[Bozzza]

Hey guy's i was recently tig welding at home when the gas goes, and i was wondering how is argon made and is it possible to make or create argon gas a cheaper way then just going to your local gas store and buying it. Also i still have not been able to fix my gas flow problem when the gas hose is not connected to the tig welder i can change the gas flow but as soon as i connect it to the welder the highest it will go is 8 i have a 200amp machine i doubt they would cap it at 8 any suggestions?

Thanks steve

 

[DSW]

Sorry it's not really a DIY sort of thing. Well maybe, if you've got a spare couple million lying around to buy an air seperation plant.

http://www.praxair.com/praxair.nsf/...3108525654F004FF267?OpenDocument&URLMenuBranch=996847C0023A54D58525706F004F1665

 

[Grimm1]

There's no way you could do it cheaper at home. You need complex super high pressure compressors, tanks that can hold liquified air, and a means to fractionaly distill the air to just get the argon. Mass production is our friend when it comes to bottled gas. As for the gas flow problem, Have you made sure the line is clear? No kinks in the hoses? Proper parts on your tig torch? Those are the quick easy fixes. If it's not that, it could be the selinoid is bad. I had one lock up on me once in between passes. One pass was beautiful, the next was garbage and my tungsten was ruined.

 

[Bozzza]

Spose that gas idea's out the window lol i have ripped the welder apart everything seems fine i might just have to give it to the bloke down the road to check it out thanks for your helpful comments

 

[pulser]

Bozzza,
The gas plumbing is not too complicated for you to fix yourself. I don't know what type of pressure regulator and flow meter you have connected to your argon bottle, some inexpensive packages use a pressure regulator with a fixed orifice size, and you adjust pressure to change flow rate. I prefer the floating ball type as shown in the attached photo and found at this link.
http://www.arc-zone.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=437_1485&products_id=7950
This regulator gauge indicates the pressure in the bottle, and the ball flow meter is set for around 10-15 cubic feet per hour (CFH) for TIG welding.
Make sure all your connections, from the gas bottle, through the welder and solenoid valve, to the torch, are leak tight. Check connections with a soap water solution while pressurizing the line by blocking flow at the torch.

 

[MarkBall2]

I have the exact same regulator from Welders4Less (fleabay) for $30.00 & the hose for $12.95. Regulator comes with fittings to use your own hose if you want.

 

[Bozzza]

I went down the road to the welder repair shop and he almost certainly thinks i have a peice of rubber stuck in my solinoid and he thinks if i take it apart id probaley fix it easily ill give it a try this arvo

 

[Mandau]

Sorry it's not really a DIY sort of thing. Well maybe, if you've got a spare couple million lying around to buy an air seperation plant.

http://www.praxair.com/praxair.nsf/...3108525654F004FF267?OpenDocument&URLMenuBranch=996847C0023A54D58525706F004F1665

actually u need a 3000 cubic/hr air seperation plant to get a bit of commercial viable argon... u get plenty of spare oxygen and nitrogen...

Argon is basically Nobel/Inert gas not more that 1 percent of air.

 

[pulser]

I went down the road to the welder repair shop and he almost certainly thinks i have a peice of rubber stuck in my solinoid and he thinks if i take it apart id probaley fix it easily ill give it a try this arvo

I had a bad solenoid valve on my TIG, it would not close all the way, so I blew through a full size tank of argon really quick. The leak was very small, but I could tell it was leaking because the flow meter ball would float just slightly when the solenoid was off. A little cleaning and super light lubrication cured the sticking valve.