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Hello everyone!A few things about me, I have done a bit of MIG welding and I am an electrical engineer. I like building things and experimentation. I have been wanting to buy a welder for quite some time and the time to buy is now. I have decieded on the TIG process even though I am sure it is harder to learn but produces better results. I have a need to weld thinner material also and aluminum so TIG seems the best choice based on my research.I know this is kind of like a Ford vs Chevy kind of thing but the 2 makes and models I have my eyes on are the Lincoln Precision TIG 225 and the Miller Sycrowave 200. It appears to me that the Lincoln has some nice features. Does anyone have any experience using these exact 2 models? One thing I am curious about is that weld depths are often listed as "a single pass". Does that mean that one could weld thinker material 1/2 penetration on 1 side the flip it over and weld the other side to equal the same objective as a machine capable of welding that thickness in 1 pass? That said if I can weld 1/4" Aluminum I will be happy.I am also toying with the idea of constructing my own TIG but I lack the knowledge of what waveforms and specific design charateristics make a great design. I have plenty of skill in programming microcontrollers, A/D converters, and I work in power delivery equipment everything from variable frequency drives to breakers to high voltage transformer and other equipment. I could probably get my hands on some IGBTs pretty cheap since I work for a huge manufacturer of such equipment. I am thinking that I will get a decent store bought TIG first and then gain more practical knowledge of the art so troubleshooting and tweaking a prototype will be easier and more intuitive.Thanks for any responses in advance!
Reply:Your idea of starting with a commercial TIG before you try to build your own makes a lot of sense, in that you can use them side by side and then tweak your own to work more like the commercial unit. Otherwise you might build junk and not know how bad it was.I have had a couple of Synchrowaves, the 180 and the 200. Both are great machines, but very different. The 180 literally had three switches and one knob, so super-simple, hard to screw up. My 200 is the opposite, you can control almost anything. The feature that I like best is pulse, but I weld thin copper, I need all the help I can get. Both the 180 and 200 are available on the used market for around $1200, plus or minus, the 180s probably under $1200, the 200s over $1200. I sold my 180 for $1150, and bought a 200 for $1300, so I did very well. The 180 is a little smaller, if that matters to you.I think that 1/4 inch aluminum is being optimistic for any 200 amp class machine. Besides, 200 amps will overheat an air cooled torch. The info below, gleaned from various websites, may be of interest. Notice that Miller contradicts itself in terms of how many amps it takes to weld 1/4 inch aluminum. Believe the more conservative number, not the optimistic marketing number. The real rating of a 200 amp TIG welder is 3/16 inch aluminum, and that may be marginal, especially with an air cooled torch. To some extent, you can make up for inadequate power by preheating the material, but that is a pain. If you really want to TIG 1/4 aluminum, a Synchrowave 250, 300 amps max, makes a lot more sense.How much power do you really need to TIG thick aluminum?Syncrowave 200 (200A max) claims to weld 1/4 inch aluminumSyncrowave 250 (300A max) claims to weld 3/8 inch aluminum.Syncrowave 350 (400A max) claims to weld 1/2 inch aluminumMiller has a table with the following data: 1/16 requires 60-90 amps, 1/8 125-160 amps, 3/16 190 to 240, 1/4 260-340, 3/8 330-400The Lincoln book says 375-450 amps for bevel butt welding 1/2 inch aluminumDo not underestimate the utility of stick welding, included on almost all TIG welders. Stick is great for thicker steel, especially 1/4 inch or thicker. It turned out I had my TIG about a year before I bought an argon bottle, but got a lot of use out of the welder during that year, using stick for fabrication.If you don't have enough power to really melt the base material, you are not going to get good penetration. With stick, the idea of extra passes for thicker material works pretty well, not so much for TIG.Both Lincoln and Miller make good machines, you can't really go wrong with either, although my welding teacher preferred Miller for TIG.Disclaimers: I do not claim to be an expert on TIG welding. I am probably a fair TIG welder on a good day. This is my two cents. I will let the real experts talk.RichardSculptures in copper and other metalshttp://www.fergusonsculpture.comSyncrowave 200 Millermatic 211Readywelder spoolgunHypertherm 600 plasma cutterThermal Arc GMS300 Victor OA torchHomemade Blacksmith propane forge
Reply:...Well...my own TIG welder is a P&H 400 amp AC/DC made in 1956..stills works fine... P&H not made anymore....but... I've used Lincoln, Esab, Miller, Linde, Airco (Miller).....all are fine. I'd buy at least 200-250 amp machine, AC/DC and with provisions for water cooled torch, you'll be needing that for any serious (1/8") or thicker aluminum or magnesium.... Multi-pass welds for TIG? ....no problem, done all the time in any Nuke plant...with 1-2" thick walled pipe...stainless steel....Dougspair
Reply:Thanks for the responses guys, they are much appreciated. Richard, I checked out your website, that is some nice work you do there.I found a Lincoln precision tig 275 with a miller water cooler on ebay that seem to be a pretty good deal. The problem is I don't know enough to just buy it. I will probably let it go by this time and wait until I am sure of what I am buying.Thanks again,Ben |
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发表于 2021-9-1 00:22:18