Henrob vs Meco

Get the Meco Midget from

If you get the Meco from Tin Man you should also get a set of his lightweight hoses. Regular hoses will seem big and clunky with the Midget.

Frank

Frank, What are the limitations of the Meco? I can use my Victor for thick stuff, hopefully the Meco is up to 18 -22gu steel? Do the lightweight hoses go straight on the bottles or are they like a whip hose which attaches to the regular hoses?

Ken

Ken

I have welded 12 Gauge with my Meco, no problem (#3 Tip) and there are larger tips available if you need them. It is absolutly perfect for working 18/22 gauge material.

The lightweight hoses should be used as leader hoses, they are about 12' with "A" ends to connect to the Meco.

Check out the Tin Man website under products and FAQ's that should answer most other questions you might have. If not give Kent White a call at Tin Man, he's a very knowledgable source of information.

Frank

I've used the Meco and the lightweight hoses for about a year, and I won't use anything else! My welding is primarily .040 and .063 (16 ga) aluminum, so lighter mild steel would be easy with the torch. For vision, I have a magnifying insert in my welding goggles, and they're available at any good welding suply.

Bob

Bob, I've seen mag inserts for Arc welding hoods, but not for GAs welding setups. Guess I need to look again. What makes you prefer gas over Tig for Aluminum?

Ken

I KNOW how to gas weld!

Bob

Do you use Tinmantech's flux and special lenses. I have a Simth torch I would like to weld some AL for fun, but $100 for the lense is keeping that on the back burner right now....

THanks, Rod

Robert Murray wrote:

Those welding lenses are made especially to control the sodium flare of gas welding aluminum. If you think those are expensive, try having your eyesight detoriate (sp) over long term exposure to this flare.

I think the tinman owns the patent on these lenses, so they may not be avaible via other sources.

I've seen kent (tinman) demonstrate aluminum welding. He makes it look so easy.

John

There is something I don't quite understand. I have my standard shade 5 lenses and I practice flux weld and braze with them. I'll start trying my hand at aluminium soon. What the sodium flare causes is difficulty to see the welding beacuse of the yellow haze or, is the light it produces able the pass the shade 5 glass (I find this incredible!) and so damages eyes? If is the former, why in the times of cobalt and dydimium lenses they did not wear them over shade 5? (I think this is called "dangerous baloney" at tinmans') I'm guessing the stacking ended up too dark. Yet at the henrob site they offer blue lenses for $20 that seems to be worn over standard shade 5. I'm risking my eyes by brazing (and inthe future welding Al) by using only shade 5?

regards,

Mongke

With shade 5 lenses, the sodium flare makes it impossible to see the weld in progress. With Kent's lens, I can see the weld, and also do steel. Yes, I do use his flux and lenses; while expensive, they work, and in the end that's what counts! Bob

The tinman explains this much better than I can. Check out his website (tinmantech.com I think) and read what he has to say about this.

John