Question about Gas Valve connection?

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I have an Air Products Vis-Arc (Miller 330 A/BP) welder and I'm a beginning TIG welder.  When I connect a TIG torch that has no gas valve on the handle then is it correct to run the gas line through the gas valve on the welder?    I figured otherwise the gas would run constantly when the supply valve was opened!    Is this correct?
Reply:yessir, that is correct! Make sure the gas is actually flowing by hitting your foot pedal and listen to your torch, just to be sure that your valve is working, before striking an arc. Are you using an air cooled, or water cooled torch?
Reply:Right now I have an air cooled torch to get started but I will be getting a water cooled unit eventually.  I aquired the welder and a brand new WeldCraft WP-20 torch kit and a regulator in trade for putting a head gasket in an engine.  I'm stoked!  The welder stick welds great!  I have to get a tank of gas and then I can start TIG welding.    I don't have a foot pedal and was just gonna go with out one.  I figured I would jumper the solinoid to make sure its functional before I tried welding and then connect a meter to it to check for powerr when I strike an arc.
Reply:If you don't have a foot pedal or torch switch, then your gas will flow all the time that the jumper is connected. If it has high frequency, that might run all the time as well. If it stays on when you're not welding, it can actually damage your power cable, as the high freq is always trying to find a ground and will eventually break down the power cable insulation (been there, done that, when a foot pedal switch stuck closed). You'll want to pull the jumper or kill the machine when not welding.
Reply:What I meant by jumper is to apply test voltage to check if the solinoid opens the valve when powered up.  And then I will put a meter on the solinoid leads when striking an arc to make sure the welder is switching the solinoid on and off when welding and not welding.
Reply:And yes, it does have an adjustable high frequency start.   If everything works on this old welder it should be a good one!   I've been wanting a TIG for a long time and was happy as hell to get all this for an afternoons worth of labor.
Reply:Look here....    http://www.millerwelds.com/om/o340p_mil.pdf   Is this your machine?
Reply:Originally Posted by welds4dLook here....    http://www.millerwelds.com/om/o340p_mil.pdf   Is this your machine?
Reply:I'm thinking that you don't need the jumper. From looking at the manual, it looks like if you set up the machine for TIG, and put the Remote Contactor switch in the Off position, it should flow gas and power up the output.
Reply:Originally Posted by welds4dI'm thinking that you don't need the jumper. From looking at the manual, it looks like if you set up the machine for TIG, and put the Remote Contactor switch in the Off position, it should flow gas and power up the output.
Reply:I'm thinking that you don't need the jumper. From looking at the manual, it looks like if you set up the machine for TIG, and put the Remote Contactor switch in the Off position, it should flow gas and power up the output.
Reply:"I aquired the welder and a brand new WeldCraft WP-20 torch kit"You also need an air cooled torch or a water cooler.The WP-20 is a water cooled torch if you did not realize that and my opinion is to NEVER weld with a w/c torch without water flowing.
Reply:Contactor switch in panel should give you welder output and HF. you will need an arc start remote switch to turn the gas valve on. depending on the age of the welder.If at some point you want a foot control you will need one with very large resisters in it.100 to 150 watts. The full mag amp control current goes through the foot control.