Interlas SR200DC TIG? Any guesses?

Date 02-10-2001 23:01

I'm calling on the highly expirienced welders here judging from pictures of this machine that I've seen. Still sporting funky curves and heavy looking handle controls I would guess this machine is atleast a good five or ten years old perhaps. While looking through some pages I found two of these welders second-hand and boy they look used. And I'm naturally draw to assume that these are quite good machines for them to be so well worn. But the problem is I can't find a scrap of info on the welders. I'm curious because my MIG set may be going soon for duty in my friend's 50cc Go-Ped project and I may venture into TIG. I looked at ESAB but !WOW! is their stuff expensive, the only thing I could ever think about is their TIG Caddy and that's still £475 VAT bare. I was about to check if I was hearing things when their operator quoted £2500+ for the Handy Tig 180, such cute, innocent names! The Interlas' look like serious monsters and they're about £495 each, I'm not sure if they're with the torch or not. So any infomation you have on them would be very much appreciated. I think they're water cooled because in the picture there is a PVC hose running from it's top. I'd also like to hear if you have any suggestions for sub £500 ($800 - 1000) DC sets if anyone's had experience with one that's performed well, ?Cebora? The first thing that happens if I get one of these things is I set about it with a can of spray paint and roll of masking tape. Lift arc is when you touch the torch to start the flow then pull back to amp it up? And HF doesn't involve touching the work to start the arc at all? Lastly, is it true that ESAB are actually the old Linde who sold the first Heli-Arcs? Question, questions, questions.

Thanks for any help again,
John

N.b. Oxy/fuel is going nicely now I'm getting used to cramp. [smiles remember those happy hours of pain]

By RonG

Date 02-11-2001 16:12

Yes ESAB was Linde a few years ago.

Never heard of that model but in case you arent aware the torch is what gets the water cooling not the machine. Most water cooled set ups use a pump and radiator in an inclosed system (addition to the machine) but there are setups that use city water, pretty wasteful I think.
Also if the machine is only 10 years you can attach a foot pedal that allows you to controle your starts, stops and heat. HF with out a foot pedal it can get interesting in tight spots, not to mention thrilling and blinding.

"Lift start" requires touching the electrode and pulling back. Imparts some tungston in the work and forces you to pull you gas purge away from the puddle to break the arc.

To bad you are not in Houston, we plan to auction quite a few good machines very soon.

By John H. UK (*)

Date 02-11-2001 18:58

Thanks for the reply. I meant to say the torch but I can see now that I managed to make out as if I meant the machine itself. And if I squint really hard I can just make out the amperage remote socket and HF switch on the front of the machine which means it can't be amazingly old I suppose. Here's the pictures I'm looking at: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~mcrane/weld/UP188.jpg
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~mcrane/weld/UP188.jpg
The HF is in the bottom right and the remote the top left. The ?fine? amp control in the middle is covering what I first thought might say Miller. I don't know though. I'm planning to spend a good few months this summer sweeping some floors and I might just buy the ESAB to be sure of what I'm getting. What sort of machines are you planning to auction because if there is a substantial price different between the auction and boxed set it may even be worth having one sent over. Are there any smaller DC hobby sized ones in the auction and do you have a page I could look at?
Also I was seriously considering fitting a large capacitor before my welding circuits. I've posted on here before I think about how my MIG set will trip my house's fuse box if I don't strike the arc immediatly when I pull the trigger near the work. My mum won't let me near the fuse box, yet [grins], the electrician is mentioning numbers in the hundreds and the only thing I can think of doing is fitting a large buffering cap before it. Other than fit a slow burn fuse but that means access to the fuse box. Has anyone seen or heard of this being done? I plan to aquire something like one of those car hi-fi jobs and fit a current limiting resistor, fuse, after it and then when striking the arc it will give it a second or two of buffering current so it doesn't draw too much from the box. I might put one on the Earth as well incase it's Earth leakage knocking them out. Good or bad idea? Thanks for the help.

Best regards,
John