TIG Cooler

Starting on a TIG cooler. My torch is breaking up from getting too hot on several occasions:









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I'm surprised that your torch still works. I burned one up once when I forgot to turn on the cooler after about a minute of welding. Cost $115 way back when. Looks like your tank is of decent capacity where you should get tired of welding before it gets too hot. If that's not the case, then I might suggest that you incorporate a radiator like an old heater core and either duct it to the pump motor fan or use something like a muffin fan. Be sure to use some anti-freeze or "official" coolant for corrosion inhibition.

very cool
when I first started working at a gas tanker manufacture, all the big alum mig machines were liquid cooled and I was in awe,
I had never seen anything like that, but I was young, and there was a lot I hadn't seen yet

Thanks, I am working on the cart right now which holds the pump, radiator and such. I set it up with the TIG on top. God forbid I spring a leak and it all comes down on the TIG. We have anti corrosive additive for the water table and tumbler which should work for the tank.

Brackets made to hold pump:

I still need a switch panel and to hook the tubing. I need a few fittings:

I got it done but I got the pump wrong. I bought it because it was tolerant to heat but it''s not made for the pressure to push the water through the small lines.

At least it doesn't leak.

I was going to build one of those, but my 175 lincoln torch seems to work fine as I am just a hobbiest...maybe in the future.

Can you post more pics of the new pump and model/source/price when you get it? Also, what kind of water cooled torch did you end up getting?

I can't believe you have your 175 mounted so high up. That welder is HEAVY! I built my cart and put the welder on the bottom and a sheet of metal on the top to set the work on.

I have built a couple and finally gave up and bought a Miller coolmate 1 because it's fan was quieter. My shop built ones cooled well but after a few hours of the pump grinding away it would just make you mad. I figured the shop hours and the cost of the parts of my shop built tank just didn't save me much over the cost of the miller which ran about $500 when i bought it. If I had city water to my shop I would have hooked up a solenoid to the water line and used the city water which then can be recycled to the garden or just down the drain, and doesn't make any noise. The coolmate fits well under my Dynasty 200 and has been trouble free.
That being said your unit looks very well engineered and built- good job!

After some research I got this one:

http://www.arc-zone.com/index.php?m...2hvtin1pr8434a2



Forklift! ---I can't lift it. My back stinks because I tried to lift things like this in the past.

I don't see how you guys are burning up tig rigs. I have been welding since 1973 and haven't seen a water cooled rig since 1978, in the field. I welded on stainless pipe all day, day in and day out. When it gets too hot to hold in your hand with a heiliarc glove just lay it down and let it cool off. I do use gloves, one reason is the heat, and the other is skin cancer. No tee shirt either. You couldn't use a water cooled rig in the field because of the problem with moving all over the place, up down and all around. Some of the new rigs are as small as a lunch box. Most are only as big as a suitcase and weight 40 to 60 pounds. All are air cooled.

The worst seems to be Aluminum for me. I get into the habit of welding a while then setting the torch down to cool. When I set the torch down to cool I always disassemble it to keep the heat saturation down.

The bummer is once I get the aluminum up to temp where it is welding well I have to let the torch cool.

Next thing that happens, I short out the torch on other projects where it melted.

Here are 2 things which pretty much tore up this torch:

HI
Here is a tig cooler I built and saved a bundle.
Buy a procon pump from ebay (new $50.)
I bought a 1/3hp motor and modified it to have a fan blade on the other end.
If you build one have make sure you only run it at 50 PSI or you can blow the torch lines.
have fun
Tom

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Very cool.

Welding AC aluminum is a whole different animal than DC current on stainless...aluminum needs alot more amps............enough that it'll melt a TIG torch in a heartbeat.

Water coolers are not built into machines,they are add-ons for the TIG torch to keep it cool