WP-20 TIG torch leaking near the handle

Would anyone know if TIG torches are repairable, mine is leaking from inside the handle. I can take my time fixing it if necessary. Are the connections inside such that I can cut off a bit of hose and reconnect again?

Reply to
Ignoramus18200
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The simple answer may be, yes, probably--depending.

The link to the simple WP-20 diagram:

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Link to more WP-20 than you wanted to Know:
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Reply to
R

The one I was inside had crimped on threaded fittings. The hoses are available from a welding shop, assuming it is the flex hose that is leaking.

Good Luck, Bobh

Reply to
BobH

That is a real good answer.

Perhaps the real question the original poster is asking is the power cord repairable.

I just cooked one and had that problem. I actually was able to cut some of the copper cable off and spread the piece to shorten up everything. I am not sure everyone is capable of doing all of what I did It took incredible finger strength to get the plastic hose over my repair. If you put the wire tie on too tight you have to shorten up the plastic even more. I am sure I will install a new power cord next time as I doubt I would be able to expand the copper again the way I squished it this time. You must also not squish the water passage hole. If you have a couple of weeks and the leak isn't a major long melt Alcoa makes a product for gluing gutter parts together that I use on the power cords unfortunately on a regular basis. Lowes has a different brand for less money that may be the same but I don't know. I have new ones in boxes but want to milk the most out of the ones I have while using total discharge and tap water. Those 20 torches don't have a lot of spare room inside. You just twist the handle it unscrews then you pull it off then you can see what the issue is perhaps you just need to tamper with the tie wire and won't have to shorten the cable inside.

Precious few places with data on that torch state amps and power cord length. I probably should have cut the cord down to half as the new one is

25 feet. these 25 feet ones seem to reach a point where you just can't seem to get that next little bit just the discharge water gets hotter and when you switch to the bigger one like the 18 model you get much more heat at the same dial setting. That seems somewhere around 150 amps in the tig mode on the last machine I was using.

Fran

Reply to
fran...123

Yep, my next onw will be 12.5 feet.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus20864

Fine if you're always working on small stuff on a table next to the machine, however I find I do a lot of frames with square tube and the

25' torch cable is needed to be able to move around and work where you want to on a frame.
Reply to
Pete C.

I use stick for that stuff... I believe I have 40 ft leads.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus20864

It isn't that hard to use a welding lead for the electricity and an empty tube for the water in place of some of the 25 feet of power cable which had the braided copper cable and plastic sheath. What is inside that 20 size power cord is about halfway between a round toothpick and a pencil. It might even be closer to the toothpick. I don't know what is considered normal, I have a block of brass that the power cable of the torch goes into and also the left hand thread of a water tube and a perhaps 5/8 hole through some brass a bit over an eighths thick to bolt the electricity to. I have been known to braze the stub of a fat electrode on there as well. Well I guess normal probably is bolt that thing to the welding machine with a copper alloy wing nut.

Fran

Reply to
fran...123

I'm rather addicted to TIG and use that for just about everything.

Reply to
Pete C.

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