[d.smith]

Looking to get a switch or a torch with an amperage adjuster knob or something like it. have seen it on aircooled torches but I run watercooled on my miller syncrowave 250. Mostly want it for the jobs when im inside a cover and have to rig up the foot pedal on my knee or in some uncomfortable positions. Doesn't work very well since im a tall dude.

Or if anyone has some better suggestions let me know!

[hey_allen]

I've seen accessory adjustments that either replace the handle or strap on top of the handle from any number of companies, especially when you're using one of the big brand welders.

Being just a hop skip and jump away from the CK plant, I looked at their catalog and saw at least three options to do that.
http://www.ckworldwide.com/linear.html is one of them, if you wanted a linear slider. They also have rotary and pistol-grip designs.

Hope that helps some.

[Braehill]

I have one from CK and one from Miller at home and one from an unknown company at work. The Miller is an East/West rotation and the Ck is a North/South rotation, as is the one at work. The CK is spring loaded and returns to zero when you release it, the others hold whatever value it's at when released. All have their good and bad points and I can't say I like one over the other because I hate them all in general.

It's very hard to manipulate any of these things while welding, and especially while in an already awkward position. I do most of my welding at home at a bench where a foot pedal shines and most of my work at work is done with a scratch start rig. I've never really spent a lot of time try to get used to them, but I guess it can be done. The one at work is set up on a Syncrowave 350 at a sister plant of mine and the guy there who does the welding uses it all the time and seems to love it. He even welds at the bench with it and doesn't even have a foot pedal on hand. If I have to bench weld at that plant I take my SSC pedal with me and put on that machine.

These are all just opinions and should be taken as such.

I would like to try one of the linear ones but don't want to have spend another $175 to find out I don't like it either.

Len

[d.smith]

any tips on how to set up a synrowave for scratch start. I have only ever used a foot pedal TIG welding. Do I need to get a torch with the gas wheel on it? Setting up scratch start may be my best option right now. Have tried before and just starts burning really bright not controlling the arc and no gas going to it. all I did was turn the remote amperage off so I could scratch but I don't know much about the whole set up. lol

[Braehill]

You can set it up with a torch with a valve as you suggested otherwise you would still need a torch switch (On/OFF) to initiate the gas flow through the solenoid valve. A torch with a valve can be hooked up to the positive lead and the hose directly to the regulator and this eliminates the solenoid and then set the machine just as normally would without the remote contactor and amp control (local/local). Others here are more familiar with the controls on a Syncrowave than me, I only get to use that machine on occasion. They can correct me if I have wrong.

Of course this is only going to work with steel and not Aluminum.

I only own air cooled torches with valves but I think they make water cooled ones also. Check CK's website.

Len

[d.smith]

Thanks Len, waiting to see from my work If they would consider picking one up for me, seems to make more sense than rigging up a set up to use the foot pedal with.