Which hand control is best?

Why not just get a contact button and use the sequencer built into your machine?

Does anyone have any comments on which style of control is the best?

Hi Ernie, or anyone else who wants to be helpful

Could you explain the details of this, for us simple folk who are not used to rigging-up these things? I can cope with it being conceptually an "idiot's guide" on how to do this :-)

I realised that using a footpedal is not brilliant when you are welding positionally, leaning inside a structure!

Regards

Richard Smith

From a past post:

Sequencer Description

Subject: Re: New Maxstar 200 DX ... Setup? From: Ernie Leimkuhler Newsgroups: sci.engr.jo> What's the sequencer do?

What does a sequencer do? Well pretty much everything except make your coffee.

A sequencer is gods gift to repetitive welding jobs.

Any machine with a built in sequencer will have what is called a

2MT-Hold setting. This allows the sequence to be controlled by 2 button taps.

The first part of the sequence is initiated by the first button tap.

1. Preflow gas - This will purge air from the line and torch before the arc initiates.

1. Arc initiation via high frequency.

2. Initial Amperage - This is the amperage the machine starts at once the arc is initiated.

1. Up Slope - this is the amount of time the machine takes to ramp up from the initial amperage to the working amperage.

2. Working amperage - the amperage needed to weld the material.

or

1. Pulsed weld amperage.

Then a second button tap when the weld bead is complete.

1. Down Slope - the time it takes to get from the working amperage to the final amperage. A longer down slope prevents a pit from forming in the end of the weld bead.

1. Final amperage - what the machine slopes down to before terminating the arc.

2. Post flow gas - This shields the tungsten and weld area as both cool.

So all that with just 2 button taps.

To give you an idea of settings, my machine is currently set up for tack welding together stainless steel picket railings.

1/2 second preflow gas, 2 amps initial amperage, 1 second up slope, 80 amps working amperage, pulser is set to 40% on time, 50% background amperage and 1.2 pulses per second, 3 seconds of downslope to a final amperage of 3 amps and 15 seconds or postflow. I adjust the working amperage a little up or down depending on how the welds are going.

Older machines that don't have a 2MT-Hold setting require you to push and hold the button. Releasing the button starts the second half of the sequence.

The Syncrowave 351 at school doesn't have 2MT-Hold so we just use the foot pedal to trigger the sequence.

The main challenge of using a sequencer is figuring out what amperage you really NEED to weld a bead.

Trial and error can get you there.

Here are some guidelines for minimum amperages.

Start with 1 amp for each thousandth of an Inch of thickness (0.001"). So 1/8" steel or aluminum = 0.125" thick = 125 amps. Simple and easy. Now 2 complications. For inside fillet welds, increase amperage by 30% For outside fillet welds, decrease amperage by 30%

Those numbers are for Steel or Aluminum.

For stainless steel, decrease amperage by 30%. For copper, increase amperage by 100%. For bronze, decrease amperage by 50%.

Use of a pulser will skew this amperage estimate. Usually you have to increase the amperage a bit to compensate.

To hook up a control button for the sequencer you can either just buy a remote contactor control button from CK Worldwide, or make your own. I make my own because CK's is just too big to be comfortable. I use OEM replacement buttons for plasma cutter torches ($20 each). They are armored in black silicon rubber so you don't get a shock from any high freq bleed through. The wires for the switch are run along the TIG torch cables. You can just wrap electrical tape every foot or so. I use a heavy fiber sheath to encase the whole lot. The button is just electrical taped to the torch handle. I have tried making fancy brackets and electrical tape works better.

The wires hook up to the first 2 pins for your remote connector. Usually pins A and B.