Welding Tips and Tricks

weldingsupply.com is another good source for some stuff. They're my LWS, so just pick it up at will-call. And HTP is just down the street too. S/F.....Ken M

Hello, I am also a begginer, and am currently looking at a used Miller Econotig Welder. For around $1100, I wanted to know if this is a good investment? Also the pros and cons of the machine if anyone has used it in the past, or maybe a comparable machine to consider purchasing.

What do you plan on welding Devils EyE?

That will determine if the welder you listed or others like it will meet your needs.

one can make little parts with big machines
little machines can't make big parts
easy to out grow small stuff
I always advise invest more, the payback over time is large in satisfaction and $'s as skill increases

I am machinist first welder 2nd

http://youtu.be/SySpuEcGc9o

There are some extras in here I bought for whatever reason at the time while at Harbor Freight but you get the idea.

My reasoning for going with the purchased water cooler was the cost and time it would take to build my own would nearly equal the cost of just buying it and it wasn't too much. BTW I called them direct and that was their best price with a deluxe package at the time.

EDIT: Welder coming the 12th So welding next weekend if I can find argon. Need to make some calls to see what is available around me.

I checked out your video - has your welder shown up yet? Did Everlast end up cutting you a better deal direct?

FYI, these are the heavy gloves I was thinking of - they're more for MIG & stick, but they're thick and work well handling hot stuff. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lincoln-Elec ... /100341058 I'll be interested to hear your impression of the Tillman MIG gloves for that - I haven't tried them. HF sells a similar pair of long gloves for $5, but I recall they aren't quite as heavy.

The respirator's probably a smart idea when grinding tungsten, but you'll especially benefit when doing a lot of weld prep, etc.

Cheers,
Richard

RichardH wrote:I checked out your video - has your welder shown up yet? Did Everlast end up cutting you a better deal direct?

They were able to give me a price slightly less than that on amazon with the "deluxe package," included. The package is suppose to show up thursday the 12th.

Contacted my LWS (local welding store for all the new people out there) from a tip I read somewhere on one of the welding forums indicating this place is cheaper than my local airgas or northern tool. I figured I would post prices here to see what people thought about what action I should take.

80 cf Argon $222 bottle and contents. $38.50 for subsequent refills
155 Argon. $62 annual lease $35.83 first fill
336 Argon. $62 annual lease. $74.31 1 st fill

Note they only sell customers 80 CF tanks, anything larger is lease only.

That's not an unusual situation. In many locales, either because of the market or local laws, the LWS limits the size of cylinder they'll sell.

Will your LWS fill a customer-owned 330cf cylinder, and at the same price? And will they hydro-test it when it expires? If so, then an option is to keep looking for a large cylinder to own, maybe outside your area. As you can see, it can take several years to break even on owning instead of renting, but I prefer to spend for the long-term.

As for refill rates, they vary a lot by region, so the only valid test is how it compares to others in your area. I pay about $60 for 330cf refills, and others pay even less than me; meanwhile, some areas are twice the rates you're seeing.

Cheers,
Richard

Got the welder in today as well as the water cooler.

Any have a check list of things I should inspect before turning it on? If I recall there are some fittings I need to ensure are tight post shipping.

I did make an unboxing video and if you watch it you must be a fan boy because it is close to 11minutes long. That said I haven't posted it yet because my ipad is dying and needed to charge ^_^

I am going to have to hunt down what connectors I need to buy for my CK20 to hook up to the powertig 250ex and the water cooler as it appears the connections are different. I expected this though and just forgot to plan ahead.

I have not obtained my bottle yet. The LWS is only open 9-5 M/F so not sure when I will get it >_< Might have to snag something off craigslist if I can find it full. Then I need to figure out a way to fill it in the future if all gas suppliers are closed on weekends.

It's not unusual for gas supplier LWSs to have Saturday hours. Too many weldors work "on the side" NOT to have time available to serve them.

Steve S

Callmeburton wrote:

RichardH wrote:I checked out your video - has your welder shown up yet? Did Everlast end up cutting you a better deal direct?

They were able to give me a price slightly less than that on amazon with the "deluxe package," included. The package is suppose to show up thursday the 12th.

What does the "deluxe package" include?