Tig Welding of Alum. upgrade

[Wanna-Be]

I'm an old-time welder, starting in 1957. My steamfitter apprenticeship started with 6 months of gas welding training before I ever struck an arch. Shortly into this, I jointed the Navy with further basic welding as a pipefitter/shipfitter. Then into advanced "C-1" welding school, which in the late '50s-early '60s was mostly stick welding for about 6 month, through submarine pressure hull welding. Only in the more advanced class was in nuclear component welding and that would have been the first opportunity to tig weld. I only made it through the pressure hull welding and returned to work and apply my earned skills, mostly in pipe work and general fabrication. So my only regret was that I didn't get a chance to learn more about Tig welding. Mig welding was just coming out then but the shops I worked in were still using stick and gas welding.

Forty years later, got my own Miller mig and basicly taught myself that process to some extent. I recently, about 5 years ago, I found a good deal on a Systematics (under the Snap-On name) model MM140SL (Mighty Mig, I think), on Craigslist. For my shop, this is the perfect, though expensive machine, in that is 115 Volt, 20anp., moduler in that the wire feed unit can be move to the work location while the power source and controls remain on the wheeled base with the gas bottle. Since I had been interested in aluminum welding (something I had never learned). I had tried alum. Mig with my first machine, the Mill, but the wire would jam up due to the 12' length of the standard Mig torch assembly. The spool gun was available for the Mighty Mig. Model MHG5-B and I found one on ebay for about half the Snap-On price. Worked well, right from the beginning. Other feature on the Mighty Mig is the timed Spot/Stitch weld,and a mode switch, OCV?Gas Purge and wire feed speed control of 50-80 in/min. Straight or Reverse polarity.

Tig welding is availalable with their Flex_Tig torch but is this machine lacks Hi-Freq for aluminum. The controls on the Flex-Tig has gas and arc on/off switch. The control unit us suppose to take care of this. However, there is no Hi-Freq available.

I'm presently putting together my own "flex-tig" touch (since OEM wants about $500) and want to also look at adding a Hi-Freq box so I can Tig weld aluminum sheet metal.

From what I have mentioned above, can anyone recommend a simple Hi-Freq and on that will work with this touch arrangments??

Thanks,
Steve (Still learning @ 75)

[Russ Hanscom]

Not really. I had a cheapie add-on HF unit to convert my AC box to TIG for aluminum work. It worked, sort of, but not nearly as good as a well designed all in one. Some of the major players, Lincoln for one, made add on units but they were pricy unless you fall into a used one.

[redneckalbertan]

Talk to someone at a local welding supply store. I can't comment on that machine in particular because I don't know anything about it.

I know Miller has built welders for other companies under other names (Hobart is a current example). If that is the case with this machien you may be able to find something from Miller or lincoln or another manufacturer that will work with your unit but not carry the price that the Snap-On name brings with it.

[f350ca]

Some time ago I used a Miller high frequency add on. It was powered with an AC arc welder. The unit plugged into 110 to operate the oscillator that generated the high frequency. Would guess it was from the 60's or 70's. The torch I used had the simple gas valve on it and it remained live all the time. Welded aluminum like a dream.
Greg

[hammermill]

lincolin made a unit we called a tombstone high freq converter that was used to give you alu capability off a dc welder. was about 16 inches tall and 4 inches thick.

[Wanna-Be]

lincolin made a unit we called a tombstone high freq converter that was used to give you alu capability off a dc welder. was about 16 inches tall and 4 inches thick.

Now that sounds like what I am looking for since my unit is DC and the others mentioned were for AC.

A couple years ago, I assisted in an estate sale of an old machinist friend. There was an older Miller welder Stick/Tig machine with a Hi/Freq add-on box. I put a price of $500 on it and it sold for something close to that, while another larger and newer Miller never sold couldn't give it away, so to speak.

Maybe I should ask, it aluminum normally tig welded with AC or DC?? Only thing I know so far is that you need Hi/Freq. ??

Steve

[GlennW]

Usually AC with Argon.

Can be welded with DC and Helium.

[hammermill]

with lots of practice it can be done with dc but high frequency will/does make life a lot easier on the operator

do a search under
'high frequency arc' and hf arc stabilizer to learn a lot more

[warmstrong1955]

Some time ago I used a Miller high frequency add on. It was powered with an AC arc welder. The unit plugged into 110 to operate the oscillator that generated the high frequency. Would guess it was from the 60's or 70's. The torch I used had the simple gas valve on it and it remained live all the time. Welded aluminum like a dream.
Greg

I had a Linde unit like that. Bought it in the early 70's....on sale in Tucson for $99.99. Friend of mine had a big Lincoln AC/DC stick welder, as well as a torch, bottle of argon, and regulator, so we hooked it all up in his shop. Being hot all the time was annoying, and you adjusted the output with the AC welder, so the warmer things got as you welded, the faster you had to weld, but for a hundred bucks......pretty nice.

One weekend three of us gathered up some relays, micro switches, and a solenoid valve, and made a foot pedal. No rheostat in it, just one click for gas, and second click for arc. It made it a whole lot more user friendly.
Far as I know....that whole setup is still in his shop in the corner somewhere. He bought a 'real' TIG machine quite a while ago. Me too.

Linde is long gone, and I don't know if anyone makes an economical hi-freq unit like that anymore. What I've seen, are pricy enough to justify getting a complete TIG machine.

Bill

[Wanna-Be]

After reading all of these responses, it ocurred to me that I might need AC to weld alumn. Called my friendly and knowledgeable welding equip. supplier. Yip. need AC to tig aluminum along with Hi Freq... So that means I can mig aluminum with my SnapOn MightyMig but the tig tourch would only be good for steel, etc.. So I stopped the order of tig torch for this machine, since I want to do alumn. up to 1/8-3/16" for small tanks, etc..

Looked around ebay for a Hi Freq add on for possibly a smallish AC or AC/DC machine. Saw some good deals for around $500 including the welder. But shipping would have been to much.

Then I saw a Miller that looked kinda familiar. I began to remember an older machine that a couple friends donated to my shop years ago. In the process of moving to a larger shop and after I got mig unit. I had lost track of it in the mess of one end of my shop.

What-do-think!! A Miller Econo Twin HF just collecting dust. Only thing it is lacking is the ability to control the actual frequency. Just on and off. I understand that is desireable when starting the arc. Current control is also on the machine with out remote control.

I think I can live with this and learn tig and aluminum tig "old school".

Thanks for Waking Me up and glad I did some digging in my shop today.

Steve

[warmstrong1955]

From time to time, I've forgotten that I had a tool or two.....but never something the size of a welder.....


Well....there ya go.... get a bottle of argon, dust that thing off, and see watcha got.
Seems to me, those things had a button on the torch, so you could shut the arc on & off.....been a while, so I'm not sure if that was standard. If not, I doubt it wouldn't be hard to do, or make a pedal like we did.

AC for aluminum, DC+ for steel/stainless steel.

Go grab some scrap & murder it....

Bill

[Wanna-Be]

Yah! Good news, until I see that I need to 50-60 amp breaker and service for this machine. Gonna has to put the weld booth closer to the service panel or get a longer cord on the machine. Now I know why I never hooked it up in the new shop.

I'm going to make up a Tig torch that will have a control or valve for the gas and another button for the HF control. Foot controls are better in the booth and I might wanna wander out and tig some auto body stuff, etc..

Thanks,

Steve