[Don Hansen]

Just my humble opinion, but if you buy a new high freq unit, tig torch, flowmeter, foot pedal (if your machine will accept it), etc. you will have nearly as much invested as you would if you bought a welder built for your needs. I have a Miller Synchrowave 180 that I am very pleased with. I have used it to weld .028 wall 4130 tubing and also 1/4" mild steel. It has provided excellent results on .030 up to 3/16 aluminum as well. The Lincoln Squarewave 175 does a similar job so I am told.

[XEC747]

foot pedal is great for doing ali as it heats up easilyyou to control the amps and allows increases much like an accelerator controls a car.

[greg b]

Jees guys if you dont like alluminium welding with a tig have a have a thought for us poor guys that have to weld magnesium alloy castings.greg b.

[handlewanker]

Hi all, has anybody seen one of these things around?
That is attachment no.1 if I can get it to attach.
I bought this item some years ago, and couldn't get it to work, for one reason or another, so the other day I dragged it out and connected it up to my stick welder. It works!
Now I'm going to get a bottle of Argon and try the tig mode out, oneof the main reasons I bought it in the first place.
If it works OK, I won't bother trying to convert the stick welder to tig, as all the parts are inside the "thing".
Ian.

[tadream]

Wow! I've heard of something like that before, but in 21 years of repairing welders for a living, I've never actually seen one. That's quite a find, and I'd be interested in hearing where you got it, etc. I see it's Aussie made, so perhaps they never made it to the states. I think it would've been a big seller over here. Cool find, and I'd think it would have some novelty or collector value even if it was broke (I'd like to have it just to see what all they're doing in there!)

[XEC747]

Jees guys if you dont like alluminium welding with a tig have a have a thought for us poor guys that have to weld magnesium alloy castings.greg b.

Don't think Iv'e welded mag before. Done plent of castings though. Hate it..

[bentwings]

millman,
After reading thru all this here is my opinion....geese another opinonated...Anyway I've been TIG welding for a long time as well as MIG. I've used the whole line of welders over the years from fresh store bought to home made and al the refurbished ones. Bottom line in your position I would lose all of the "buzz box" as you can stick weld with the TIG, same cables even. This will give you room for the thing. Then buy a new or slightly used Lincoln 175 or the later 185 Square Wave or the equavalent Miller. Syncrowave is nice but more money. You should be able to get one in the 1000 to 1500 range ready to run. 220 single ph. Then either get a cart or make one. Good welding practice. Make sure you have a foot pedal. Forget the thumb thing. The guy that taught me to TIG weld gave some steel bars and told me to flop down on the floor under the welding table and weld them together with the TIG under the table. Don't come out untill you have a weld you would bet your life on. We were doing race cars at the time. It was a long day. Learn to weld with either foot, torch in either hand, up down left right, in a corner overhead standing on a ladder, (standing in water is not recommended..don't ask). Then the TIG will be your friend.

I have a Lincoln 175 Square wave , foot pedal, double regulator, which fit the home budget and welds anything I can throw at it. 1/4" alum and mag no problem, .015 stainless no problem. Just remember to get the best filler wire money can buy. I probably have several hundred $$ in rods alone. I have all the common "tungstens" gas cups, collets and bodies and 3 sets of magnifying reading glasses and a good auto dark as well all of the dark lens from 8 to 14 in an inexpensive helmet. Also some very lite kid leather gloves for most work and the heavier ones for heavier stuff. I made a roll around cart with cable hangers so it stores easily. about 20" wide by 36 deep and 8 inch gap onthe shelf underneath for the foot pedal. I also have a 30 foot cable with a 50 amp plug. Works great.

Personaly trying to learn TIG with homemade unit is going to be tough as you may not realize just what you really need for spark control. The new one will work right out of the box no mess no fuss. I had one in a shop where I worked and it was one big PIA. One day it disappeared. Nobody knew anything about it but we were all happy it walked away. Rumor had it that it 'accidentally' was left in the big dumpster that was bring repaired. haha