Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

the smiley is a trooper, hasnt broke down on me yet, and the plasma cutter uses comressed air, not argon, if you look at the pics of the welds the plate under the flange was cut with my plasma cutter.

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

I still have my smiley and use it for plasma cutting. My Thermal Arc makes the smiley welds look pathetic though. The amp control is must with a pedal. Adjustability is needed and the smiley doesn't offer that. The smiley will serve its purpose though for you. If you can get good with a set amp unit then when you move to a pedal machine you will excel. Here is a smiley weld:

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/we...ZkMzF5NTQx.jpg

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

So I need to have a big air compresor to make the plasma work? All I have is a 2.5HP 10 gallon campbell hausfield, that cant even keep up with a die grinder

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Spend the $800-1400 those 160amp new generation rhiland/smiley tigs are going for. They have alot more features, and do A/C also.
You'll want to buy a descent band saw, AND take care of it... That means modding it - good gearbox oil, blades, a water jet setup to keep from making a mess, speed cutting & extending blade life. Base/mounting mods to stengthen it.
A descent 14" chop saw.
1/4" die grinder with a flex extension.
Right angle grinder.
Awhole lot of large & small clamps.


That's scratching the surface.


*Edit* I said chop saw when I ment band saw at one point.

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

SMiley does me very well, yes a better machine would be nice but for now I'm happy.

We only use it for TIG as we have another plasma cutter. I have use it as ARC to fix my dad's tractor.

We like it, I have converted it to a pedal so varying amps during weld is doable. MAde a WORLD of a difference. Also I have a Gas lense for it. Make SS weld look way nicer.

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Care to enlighten me on the new generation Smileys?

Anyone have any info on them? Do they have the variable amperage control?

Personally I think Id like to weld aluminum just because intercoolers would probably end up being fairly common as well as intake manifolds, but I do need some help

I always have a chop saw, die grinder, angle grinder, no band saw though

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

yea you need a air compressor for the plasma cutter,

hey jk i know your smiley pedal only runs throught the whole amperage band, but what is you used the pedal to only regulate only after the stock smiley amperage controller, im thinking of doing this way because plamsa cutting with pedal would be wayyy to hard.

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Also does the air compressor have to be huge like I asked in order to keep up with the plasma

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

anyone have a link to smileys website or anything to get a lott at the new weldeR?

Anyone have any experience for it?

Id probably love to get one if people said they were worth the money