Welding Tips and Tricks

Hey guys and gals. I have the welding bug bigtime. I've had a Lincoln 180HD (Home Deficit special) for a few years. Its nice and I have been able to make a few things and piddle around. Recently picked up a bottle of 75/25 and it has upped my garage shop game a few notches.

I am an Electrical Engineer by trade and work at the University of Texas research reactor. I would like to make Al jigs for holding items in our beam as well as personal projects. I enjoy all things microcontroller and I love to have tools to create anything I happen to be obsessed with at the moment. I guess I have a little bit of age activated ADHD with a tinge of OCD. I am currently very into furniture making combining steel and wood, but basically I would like to move into Aluminum. I am interested in the ability to weld Al 80/20 to create a few things that I have dreamt up.

I very much would like to learn TIG and am seriously considering the SQ Wave 200. I am lusting after the ASPECT 230 though I don't know if I will be able to take advantage of the options it gives.... and it is considerably more cash. I would like to weld very thin to moderately thick Al and SS. Hope to get to the point were I can lay some nice beads that I have seen via youtube. Definitely requires knowledge and practice. I love Jody's videos and am thinking of buying some vid packs and a tig finger as it seems a requirement!

Anyway -just registered and wanted to introduce myself. Looking forward to contributing what I can and learning from what seems an awesome community. ~jt

Welcome, I'm a Tx hobby welder too!

For thin material, you need some adjustability and features that the SW200 might not provide.

I agree, I have the Square Wave tig 200, I dont really recommend it. It seems like a rushed engineering job. Especially the pulse, which can really help you out on thin material. On the SW200 you get the absolute bare minimum of pulse adjustments. You can ONLY adjust the pulses per second. And even that only goes up to 20pps if I remember correctly.

Thats my biggest beef with it, along with the fact that they sell a 200 amp welder with a 150 amp rated torch. Even tho it is a flex head which is nice. But on 200 amps AC it gets real hot real fast.

Most of my other complaints are on the stick side, it doesnt run 6010 OR 6011, even tho they claim it does. And on stick it magically turns into a 170 amp welder, not even 200.



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Thanks for the info on the SW200. I have been on and off about it. I am definitely not a brand loyalist. I just want a good machine for the money I am paying! I am balking at buying something really big as I don't know what I am doing yet, but want to learn.

Unfortunately for me this is going to take a lot more research! There is no simple answer. My gut says to stay away from Everlast, but they have a great idea on ac/dc/stick/plasma for the same price range as the SW200. It looks really cheap though. I was onto the mt200 from CK worldwide for a bit, yet now I am not sure about that either. I would love to pull the trigger on the one of the Lincoln one packs but sheesh it is some cash. That Aspect looks sweet. Perhaps I will check out the marketplace. Maybe I can help someone out that needs cash in these hard times.

Welcome JT. I don't know how big your teepee is or how a big of a foot print you are looking to make with a machine,,BUT,,There has been a long conversation about the Primeweld in one of the posts in here. Don't know if you're looking to mig, tig and stick or stick, tig and cut with a multi purpose machine. Perhaps in the thread about product review will help you out. But, for sure, you will get lots of info from the folks in here. Enjoy and stay safe. At present time, I have a blue mig, and a blue stick, and a green multi purpose (stick, tig, plasma) that I can as much as I care to put together, cut and make scrap.
Bill

Welcome!

Jay gave you a pretty good rundown on the SW200, although I will add a couple things he didn't mention.

1) they have support from your LWS, just take it to the numerous Lincoln dealers and they will warranty it.

2) Many of the inverters do not run 6010 and/or even 6011 very well, and it is something that interests me
as I have an inverter that does 6011 but not 6010. To be honest 6011 is not one of it's strong traits either,
but it doesn't run 6010. I just bought a new machine yesterday, but it won't be here until the later part of
next week at the earliest. It also doesn't run 6010, and they told me it will run 6011 if you know what you're
doing...I'll have to see when it arrives (Primeweld 225x).

I was considering the SW200 because my LWS would support it, but they were bought out by Praxair last
year and the vibe really changed in the shop. I've seen some problems online with them, but the majority
of people are happy with them. The pulse is the one stick in the eye as Jay mentions, but you really need
to ask yourself how much you use pulse, and for me it's the minority of the time. I was talking with a Lincoln
employee a couple years ago and he acknowledged they kind of have a gap in their line without the Invertec
205-T that was discontinued and said they were working on a 230-250 amp model to release...but still here
we are and no new machines almost 2 years later.

It's difficult to get a really nice machine unless one is willing to spend $3k-$5k, and most models are a tradeoff
on features that you do or don't get. Good luck in your search, I understand the frustration in finding what you
want without breaking the bank.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:Welcome!

Jay gave you a pretty good rundown on the SW200, although I will add a couple things he didn't mention.

1) they have support from your LWS, just take it to the numerous Lincoln dealers and they will warranty it.

2) Many of the inverters do not run 6010 and/or even 6011 very well, and it is something that interests me
as I have an inverter that does 6011 but not 6010. To be honest 6011 is not one of it's strong traits either,
but it doesn't run 6010. I just bought a new machine yesterday, but it won't be here until the later part of
next week at the earliest. It also doesn't run 6010, and they told me it will run 6011 if you know what you're
doing...I'll have to see when it arrives (Primeweld 225x).

I was considering the SW200 because my LWS would support it, but they were bought out by Praxair last
year and the vibe really changed in the shop. I've seen some problems online with them, but the majority
of people are happy with them. The pulse is the one stick in the eye as Jay mentions, but you really need
to ask yourself how much you use pulse, and for me it's the minority of the time. I was talking with a Lincoln
employee a couple years ago and he acknowledged they kind of have a gap in their line without the Invertec
205-T that was discontinued and said they were working on a 230-250 amp model to release...but still here
we are and no new machines almost 2 years later.

It's difficult to get a really nice machine unless one is willing to spend $3k-$5k, and most models are a tradeoff
on features that you do or don't get. Good luck in your search, I understand the frustration in finding what you
want without breaking the bank.

You should check out the Lincoln Aspect 230 that was released late last year. Jtizzle already mentioned it. It seems like a solid machine. I really like that it can pulse up to 2kHz. There are some very interesting things that happen to the weld pool with nearing 5kHz pulse frequency.

EWM - TIG - Direct-Current Welding with High-Frequency Pulses, an Interesting Process Variant

Oscar wrote:You should check out the Lincoln Aspect 230 that was released late last year. Jtizzle already mentioned it. It seems like a solid machine. I really like that it can pulse up to 2kHz. There are some very interesting things that happen to the weld pool with nearing 5kHz pulse frequency.

EWM - TIG - Direct-Current Welding with High-Frequency Pulses, an Interesting Process Variant

Oscar,

I admit I didn't know they came out with that model, but it's almost 2x the MSRP as the SW200 at $3k!

That must be the machine that was mentioned to me a couple years ago, by Carl Hoes, a pretty famous guy who teaches welding at Lincoln.

That machine also handles 6010 I just saw, so it's a nice machine but I probably wouldn't have popped $3k for it over the Primeweld, at least not right now. I would need to know more about it, like where it's manufactured...it's in the same range as the HTP. Thanks for pointing that out, could be a possible contender for the future.

Holy cow that looks like a very nice welder. Out of my current budget, but could be in the future. I would say on par with the HTP, but I wonder where it's manufactured? Do you know?

When you say you want to weld really thin aluminum know that THAT will cost some money.
I learned on an everlast 250ex for 6yrs and it was great. I upgraded to the dynasty 210dx and....... spoiler alert.......... it's better at welding thin metal.
Oh and the stick feature is excellent.
I paid $2400 for an open box unit on ebay. It was a risk that paid off. Miller will honor a warranty even if you are the second owner (not in the policy) so I just looked for units that where under 3 years old.
Cheers


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Thanks everyone for all the great comments. Dang. Now I am back to looking at the Aspect 230. This is how I know I am obsessing. Once I think I know what to do, I change my mind. Wish there were something on the Aspect 230 (besides currently owning a Lincoln mig) that would put me over the edge. It is a big investment for a hobby. Would have pressed go on the prime weld 225x if it were in stock.


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Simclardy wrote:I upgraded to the dynasty 210dx

I'm green with envy...

jtizzle wrote:Would have pressed go on the prime weld 225x if it were in stock.

I was lucky to get one, but I was on the email list waiting and got notified yesterday morning. In the Primeweld 225x thread I was going to hang it up as the stick was not as robust as I really want.

I will say, I watched a few videos on YT today about the Aspect 230 and it sure looks like the type of machine I would like also...but I'm building a new shop/home that is draining every dime I have as I'm trying to bankroll it. Just getting the electrical dropped to the telephone pole I had put in a couple weeks ago. I still have so many things to purchase, $9k for the septic, $5k for fasteners, $5k for rafters...it's eating me up...but I hope to retire there.

Anyway, I didn't think I was going to buy one, but then spoke with the vendor and he pushed me over the edge.

One thing about the Primeweld is that it will only go down to 10 amps, I don't know if that is a deal breaker for you or not, most stuff needs more than that aside from welding razor blades.

What does thin aluminum mean? Thinner than .025" ?

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

Oscar wrote:You should check out the Lincoln Aspect 230 that was released late last year. Jtizzle already mentioned it. It seems like a solid machine. I really like that it can pulse up to 2kHz. There are some very interesting things that happen to the weld pool with nearing 5kHz pulse frequency.

EWM - TIG - Direct-Current Welding with High-Frequency Pulses, an Interesting Process Variant

Oscar,

I admit I didn't know they came out with that model, but it's almost 2x the MSRP as the SW200 at $3k!

That must be the machine that was mentioned to me a couple years ago, by Carl Hoes, a pretty famous guy who teaches welding at Lincoln.

That machine also handles 6010 I just saw, so it's a nice machine but I probably wouldn't have popped $3k for it over the Primeweld, at least not right now. I would need to know more about it, like where it's manufactured...it's in the same range as the HTP. Thanks for pointing that out, could be a possible contender for the future.

Holy cow that looks like a very nice welder. Out of my current budget, but could be in the future. I would say on par with the HTP, but I wonder where it's manufactured? Do you know?

Feature-wise, it surpass the HTP Invertig 221 and in some respects the Dynasty 210dx. In fact, I'm pretty sure they designed it to compete directly with the Dynasty 210dx and the Invertig 221. The Aspect has a little more amps than the 221, goes down to 2A so it's close to the 210dx. Has a very nice power supply that runs on 1-Φ 120V/240V or 3-Φ 208-460V. It has four AC waveshapes and Independent amplitude control (which is extra on the dynasty 210dx but standard on the Invertig 221). AC balance and AC frequency range of adjustability is also excellent. Of course the street price is still right at $3,000 so you're not getting anything free, lol.

Where they get you is the cooler and accessories. They want $1,300 for the cooler, LOL. And of course if you want a complete "package" like a Miller TIG runner,

Miller Dynasty 210dx TIG runner: $6,100
Lincoln Aspect 230 AC/DC "one-pak": $5,500
HTP Invertig equivalent package: about $4000

What is interesting about the Aspect 230 is that the duty cycle ratings are determined by simulation, as per the manual. Interesting way of doing things. Time will tell how that works out.

I've mentioned before. I use a condensate pump as a water cooler. It works excellent. Brand new they are around $40

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I am interested in the condensate pump option too. I watched a vid last night where the his old tony modded one: https://youtu.be/x2ai5eDzvxU It looks pretty simple for the price paid though so I would be loath to buy unless I could also dual purpose it like say for an air compressor aftercooler.
Looked at the Fronius Magicwave 230i -holy smokes that is one nice rig. Seems a little tech advanced and lots of potential to break though. Doesn’t seem like a tool that would last a decade. Investmentwise, I would be interested in something that would last a loooonnnng time.
I would also like a hypertherm 45xp I am looking toward the htp invertig 221 now as a good happy medium pro level rig for a first purchase. Again I am a mere hobbyist that is looking where to land with my $5k.


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jtizzle wrote:I am looking toward the htp invertig 221 now as a good happy medium pro level rig for a first purchase. Again I am a mere hobbyist that is looking where to land with my $5k.

I pretty much agree with everything you said, the Fronious is a really nice looking rig. I was pretty set on the HTP for the same reason you seem to be, it's a good compromise in cost, but has a really good reputation. I went back and forth between holding out for the HTP or popping for the Primeweld...I just decided that even though the Primeweld won't do everything I want, it is 25% the cost of the HTP. If I wasn't involved in a shop/home build I would probably have just got the HTP, or even a Dynasty. I wouldn't cut the Dynasty off your list.

jtizzle wrote:I am interested in the condensate pump option too. I watched a vid last night where the his old tony modded one: https://youtu.be/x2ai5eDzvxU It looks pretty simple for the price paid though so I would be loath to buy unless I could also dual purpose it like say for an air compressor aftercooler.
Looked at the Fronius Magicwave 230i -holy smokes that is one nice rig. Seems a little tech advanced and lots of potential to break though. Doesn’t seem like a tool that would last a decade. Investmentwise, I would be interested in something that would last a loooonnnng time.
I would also like a hypertherm 45xp I am looking toward the htp invertig 221 now as a good happy medium pro level rig for a first purchase. Again I am a mere hobbyist that is looking where to land with my $5k.


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If you are seriously looking a getting it as a TIG, better get on the wait-list, as the upcoming shipment in Mid-April is likely to sell out fast. And then with this global pandemic who knows what turns our economy will be taking.