So.... I want to learn TIG welding.

[Oldbanger]

OK... so driving around London is never a pleasure... but travelling 6 miles in 50 minutes!!! .... I simply couldn't live in this city.
RANT OVER... back on topic. So I've collected my tig welder , regulator and torch. left the tig in the boot of my car... but here is the torch

....and regulator

I'll plug her in tomorrow just to see it working... but until I get home and grab my secret package from my parents I'll have no way if testing it out.

 

[Hood]

Same stuff that I got except the plug on mine looks different, mine has a 14 pin socket/plug.

 

[Oldbanger]

Same stuff that I got except the plug on mine looks different, mine has a 14 pin socket/plug.

should I have a 14 pin socket on mines too then?? tbh I had to help the guy load my gear and he tried giving me an xts203 to start with!!! after I put it in the car I popped it open and realised his mistake... then he almost gave me the xtt353p....I could have lived with that mistake but it really wouldn't surprise me if I have the wrong tig torch!!!

 

[Hood]

The XTT353P wouldn't have been any use unless you have 3 phase but I could have done you a swap and maybe even bunged you a few quid, shame


The torch code looks ancient and I suspect it may be the wrong plug unless it is the older model of welder you have, think they had smaller sockets.

 

[Hood]

Here is the plug that is on mine.
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/parweld-202-vs-thermal-arc-202.71119/page-2#post-959886

 

[Oldbanger]

The XTT353P wouldn't have been any use unless you have 3 phase but I could have done you a swap and maybe even bunged you a few quid, shame


The torch code looks ancient and I suspect it may be the wrong plug unless it is the older model of welder you have, think they had smaller sockets.

yeah the 3 phase thing would have rendered it useless for me... but a damn sight more valuable too!!!
I'll need to pull the welder out tomo and have it all assembled... bloody typical!!! if not the guy seems bang on... shouldn't be a problem getting him to swap it over... thanks again matey... bloody helpful bunch on here, love this forum!!!

 

[Hood]

Just a couple of things just in case you were misunderstanding. The plug itself won't have 14 pins in it as only a few are used. On mine 5 are used, two for the trigger and 3 for the Increase/Decrease current switches.
Looks like your torch doesn't have that, seems it just has a single button. Also it kind of looks like your torch may not have the replaceable switch, does it look like this with the wee catch at the front of the switch? The lower torch is the WP26 I got with my XTT202P

 

[Oldbanger]

here is a better close up of the torch and it's gubbins.... I've been trying to decipher it's code and noticed that the model starts with iv26 and not wp26

 

[Hood]

Ok the switch is removable
The code is an old code, 11 years old by the look on the tag in one of your earlier pics as it seems to have an 06 date unless that is the batch code?
The plug definitely looks too small for the XTT202P, looks like that may just be 9 pin or so.

 

[Oldbanger]

Iit's a very small 6 pin... but the code is a new one... I'm so bloody confused right now!!! if the car wasn't so far away I'd have put the welder together by now... lol would I be right in presuming that because the torch has a pipe to add gas that this might be the torch for the xts203 he gave me first???

 

[Hood]

Oh ok, not sure what that code is then, possibly it is a new torch in an old box.

The gas pipe with the 3/8 BSP nut is correct for the welder, so no probs there but the plug is definitely wrong for the XTT202P.

 

[Oldbanger]

Oh ok, not sure what that code is then, possibly it is a new torch in an old box.

The gas pipe with the 3/8 BSP nut is correct for the welder, so no probs there but the plug is definitely wrong for the XTT202P.

thanks mate... I'll sort it out tomorrow. will need to put everything together just so that there is no confusion. Cheers again!

 

[Hood]

If you are taking it back it may be an idea to see if you can get the torch that is supposed to come with the XTT. It should come with a 3 switch button insert. One could always be added later if wanted but they cost £25 or more if I recall, also if the torch just has a single button there is a slight chance there are only 2 wires down to the plug which would mean a 3 button switch wouldn't work unless you replaced the wire.

 

[Oldbanger]

If you are taking it back it may be an idea to see if you can get the torch that is supposed to come with the XTT. It should come with a 3 switch button insert. One could always be added later if wanted but they cost £25 or more if I recall, also if the torch just has a single button there is a slight chance there are only 2 wires down to the plug which would mean a 3 button switch wouldn't work unless you replaced the wire.

finally I have everything sorted... correct torch and everything all fired up . got on the phone to parweld and registered my warranty too

v

 

[Richard.]

Play time

 

[Oldbanger]

Play time

if only!!! still in landaaan!!! need to get home and grab my tungstens , lenses and filler rods!!! it's been placed back in the box... unfortunately

 

[Oldbanger]

oh... and pure argon - seeing as my hobby weld 5 will be no good. then I'll be sorted

 

[Oldbanger]

finally... I have gathered everything that I needed to set up my tig!!!
early this morning I went out and grabbed my hobby weld argon... straight out and sharpened my tungstens...

then grabbed everything I needed and made my way to the garage...

I set out some 1mm mild steel ... argon set to 8lpm current at 50amp and began laying a few beads.... anyway... here's what I managed to produce.... I have a feeling that a this will be a long road learning tig!!! feedback greatly appreciated

 

[Hood]

Not too bad at all, looks like it may be a bit low on the current although 50amps sounds about right. Not sure if you have proper shielding there, looks a bit dirty, maybe arc too long?
Then again I am no expert so......

 

[Oldbanger]

Not too bad at all, looks like it may be a bit low on the current although 50amps sounds about right. Not sure if you have proper shielding there, looks a bit dirty, maybe arc too long?
Then again I am no expert so......

yeah they do look quite dark... my apologies the machine was set at 43 not 50 amps.... doh!!! I think that in places when I was struggling to see I pulled the torch back a bit too far... the arc looked like a flash light beam... it spread everywhere.
I'm surprised just how controlled tig welding is... requires a lot more skill than I initially thought.... at times I felt like I was actually forcing the filler rod into the weld pool.. very difficult! oh well.... back to it -