Tom-Guy

I'll disagree with that, too. If you walk into TIG trying to weld like other methods - you're gonna suck at it and have a hard time.

It's like drawing with a pencil. If you push too hard you break the pencil lead (ie - dip your tungsten electrode into the weld puddle), if you lift a quarter inch off the paper you can't write a letter to your aunt. Keep the correct distance, easy to figure out in 10-25 minutes of trial and error, and swing that bitch around while you feed in filler rod. Thinner filler rod is easier for n00bs, and for lower amperages, so play around with which thickness of filler and how quick you toss it into the mix, too.

My friend Dave is hugely ---- about precision cutting stainless charge pipe so it lines up perfectly, and then not even using any filler rod when TIGing. His ---- looks near-showcar bling... rght now it just looks like a robotic TIG on the hotrex setting.

pin

It would probably be cheaper to run a new line than buy an adapter, should such an adapater be possible to build. It's not just the voltage to consider, it's the amperage.

Tom-Guy

If you didn't run the plasma cutter, and such a voltage converter were cheap/easy (it's not), you could get away with a 15 amp 110 feed. TIG/MMA (aka arc/stick) sucks 14 amps or less on the 120A TIG/30A plasma cutter combo. The plasma cutter is rated at 19 amps. I really should post up the Smileytool's manual - the engrish used is alarming!

Electrician's rule of thumb is your load is supposed to be 80% the rating of the wire/breaker MAX, but in the real world I've seen 27 amps draw across 12 gauge/20 amp service... I'm not going to do that, but you can. Have your digicam in your pocket, get some pictures of your house's wiring catching fire, and the aftermath the next day.

I ran 50' of 10-2 Romex (30 amp rated) from a 30 amp breaker to my workbench. The Romex, breaker, plug recepticle + housing, and the plug for the welder cost me $70 or a tad less. For $10 you could just get a dryer pigtail for whatever dryer recepticle you run at your house, and a couple feet of 20A 12-2 at $0.78/ft, and be a real cheapass.

ComputerJLT

i have experience with mig and about 5 minutes of oxy-fuel; i understand the basic concepts of a weld puddle and what to do with it; how to add filler and what not; i just had never done it.
for someone just getting into welding tig would be hard to grasp unless you had someone guiding you

hell yea i'll tear it off; If i didnt feel like BLOODY ---- DISCHARGE for the last week I would have already; ------- sinus infection

I stand corrected! But i do feel my meager experience in other forms of welding did help me with the tig; i just need to do more of it and get a feel for speed and what not.

90dx

Done the dryer plug trick before for a 220 mig welder.Was gettho but worked.Great if your a renter and the landlord isnt into you installing a 220 wall plug.

SpankedYA!

First off. I ran my Smiley tools unit off a 20 amp 220v circuit and the breaker was fine. Second I currently use my Drier plug and a 10/3 extension cord to my bench which is about a 15 foot cord. The thing works like a dream I made an entire manifold last night with it and it throws down an exceptional bead. Every house has 220v fed from the street. Most household driers and stoves (if electric) are 220v. I am in the process of running a dedicated line from my panel to my work bench. I would have already done it but the drier outlet is convient and made me lazy.

I took my TIG a part yesterday night. Seems like a nicely packaged piece. I was checking to see if anything had melted or discolored and I had to tighten the output jack for the wires for the TIG torch. The socket it plugs into became loose as the lock nut backed off. It still works like a dream and I have run it for quite a while.

AgentMurdoc

I have that welder sitting in the garage, it's been there for like a year. Wanted to try it out, but never had the time and didn't feel like getting the dryer plug, an extension cord, and buy gas, then buy rods, so it sits. Maybe now I'll try it out, or maybe I won't, we'll see. At least I know it works

Tom-Guy

The welder's powercord is 12 gauge aka 20A wire...

Joey is just ----.

NAsucks

no ----! thanks guys now I know more about electricity. I have an electric stove and Dryer. what about an A/C compressor would that run off of 220V ? If so ours is already outside and close to my Welding area (shed and concrete). Were going private in January Maybe I could talk them into running a dedicated line. But so far they said I can use anything I like so long as it is safe and the fire department on base knows about it. A little ---- but its not a NO. Thanks again guys!
DL

Tom-Guy

Installing a breaker into your breaker box and running 50' of Romex isn't difficult at all. Homeboy Depot and Blowe's both have DIYer classes on stuff like that, and for $15 at Blowe's/Homeboy Depot, or free checkout at the library you can pick up a How-To guide. I had Caveman do mine, but plan to do the extra 110 wall sockets and flourescent lights in the "dead" corner of the garage myself after leaning over his shoulder.

I know a couple guys running 25-50' of Romex 10-2 (you can use the cheaper 12-2 if you want like these other guys) as a DIY extension cord. Have to get a recepticle and two plugs (one plug for the ext cord, the other for the welder) but no big deal.