For The Can I TIG With My Welder People.

[TozziWelding]

This is how we do it out in the field away from all the modern conveniences.
You can hook up to any constant current power source and TIG away on DC all day long. No remote, no foot pedal, no nonsense.
TIG rig, air cooled, with a gas valve.

Remember to turn gas on before you start your arc

Hooked up to any stick welder, rember to switch your leads to DCEN

The full rig again

[Metarinka]

we used to do that in the shop sometimes, just so that we wouldn't have to switch out leads and grounds and all that, just attach the stinger to the torch. It works well enough especially if your power source has HF start, a lot of the work I did wouldn't allow scratch starting so that eliminated most stick power supplies right there.

Then again we didn't do field work either.

[fredieUSA]

Nice.

[Stick-man]

Tozzi, I have a Miller Shopmaster and I just found this out a month ago while talking to Miller. He said the same thing you are. Just get a torch with a gas valve and do scratch start. I have very minimal expierence with tig. I ran some beads on flat alum in college a long time ago. I was thinking of buying a torch but decided to wait until I get a HF unit. Now seeing this post makes me think about it again. I know you can't do alum without HF. How is using scratch start? Can you use it on stainless? Is it worth getting or wait until I get a HF? I basically would use it just to start learning tig. Also I thought I would need a pedal. Is it difficult to use without one?

[David R]

For a lot of years that is all I had. Then I got a hi freq box so I could weld aluminum. Then I got the TA-185.

If you can weld with that stuff, a foot pedal, HF start, adjustable wave, gas solenoid on a timer and water cooled torch are all luxuries.

David

Hi Toz

Stick-man, Just do it! Screw the hi freq for now. Once you do some tig, you will buy more stuff.

[TozziWelding]

I can pass X-ray on SS and carbon pipe with that rig scratch starting. That old torch has made me some $$$ Hows things Dave

[Stick-man]

I happened to go for a late night cup of cofee yesterday. A friend of a friend, a weldor, was there. He happens to mainly do tig on restaurant equipment, using scratch start. So I was talking his ear off till about 1:30a this morning and he agreed to help get me started. He has only been a weldor for 30 years, so I hope he knows what he is doing

[Metarinka]

I can pass X-ray on SS and carbon pipe with that rig scratch starting. That old torch has made me some $$$ Hows things Dave

true that, but there's a big difference between passing xrays and being code compliant. I'm not a big fan of scratch starting, but it works well enough.

[David R]

I paid my dues, Now every machine I have has touch start tig with a plug for the remote Except the V155-S has no remote capabilities.

David

[welderShane]

Thats all i use with my little 80amp stick inverter. Im so use to scratch start it feels weired using the foot pedal. Im so used to pulling away to break the arc.

[SR20steve]

Tozzi, I have a Miller Shopmaster and I just found this out a month ago while talking to Miller. He said the same thing you are. Just get a torch with a gas valve and do scratch start. I have very minimal expierence with tig. I ran some beads on flat alum in college a long time ago. I was thinking of buying a torch but decided to wait until I get a HF unit. Now seeing this post makes me think about it again. I know you can't do alum without HF. How is using scratch start? Can you use it on stainless? Is it worth getting or wait until I get a HF? I basically would use it just to start learning tig. Also I thought I would need a pedal. Is it difficult to use without one?

For times when you cant touch your work and scared of getting tung inclusion with this same setup you can use the edge of your filler rod and literally strike it from your work piece across your tungsten quickly and it will also start the arc.

[pumahvac]

thanks for the thread on this. i just recieved a trailblazer 301g from an old friend/boss.
i have'nt used gas power welders much. did you braze a piece of brass on that coupler, or is it a special. i really can't tell by the picture. thanks again, wally

[4sfed]

For times when you cant touch your work and scared of getting tung inclusion with this same setup you can use the edge of your filler rod and literally strike it from your work piece across your tungsten quickly and it will also start the arc.

Steve,

I don't quite follow . . . would you explain your technique more fully? My mental picture is still a little fuzzy.

TIA

[Black Wolf]

did you braze a piece of brass on that coupler, or is it a special. i really can't tell by the picture. thanks again, wally

That Brass adapter in Tozzi's rig is a standard production piece that is common when using a "One Piece" Air cooled Tig Torch. Shielding gas passes through the adapter while current is introduced to the Torch - Much the same as at the bottom end of an Air Arc set-up. Wherever you pick up the One Piece Torch should also have the adaptors in stock.

On my shop machine, the hole in the adapter lug is attached to an output stud, but Tozzi's way will work just fine as well.

The Tig Torch shown looks identical to the Weld Craft one I use - Flex Head, and Gas Valve on handle.

Have a Good Day.

[pumahvac]

thanks black wolf. i'll look into it.

[Supe]

Steve,

I don't quite follow . . . would you explain your technique more fully? My mental picture is still a little fuzzy.

TIA

Touch filler rod to work piece, strike filler rod against tungsten. Arc gets struck off the side of the tungsten on the filler rod, rather than the tip against the base metal.

[4sfed]

Touch filler rod to work piece, strike filler rod against tungsten. Arc gets struck off the side of the tungsten on the filler rod, rather than the tip against the base metal.

That'll take some practice . . . thanks for the response.

Jim

[nick1178]

That'll take some practice . . . thanks for the response.

Jim

you better have gloves on!!

[jreynoldswelding]

Nice, Thanks Tozzi, I'll be rigging up my bobcat this week the same way. Thanks for posting.

[farmall]

I build and maintain heaps of these.

Some Airgas part numbers:

Power block - RAD64005406
Rooster Tail style TIG cap - RAD64005643
Button cap- RAD64005646
Argon hose fittings - RAD64003964 (reusable hose clamps, I like these)
TIG torch body - 17FV RAD64005474
TIG torch assy - (body above WITH cable) - (RAD64005478

Buy argon hose by the foot and use fittings. If you damage a premade hose, you can't fix it in the field.

If you damage the TIG power cable, they make NICE lightweight conventional stinger cables.

[Torn7th]

I learned on a TIG rig just like that accept we had the top of a mountain dew bottle covering the stinger and power cord connector lol no bs worked great. If you learn on this and then move to HF, Crater Time, Pre and Post and ofcourse Pulse ...Wow what luxuries but i still love breaking out the old TIG rig and running with it sometimes...Good post my friend...

[farmall]

We use Dew and other soda bottles at the school where I work, but the plastic lube jugs as shown have better stinger clearance.

[jakea]

I run the same setup w/ 50ft cables and a simple purge line with my Dynasty.

Going from a Synchro 250 w/ EVERY bell and whistle, this taught me how to REALLY weld.

[snoeproe]

I think everyone learning to tig weld should start out this way. I still use this set up at home in my shop. I love the simplicity. No fancy high frequency or foot pedles here. I have tweco connecters on my stick whip and on the tig torch and simply swap back and forth to go from stick to DC tig. I use a CK roto head tig torch with twist gas valve.

[n20junkie]

Don't hate me cause I have a foot pedal and a heated shop to work in.