tig welder

By welder_guy2001 (***)

Date 03-09-2004 05:24

I did a search on Miller's website and found some info about their TIG welders...they say the Dynasty 200 will weld 3/8" aluminum w/ a 3/32" ceriated tungsten and the right parameters.

By Mike W

Date 03-09-2004 17:25

This is an interesting question. Would this not also depend on the size of the workpiece. A couple of 4" pieces would seem to be easier to get to the melting point then a piece that is 6' long.

By welder_guy2001 (***)

Date 03-10-2004 01:43

yes it would depend on the size of the piece. In that case, a little bit of preheat would help you establish a puddle.

By fishy Date 03-10-2004 02:23

I'm trying to build these aluminum boxes at work to be used as bear proof food lockers. I have a large quantity of 1.5" x1.5" x3/16" aluminum angle. was planning on building a 2' x 2' x 4' frame and then using 1/8" sheet aluminum to plate the inside of this frame, design a double door etc etc etc. This is a practice project for a vo tech wleding class, but later will build about a dozen of them at work. I'm puchasing a welder for work with the attempt to revamp / revitailize our welding shop at work. Current mechanic is retiring and does not want to weld.......
Welder needs tp weld aluminum up to 1/4" (fleet of 10 boats constructed from 1/4" aluminum). and for other projects. I also want to purchase one for myself for home use but as mentioned above need to stay under $3000. My problem with the manufactures literature is they all claim to be better then anything else out there . well I rambled on probably to much , but would appreciate any help..
steve

By flatjwl (*)

Date 03-10-2004 12:20

Since I get a large royality from the sale of any Lincoln machines, I'll suggest you investigate the red ones. I own both Miller and Lincoln machines, and there is a performance difference.

By fishy Date 03-11-2004 02:48

thanks for the reply what are the differences between the lincoln precison 275 and the miller snchowave 250. and if you have the time the differences between the invetec 205 and miller dynasty 200 dx. I read what the factory literature states but would like to know the differences from people that actaully use them.... thanks
steve

By sparx

Date 03-11-2004 13:41

just my opinion.....the arc start on the precision tig 275 is better than the 250dx. the miller has had a few problems with high frequency transformers that miller says is finally fixed. with that said, they both have nice welding output. as for the 200dx compared to the 205, the miller beats the lincoln hands down. the better adjustability of the frequency and balance make this machine the superior unit of the two. I have used all of these machines at one time or another, and usually (but not always) the choice boils down to which one will look better in your shop. as for which machine would be the best for your application, this could be a case of bigger is better, although i prefer the ability to fine tune the ac arc on the smaller inverter machines as opposed to the transformer machines.

By welder_guy2001 (***)

Date 03-12-2004 03:20

Staying under $3000 will be hard to do w/ a new TIG welder. That price limits you to the Dynasty 200. Personally, I like the inverters because they're more portable than the transformer machines. Also, there is a lot more you can do w/ an inverter when it comes to adjusting parameters.

I think if I was in your situation, I'd try to get some more money and go w/ a 300 amp inverter WITH a water cooled torch. You can weld 1/4" aluminum w/ a gas cooled torch, but not for very long...the handle gets so hot that you can't touch it after a while! Not only that, it'll make your tungsten last a lot longer.

You might be able to find a welding supply store near you where they will let you test out different machines. That's the best way to find what's going to work for you. All the welding machine companies make good stuff, and they all make bad stuff, just like car manufacturers.