MIG or TIG?

The young man who has been working out of my shop for several years is now getting a number of commissions for his welded stainless furniture and wants to invest in some welding equipment. He has gotten very good with my Miller 150 MIG but I think it is time for him to graduate to TIG. His work is primarily polished 304 tube and thin flat stock with welds ground flush and polished.

He is getting up into 4 digits for his work so he can afford an Econotig. Would TIG be more appropriate for that work?

Reply to
Glenn Ashmore
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Yes TIG is very well suited for furniture assembly.

If he isn't doing aluminum he could just go for a Maxstar 150STH. Very portable, and a really nice stick/TIG unit.

For a little more he could get a Thermal Arc Prowave 185TSW for AC/DC TIG. They run around $1750 complete ready to go. As an inverter they pull less power from the wall, and give you more features.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

Visit my website:

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expressed are those of my wifes, I had no input whatsoever. Remove "nospam" from email addy.

Reply to
Roy

I was considering getting the Maxstar 150STH, but took the advice of some of the people on this newsgroup and bought the Pro-Wave.

I only expected that I'd be working with mild steel, copper, and stainless, but sprung for AC anyway.

In the last three days, I found myself doing a half dozen aluminum projects. For example, this morning I welded two bracelets together to make a necklace after the jewelry store said thay couldn't do it since it was aluminum (frog bracelet

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I used a .040 tungsten and about 30 amps (and 150Hz). Not sure what alloy the bracelet is (seemed softer than A356), but it melted a lot faster than I expected.

And I thought I was set since I practiced welding a few 1/4" diameter rings made from 5356 1/16" filer rod

So anyway, I'm really glad I got the Pro-Wave.

Reply to
Aaron Kushner

Yes, but I wouldn't recommend the Econotig. If he wants a transformer machine, go with the Miller 180SD. That's a much better machine for not much more money. I have had one for several years and can highly recommend it.

Inverters have also become an attractive option. For thin stainless (DC only), the Maxstar 150STH would be a good choice. It is very small, and has a lower primary current draw than a transformer machine. As with any Miller machine, it is very tough, and should last for many years.

Ernie has been pushing the Thermal Arc 185TSW lately. That's new. It is presently the lowest cost inverter capable of AC (for aluminum) as well as DC (for steel). I haven't used one, but it sounds good. I understand it is actually a Japanese import.

Gary

Reply to
Gary Coffman

Made with Sanrex (Japan) parts.

I think these have been out for at least a year or two.

The industry folks I've spoken with indicate that they have a good track record reliability-wise.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Dantzler

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