Newbie now with TIG.

[Richard.]

Seeing as i'm enjoying the TIG and should start work on a cooler next week think i also need a pedal.

The manual states FR 21 No. 94.0051.00 Its 14 pin.

I've seen this for £250 , nearly as much as the welder.

http://www.rapidwelding.com/dynamic/DisplayItem.aspx?c=FSME1121M

Will any of the ssc pedals fit this?

https://www.ssccontrols.com/tig-cross-reference-guide/

Any other options? surely it should be easy to find a second hand pedal for such an old machine.

That's not expensive Daz for an OEM pedal.
I've paid twice as much for a TR52MC in the past.
My Rehm pedal is a genuine article only bought a few months ago cost £400.
Ssc pedals are good but you won't get it much cheaper down that route either.
You shouldn't look at it as "half the price of the welder" you should look at it as "well the welder was a bargain so I should bite the bullet and treat it to a proper pedal".

 

[DAPPH]

I don't have a bench grinder or cordless drill, up until now i've been using grinding bits in my bench drill with poor results.

If you use a single grinder that is used for all your metal grinding you risk embedding particles of other metals in your electrodes according the the Eastman video .
I guess using a dedicated fine face grinding disk in a 4 " angle grinder could also give you good results so long as the thing is anchored securely whilst your pointing the tungsten up .

 

[DAPPH]

Had a bit of welding time this afternoon.

Started with some 4mm this did not go well.

View attachment 94719

I then started cutting some 3mm box trying to maximise welding time but limit wastage.

View attachment 94721

Tacked up.. The outside corner joints would tack without filler the fillet welds were not so easy.

View attachment 94722


Made a right mess of the first few fillet welds the smallest cup i had was size 6.

The two welds i ground off i hit the tungsten with the filler rod then patched up what was left.

View attachment 94723 View attachment 94724 View attachment 94725 View attachment 94726

It took me three or four separate views at different times to realise how you had cut the box section ... I like it .
I think I to will try that one , once I get my new to me half dead steel band saw up & running ( On my to do list ...number 43 or there abouts )

 

[dazza]

That's not expensive Daz for an OEM pedal.
I've paid twice as much for a TR52MC in the past.
My Rehm pedal is a genuine article only bought a few months ago cost £400.
Ssc pedals are good but you won't get it much cheaper down that route either.
You shouldn't look at it as "half the price of the welder" you should look at it as "well the welder was a bargain so I should bite the bullet and treat it to a proper pedal".

Don't think the one for £250 is OEM. Dread to think how much one would cost.

 

[dazza]

It took me three or four separate views at different times to realise how you had cut the box section ... I like it .
I think I to will try that one , once I get my new to me half dead steel band saw up & running ( On my to do list ...number 43 or there abouts )

Just keep cutting 45º, it gets hot very quickly so i dunk it in some water.

 

[Richard.]

Don't think the one for £250 is OEM. Dread to think how much one would cost.

Daz you've bought an ewm 200amp acdc for £400.
If you spend another £400 getting it water cooled with pedal that is still a total bargain.
Spend some brass on it.
Don't cheap out on buying something like a tecarc pedal or building your cooler with a cheap nasty pump. Do it once do it properly. The reason I say this is you've bought good kit and you're clearly into it and getting good at it. Buying nice add ons will only make things more enjoyable. Get your self a nice wp20 torch also.

 

[dazza]

Daz you've bought an ewm 200amp acdc for £400.
If you spend another £400 getting it water cooled with pedal that is still a total bargain.
Spend some brass on it.
Don't cheap out on buying something like a tecarc pedal or building your cooler with a cheap nasty pump. Do it once do it properly. The reason I say this is you've bought good kit and you're clearly into it and getting good at it. Buying nice add ons will only make things more enjoyable. Get your self a nice wp20 torch also.

Ok a bit more googling and i think i have found the cheapest price for a genuine pedal. Are these pedals any good? Not sure on the lip at the bottom..

https://www.schweiss-shop.de/ewm/fr21-14pol-5m-fuss-fernsteller-strom/278ZBR0006
I think i have a procon pump for the cooler .

 

[Richard.]

Ok a bit more googling and i think i have found the cheapest price for a genuine pedal. Are these pedals any good? Not sure on the lip at the bottom..

https://www.schweiss-shop.de/ewm/fr21-14pol-5m-fuss-fernsteller-strom/278ZBR0006
I think i have a procon pump for the cooler .

That's more like it bud. Your kit will thank you for it by using quality extras with it.

 

[dazza]

That's more like it bud. Your kit will thank you for it by using quality extras with it.

Will add it to my never ending shopping list.

 

[DAPPH]

Cheer up , it's not quite like owning a four berth ocean going boat . Every time you use it you scatter £10 notes over the water .

 

[DAPPH]

Just keep cutting 45º, it gets hot very quickly so i dunk it in some water.

Does you saw have different cutting tooth travel speeds ?
Mine has 20 , 29, & 50 mtrs per minute ?

 

[dazza]

Does you saw have different cutting tooth travel speeds ?
Mine has 20 , 29, & 50 mtrs per minute ?

Not sure on the cutting speed it just has high and low.

I run a weld on both sides then dunk it in water as i want to get more practicing in and not wait for it to cool .

 

[dazza]

Pity i didn't live in Germany i would buy this just for the cooler.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/EWM-WIG-Schweisgerat-/332026829255?hash=item4d4e5759c7:g:4xgAAOSwMVdYIpV-

 

[Richard.]

Pity i didn't live in Germany i would buy this just for the cooler.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/EWM-WIG-Schweisgerat-/332026829255?hash=item4d4e5759c7:g:4xgAAOSwMVdYIpV-

Wouldn't match your shade of blue

 

[dazza]

Wouldn't match your shade of blue

I would paint it . I bet that trolley cost an arm and a leg new.

 

[Richard.]

Probably.
Every good welder builds there own.

 

[dazza]

I contacted that seller in Germany he will package it up so i can arrange collection (without the trolley), is it worth a punt? If the welder works maybe i can sell it locally things are expensive in spain. The cooler and welder state 230v can i run this off the house supply?

 

[Richard.]

It's worth a punt if the price doesn't get silly. The welder is DC only so not worth a lot. The cooler should just fit straight on and get its supply from the welder.

 

[dazza]

It's worth a punt if the price doesn't get silly. The welder is DC only so not worth a lot. The cooler should just fit straight on and get its supply from the welder.

Will keep an eye on it, i'm looking forward to making my own cooler anyway just thought this may be a bargain. Not sure if the torch will any good.

Going to try and get a bit more practicing in tomorrow on the 3mm box section. And get some aluminium ordered.

 

[DAPPH]

@ Dazza,
This afternoon whilst cleaning up the wooden work bench i was dismayed to find far too much carborundum dust off the coarse grinding wheel where I've been pointing up the tungsten electrodes using my battery drill , then I had a brain wave or a brain collapse ( You decide ) .

I think you said you don't have a grind stone ,let alone a dedicated one for pointing up your tungsten electrodes . So why not get a flat plate of 5 mm or thicker aluminium ,, plastic or flat plywood , scribe a s big a circle on it that will allow you to put it under the chuck of your drill press . Cut it as best as you can to remove most of the excess material . Drill the centre and put a machine screw through it on a thread so it is as tight a fit as possible ,

Now remove the screw , glue a sheet of decent fine carborundum cloth on disc and press it flat between two things that are also flat , till the glue is well & truly set .
Remake the center hole , fit the screw , washers & a nylock nut , tighten it well .
In effect you'll have created a horizontal grinding disc , change the drill press to its slowest speed and use a Dremel or small battery drill to rotate the tungsten at right angles to a chord on the disc. So you can in effect grind your electrodes to a point along the axis of the tungsten at the desired point angle .

I also found I saved a lot of mucking about by pointing up all my electrodes in one session , putting a point on both ends of the tungsten rods .. It means I have 18 points of 1.6 & 20 of 2.4 mm tungsten electrodes to wreck before I have to think about regrinding them to a point again . The pointing both ends also helps feed the rod in the clamping collett /sleeve if you have a shaky hand & failing eyesight like me or are wearing gloves .

Re getting started with the TIG welds
I successfully DC TIGGED a 1/2 " galvanised soft iron pipe that I've turned an end plug & 1.5 mm bore brass gas nipple for ( part of my gas torch lance to heat my brass smelting furnace ) .
Getting rid of the galv inside the pipe was difficult , so i got a bit of a messy weld to start with , once the pipe end had turned nice and red it burnt the galv off . A quick cool under the hose pipe helped clean the ashes off , a stainless steel brushing with a kiss off the grinder to take as much galv off the outside as possible saw me do some really ridged up welds all round the pipe .
I attacked the grind stone with the pipe again and was pleased to find some sort of depth of penetration .
Did the finger over one end an, suck & seal with my tongue test ...it holds a depression of a few ounces , so should be low pressure propane gas tight .

Re-welded it ..... a lot better after turning the current up from 12 AMPS TO 57 AMPS .
It's one of Weld equips sygenerstic French built welders , with a Euro torch it can be programmed to do everything automatically .... I'm beginning to like it , now I've got an inkling of what the machine can do but I still find it strange to start & stop welding at the right time so the Argon can purge the area before & after the welding takes place .I still get the thought of , I'm doing fine small flame gas welding

Tomorrow I make another steel shouldered plug for the opposite end , tapped to take a ( to be made ) gas connect / disconnect nipple then I'll TIG weld it in place on the other end of the pipe & fit the connector .