gas flow

[jonesg]

I've never touched a tig before today...

I'm not sure how to set up the argon flow on my 200pi, I'm not even sure which guage or meter I'm supposed to be looking at.

I just got everything connected up, first try at 100 amps on 1/8th steel angle melted the electrode,
so I reground it and lowered the setting but it melted back into the cup again. When I released the trigger the plasma kept on burning, kinda wild looking actually. I'm guessing its too much gas flow, if so where do I regulate it, the knob on the front panel or the adjuster on the flow meter mounted at the tank?

Tried the stick welder on DC and that was very nice.

[Uncle Ed]

15 to 20 on the argon flow using the floating ball gauge. The gas flow helps to cool the electrode so you need to check that the gas is flowing.

What size cup and tungsten are you using?

[jonesg]

The cup has #5 on the side, I don't know what size electrode, it looks like 1/16th inch , had trouble keeping it in the gun until I realised there are different sized collets. duh!

As a last resort I'm re-reading the instructions, it happens I've hooked the gun and ground in reverse. !

I ass-umed the ground clamp gets plugged into the NEG - socket.
So I've got the gun plugged into the POS socket.
its backward.

Is it possible to gring the electrode with a dremel/carbide disk?
I don't have a bench grinder.
I do have a die grinder and some round stones, should I use that instead?

I'll give it another shot in the morning.
Thanks.

[matteh99]

For TIG you will set the gas flow rate with the regulator on your Argon tank.

Check your flow meter if it is reading CFH then use 15-20 on the ball gauge.

If it is LPM then use 7-10.

The knob on the front panel is for plasma. Plasma needs a much higher flow than TIG so the front panel knob won't effect TIG welding if it is set right for plasma.

Before you first start TIG welding run the torch for a bit without striking a arc to make sure the argon makes it threw the hoses and welder to the tip of the torch.

Also make sure your process switch is set correctly.

Eric

---------- Post added at 04:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:05 PM ----------

It doesn't really matter what you grind the electrode with. The grinder marks should go length wise on the tungsten. It is really easy to mess up electrodes when you first start TIG welding so having a quick easy way to sharpen them is a good idea.

Eric

[jonesg]

ahh ok, I thought the front guage was for argon.
I'll give it another shot.
Thanks.

[Uncle Ed]

I can see that being an issue if you don't have a compressor and/or don't set up the plasma cutter first in order to set the main regulator as the two regulators are in series with each other. I would have made the same mistake but got lucky as I needed to use the plasma as soon as I got the unit. Argon flow is not enough to set the main regulator so you would have to set it 'blind' by turning it up enough to let the argon through.

Once the main is set to around 70 psi for cutting you can ignore it for tig and set the argon flow with it's own regulator.

[Gadget]

Don't feel bad about reversing the leads, I did the same thing. I was going to respond to your issue but you found it already.

[jonesg]

I can see that being an issue if you don't have a compressor and/or don't set up the plasma cutter first in order to set the main regulator as the two regulators are in series with each other. I would have made the same mistake but got lucky as I needed to use the plasma as soon as I got the unit. Argon flow is not enough to set the main regulator so you would have to set it 'blind' by turning it up enough to let the argon through.

Once the main is set to around 70 psi for cutting you can ignore it for tig and set the argon flow with it's own regulator.

Ahh ok, so the front panel regulator is set at a higher flow rate for the plasma and that makes it a non issue for the argon flow.

I notice tungsten isn't easy to grind.!

[Gadget]

A good belt sander will give you a nice straight grind on tungstens. Make sure the grain runs in the same direction as the length of the tungsten though.

[jonesg]

Don't feel bad about reversing the leads, I did the same thing. I was going to respond to your issue but you found it already.

I'm trying to set up too many tools at the same time,
just bought a 21 gal compressor and a WW2 Model A South Bend precision lathe.

The HF compressor was nice enough to tag the wires so installing a 230v plug would be simple, but they tagged them wrong.
My electrician checked my wiring job on the plug before plugging it in and all it did was buzz. He opened up the terminal box on the compressor and sure enough one of the wires marked live at the plug end was ground at the compressor end.

So I'm looking around in my workshop, I got a vertical compressor, a tig welder, plasma cutter, a heavy lathe and a welding cart ...all for less than $2K.
Who woulda thought.

The thing that caught my attention on the welder so far is the ground clamp, very heavy duty, with copper inserts and a copper braid.
The clamp on my lincoln mig is light duty by comparison.
No wonder the mig was stuttering.