The Home Machinist!

I caught heck today from the chief financial officer , I bought another welder. I had been looking at used stick welders. I thought it would be nice to be able to weld stainless and use 7018. Big old transformers would sometime show up on CL. But they were big and take up nonexistent room. Though I have never used a suitcase welder, I was amazed by them, and now they come with TIG as well. So this what I bought https://www.kmstools.com/magnum-200a-ac ... der-137216 I didn't pay that for it, I got a pre-order price. I know it's Chinese, but it's not $4600 either, the local list on a Miller.

Have you looked into an AlphaTIG? Mine has a lot more features than that, it runs on 110 as well as 220, and I paid seven hundred something. It does stick, and it came with a pedal, a stinger, a good regulator, and a torch.

SteveHGraham wrote: ↑Fri Mar 09, 2018 11:41 am Have you looked into an AlphaTIG? Mine has a lot more features than that, it runs on 110 as well as 220, and I paid seven hundred something. It does stick, and it came with a pedal, a stinger, a good regulator, and a torch.

But will it electrocute coyotes Steve? And cook squirrels?

It has electrocuted and cooked ME, and I am larger than most squirrels.

You mock, but you will be jealous when you hear about my cool portable blind and plastic Adirondack chair.

Those are Canadian dollars, which are only worth about 0.70 USD. The Importer/retailer is a western Canadian tool store chain., so service should be easier.These guys are welders, they're not so good with machine tools They sell Millers and Lincolns as well. He was saying the guts are pretty robust and repairable. They had checked out a lot of Chinese machines. It has the same warranty as the red and blue machines, one, two, three. BTW the $2000 Lincolns weren't repairable, they had a lot of problems with them when that model first came out and they were just exchanged.

It has three of downsides, it's a bare machine, needing stringer, regulator, and foot pedal, it's only an air cooled machine, 35% flat out duty cycle.and it needs a smart experienced welder to program the arcs. No easy set ! TIG for Dummies !

I have Argon tank and 50amp plug that the MIG uses. So I'm good there. With 170 amp DC, I should be able to burn 1/8' 7018 easily.

Downwind man. Stuff like this happens but many understand this was a good deal in British Columbia. It is your babe of a machine now and looks to be very -flying off the shelves- popular. Like you said, local support. Really so much better than the "tombstone" for the work you envision.

I have very little hope of getting repairs done if my machine blows, short of shipping it and waiting forever. I saw a video where they showed the guts, and I figured I could probably fix it myself if there was a problem, so I took a chance. No breakdowns yet.

Thanks. By looking at various little welders on the net, that control panel is pretty distinctive, I think I found which Chinese factory that made it. It's the same control panel and specs as the http://www.esab.ca/ca/en/products/index ... de=V430014 Cyberweld has them on for $ 1693 USD .I did OK, mine just won't be the eye popping yellow, though.

How did you know I was looking at tombstones ? You didn't see in the cemetery did you? On a more serious note, I've never liked AC welding. I was never that good a welder, so I passed on them. I wanted to be able to weld aluminum thinner than .100 and piddly little things as well.

I'm excited and looking forward to relearning an old skill. A challenge for Ol'Shakey , here. Did I mention I was excited ?

Oh BTW, the 35% duty cycle didn't worry me, I only have a 10% duty cycle on a good day.

SteveHGraham wrote: ↑Fri Mar 09, 2018 12:36 pm You mock, but you will be jealous when you hear about my cool portable blind and plastic Adirondack chair.

By all means, fill us in. I am envious. Always wanted a plastic chair!

H

While occupying a blind for several hours and failing to shoot or even observe game, comfort is key.

If you stay awake.