Welding Tips and Tricks

Finally got around to measuring amps out with 2 different clamp type meters on the Primeweld. A Fluke from work and my nearly 30 year old Tenma. They agreed fairly well at all but highest end. I know the Tenma does better under 1A and catches start currents better, but it's likely the Fluke is right at higher amps. Also, the balance adjustment changed the reading on the Tenma but not the Fluke.

Fluke listed first each time.

DC
Minium indicated 9A. Measured 12.5 and 12.3A.
59 indicated. Measured 60.9 and 58.9A.
117 indicated. Measured 119.5 and 116.8A.
221 indicated. Measured 224 and 212A. Set on 224, but TigButton limited display to 221A.

AC display varied with frequency from 19A to 32A when not welding.
Minimum amp set:
Minimum frequency indicated 17. Measured 21.7 and 20.1A.
Maximum frequency indicated 32. Measured 36.1 and 36.4A.

Max amp set:
Minimum frequency indicated 222. Measured 224 and 212A.
Maximum frequency indicated 222. Measured 223 and 211A.

Not sure if anyone had checked this before, so here's what I found. I knew about the lack of low end on the AC side before purchase so I can't complain. I'm fairly impressed overall. The TigButton got close enough to full scale that I didn't bother checking the foot pedal.

Hope this helps someone, or at least answers some questions.

Kevin

Kevin,

How does one turn this into actual amps needed from the wall?

I'll try to get some measurements sometime. I checked it with a Kill A Watt on 120V a year ago but I don't remember any values.

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Nice David. Vary the frequency and see if it changes?

Some variation doesn't surprise me. We aren't talking about a $4000 machine. I've had the welder a year now and just checked the output yesterday. It was just out of curiosity, not downing Primeweld in any way.

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Your machine is indicating lower than mine. That should be a good thing.

What do you mean, sign of this?

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DavidR8 wrote:

v5cvbb wrote:Your machine is indicating lower than mine. That should be a good thing.

What do you mean, sign of this?

Sorry autocorrect got me. I meant significance not sign.

Maybe he meant that newer models handle the amps better.

Haven't been to this thread in a while. This is a kinda sorta cart design I'm building for my Primeweld.

I'm winging some of it, so don't have all the details just yet, like a handle in front, a holder on the side for my tig filler, etc...so keep that in mind. I'm trying to keep the size down as I'm limited on space in my current shop.

Dimensions for the material are not listed, but the frames are 1 x 2 .093", the supports for the top frame are 1-1/2" x 2" x .080 for 2 of them and 1 x 2 x .093 for the other 2, just what I had on hand that would work.

I have both frames welded, need just a bit of cleanup and cut the supports for the top frame tonight. Trying to make this so that the knobs will be raised above my welding table which is 31" high. Bottle is probably taller than pictured, it's a 7" diameter 125 cu.ft. tank. I'll also add some hangers for my torch, ground and stinger.

removing plans for now.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:Haven't been to this thread in a while. This is a kinda sorta cart design I'm building for my Primeweld.

I'm winging some of it, so don't have all the details just yet, like a handle in front, a holder on the side for my tig filler, etc...so keep that in mind. I'm trying to keep the size down as I'm limited on space in my current shop.

Dimensions for the material are not listed, but the frames are 1 x 2 .093", the supports for the top frame are 1-1/2" x 2" x .080 for 2 of them and 1 x 2 x .093 for the other 2, just what I had on hand that would work.

I have both frames welded, need just a bit of cleanup and cut the supports for the top frame tonight. Trying to make this so that the knobs will be raised above my welding table which is 31" high. Bottle is probably taller than pictured, it's a 7" diameter 125 cu.ft. tank. I'll also add some hangers for my torch, ground and stinger.

I use Heliers-hooks on my bottles. You can find them on Jody's store.

As for the rack holding your machine, angle it higher in the front than the rear. This makes seeing the front of the machine much easier and helps with stability.

cj737 wrote:As for the rack holding your machine, angle it higher in the front than the rear. This makes seeing the front of the machine much easier and helps with stability.

Took your advice, but don't have these welded up yet, the frames are welded, but the posts are just cut and not welded, still needs a tad of cleanup. I'm looking forward to getting the Evo S380CPS cold cutting saw to ease the fit-up on the miters.

Just a heads up for any of you Primeweld owners...

There's a guy on YT that just got a Primeweld recently, I've seen some of his videos in the past, but he's a really good fabricator and does a lot of plasma CNC stuff...anyway, he recently sold his Miller Synchrowave 250 and bought a Primeweld, seems they gave him some discount, but he paid for much of it.

He name is Alex Jordan, pretty young guy, but he's a good fabricator, IMO.

If you haven't seen his YT channel, check out AM Custom Fab:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC63HmF ... 0WbefrG4PQ

I was telling Kevin about him recently, he's got a video and taking a phone pic and turning it into a plasma cut part in Fusion 360, that's a really cool one, IMO.

I wouldn't mind an update on it, anything you'd like to add now that you've spend some more time with it? I'm curious if you've hit the duty cycle yet, or pushed it hard. I've read that it's 40% maxed out at 225 which isn't bad at all if that's the case.

sbaker56 wrote:I wouldn't mind an update on it, anything you'd like to add now that you've spend some more time with it? I'm curious if you've hit the duty cycle yet, or pushed it hard. I've read that it's 40% maxed out at 225 which isn't bad at all if that's the case.

Are you asking me?

I've never hit the duty cycle on this welder, but have never pushed it really hard yet either, certainly nothing above 180 amps. I can't even hook my #26 torch up until I get a new dinse which I ordered a couple days ago. I only have a CK Worldwide 17 Flexhead.

Justin from The Fabrication Shop did a review on this welder about a year and a half back, he welded at 225 amps for about 6 or 7 minutes and it didn't hit the duty cycle, if my memory is correct, and he did it with the 17 torch supplied, he just couldn't weld anymore without frying his hand.

See about 17:30 into this video. There is a slightly deceiving statement in here, he says he's welding after for 7.5 minutes at 160, he quotes the duty cycle for 110v, and at 160 amps it's 60% duty, still 15% over the duty cycle. That's after he welds that 1/4" aluminum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YkWY3nVAlY&t=1050s

Yes, I was just curious as I'm getting a bit addicted to tig and while it does a pretty decent job even without a foot pedal, and I'm sure I'll pick one up in the future, I'm really thinking of still eventually adding the Primeweld to my arsenal due to how affordable it is.

sbaker56 wrote:Yes, I was just curious as I'm getting a bit addicted to tig and while it does a pretty decent job even without a foot pedal, and I'm sure I'll pick one up in the future, I'm really thinking of still eventually adding the Primeweld to my arsenal due to how affordable it is.

The PrimeWeld has exceeded all of my expectations, not just with Tig, but the Stick has more than lived up to it’s promise. Considering it comes with a genuine CK Worldwide torch and an SSC style pedal, it is quite the deal...not to mention the 3 year warranty, I don’t know how they can do it. It was really reading cj’s post up near the top of this thread that even got me to consider it, my plan was to wait and get the HTP or Miller. It’s no HTP or Miller, but it holds it’s own. If I had this and an Invertig 275-S I think I would have all I would need for any stick or Tig. In fact a guy I know in WI has many welders, the Primeweld included, but he said if he could only have 2 machines, he would keep his PrimeWeld and Millermatic 252. He does his stick with a Miller XMT 304, but said the Primeweld could handle pretty much all of his stick...I am not sure, he does quite a bit of trailer work, but he would know better than me. He was the guy that ran the 6010 rod on it before me.

I should just add, the reason I say that about your Invertig 275-S is that many people say that’s one of the best Stick inverters, and I don’t think the Primeweld is even close when it comes to Stick. It’s good enough for me, but the Invertig could be taken to just about any job site and hold it’s own on Stick, IMO.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:I should just add, the reason I say that about your Invertig 275-S is that many people say that’s one of the best Stick inverters, and I don’t think the Primeweld is even close when it comes to Stick. It’s good enough for me, but the Invertig could be taken to just about any job site and hold it’s own on Stick, IMO.

Invertec.

Oscar wrote:Invertec.

Can I blame spell check, or should I chalk it up to a brain fart?

or a Freudian slip trying to tell you something

Oscar wrote:or a Freudian slip trying to tell you something

I'm gonna go with the brain fart, I was talking about the Invertec...

I keep coming back to this machine. The cash saved allows me to buy the other required items.

roncruiser wrote:I keep coming back to this machine. The cash saved allows me to buy the other required items.

As little as I know about TIG and the even less I know about stick told me this was the right machine for me.