HELP Please

I am currantly using a TIG welder to weld 8mm round mild steel bar but it is costing me a fortune in gas bottles.

Can anyone advise me on a MIG gasless welder.

How easy are they to use?
Which are the best welders?

Many thanks

Nigel

You already have a tig unit, switch it over to MMA (arc) and stick weld the bar..

Hi Runnach

Thanks for that info but i am a novice to this how do i go about swiching to MMA and what would i need.

The TIG welder i am using is a TIG 160H

Cheers mate

welshboy1971 said:

Hi Runnach

Thanks for that info but i am a novice to this how do i go about swiching to MMA and what would i need.

The TIG welder i am using is a TIG 160H

Cheers mate

Click to expand...

Hi there, you don't mention a brand name? Anyways, all you should do is:

Purchase an electrode holder with cable of course and, remove tig torch DCEN (electrode negative -) and plug MMA harness into the same socket. Switch to MMA (Arc) mode, and away you go, albeit your machine has the MMA facility? Most, if not all to my knowledge allow for MMA and TIG functions.

Then purchase a box of 6013 rutile rods, then have a practice, check out the knowledge section on this site.

HTH n cheers................

Ps, work out lot cheaper than purchasing a MIG unit!

runnach said:

Most, if not all to my knowledge allow for MMA and TIG functions.

Click to expand...

If in doubt, switch off the gas and just plug that sucker in...and then give it to your mate to have a go first. If he doesn't kill himself stone dead there and then, have a bash at it yourself.



courtesy of www.weldingtipsandtricks.com

Just use your Tig torch with a 1/8” or 3/32”collet setup.

What the long term effects of this would be.... I dont know. Probably not good, but hey! Live a little

Hi Bruce

What exactly do you mean that the long term effects are probaly not good ????

Cheers

Nigel

Hi Nigel

I am a noob at this game myself so anything I say should be taken with a lot of caution. However it is my understanding that essentially your Tig machine is an arc welder in principle. More functional and advanced to be sure with gas shielding obviously. Hence why most, if not all, tigs have the mma (arc welding) function.
The long term effects were those of the torch and hose. If you push a lot of amps for sustained periods without having the gas too cool and dissapate the heat from the hose, you could well damage it. (it's not as robust as the mma equivalent). As for the electronic componentry within the welder, well I'd hate too say what might happen there if you dont have an mma mode....Arc welding, HF start etc etc, probably not the best of ideas. However, if in a bind, for a quick job it can be done...
However, Runnach gave you your most comprehensive answer. I would follow his advice first and really just ignore mine unless you are in a bind and prepared to take the chance.

Bruce

You absolutely do not want to have the HF on when stick welding, hence the tig/mma switch which afaik enables or disables HF (maybe that's all it does?). My miller manual has a large warning telling you to make sure HF is turned off before stick welding.

I cannae believe the numpty who webmasters the site Bruce linked to in his first post could put up a picture with his words of wisdom included, of a MMA rod held in a TIG torch!! A tig torch is designed for tig welding only, a MMA whip or stinger as numpty describes it, is designed for MMA only!

I would have to be on a sinking ship in shark infested waters before even considering using as per pic!! In fact, no brainer really, rather be shocked to death than eaten alive

Anyways, you have any joy yet setting tig unit to MMA applications Nigel, with the appropriate gear of course?

Cheers................