Welding Tips and Tricks

New TIG welder here, have only been at it through several small projects.
Today trying to weld carbon steel, 1/16 inch plate to a 1/8 inch plate,
using an Eastwood 200 TIG machine. Using button on torch, not foot pedal.
power set at about 45.
preflow set at .4 sec
post flow set at 5 sec
I am welding fine, but when I let off the button to stop
the heat keeps right on going like I did not let off at all.
I have to pull the torch away in order to break the arc
pieces from heating in order to stop the welding.

Is there something I am not seeing? It is like the button
is not letting off, but I am pretty sure it is, so why is
the heat still going right on until I pull the torch away.

Welcome JoeCool.

Eastwood has several different 200A TIG machines. Please post a pic of the front of your machine so we can see your settings.

Check your 2T/4T settings to make sure you:

1: Are in 2T if you meant to be in 2T, or 4T if you meant to be in 4T. Accidentally being in 4T if you meant to be in 2T could cause it to seem like the torch won't switch off properly in some scenarios.

2: Not in "Pedal" mode if applicable.

3: Didn't inadvertently set a super long down slope time.

Probably one of those three things, but certainly possible something is wrong with your switch, the machine, or both.

Yup, more than likely related to those. Let's see what the machine is actually set to.

Also, we don't know if it is a momentary on-off switch, or if he used something like a latched switch that he thinks may be a momentary switch.

Posting a picture is a major problem, can do it but it would take me a long time, so lets see if we can figure it out without the picture.

First, I don't have a clue what 2T/4T are.

I did this trouble shooting so far.

(1) Removed torch connection, and plugged in foot control.
(2) set foot control about 80.
(3) applied the torch near a 1/16 th inch test piece.
(4) pressed foot pedal which started the arc/plasma action.
(5) released foot pedal, arc immediately stopped, so the pedal does, without doubt, stop the welding amp/volts
and turns it off.
Repeated the foot pedal action several times, same result, pedal shuts if off just by letting off the pedal.

Next unplugged pedal, replugged torch control,
(1) Put torch near test piece, pushed torch button, and yes arc/plasma lights up, it will weld.
(2) with other hand dialed the panel power/amps down to zero, arc stayed lite up, would not
extinguish. could move the dial up and down which did change the intensity of heat,
(3) Let off the button and arc stays lit up, will not stop until I pull the torch away
from the piece, then arc shuts down as it gets a large enough gap between torch and steel.





Next

This is eastwood picture of machine.
https://www.eastwood.com/tig200acdc.html
One of the pictures shows controls well,
The only controls are
(1) power/amp mine set to about 70 first time, but tried other settings like when I dialed it up and down and
it kept right on applying the arc even set to 0 although it was quite weak then.
(2) over/load mine set to 0,
(3) preflow
(4) postflow

So, whatever 2T/4T is does not seem to apply to this more simple machine.

A further piece of info.

When torch is plugged in, it will turn arc on with switch set to foot or panel control, and it won't turn arc off in either one until torch is pulled away from steel.

When pedal is plugged in, it works also, regardless of where the foot/panel control switch is set.

I will give eastwood a call later today, and see what they say, will relay that to you after I call.

Definitely odd. You can use a multimeter to measure continuity on the 2-pins coming from the on/off switch. You'd have to unplug it from the machine, and somehow hold the multimeter leads securely to the 2-pins, while pressing/letting off the on/off switch. Pressing it should show continuity, letting off should break continuity.

FYI, Amps can never be set to zero on the dial, so you can't expect the arc to extinguish like that. All TIGs have a minimum amperage, in this case I think yours is about 20A. I used to have that same machine. Good machine, horrible torch cable.

Thanks, for tip.
I got message from eastwood, they are not fully manned yet, due to covid BS. Looks like this is on hold for a while. In the mean time, guess I will learn to use the pedal.

JoeCool wrote:Thanks, for tip.
I got message from eastwood, they are not fully manned yet, due to covid BS. Looks like this is on hold for a while. In the mean time, guess I will learn to use the pedal.

I know people use the switch to weld, but I personally only use it to tack when I have something I need to move around and can't tack at my chair easily. I would guess I use my pedal for tig welding about 99% of the time.

So, the pedal is the way to go, okay.

JoeCool wrote:So, the pedal is the way to go, okay.

When you're having the issues with the torch switch, is the upper right switch on the front of your machine set to "foot pedal" or is it set to "panel control"?

It may default to 4T for the button control when set to 'panel'.

4T style would work like this:

- Bring the torch to the workpiece
- Click the button once and release it, arc initiates and will stay lit
- Get your weld going...
- Once you want to stop, click the button again, arc will taper off and shut down
- Cool down...

4T with a button is often used for more production style welds so you don't need to keep pressing a button to keep the arc lit, but can weld longer runs more relaxed.

Bye, Arno.

JoeCool wrote:So, the pedal is the way to go, okay.

Joe,

I don't know I would say it's the way to go, both compliment each other. When I'm tacking and need to move around, it's difficult to move the pedal around, and in that case I like to use the switch on 2T, I rarely if ever, use it on 4T. The reason is when I'm tacking I just want to burst the arc, get the tack, and be done with it. I normally don't like to use 4T as it just seems ackward to me, but I could see some situations may lend to it.

I almost always use the pedal, and the majority of my tig welding is done sitting at my welding table. I haven't done a lot of large projects to date, that may change, like I have a driveway gate on my list of things to do, but I'll have more space to work with at my new shop I'll be doing that at. I find the most difficult thing about tig is coordinating my feed hand with my torch hand and the pedal, but getting much more comfortable with it.

This thread sounded like you had your machine on 4T, but it could be something wrong with either the machine or switch also. My guess it's in Panel Control. I'm not sure anyone explained to you what 2T and 4T are. Let me do that briefly in case you're still wondering. In 2T you press the button down and the arc comes on, the arc stays on until you let off the switch. This is exactly how the pedal works. In 4T you press the switch and the arc initiates, then you let off the switch and the arc continues until you press and release the switch again. The intention is that you would be welding for a long time and want to have the arc on but not have to hold the button down. Honesty I don't like that and even when I use my button I use it in 2T mode. However, there's a setting on both of my machines for 2T or 4T specific. One is an Everlast and one is a Primeweld.

Looking at your machine online I would say that when it's in Foot Pedal it's 2T and when it's in Panel Control it's 4T as it says set to Panel Control and the torch trigger is activated. Personally I would always leave it in Pedal mode, even when you use the button.

Spartan wrote:

JoeCool wrote:So, the pedal is the way to go, okay.

When you're having the issues with the torch switch, is the upper right switch on the front of your machine set to "foot pedal" or is it set to "panel control"?

Try something for me: Make sure that upper right switch on the front of your machine I mentioned above is set to "Panel Control" (switch should be in the downward position) and try welding with the torch switch again. When doing this, do you still have the same problem where the arc won't extinguish?

I can't see what the slider switch is included with the machine. I have one that when moving the slider all the way to off, has a "nub" that makes it a bit difficult to go all the way to off where the pedal is probably going to full off by itself with "spring" pressure.
also ,, as Spartan is asking, see if the time it takes for the arc to END, try changing the "post flow" adjustment and see if that makes a difference . I'm kinda thinkin that the post flow is a combination of ramp down and gas flow...but still confused about the switch not turning off and the pedal is....

BillE.Dee wrote:I can't see what the slider switch is included with the machine. I have one that when moving the slider all the way to off, has a "nub" that makes it a bit difficult to go all the way to off where the pedal is probably going to full off by itself with "spring" pressure.
also ,, as Spartan is asking, see if the time it takes for the arc to END, try changing the "post flow" adjustment and see if that makes a difference . I'm kinda thinkin that the post flow is a combination of ramp down and gas flow...but still confused about the switch not turning off and the pedal is....

He didnt mention a slider, so im pretty sure its the on/off switch that is pictured on the webpage link of the machine.

my bad, for using the word "slider" in this post because I can't make out what the torch mounted switch is. Anyway, is he up and running and get it straightened out?

Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Update?

Oscar wrote:Update?

Gone on deaf ears...

This thread seems like operator error.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

Oscar wrote:Update?

Gone on deaf ears...

This thread seems like operator error.

I'm 99% sure he had the control switch in "pedal" mode instead of "panel control" when he was using the torch switch and this was the sole cause of the problem.

Spartan wrote:[I'm 99% sure he had the control switch in "pedal" mode instead of "panel control" when he was using the torch switch and this was the sole cause of the problem.

I was thinking it should be in pedal mode, so that it would operate in 2T.

Since he never got back to us, it's kind of moot.

Not clear to me what Eastwood means by pedal vs. panel and/or if that changes the 2T/4T or just allows the switch to operate properly? In theory the switch and pedal should be the same, other than allowing for amperage control with the pedal.

Yup, "panel control" is a confusing choice of words for sure in this scenario, but the pic below from the Eastwood website details that's the mode for the torch switch. I saw no mention of 2T/4T on their website for that machine, so assume it is 2T only and with some preset 2T start/end amp parameters that cannot be changed. The first clue that it was just a wrong setup was that he had no clue what 2T/4T even meant.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

Spartan wrote:[I'm 99% sure he had the control switch in "pedal" mode instead of "panel control" when he was using the torch switch and this was the sole cause of the problem.

I was thinking it should be in pedal mode, so that it would operate in 2T.

Since he never got back to us, it's kind of moot.

Not clear to me what Eastwood means by pedal vs. panel and/or if that changes the 2T/4T or just allows the switch to operate properly? In theory the switch and pedal should be the same, other than allowing for amperage control with the pedal.

Still, it would be a nice gesture to update everyone.

On the eastwood, "panel" simply switches the amperage control from the foot-pedal to the front panel of the machine. In that machine, the foot-pedal has it's ownpotentiometer that you must utilize if you wish to use the foot-pedal.