Normally I'd post this question at the MetalMeet site, but they seem to be down, and I'm not sure when/if they'll be back up.
So here is my question. I've got a small Mig welder, and I've got this issue that I'm trying to work out that the guy at the welding supply says needs a Tig welder. Being about 2g's short of a Tig welder at this point I'm looking for cheapo solutions.
I seems to me that the big difference between mig and tig is the whole wire feed aspect. Couldn't I just take the copper nozzle out of my tig welder gun and replace it with a tungston needle and have myself a instant cheapo tig welder?
I assume that their must be a problem with this cause there has got to be a reason that mig welders are $500 and tig $2500. But I sure can't tease the problem out of the books that I've read on the subject. Just seems that everyone says tigs are better and cost more.
I've got a MIG machine that I converted
to TIG operation, except that it doesn't have hi frequency for aluminum.
First, you have to have a "tig rig" which is the tig handle which holds the tungsten along with the argon shielding hose and electrical feed hookup combination.
If you have the money? look around for a used econo tig (miller) you should be able to find one used for about $800 -1000 buckos. econo tigs work very well on aluminum!
Normally I'd post this question at the MetalMeet site, but they seem to be down, and I'm not sure when/if they'll be back up.
So here is my question. I've got a small Mig welder, and I've got this issue that I'm trying to work out that the guy at the welding supply says needs a Tig welder. Being about 2g's short of a Tig welder at this point I'm looking for cheapo solutions.
I seems to me that the big difference between mig and tig is the whole wire feed aspect. Couldn't I just take the copper nozzle out of my tig welder gun and replace it with a tungston needle and have myself a instant cheapo tig welder?
I assume that their must be a problem with this cause there has got to be a reason that mig welders are $500 and tig $2500. But I sure can't tease the problem out of the books that I've read on the subject. Just seems that everyone says tigs are better and cost more.
I made one for fun with my boy from a DC arc welder, we set up on dc and then we had an extra air cooled tig torch along with a argon bottle and regualtor I fired it up and tig welded. I used a copper plate near the weld to drag the tip accross to the weld area and it tiged fine. without the high frequency you need to have a scratch start. and no ac with out the HF so no alum but did work for the steel. I got my use and old miller tig for $750 300 amp 220volt single phase house current. Not as good as some of the newer stuff on aluminum but a great unit for everything else, stainless, copper and steel, does weld aluminium and have fixed many dirt bike and and al gas tank and other parts. Ed ke6bnlo
As a certified TIG welder, I can say there is alot of difference in mig and tig machines...
Your best bet is an old buzz box DC stick welder, cheap...and you can throw a scratch start DC setup on there....good for carbon steel and stainless....
thats the only way your really gonna get tig welding for under $1000....even a used tig welding setup now a days, a low amprege, ac/dc machine...is nearly $1000 if not alot more...
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