Bodywork, Paint, Interior, Trim, & Wiring

discussions about bodywork, paint, interiors, trim, audio, electrical components, wiring, etc.

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BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

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Welders
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: September 25, 2008 03:25PM

Has anyone tried those new lightweight TIG welders that you see these days on Ebay? They claim the inverter technology makes them as good as the old transformer based units. I'd really like to know because the idea does make sense to me. The one thing that seems to be missing from the cheaper units though is the foot pedal.

Jim


rficalora
Rob Ficalora
Willis, TX
(2764 posts)

Registered:
10/24/2007 02:46PM

Main British Car:
'76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302

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Re: Welders
Posted by: rficalora
Date: September 25, 2008 09:20PM

i bought a cheap harbor freight one -- it worked ok when I didn't stick the tunsten to the piece, but didn't have the patience to work with it so i sold it. If you get one, make sure it has a high frequency start -- and be sure to ask specific questions. A couple of the ones I checked into after that said they had HF start, but when I read the details they only claim to have HF start on the arc weld function. Some had HF that worked on the DC TIG function but not on AC (or maybe it was the other way around, i don't recall). Most have a foot pedal that you can get at least as an option. And I'm sure you know you need AC if you're going to weld aluminum with it.

I've been thinking about getting one, but haven't bitten the bullet yet. Please share what you find out.


74ls1tr6
Calvin Grannis
Elk Grove,CA
(1151 posts)

Registered:
11/10/2007 10:05AM

Main British Car:
74 TR6 / 71 MGB GT TR6/Ls1 71 MGB GT/Ls1

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Re: Welders
Posted by: 74ls1tr6
Date: September 26, 2008 07:22PM

I have that same horbor freight tig machine that Rob is talking about. I did use it to smooth out some of my other welds. I'm using straight Argon gas with it. Yes need the patience with it. I haven't used enough yet to say much about yet.

Here is the page.

[www.harborfreight.com]


V6 Midget
Bill Young
Kansas City, MO
(1337 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 09:23AM

Main British Car:
'73 MG Midget V6 , '59 MGA I6 2.8 GM, 4.0 Jeep

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Re: Welders
Posted by: V6 Midget
Date: September 27, 2008 12:45AM

I bought a similar TIG unit off E-bay a couple of years ago. It didn't have any starter system so relied on a "scratch" to start the arc. I had very little luck with it on low aperage settings, but it did pretty well on some 3/8" steel stock at a higher setting. I still have it but decided with my lack of ability I needed a better unit with a starter circuit and foot pedal amperage control so went ahead and bought a Lincoln 185 unit.


BMC
Brian Mc Cullough
Forest Lake, Minnesota, USA
(383 posts)

Registered:
10/30/2007 02:27AM

Main British Car:
1980 MGB '95 3.4L 'L32' SFI V6, GM V6T5 & 3.42 Limi

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Re: Welders
Posted by: BMC
Date: September 29, 2008 03:49PM

I know nothing about them BUT some of the newer high end models are supposed to have a roller on the torch for your thumb instead of the pedal. Makes sense to me for some jobs such as laying on your back. I do like the pedal and really don't want to go away from it but there are days where i am supporting my bodyweight on one foot while standing with the other that to switch to a thumb control would be nice.

Check to see if there might be a chance that these cheap units have these.

-BMC.


V6 Midget
Bill Young
Kansas City, MO
(1337 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 09:23AM

Main British Car:
'73 MG Midget V6 , '59 MGA I6 2.8 GM, 4.0 Jeep

authors avatar
Re: Welders
Posted by: V6 Midget
Date: September 29, 2008 04:51PM

Brian, I bought the thumb control option for my Lincon unit, an extra $200. It is neat for working under a car or in confined spaces where the foot control isn't easilly accessable but does take so practice to get the "feel" of the thumb control. It just plugs into the main unit in place of the foot pedal. Most of the low end units I've seen don't have any type of amperage control except for a dial on the front panel, no foot pedal to work with. The really cheap units such as the one I bought for $225 don't have any type of gas control other than a needle valve mounted on the torch that you have to manually turn on and off. With no amperage control getting the amperage up enough to get a clean start on thin material usually resulted in too much heat to weld with and reducing the amperage resulted in it getting almost impossible to get an arc started.


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