Welding Tips and Tricks

I have just found out about this little box. Has anyone used the tig perfect for a Diversion 180? I t hink it would be a better option than buying a more expensive tig welder.

http://www.jattus.com/cartview.php?id=16

Truthfully I wouldn't buy something like that.

In my opinion, pulse is really just a luxury and the same welds can be made without it.

If I did very thin material on a regular basis I might consider pulse.

Pulse has it's uses but in everyday reality, it's something you can live without. You can pick up a nice machine used if you shop right. Why buy the potty-training version of a welder that you are only going to outgrow? I see Syncrowave 250s for $1200-$1500 all the time...now thats a welder.

Well you see exnail. This Diversion 180 isnt mine. It is my schools. I cant have the school just buy a welder. ALthough if they asked me what would be best for a shop let me tell you, the administration would fall over at how out of date this shop is. Some of the machines are new and updated. Now I am one to fall in love with old machines, but most machines arent used, are kind of dangerous, or have such a large learning curve. My father is currently 61 years old. When he went to this high school some of the tools he used are still being used. Sanders, drill presses, table saws, lathes, a mill, and probably the stick welders. I do appreciate these machines especially the sheet metal tools we have. Fantastic Peck and Stow tools. The problem is wear especially with students. Our current shop is 1250 sq. ft. Now some may say well thats not too bad but about 60% is the woods shop and the rest metals and there is no barrier. And putting 20 people on the metals side with like 500 sq feet moving metal welding, cutting, machining and what have you I am surprised that no one has gotten hurt. So if you have made it this far I guess what I have to say is if you are like me and enjoy welding well you always want more. I always want to just make more progress. There is only so much to do with AC/DC controls and amperage. I want to explore more with pulse and stuff like that to get better and work on sheet metal. I figure a few hundred bucks would be better to propose to my shop teacher than a new dyansty 210 dx (which dont get me wrong would be great but you cant have everything and it has to be able to be moved by one person with no wheels.)

Gotcha! You need to explain that stuff cause you know how I like to jump in and muddy up a thread

With the schools money being spent I vote no even stronger.

Unnecessary expense that kids don't need.

MinnesotaDave wrote:With the schools money being spent I vote no even stronger.

Unnecessary expense that kids don't need.

Fair enough. I usually feel the same way. I am not one who wants the school district to spend more money then it needs to but if my school is going to pay a guy $60,000 a year to watch a eight room, coach football(and hes not that good), and be a safety coordinator(despite the fact he could barely graduate high school and never got a college degree) then I figure every once in a while this pool of money we must just have laying around may as well be spent on practical things you know like ensuring that the next generation doesn't all just sit on their butts for the rest of their lives. Now if I remember right Dave, you are a teacher correct? If the answer is yes what do you have your students use for tig welding (just curious). Like I said, I am not one to spend the schools money. I am quite a conservative, especially with money, but there is always someone in these classes that wants to explore more and with not being able to stick weld on DC(despite having 25 pounds of 6010 electrodes in the back room) or running dual shield flux core/and sometimes not even self-shield(usually breaks or stops when I walk away from the other kid trying to weld it seems). Based on this I think any updates are necessary. I didn't know if this tig box was going to be worth it or not, but since I believe you are a teacher you know better than I. Now another question for you. Would you say the Diversion 180 was a good choice to spend the schools money on or not. I have always said that it was a waste and could have gone to something like a Lincoln squarewave 200 to stick weld, have some features to explore better and is cheaper. Any response to that as well?

High school shop class has never been, nor will it ever be, more than an interduction to a whole field of interests. If you want more, then buck up and invest your time and money, like everyone else had to in more advanced training.

Poland308 wrote:High school shop class has never been, nor will it ever be, more than an interduction to a whole field of interests. If you want more, then buck up and invest your time and money, like everyone else had to in more advanced training.

Fair enough that is what I am pretty much doing right now. Like I said I do agree, but some high schools are really in depth with some shop classes which I don't really understand where the time comes from in a students schedule but nonetheless I agree.

Farmwelding wrote: [snip] Now if I remember right Dave, you are a teacher correct? If the answer is yes what do you have your students use for tig welding (just curious). Like I said, I am not one to spend the schools money. I am quite a conservative, especially with money, but there is always someone in these classes that wants to explore more and with not being able to stick weld on DC(despite having 25 pounds of 6010 electrodes in the back room) or running dual shield flux core/and sometimes not even self-shield(usually breaks or stops when I walk away from the other kid trying to weld it seems). Based on this I think any updates are necessary. I didn't know if this tig box was going to be worth it or not, [snip]

Yes, I am a teacher. Math, woodshop, welding.
Also have a part-time welding shop - my first tig was my 1967 Airco 300 which welds excellent.

No, the tig box add-on is not worth it, especially for a failing program like yours.
Fancy features do not make a person an excellent welder, practice does.

We use:
One 60's Miller 250 AC/DC
Two 70's Dialarcs (one of them is mine I brought in)
One early 90's Syncrowave
Two ESAB 161 (replaced 2 other welders I brought in)

The Syncrowave is used for stick and tig. Foot control, no pulse.
The ESABs are stick/tig machines. No foot control, lift start tig.
The Dialarcs will also be used for tig by some students this year - standard old scratch start.
I will also be bringing in an engine drive of mine for them to learn about and use.

New, expensive technology is not normally in schools unless a special grant is found.
For example, don't expect to find Lincoln's STT system in a high school. Tech school/college though - yes.

Until a person can weld excellent in all positions with stick, tig, mig, and limited oxy/acetylene - exploring technology is not necessary in my opinion.
One job I had only had an AC buzzbox for me to use - did my job the same as if they had new cool stuff.

WellDave I say you have convinced me, or brought out the actual me and I have realized that it was a bad plan. I do quite agree with you. 95% of these students won't follow into welding and 80% probably won't see another mig gun or stick electrode after they graduate. I guess I was overly optimistic for the future and then you reminded me(thanks for reminding me )that the program is not as critical as I thought it was. It is a new reality I will face as the next generation I suppose. The fact that is will have these skills and be able to put them in practice and be able to get oil and dirt on my hands. I guess I have another question Dave. How successful is your program. I mean like how many students do you have going into school for welding or carpentry and if that number is fairly decent, what helps you make it successful? I'm just curious to see what maybe j can do to get others interested in the trade because I don't want to be alone at my job.

Farmwelding wrote:WellDave I say you have convinced me, or brought out the actual me and I have realized that it was a bad plan. I do quite agree with you. 95% of these students won't follow into welding and 80% probably won't see another mig gun or stick electrode after they graduate. I guess I was overly optimistic for the future and then you reminded me(thanks for reminding me )that the program is not as critical as I thought it was. It is a new reality I will face as the next generation I suppose. The fact that is will have these skills and be able to put them in practice and be able to get oil and dirt on my hands. I guess I have another question Dave. How successful is your program. I mean like how many students do you have going into school for welding or carpentry and if that number is fairly decent, what helps you make it successful? I'm just curious to see what maybe j can do to get others interested in the trade because I don't want to be alone at my job.

If I were to give advice, don't worry about what job others will do.
Leaders lead - followers follow or get left behind.

"If you ain't burning, you ain't learning."

Go burn burn some rod and have fun doing it