SIP Ideal 120/N

[a111r]

Another 1980s welder acquired at the weekend. Listed as having wire feed problems so needing a new torch, unused for years.

The liner was missing. These old Italian MIG welding cable are like a big co-axial cable, so the wire was presumably trying to feed down the central plastic tube for the liner and gas.
Nice and easy with this older design to feed in a new liner. The torch just needed a new shroud spring - it may have been converted to MB15 spec from the solder evident.

A few photos showing the very basic PCB, the wire feeder, the data plate and the 22,000 uF capacitor. It was very clean inside.
I might put a 68K resistor temporarily in series to help it gently re-form, up the voltage steps.

 

[borders-tom]

Another 1980s welder acquired at the weekend. Listed as having wire feed problems so needing a new torch, unused for years.
[...]

It's a solid looking old machine, looks to have all the right bits present at least, not too shabby spec-wise if not appearances, but cleanish inside. The simplicity and maintainability appeal to me. Bringing it up gently a good idea. Jealous.

 

[Rkweld]

That looks a lot more heavy duty inside than the newer sips. Is that a contactor and a seperate wire feed transformer?

 

[a111r]

Yes, the 1980s SIPs were all well designed and built. I've got the 150 Amps model, too (it's for sale, just too large at a 'non-Porta' 70 Kg).

Despite the 120 Amps, it's effectively a scaled down version of an industrial, larger machine - e.g. contactor, gas valve, auxiliary transformer, plus the smoothing capacitor is a rarity on low output machines.

So another rather under-whelming 'fix up'.
At £60, this is the second most expensive MIG I've bought (of around 40)

 

[a111r]

Fixed the liner today.
Usually, I use curtain wire but I saw this wasn't going to work, as the liner retaining nut has no ferrule to grip and align the liner.
It would need drilling out / counter-boring to 4 mm to work.
Luckily a Euro liner abuts up perfectly, no nut is required.

 

[a111r]

Was the liner thing a red herring? I'll never know...
Whilst re-forming the capacitor, after five minutes I noticed the motor speed slowly creeping up, then faster until it was maxed out.
Thereafter, the wfs was pretty random, so looks like SCR failure. The one on the right is noticeably darker (if that means anything) but I'll replace the pair.

They're TYN408, so rated at 40 volt / 8 Amp rms.
I'm wondering is there a better / more generic type to use, as I might as well buy 10 or so for stock. Any advice, please?

 

[a111r]

One of our electronics gurus pointed me to good replacement SCRs, now ordered.

In the meantime, I put the board back and tried it out. Took a few minutes to dial in but welded well, until the gas ran out.

 

[Roberthansjorg]

Another 1980s welder acquired at the weekend. Listed as having wire feed problems so needing a new torch, unused for years.

The liner was missing. These old Italian MIG welding cable are like a big co-axial cable, so the wire was presumably trying to feed down the central plastic tube for the liner and gas.
Nice and easy with this older design to feed in a new liner. The torch just needed a new shroud spring - it may have been converted to MB15 spec from the solder evident.

A few photos showing the very basic PCB, the wire feeder, the data plate and the 22,000 uF capacitor. It was very clean inside.
I might put a 68K resistor temporarily in series to help it gently re-form, up the voltage steps.

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Hi, I've got one of these and it still works.
What's your SIP Ideal situation now?
regards, Robert, Stroud.

 

[a111r]

I’m still got it and am using it .For car bodywork it is a peach of a machine.