to do. Very good resources.
Reply:DSW- Thank you for your post. I am about to try TIG for the first time, I have been playing with O/A for years. Friend is loaning me his Maxstar 150STH to try out. I am planning on going to Zapster's clinic in April. Between your posts, Miller's TIG handbook and Zapsters clinic I hope to have a successful start to my TIG experience.JimMaxtor 150STH
Reply:TIG cooler antifreeze (concentrated):http://weldingdirect.com/coolpumlubfo.html"USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:Originally Posted by bluchevThanks guys, when i get a day off im gonna go get a cylinder of argon and start playing. Gonna try to track down a manual too.I bought a pair of tig gloves with the tungsten earlier today.Ill be practicing with exhaust tubing roughly 14-16, gauge. What size filler rod should i be using? I bought 1/16 mild , alum, and stainless rod.
Reply:Originally Posted by Broccoli1Doood I gave you a link to the Tig Handbook and Manual
Reply:Ok, I have lots of questions.First off, when welding stainless or mild the weld doesnt "stack up" it ends up being concave most every time. Welding exhaust tubing, I tried adjusting the amperage up and down and that didnt seem to help much, i adjusted the torch angle so itd be more straight up and down and that seems to help. from all the welds ive seen the appearance it raised slightly, not flat or concaveWelding aluminum seems much easier, except i get a crater at the end of the weld, i didnt have any light gauge aluminum to play with so the tubing i was welding on was probably about 1/8" thick vs the stainless and mild which were around 14-16 gaugeOne problem I had was the argon tank which is roughly 3 ft tall only lasted me about an hour and a half, the post flow was set on 7 and the regulator set at 15 cfm, shouldnt it last longer than that?Ill upload a few pictures here in a minute
Reply:Originally Posted by bluchevOk, I have lots of questions.First off, when welding stainless or mild the weld doesnt "stack up" it ends up being concave most every time. Welding exhaust tubing, I tried adjusting the amperage up and down and that didnt seem to help much, i adjusted the torch angle so itd be more straight up and down and that seems to help. from all the welds ive seen the appearance it raised slightly, not flat or concaveWelding aluminum seems much easier, except i get a crater at the end of the weld, i didnt have any light gauge aluminum to play with so the tubing i was welding on was probably about 1/8" thick vs the stainless and mild which were around 14-16 gaugeOne problem I had was the argon tank which is roughly 3 ft tall only lasted me about an hour and a half, the post flow was set on 7 and the regulator set at 15 cfm, shouldnt it last longer than that?Ill upload a few pictures here in a minute
Reply:Originally Posted by bluchevFirst off, when welding stainless or mild the weld doesnt "stack up" it ends up being concave most every time. Welding exhaust tubing,
Reply:Damnit. sorry i fell asleep before i uploaded themoops posted links instead of picturesLast edited by bluchev; 03-06-2013 at 03:36 PM.
Reply:1/8" thick aluminum tubing 100 amps
Reply:1/2" flat piece of mild steel 200 amps
Reply:1/8" aluminum tubing 100 amps
Reply:14 gauge stainless tubing 65 amps
Reply:14 gauge stainless tubing 65 amps (changed torch angle)
Reply:Awesome Man!I did not think you would make it.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:10 gauge mild tubing 75 amps
Reply:14 gauge stainless tubing amperage ranging from 60-100 all kinds of different torch angles
Reply:all welds were done with 5-8 seconds of postflow, 15 cfm on the regulator 3/32 red tungsten, #5 cup and 1/8" filler rodThanks guys!
Reply:You are a natural on that alum. Gifted even.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonYou are a natural on that alum. Gifted even.
Reply:Damn, Im surprised no one is in here critiqueing this stuff! Come on guys lets hear it
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWAs suggested, get some 1/8" steel ( we use 3" wide 6" long pieces) and grind/sand off the mill scale, both sides preferably. If the steel is oily, you'll also need to wipe it down with acetone ( do not use brake cleaner!) You can skip the grinding if you buy cold rolled rather than hot rolled, but CR is more money. It's usually cheaper to grind. Note a wire wheel will not remove rust or mill scale, only polish it. You need to grind sand to prep.Grind your 3/32" tungsten to a pencil point and set the machine at roughly 125 amps on DC, argon at about 15-20 cfh. Extend the tungsten out of the cup about 3/8" roughly. This will let you see the arc better.1st drill I usually have students do is to just run beads with no filler on flat plate. Try and get comfortable and set up so you can maintain a consistent arc length and travel speed across the piece. You will be using the pedal to manipulate the amps in this drill. As you run the beads, play with the pedal to get a feel on what happens as you depress the pedal. Make the puddle smaller and larger at will. Remember the plate will heat up and if you don't keep cooling it down, it will act like you are upping the amps. I tell students the pieces are cool enough when you can handle them with your bare hands. A quench bucket and several pieces to work with will allow you to keep practicing without having to wait all day for coupons to cool between beads,Next reset the amps to say 90-95 and floor the pedal. In this drill you will now vary either the distance you have the tungsten from the work, or your travel speed ( drill #3 is to vary the one you didn't do in this drill) Get a feel how these changes affect the arc and puddle. Don't worry too much about these right now, the idea is mostly to get you to understand that varying these will change and effect the puddle. For most of the rest of the drills, you'll want to try and maintain as consistent travel speed and arc length as possible and just change your amps with the pedal.After these drills, say maybe an hour of "play time", try to run a bead by adding filler. 1/16" filler is a good size to work with. I usually suggest the students start with a lay wire method where they keep the filler in contact with the plate, and bring the puddle to the filler. Remember you melt the filler with the puddle, not the arc. You can slide the filler along the plate and into and out of the puddle as needed. If your amps are on the low side, some times the filler rod tends to be "sticky" and want to stick to the plate using this method though. Add a few more amps with the pedal if this is the issue. You can also "tap" the filler in like a drum stick or "stab" the filler at the puddle. I usually don't suggest new students stab the filler at the beginning as they usually will constantly hit the tungsten and foul it. get used to grinding your tungsten and get in the habit of stopping to regrind as soon as you foul the tungsten.You also will want to practice feeding filler with your left hand ( assuming you are right handed). Get yourself a length of filler rod, and practice feeding it thru your hand while wearing your tig glove when you are watching tv to help develop the muscle memory for doing this.Once you can run consistent beads the full 6" length of the plate, try overlapping the previous bead by 50%. Once you can consistently do these, you can move on to lap joints, followed by T joints, outside corners, and finally but joints in that order.Then you go back to the beginning for horizontal joints and start the whole process all over again with beads on flat plate... Then the same thing for vertical followed by overhead. After all of this, you can move to thinner material and start all over again with say 1/16" and then finally start on round tube.
Reply:How about the sunken welds?
Reply:Originally Posted by bluchev14 gauge stainless tubing 65 amps
Reply:No i mean on most of the steel welds the weld itself is concave instead of sticking above the base metal
Reply:Chances are you were going too slow and the material "sank" out the bottom of the piece..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:I read most of the replies so if this is a repeat I'm sorry......Show us your tungsten right after a weld.......That Brown color is either you have dipped the tungsten and continue welding with it or maybe too much flow.......I think maybe you dipped....Last edited by B_C; 03-06-2013 at 11:07 PM. Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:Originally Posted by bluchevNo i mean on most of the steel welds the weld itself is concave instead of sticking above the base metal
Reply:See thats what i thought initially so i tried a pass moving much faster and adding more filler but i got similiar results. Ill keep at it.Im gonna get my tank filled tomorrow so ill have some more pictures then
Reply:Originally Posted by bluchevSee thats what i thought initially so i tried a pass moving much faster and adding more filler but i got similiar results. Ill keep at it.Im gonna get my tank filled tomorrow so ill have some more pictures then
Reply:Should i get some 3/32 filler rod? Im using 1/8" right now
Reply:Originally Posted by bluchevShould i get some 3/32 filler rod? Im using 1/8" right now
Reply:Yeah with 1/8 filler your putting a ton of heat into just melting the filler compared to what the work piece would need to melt......Smaller filler = less heat required to create a puddle and run the bead.......you can use a 1/16 tungsten for most muff pipe applications......I wouldn't think you need more than 80 amps and probably won't use all that.... Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock |
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发表于 2021-8-31 22:31:58