School Me on Scratch Start

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Hey yall!!Well, I finally got a tig torch and a flow meter, and now Im gonna start setting up a scratch start setup with my little stickmate. Everything arrived this morning, and Im about to head off to the (not so) local airgas to get the rest of what I need. Ive done a little tig in school, but that was on a late model syncrowave, with HF start, a foot petal and a water cooled torch. Not on a 160 amp buzzbox out in the garage. Ive never done scratch start before, but Im excited to start. What exactly can and can't I do with this? Like I said, im new, so any advice yall can give me is much appreciated. How do I know when to stop and let the torch cool down? The welder has a 20% duty cycle maxed out, but Im known to get into what im doing, and go just a little bit over that. And what about on thinner materials, that dont require having the welder turned up all the way? And the most obvious and nooby question of all; how does one start the arc without contaminating anything, or sticking it to the workpiece? Thanks in advance, everyone!! [Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:First, you need a power adapter, which I don't see in your pics. The torch lead screws into it and it has a lug off to the side that your stinger can clamp to, or you can bolt it to a stud. You'll need an argon hose to run from the flowmeter to the power adapter, too. Don't forget cups and collets, or gas lens parts, if you prefer.I assume that you already know to run DCEN (positive ground). You can weld steel, stainless, etc. with that setup, no problem. You're not likely to overheat that torch with a 20% duty cycle machine, but if you feel it getting hot in your hand, take a break for a few minutes. Starting the arc may (will) take some practice, but just gently touch your pointed tungsten to the work and lift. You might need to do like the name implies...give it a little scratch to get going. And keep it clean. TIG doesn't like dirty or rusty metal. Be patient with yourself as you get the hang of things, and be prepared to do a ton of tungsten sharpening. Good Luck!
Reply:You'll want to get a dedicated grinding wheel for tungstens only, finer the better.You can start the arc on your filler rod, make sure the filler rod is touching the base metal, get the tungsten right over the tip of the filler rod, drop your hood and touch the tungsten to the filler rod, and establish the puddle. Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Also, if you find that you're breaking the tips off your tungsten when it sticks while scratch starting, you can try starting it on a big chunk of brass (mostly copper), or straight copper if you have it around."Great spirits have always encountered violent oppostion from mediocre minds."  --  Albert Einstein
Reply:razer has the right idea with the copper plate. Thats how I learned to tig by useing the copper plate to start my arc. The copper is soft so it don't brake the tip off your tungsten. Attached Imageswww.georgesplasmacuttershop.comPlasma Cutter and Welder Sales and Repairs--Ebay storeTec.Mo. Dealer Consumables for the PT and IPT torch's
Reply:There is a goot general reference to ig on miller's resource pages.   U can download the whole thing by chapter.  Just fnished reading it myself a couple weeks agoTiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Read this and check the pics for what your setup should look like:http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=38106
Reply:If you lack that rubber boot like pictured in Famall's link - Many people have used a section cut out of a 2 liter or 1 liter plastic soda pop bottle to insulate the stinger clamp connection.
Reply:Hey, thanks guys!!Well, I went and got everything that I will need (for now) this afternoon, and even ran some beads. Pictures, and video to come. Thanks again [Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:Originally Posted by rankrank1If you lack that rubber boot like pictured in Famall's link - Many people have used a section cut out of a 2 liter or 1 liter plastic soda pop bottle to insulate the stinger clamp connection.
Reply:im guessing you found it more similar than different to your experience with the syncrowave..once you got it goin..let us know how many times you forget to turn on the gas..
Reply:Yeah no kidding, or worse forget to turn it off! Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400