Tig welding flowmeter/regulator questions

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For Tig welding, what type of gas requlator I should use? There are single stage regulator with 2 gages and also flowmeter type with sight glass. Which is the correct one or better one to use? I have a used Harris Victor Medalist HRF1425-580 on the way. How do I inspect/test it? I can not find a manual for it. Any link? Is Victor a Harris product? I search on internet and find them under Thermadyne? No manual download available. I just want to know how to use it. Thanks
Reply:Hank,For tig welding you will need a flowmeter rather than a conventional regulator.A flowmeter regulates the volume of gas dispensed and is generally measured in CFH (Cubic Foot Hour).  A regulator takes high pressure gas and reduces the pressure to a working level and the scale is generally in PSI (Pounds Square Inch)The two most common flowmeters you will see are the ones with two gauges (one measures the pressure remaining in the tank and the other is scaled to show the flow in CFH).  Then there is the floating ball flowmeter which has one gauge and a tube with a ball which floats when gas is flowing.  The scale on the tube for the ball is measured in CFH.  The floating ball flowmeter is generally accepted to be more accurate.  It also is a better indicator of when gas is actually flowing.To the best of my knowledge, Harris is still an independent company.  Victor has been purchased (as I understand it) by Thermodyne.I suspect the regulator you have is just that, a regulator.  Hard to tell though since the 580 designates the type bottle connection.  The 580 is used for Argon and other inert gases.Just look at the regulator you have.  One gauge will be in PSI and will generally range from 0 to 3000 PSI.  The other gauge if in PSI (0-300) indicates that it is a regulator and not suitable for tig.  If on the other hand the second gauge is in CFH, it is a flowmeter and can be used with your tig.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Thanks for the response, the Harris Victor Medalist HRF1425-580 on the way has a glass tube and a flow ball to indicate flow rate. Also has a pressure gauge. I don't know if the gage indicate tank pressure or reduced pressure.  It is a used one I bought off e-bay and have not received it yet. Never use one before and try to locate a user instruction with not much success. Anyone can point me to a link for instruction? What to inspect when I receive it? Thanks.
Reply:Hank,I, like you, were unable to find much info on the Victor HRF 1425-580 flowmeter.  I did find a detailed spec sheet on the HRF 2425-580, which, I suspect, is the flowmeter which replaced the one you have coming.Looks like a good flowmeter.  Rated for Argon or Helium. The last digits in the number, the 580 means that it comes with the CGA 580 connection, which is what you want for Argon or other inert gases.Really wouldn't be much to an owners manual anyway.  Install gauge on tank.  Connect hose from flowmeter to welder.  Set postflow on the welder to about 10 sec.  Push down on pedal to start gas flow.  Adjust flow at the flowmeter.  You're done.If you have questions when you get the unit, either post them up or PM me.Good LuckSyncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Hank,   The HRF 1425 is Victor's lower end flowmeter. The 14 is the style and the 25 is the delivery pressure.   Sundown is correct, the flowmeters with two gauges are not as accurate as a flowmeter with the floating ball.  Some flowmeters are just like ox/ace regulators in that they have a diaphragm and valve.  The HRF 1425, like most any inexpensive flowmeter uses a piston design to regulate the pressure.    Victor has a repair manual for the HRF1425.  I do not know how much help it will be.  Link below.http://www.thermadyne.com/IM_Uploads...r%20Combin.pdf  The only problem with  piston style flowmeters is over time they can deliver more pressure than originally designed which will make the reading inaccurate.  Check the static delivery pressure of the flowmeter,  make sure it is at or near 25  psi.  Parts should be esay to find if needed.OAdoctorwww.regulatortorchrepair.com
Reply:Hank, if you do a search using those two terms, you should find another recent thread on this same subject that might have info. worth reading.When there is only one gauge, it reads tank pressure so you know when it's getting low. The flowmeter with the tube needs a certain inlet pressure to the gauge, supplied by the regulator in front of it. The volume delivered is controlled by a valve after the flowmeter. FWIW,  I think the tube increases in diameter slightly from bottom to top, with gas slipping past the ball; thus, higher flow carries the ball higher. The pressure is usually set with a setscrew, not a 'T' handle, so should be correct. When the flowmeter is new, the correct pressure is often marked on it; to check its accuracy, you'd need to just hook a pressure gauge to the output where the hose connects.The second type uses a calibrated, fixed orifice in conjunction with the pressure regulator. As the pressure increases, more is forced through the hole, so the second gauge is marked in volume rather than pressure, as Sundown said above. Not much more to put in a manual, at least not that I can think of now.I assume you do know to check connections for leaks, make sure bottles are secured before removing caps, and so forth.
Reply:Here's one of the two I have.  I got them from Welders4less on E-bay.  Good price & fast service.  Much cheaper than the others I've seen online.http://stores.ebay.com/welders4less_...QQftidZ2QQtZkm Attached ImagesMarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:I received my Vector 1425 today. The valve assembly is broken and the 9/16x15 to 5/8x18 adapter is missing. Should be more careful when I buy anything used on e-bay. Where can I find replacement parts?
Reply:Just buy this one http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=94841Ed 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:Many of the torch and reguator repair shops will sell replacement parts. Look online for one near you. The valve stem for the HRF1425 is a Victor #0662-0067 and the adaptor is a #0911-0050.OAdoctorwww.regulatortorchrepair.com
Reply:Ordered mine on Saturday, had it on Tuesday.Cost $27.95 for the gauges.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:HankC1 asked me some questions about this & thought maybe I should post a quick review of the item I posted about. It's not stamped USA & have no evidence it's an import either. All the fittings are brass & easily turn. The flow control knob is brass & moves easily. The flow meter itself has a ball that rolls easily to the top when turned over, rolls smoothly inside the meter assembly. Easy enough that it can be balanced anywhere along the inside. Kind of like those toys we got as kids on the family road trips.The outside of the meter has etched & black ink fills the etching: Carbon Dioxide 50 psi. The gauge looks like it's a small plastic housing, and it's calibrated for metric & PSI readings.When I moved to Yuma, the one I received when I bought my Hobart Handler got misplaced or didn't get packed. I can't find it, so I purchased one of these. The one I just described is the second one I've purchased from them. Fast service on the first one too.I also purchased the hose kit with it. I had them "invoice me" and then paid shipping once only, not twice. I think I paid $8.95 for the hose too & $12.95 for shipping. All in all, it was a good deal for me as I'm just a hobby welder.
Reply:The float ball of my used Victor flowmeter off e-bay does not roll  inside the tube at all when I turned it up side down. I can see the red ball at the bottom of the tube, but it just stay there when I turn the meter. I tap the meter body a bit, it still doesn't move! I don't know if the Victor is supposed to be this way, or it is bad, or it is just not been used too long and the ball sticked to the bottom, or the ball only float when hook up to pressure! The valve assembly is only $12 online, but I wonder if I should spend the money to check it out. I got the flowmeter real cheap ($15 total to the door) consider it is priced around $100 new.
Reply:Also like to know how to remove the sight tube to clean out the sticky stuff that stuck the ball if I end up with a experimental unit? It is pretty tight that I can not untwist the tube by hand.
Reply:My flow meter has a couple tool marks on it, so I bet it's on pretty tight.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:The ball should move when you turn the flowmeter upside down and the flowtube cover should unscrew with little effort.  Once you take the flowtube cover off you can clean the flowmeter.  Be careful using solvents when cleaning, some solvents will damage the plastic.  Water and soap is what I use.OAdoctorwww.regulatortorchrepair.com
Reply:The flowmeter pictured by MarkBall2 is an import.  It appears from the picture to be same as the one sold by FlameTech which imports regulators & torches from China, but for less than $30.00 you can just buy another one if it stops working.  It cost $30.00 or more to have a flowmter repaired.OAdoctorwww.regulatortorchrepair.com