Welding Tips and Tricks

Hey all, I've had a look around but not found any answers - feel free to blast me if I've missed something obvious.

I am running my rig air cooled. I have a size 9 torch as well as a size 17 torch, both running on all-in-one combined gas/power hoses. (Dinse 35-70 at the machine has an elbow built in with a short hose to the gas socket on my machine.)

Although these lines are way better than the 'stormwater size' hose/cables that came with my size 26 torch, I want lighter and flexier - like, say, the orange CK superflex lines. All I need is the hose, I already have enough torches.

Can only see these for sale online from overseas (exchange rate, freight...ouch...) and none of my LWS options even have any idea what I'm talking about, so they are no help at all.

Can any of the Aussies here please point me to a local seller, or even a cost-effective online option?

Thanks in advance,


Kym

I hit this brick wall before. No happy ending. You must get your supplies from Uncle Sam. He's everybody's uncle who wants to weld with the latest and best. Suck it up and pony up. Get your kicks from flaunting it to your lws.
Mine tried to flog me a marvelous new invention the other day called the tig finger. $30. They couldn't work out why I laughed and walked out.

Coldman wrote:I hit this brick wall before. No happy ending. You must get your supplies from Uncle Sam. He's everybody's uncle who wants to weld with the latest and best. Suck it up and pony up. Get your kicks from flaunting it to your lws.
Mine tried to flog me a marvelous new invention the other day called the tig finger. $30. They couldn't work out why I laughed and walked out.

Bugger!

Oh well. Save, buy online, wait by mail box. Could be worse I guess.

Pretty much given up on my lws options. None of them would know a gas lens from a golf tee.


Kym

The trouble is BOC is the exclusive Australian distributor for ck but they only use a small number of parts to supplement their own range of torches and assemblies and won't bring in ck assemblies to compete against their own range so effectively locking the good ck gear out of Australia. Sucks.

Coldman wrote:The trouble is BOC is the exclusive Australian distributor for ck but they only use a small number of parts to supplement their own range of torches and assemblies and won't bring in ck assemblies to compete against their own range so effectively locking the the good ck gear out of Australia. Sucks.

Yes, I spoke to the folks from The Dark Side of The Farce. No help at all. Frustrating, but I guess I just have to work with what I have. (A computer and an Internet connection...)


Kym

Kym, you pay for the plane ticket I'll bring you 5 of them
. Sucks to hear what you guys have to go through down there... I wonder if CK could help you, that kinda shitty what that company is doing

MosquitoMoto wrote:

Coldman wrote:The trouble is BOC is the exclusive Australian distributor for ck but they only use a small number of parts to supplement their own range of torches and assemblies and won't bring in ck assemblies to compete against their own range so effectively locking the the good ck gear out of Australia. Sucks.

Yes, I spoke to the folks from The Dark Side of The Farce. No help at all. Frustrating, but I guess I just have to work with what I have. (A computer and an Internet connection...)


Kym

Could another ck dealer in the states ship it to you through them?

I don't know if CK would sell and ship, since they will not sell directly to the customer.

Someone else might have a better price quote, but I checked with my LWS while I was there this morning and was quoted ~$50US for a 12' SuperFlex cable to fit a 9 torch.
I don't know what it would cost for shipping though.

Hey Kym,
I've been getting the same response here in NQ as well and the LWS just want to sell you what they get . Coldman you are right , i was at a trade show a couple of weeks ago armed with a stubby gas lens 3/32 or 2.4 mm asking the welding supply guys if they can get CK gear in , and was informed by a distributer that that they tried to some time ago and were threatened with some sort of legal action from BOC and had to stop. As they are the distributer of CK products. ( Try finding someone in BOC that knows anything about CK products )

So Kym,
i have been purchasing my CK products from Weldfabulous and never had any issues. You say ouch when you mention shipping and exchange rates but i think you will be quite surprised when you compare the prices we pay here to getting it delivered from our American friends. " And their products work "

Troy

Thanks Troy.

Have been surfing Weldfabulous a bit this past week. Happy with service? (I have read on this forum a couple reports of their 'service' being pretty much non-existent.)

Might even look at buying through WF and having the shipping taken care of by ComGateway.

All I know is that my welding went ahead leaps and bounds when I switched from mega heavy, garden hose type cables to lightweight all-in-ones. Fascinated to see what the Superflex would be like to use - everyone here says once you try it you will never go back.

Thanks for the input, everyone!



Kym

Hey Kym,
Very happy with the service , products packed very well , emails answered promptly when i asked questions ,approx 2 weeks and at my door. Delivery only slows down when it hits Australia. Good old Australia Post. And yes i will definitely keep shopping from them .My next order through them will be my 5th order.

Cheers Troy

I get my ck gear from arczone. They cost a bit more but they have really good product knowledge and helpful with part number interpretation. Nothing worse than bringing in gear all that way to find it doesn't fit.

Troy, Coldie...thanks for the tips/feedback.

I feel like CK stuff will probably be worth chasing/paying for, so yeah, I'll just man up and place an order soon.



Kym

A good option in some cases to avoid 'tax shock' when getting stuff from the US can be to see if a seller also has an Ebay shop and offers/uses the Ebay worldwide delivery program for shipment.

Eg. Weldfabulous do:

http://www.ebay.nl/itm/331877360611

That way you pay upfront at the checkout for the whole shipping and import taxes thing so you don't get hit afterwards with some random and un-explained extra import cost. (favorite pet peeve of mine.. )

Drawback is that this system does seem to work fairly sluggish in some cases, so you may experience longer shipping times, but in my experience it can make (financial) sense compared to direct ordering and shipping if you don't need things 'right now'.

Bye, Arno.

Thanks Arno.

It just so happens I have a couple of CK hoses and torches on my eBay watch list right now! Slow shipping is really no biggie, I can make do with what I have for the time being. Thanks for the tip.



Kym

Kym, I have bought through WF and was satisfied.. I have a CK20 with superflex that is patiently waiting for me to pull my finger out and build a water cooler..

Amazon is another option..

Flo

OzFlo wrote:Kym, I have bought through WF and was satisfied.. I have a CK20 with superflex that is patiently waiting for me to pull my finger out and build a water cooler..

Amazon is another option..

Flo

Thanks Flo. Hey, do you also have a Superflex line on your air cooled rig?


Kym

I ordered my CK20 set up from Arczone... come in over $700 landed
But that included, 25' of superflex and a micro switch, dinse connector and adapters for my QR connections plus a leather cover to match.

Way easier to use than my old wp18 torch set up

MosquitoMoto wrote:
Thanks Flo. Hey, do you also have a Superflex line on your air cooled rig?

Kym

Not yet.. but I think it is on the cards! I'm still struggling with the standard lead..

OzFlo wrote:

MosquitoMoto wrote:
Thanks Flo. Hey, do you also have a Superflex line on your air cooled rig?

Kym

Not yet.. but I think it is on the cards! I'm still struggling with the standard lead..

Mate, if you are still rocking the 'garden hose' size leads that came with that standard 26 torch, do yourself a favour, even if it's just to switch to one of Peter's all-in-one lightweight leads and a size 17 torch.

Honestly, Tig was starting to get the better of me until I got my hands on a lighter, more agile torch and leads. Can't tell you how much happier I am now. That old original torch and its leads have not been used once since then.



Kym

MosquitoMoto wrote:
Mate, if you are still rocking the 'garden hose' size leads that came with that standard 26 torch, do yourself a favour, even if it's just to switch to one of Peter's all-in-one lightweight leads and a size 17 torch.

Kym

That's very tempting..

Just checked Oz/US exchange rates and then pricing
Knocked me off my chair.
Convert to Islam, immigrate here ,get on the government benefits program before the "Donald" gets elected

rick9345 wrote:Just checked Oz/US exchange rates and then pricing
Knocked me off my chair.
Convert to Islam, immigrate here ,get on the government benefits program before the "Donald" gets elected

Yep, I can't tell you how many times I've done the sums on various items and 'exchange rate + shipping cost = no!'

But will get myself some Superflex goodness sooner or later, regardless.


Kym