Welding Tips and Tricks

Shop gave me this little guy to try for a while I'll let you know how it goes.

Did run a few test joints on 6 in sch 40 carbon. Stick 6010 1/8in root at about 70 amps and some 3/32 7018 at about 80-85 amps over top of that. Ran it off a 50 ft extension cord in the shop to see if I could trip a breaker. All good so far.

It came as a kit with a tig rig, regulator with a flow meter, stinger and a ground.

I've used that little monster. Performed code welds with it. Great little machine, if you don't try to exceed it's capacity.

Steve S

Got rained out today and went back to the shop and fired it up on some 6 in carbon sch 40 for a steam line I got coming up. Burned out about 6 open butt welds at 130 amps and used 1/8 in ER70S rod. Used my dry rig and it never missed a beat. Only had to flip my tungsten over once about half way through. Ran it on 115 volt plug that's on a 15 amp breaker and never tripped it once.

Starter on my diesel welder gave out. Finished up a couple of projects by running the little beast off of a 5000 watt generator. Ran great. Burned up 30 lbs of rod and the only thing I noticed was that sometimes on the generator with about 100 ft of extension cord I sometimes had a hard time with the arc starting. But I think this may have been an issue with the generator. It would start surging until the arc stabilized. Never tripped a GFI the whole time.

More likely the issue is the 100 ft of extension cord. See if you get the same issues with a shorter one.

I run a 150STH all time at work, its what I use for 99% of my sanitary pipe as it is easy to tote around the building. Great machine, but know it has its limitations. I have a good 10g wire extension cord I use when needed, and I have only TIG'd with mine...