Finally bought scratch start tig setup

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I won an auction on ebay for a weldcraft wp-26 torch with 25' leads and radnor regulator and it arrived today. I also purchased a 60 cf argon tank for only $115 shipped to my house. Now I'm waiting for the tank to arrive then all I have to do is get the tank filled and I should be tigging in no time. Im excited to see how well scratch start tig does. I'll be using my sa 200 to power it so I imagine the arc should be pretty smooth. Anyone have any pics of their scratch start tig welds? I'll post some pics of the torch My vintage equipment 1957 Lincoln sa 2001980's Lincoln 225 AC1952 F-2 ford truck1957 F-250 ford truck
Reply:coool........i luv getting new stuff too. Should've posted a picture though. is that it in your avatar.?        thermal arc 252i  -  millermatic 350P -   miller XMT, cp300ts, 30a 22a feeders, buttload of other millers, handfull of lincolns, couple of esabs  -   Hypertherm 1250 G3
Reply:Originally Posted by woi2ldcoool........i luv getting new stuff too. Should've posted a picture though. is that it in your avatar.?
Reply:over the past 35yrs I've used scatch start. Made 1,000s of x-ray welds. I think you're going to love it. Just a little hint with-out opening a can of worms when you sharpen your tungsten sharpen it like a nail you'll find it will last longer.Who knows you may be able to weld with a football on the end (when some of the filler sticks to the tungsten). You'll be able to weld any steel,chromes,and stainless. have fun , lots of practice.     revpol
Reply:Originally Posted by revpolover the past 35yrs I've used scatch start. Made 1,000s of x-ray welds. I think you're going to love it. Just a little hint with-out opening a can of worms when you sharpen your tungsten sharpen it like a nail you'll find it will last longer.Who knows you may be able to weld with a football on the end (when some of the filler sticks to the tungsten). You'll be able to weld any steel,chromes,and stainless. have fun , lots of practice.     revpol
Reply:Unless you're going to do thick aluminum, argon is all you'll need.
Reply:Originally Posted by Grimm1Unless you're going to do thick aluminum, argon is all you'll need.
Reply:hum , i could'nt find my cap one time , took my empty back without.....they gave me a cap but said they're supposed to charge $8 dollars for one.        thermal arc 252i  -  millermatic 350P -   miller XMT, cp300ts, 30a 22a feeders, buttload of other millers, handfull of lincolns, couple of esabs  -   Hypertherm 1250 G3
Reply:Originally Posted by woi2ldhum , i could'nt find my cap one time , took my empty back without.....they gave me a cap but said they're supposed to charge $8 dollars for one.
Reply:I dont think they put caps on until you get to the 80cf and higher, guess not much chance of tip'n one of these little ones over and having the valve snap off. SQUARE WAVE 175 TIG   DUAL MIG 151
Reply:Originally Posted by Spar-XI dont think they put caps on until you get to the 80cf and higher, guess not much chance of tip'n one of these little ones over and having the valve snap off.
Reply:I got the thing hooked up today and it welds like a dream. I ran a few beads and it welds as good or better than the $2500 lincoln tig welders I used at Tech. I though starting the arc would be hard but its almost like having high frequency. I just set the cup on the metal, touch the tungsten and turn the cup up and "voila" the arc is initiated. Me and dad were having a blast with it on some scrap right up until the pipeliner ran outta gas  It loves gas a little too much  Tomorrow im gonna go get some more gas and remember to grab the camera and show my setup.My vintage equipment 1957 Lincoln sa 2001980's Lincoln 225 AC1952 F-2 ford truck1957 F-250 ford truck
Reply:Thats KooL, I would like to see your setup,....... and maybe  a few shots of your handy work? I heard that you use allot of the gas when using these tig torches.......... I had thought about buying a 60cf tank for when I get my setup almost ready, but know i'm wondering if I should go a bigger in tank size. I was reading a thread on here where they were discussing the proper tank size and some one made the comment "get the biggest that your budget will allow" (or something close to that). The only problem I have with that is MAN they get really expensive. The small inverter that I was looking at to power the ARC is only going to be about $100 (harbor freight model), and the 60cf tank like you got is $115, which by the way I like how you said that it "was only" the 115.......and thats before the fill-up. I think the 80cf tank is like $160 empty, to me thats allot of bread for something thats only job is hold in compressed gasses. I know that its something that you cant do without but I also dont want to be making a trip to the local praxair or airgas every time I turn around, wonder what would be the happy medium on tank size? SQUARE WAVE 175 TIG   DUAL MIG 151
Reply:Originally Posted by Spar-XThats KooL, I would like to see your setup,....... and maybe  a few shots of your handy work? I heard that you use allot of the gas when using these tig torches.......... I had thought about buying a 60cf tank for when I get my setup almost ready, but know i'm wondering if I should go a bigger in tank size. I was reading a thread on here where they were discussing the proper tank size and some one made the comment "get the biggest that your budget will allow" (or something close to that). The only problem I have with that is MAN they get really expensive. The small inverter that I was looking at to power the ARC is only going to be about $100 (harbor freight model), and the 60cf tank like you got is $115, which by the way I like how you said that it "was only" the 115.......and thats before the fill-up. I think the 80cf tank is like $160 empty, to me thats allot of bread for something thats only job is hold in compressed gasses. I know that its something that you cant do without but I also dont want to be making a trip to the local praxair or airgas every time I turn around, wonder what would be the happy medium on tank size?
Reply:If you would have to take a guess at how long of a run time the 60cf 'r had..........how long would you guess?......and did you get a cap on the new 80? SQUARE WAVE 175 TIG   DUAL MIG 151
Reply:Originally Posted by Spar-XIf you would have to take a guess at how long of a run time the 60cf 'r had..........how long would you guess?......and did you get a cap on the new 80?
Reply:Originally Posted by bigblue... I though starting the arc would be hard but its almost like having high frequency. I just set the cup on the metal, touch the tungsten and turn the cup up and "voila" the arc is initiated. ...
Reply:scratch start means you touch the tungsten to the workpiece and as you lift the tungsten off thte workpiece the arc starts. dont lift more than 1/8" or so....
Reply:Originally Posted by weldbeadscratch start means you touch the tungsten to the workpiece and as you lift the tungsten off thte workpiece the arc starts. dont lift more than 1/8" or so....
Reply:Some machines have a "lift start" function. The machine uses a very low voltage to notice when you touch the tungsten to the work piece. When it senses you lift the tungsten (voltage disapears) it automatically cranks up the power to initiate the arc.  If the arc doesn't light with in a short time the machine goes back to "sleep" and powers down. Millers XMT's have this function as well as some others. It's in the circuitry of the machine.A true scratch start is not really any different than lighting a standard stick rod like 7018. Some use a piece of copper as it helps prevent the tungsten from wanting to stick to the steel and leaving a small piece imbedded in the weld. You have to use this method with "stupid" machines like SA200's and other pure CC stick power sources that don't have the circuitry to sense the lift, or a remote like a pedal..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 DSWSome machines have a "lift start" function. The machine uses a very low voltage to notice when you touch the tungsten to the work piece. When it senses you lift the tungsten (voltage disapears) it automatically cranks up the power to initiate the arc.  If the arc doesn't light with in a short time the machine goes back to "sleep" and powers down. Millers XMT's have this function as well as some others. It's in the circuitry of the machine.A true scratch start is not really any different than lighting a standard stick rod like 7018. Some use a piece of copper as it helps prevent the tungsten from wanting to stick to the steel and leaving a small piece imbedded in the weld. You have to use this method with "stupid" machines like SA200's and other pure CC stick power sources that don't have the circuitry to sense the lift, or a remote like a pedal.
Reply:interesting... will be trying some scratch start tig real soonwill be powering with an old 60's Lincoln Idealarc 250 the one that looks like a tombstone. stick welds amazingly smooth... puts out an amazing 81.7 volts DC... 77volts AC
Reply:Originally Posted by _CY_interesting... will be trying some scratch start tig real soonwill be powering with an old 60's Lincoln Idealarc 250 the one that looks like a tombstone. stick welds amazingly smooth... puts out an amazing 81.7 volts DC... 77volts AC
Reply:made that mistake once already.... purchased an identical idealarc tombstone from an 80+ year old retired welder who was slimming down. he claimed it was a darn good welder. the HF unit was already sold before I got the idealarc. someone offered me $$$ sight unseen and I stupidly took it. finally another one came up... had to drive 100 miles, but it was worth it. slowly getting it setup... just plumbed in 75ft+ heavy cables. next up will be tweeco quick connectors so I can share cables with my 59 SA200.  need to chase down some graphite grease to smooth out current selector. keeping my eyes peeled for the HF module and factory casters for idealarc.  Originally Posted by bigblueI WANT one of those. Never let go of that thing, they weld as good as the pipeliners in my opinion. We had one at the tech I went to for welding as the "repair" welder around the place. Welded smoother than anything else around the place. I think you'll like tig as much as I do, at least I hope.
Reply:Originally Posted by _CY_made that mistake once already.... purchased an identical idealarc tombstone from an 80+ year old retired welder who was slimming down. he claimed it was a darn good welder. the HF unit was already sold before I got the idealarc. someone offered me $$$ sight unseen and I stupidly took it. finally another one came up... had to drive 100 miles, but it was worth it. slowly getting it setup... just plumbed in 75ft+ heavy cables. next up will be tweeco quick connectors so I can share cables with my 59 SA200.  keeping my eyes peeled for the HF module and factory casters for idealarc.Went to my local airgas to get me some cylinder/gas pricing.............$220 just for the tank and a extra $55 for a argon CO2 shake, I thought that they would at least cut me a break on the fill up since I was thinking about buying it there.When you bought your 80cf tank, did you get any papers that showed  ownership?, also just out of curiosity, do you use a flow meter or a flow gauge? It looks as if the flow meter is more accurate but I dont see where a flow gauge would hurt using for your own projects. SQUARE WAVE 175 TIG   DUAL MIG 151
Reply:Originally Posted by Spar-XWent to my local airgas to get me some cylinder/gas pricing.............$220 just for the tank and a extra $55 for a argon CO2 shake, I thought that they would at least cut me a break on the fill up since I was thinking about buying it there.When you bought your 80cf tank, did you get any papers that showed  ownership?, also just out of curiosity, do you use a flow meter or a flow gauge? It looks as if the flow meter is more accurate but I dont see where a flow gauge would hurt using for your own projects.
Reply:I just went ahead and bought 2 of the 80cf tanks off eBay from the company GTS-welco, they were $148.59 a piece and came w/ free shipping but I had to pay 6% sales tax because there is a praxair locally (gts and praxair are joined?) but thats kool. I needed ta buy 2 anyways,one for my mig w/ the argon/co2 shake(ive been welding MAG,co2) and one for the tig with strait argon. I shouldnt have any problems getting them exchanged at the local praxair......... SQUARE WAVE 175 TIG   DUAL MIG 151
Reply:keep an eye on craigslist... all sorts of deals pop uponly you cannot be in a hurry.... just scored an Argon tank 52in tall w/cap, almost full with tank in test for under $100best of all this tank had no marking on the neck, indicating this is a user owned tank. that I can fill anywhere with no problemsLast edited by _CY_; 02-20-2010 at 09:51 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by Spar-XI just went ahead and bought 2 of the 80cf tanks off eBay from the company GTS-welco, they were $148.59 a piece and came w/ free shipping but I had to pay 6% sales tax because there is a praxair locally (gts and praxair are joined?) but thats kool. I needed ta buy 2 anyways,one for my mig w/ the argon/co2 shake(ive been welding MAG,co2) and one for the tig with strait argon. I shouldnt have any problems getting them exchanged at the local praxair.........
Reply:Yes...........,Filled is what I meant, I shouldnt have any problems getting them filled.There is 3 welding supply stores in my area, so I thought I would just call around and get some prices first. I could almost make out your tig torch wrapped around a blue tank and a Lincoln welder beside it, but its a little blurry. I'm going to guess that the blue tank is the new 80....... whats the hood? cant make it out. SQUARE WAVE 175 TIG   DUAL MIG 151
Reply:Thats my jackson pipeliner hood. Ive got an auto dark shade 11 lens put in it right now.My vintage equipment 1957 Lincoln sa 2001980's Lincoln 225 AC1952 F-2 ford truck1957 F-250 ford truck