FuzzFace2 Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 This is what we discuss at the start of this thread.... There are plenty of multi-process welders out there, but again, if you want the features most of us want from TIG (pulse, pedal control and Hi-Frec) then just buy a TIG. A half decent multi-process welder is going to cost $1000, with various cables and a pedal. A cheap POS (like I said I have on my watch list) is $300+ and it has next to no duty cycle at over 50A. A nice Tig pedal is going to cost $200 (for Chinese!) forget American for less than 3, even if it is an "American" brand. All those Red and Blue companies make parts and accessories over there. The site I found said if you don't have a stick machine now and want to do TIG just get a TIG machine as you will get a lot more adjustability & better welds for your money. Being I don't have a stick machine to start with if I want TIG I will get a TIG only machine just don't need it at this time. Dave ---- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 The site I found said if you don't have a stick machine now and want to do TIG just get a TIG machine as you will get a lot more adjustability & better welds for your money. Being I don't have a stick machine to start with if I want TIG I will get a TIG only machine just don't need it at this time. Dave ---- Most TIG machines will easily do stick. Adding high frequency, pulse, pedal and start to a stick machine is a hodgepodge of garbage, stacked atop one another. If you want wire feed welding that's another whole can of worms. Just like Sam can easily do FCAW using a MIG machine by swapping the polarity and using knurled drive rollers, but adding gas to a FC welder is a bigger deal. And a cheap FC welder won't offer DC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 Most TIG machines will easily do stick. Adding high frequency, pulse, pedal and start to a stick machine is a hodgepodge of garbage, stacked atop one another. If you want wire feed welding that's another whole can of worms. Just like Sam can easily do FCAW using a MIG machine by swapping the polarity and using knurled drive rollers, but adding gas to a FC welder is a bigger deal. And a cheap FC welder won't offer DC. I went and got another spool of .030 The HF stuff, not the Lincoln innershield I'm used to. I found a leftover piece of patch panel. It's 18Ga. Then I dialed the lunchbox down to 3.5 & B Let's try tacks and beads. First on butt joints. Then on laps You can see how much more HAZ you get trying to run a bead! It's about now I realized I needed to dial my helmet down to 9. http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/uploads/6/5/8/7/65879365/head-rotfl-57x22_orig.gif Well, there you go! It works.... not the greatest (and it would have helped if I could see) but it does work on patch material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swampedout Posted March 10, 2021 Author Share Posted March 10, 2021 I went and got another spool of .030 The HF stuff, not the Lincoln innershield I'm used to. I found a leftover piece of patch panel. It's 18Ga. Then I dialed the lunchbox down to 3.5 & B Let's try tacks and beads. First on butt joints. Then on laps You can see how much more HAZ you get trying to run a bead! It's about now I realized I needed to dial my helmet down to 9. Well, there you go! It works.... not the greatest (and it would have helped if I could see) but it does work on patch material. Thats pretty much the answer I was looking for. Good lucking beads isnt a requirement. Im expecting a tack n grind approach. My understanding of the TIG conversion is limited. Ive looked into it briefly and I dont think the material I need to work on will clean up enough for TIG. Its on my list, when I get more of an indoor workshop to work in. I got my genny for the purpose of running a welder, its rated for 8k watts, doesnt say if thats start up or not. Im house shopping this summer and fall so a new welders way down the list again. I might even sell this generator and be running something on wall power by the time I get around to it. I appreciate you gentlemen bearing with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 Thats pretty much the answer I was looking for. Good lucking beads isnt a requirement. Im expecting a tack n grind approach. My understanding of the TIG conversion is limited. Ive looked into it briefly and I dont think the material I need to work on will clean up enough for TIG. Its on my list, when I get more of an indoor workshop to work in. I got my genny for the purpose of running a welder, its rated for 8k watts, doesnt say if thats start up or not. Im house shopping this summer and fall so a new welders way down the list again. I might even sell this generator and be running something on wall power by the time I get around to it. I appreciate you gentlemen bearing with me. Glad if it gives you a better picture, Sam. And good luck house shopping. I don't know what this lockdown has done to the market in New Mexico, but things are insane in the Northeast. Full price cash offers within the first hour of listing are being rejected as the bidding war escalates. Cityiots (flatlanders) with more dollars than sense think they can hide, or that this going away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 Glad if it gives you a better picture, Sam. And good luck house shopping. I don't know what this lockdown has done to the market in New Mexico, but things are insane in the Northeast. Full price cash offers within the first hour of listing are being rejected as the bidding war escalates. Cityiots (flatlanders) with more dollars than sense think they can hide, or that this going away. The insane house pricing thing isn't just up there, Jim. Our kids have seen the same thing in SC and FL, and my brother has seen it in KS. I've not "seen" it here, but I have heard that houses are selling like hot cakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 The insane house pricing thing isn't just up there, Jim. Our kids have seen the same thing in SC and FL, and my brother has seen it in KS. I've not "seen" it here, but I have heard that houses are selling like hot cakes. I'm trying not to let the big P enter the discussion, but it seems really knee-jerk that people would be fighting to buy, when we don't have a solid handle on the Covid pandemic, or what it means for the future. I certainly wouldn't want a 30 year mortgage. Obviously some have the sort of liquid assets to buy what would have been a weekend home, before the age of Zoom and telecommuting. (This was the promise of the internet 30 years ago!) But it's squeezing out lower middle class home buyers, and first time buyers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny G Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 The insane house pricing thing isn't just up there, Jim. Our kids have seen the same thing in SC and FL, and my brother has seen it in KS. I've not "seen" it here, but I have heard that houses are selling like hot cakes. 24-72hrs from being on the market in SC and the houses are gone. We are getting a lot of transplants from NY, CA, VA, IL, MI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 24-72hrs from being on the market in SC and the houses are gone. We are getting a lot of transplants from NY, CA, VA, IL, MI. I was fixing up a house in Riverside for sale about a month ago. Just lipstick on a pig, really. New door and kitchen hardware, paint and a minimum of landscaping. House sold first day for more than 100k over asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny G Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 I was fixing up a house in Riverside for sale about a month ago. Just lipstick on a pig, really. New door and kitchen hardware, paint and a minimum of landscaping. House sold first day for more than 100k over asking. Its kind of worrisome the way the housing market is acting right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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