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bluchev

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Ok, i need a regulator and gauge setup for my new Synchrowave 250.

I have the floating ball flow meter thing, but i need the regulator that screws into the Argon tank.

I looked quick on ebay but im unsure which one to buy and havent seen any used ones.

What brands should i avoid? I'd like to find an inexpensive one if possible. Is there someone on the forum that sells them?

Thanks everyone!
 
Got picts of what you already have?

The floating ball units are the most accurate, but a decent "gauge style" one will work just fine for most people and usually cost less money. I want to say the last "gauge style" one I bought cost me roughly $45 or so from the LWS when one of the guys where I used to work dropped something heavy on mine and smashed it flat while it was off the cylinder. I want to say it was a Smith unit.
 
Ok, i need a regulator and gauge setup for my new Synchrowave 250.

I have the floating ball flow meter thing, but i need the regulator that screws into the Argon tank.

I looked quick on ebay but im unsure which one to buy and havent seen any used ones.

What brands should i avoid? I'd like to find an inexpensive one if possible. Is there someone on the forum that sells them?

Thanks everyone!
HTP sells a decent flow meter on their website and on eBay. Victor has a really nice on also.
 
Discussion starter · #4 ·
Got picts of what you already have?

The floating ball units are the most accurate, but a decent "gauge style" one will work just fine for most people and usually cost less money. I want to say the last "gauge style" one I bought cost me roughly $45 or so from the LWS when one of the guys where I used to work dropped something heavy on mine and smashed it flat while it was off the cylinder. I want to say it was a Smith unit.
I don't have any pics on my phone but the floating ball flow meter is attached to the back side of the machine with green hose attached to it. I didnt even look at what brand it is. Im going to go buy a tank on Monday so i need the part that screws into the tank.

From what i understand i need the regulator which screws into the tank that knocks down the pressure (right?). Then from there it goes to the floating ball flow meter to control how much volume of gas goes to the machine. Does that sound right?
I
 
I haven't seen an arrangement quite like that. All the floating ball types I've seen are attached direct to the reg. You control the flow direct at the reg.
 
One thing about regulators is that they do go bad - depending where and how you store them etc. When they do go bad, a quality brand like Victor is easily rebuildable.

That being said, Victor regulators command a premium.

For TIG welding, this is what I have: Its a Smith, decent quality and about 1/2-2/3 of the victor equivalent:
https://weldingsupply.com/cgi-bin/einstein.pl?PNUM::1:UNDEF:X:33-50-580

The second output is for purging/backpurging when working on stainless.

You could instead buy two singles (and two bottles). Saw this price:
https://weldingsupply.com/cgi-bin/einstein.pl?PNUM::1:UNDEF:X:32-80-580-6

As for flowmeter vs. flowgauge. Both could work. However, understand that a flow gauge is really just a calibrated pressure gauge. It measures pressure drop accros a known size oriface. It -assumes- there is little or no pressure on the outlet side. On the plus side, you can set it up without having the gas actually flowing. Keep notes on what settings work with what cups.

Flowmeters aren't perfect either, but keep in mind this isn't brain surgery. There is a broad range of gas flows that will work. In this case, good enough is in fact good.
 
Ok ,perfect. Thats clears that up for me. I was under the impression that you needed the dual gauge setup and the flowmeter.
You might to make what you currently have work. Not seeing what you have I can only guess. My guess is your set up might have been rigged to work off a manifold system, thus the flow meter attached direct to the machine. I've seen some manifold systems that were set up as high pressure systems, where the whole "reg" was attached to the manifold at the machine, and I've seen low pressure manifold systems, where there was a reg at the main rig that stepped down the pressure to say 150 psi, and then the flow was adjusted at the machine. Without seeing what you have, ( and maybe not even then), it's hard to guess.

However any of those shown above should work direct with your machine.


As far as units to avoid. Nothing specific. Import cheapies wouldn't "hurt" anything if you chose to go that route. Your flow might not be 100% accurate, but for what you plan to do it wouldn't make any difference. You might just have to set the flow up or down slightly, though I doubt it would be enough you'd even be able to tell.


You might also need the hose etc to go with the flow meter. Not seeing what you have, I can't say.
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
It has about 20 ft of green hose attached to the flow meter. Im assuming it was hooked up to a manifold of some sort since this machine was used in a shop. I need to the on/off valve that screws into the tank then i could run my green hose up to that and then just use my flowmeter.
 
Green hose says low pressure system to me. All the high pressure systems I've worked with either had hard lines or short lengths of steel braided hose for the HP attachments.

Sounds like just about any pressure reducing reg would work if it is set up for CGA580 ( inert gas), but I have no idea what you would need to set the output pressure for without info on the flow meter.
 
Definitely set up for low pressure use. Any model numbers on the unit?

From what I can see, you should be able to get any of those flow meters linked above and make them work if you add a hose with the correct ends.
 
You need something to regulate the high pressure in the tank into something lower AND a means to regulate flow. It looks like you have a Victor FM series flow meter, which are generally fed with gas at 25 PSI from a separate high pressure regulator on a tank. It is a flow meter only, not a regulator.

Victor also has models that are regulators and flow meters in one, such as the HRF and HSR. These gave a small dial gauge in addition to the flow tube.

Here's a link to the HTP regulator. $35. isn't bad and sometimes you can get the same one for a bit less on eBay from the same seller. They go by the name "USAWELD".

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HTP-Argon-C...-Regulator-Welding-Weld-/140514184508?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b74c4d3c

http://www.usaweld.com/Welding-Flowmeter-p/12020-f.htm
 
Discussion starter · #17 ·
You need something to regulate the high pressure in the tank into something lower AND a means to regulate flow. It looks like you have a Victor FM series flow meter, which are generally fed with gas at 25 PSI from a separate high pressure regulator on a tank. It is a flow meter only, not a regulator.

Victor also has models that are regulators and flow meters in one, such as the HRF and HSR. These gave a small dial gauge in addition to the flow tube.

Here's a link to the HTP regulator. $35. isn't bad and sometimes you can get the same one for a bit less on eBay from the same seller. They go by the name "USAWELD".

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HTP-Argon-C...-Regulator-Welding-Weld-/140514184508?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b74c4d3c

http://www.usaweld.com/Welding-Flowmeter-p/12020-f.htm
Ok, thats one i was just looking at. So would the flow meter i have be useful if i bought the HTP model? Or is mine just designed for a completely different application? Sorry, im sure these questions sound ridiculous, I just want to make sure i buy the right stuff
 
Low pressure use means it was set up for use with a low pressure manifold. In an industrial setting often places will get "gas" in bulk. Some times this is a bunch of gas cylinders all hooked up together as a bank and connected to a regulator that drops the high pressure gas down to a lower intermediate pressure, where it is then adjusted at the individual machine. Other times it can come in as a dewar in liquid form, then it is "boiled" off and the resulting gas flows to the machines. I can't remember if gas from a dewar needs to be pressure regulated or not as I hardly ever worked with gas in that format, and when I did, I always dealt with the "end" product. It really doesn't matter though, the end result is the same, the machine is fed a low pressure gas supply vs a typical gas cylinder that contains high pressure gas.


The "problem" with your flow meter is that it lacks the pressure reducing portion of the system from what I can tell. By "problem" I mean you need some way to regulate the high pressure gas down to a pressure the flow meter can work with. What that intermediate pressure is, I have no clue, but you can probably look it up with the model number off the flow meter.

The flow meters I listed earlier do both. They step down the pressure from the cylinder and allow you to adjust the flow of gas. These will not work in conjunction with what you have currently, but will work in place of it. These are designed to connect direct to the high pressure cylinder and provide gas to the machine at a set flow rate. No other equipment is needed ( except of course the hose)


To make what you have work, you need a regulator, not a flow meter. There is a difference. A regulator like for say O2, puts out a constant pressure. A flow meter puts out a constant volume of gas. I have a few old O2 regs that would probably work with what you have, if you changed over the gas fitting for the cylinder. Problem is I have no idea what the pressure needs to be set at to get the flow meter to put out the correct volume of gas as listed on the sight glass. I'd also have to get one of the flow checkers to be able to verify what the flow was, and adjust the input pressure as required. All this is overly complicating a simple thing. The only reason I'd go this route is if you already have a suitable reg you are not using. ( I've got a couple of "questionable" O2 regs I've picked up as yard sale finds for conversion to high pressure air) Otherwise it's just not practical or cost effective.


If you simply went and got a flow meter and hose assembly like this one, you would have everything you need. ( I can't remember if one of the other links I posted up before had the hose with it or not. Most were strictly the flow meter and you'd have to add the hose to the flow meter.)

http://www.arc-zone.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=437_1485&products_id=7920
 
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