Welding Tips and Tricks

bought a older 1990s hobart tigwave 250 ac/dc tig. it has a large amount of controls on the front panel. problem is most all of the painted letters and numbers have fade so i can be sure of what they say. i down load an user mauel from the internet which did help locate and idenify what each control is but is short on what to set them on.
So my task or goal is, argon gas, no water cool, welding steel 3/16, using a foot control for heat, input 230 volts.
Questions: 1. "Arc force control" say only active when in "high frequency switch" is in "stick" position HFS has 4 positions but i cant read any of the labels, i think i need to be in "continuous" position for ac tig ?? but dont know which of the 4 positions that is?
2. if i am using a foot control do i still use and set the "amperage adjustment dial" and if so what to set it on?
3. last question (for now) there is a large lever control with 3 positions (up-middle-down) and it's called "ac/dc selector switch" that selects polarity and mode of operation but the mauel dosent say which position is what and the labels on the panel are long gone, and i dont know where to set it even if i could read the labels?? any help would be great, thanks Don

Hey,

Do a google search for your welder, put in control panel and change it to "images" this may give you a picture you can reference. Also call Hobart, if they are wrapped up with miller, who have good customer service .

Mick

You said you downloaded the manual for it so you'll have pictures in it of your machine. You can also do as Mike suggested and view images of your machine online but searching for it in Google and selecting the "Images" tab above the results. Simply print out the image and hang it next to your machine or get really creative and re-draw the faded letters/numbers on the front of your machine.

Best of luck.

Does it look like this?

Or this

thanks, my welder is the same as the black tigwave with the american flag sticker. im having trauble reading the "high frequency switch" in your photos. i think the switch is 4 possition being 8 oclock, 7 oclock, 5 oclock & 4 oclock. the photo looks like 7 oclock is "continuous" but the owners mauel talks about "a.start, b.off, c.continuous, d.stick" which make me think b. = 7 oclock.

as to the "amperage control switch" the owners mauel is confusing with conflicting statments. im using a foot control, is says place in remote for foot control, and local for front panel amp control but then in a diagram it says for foot control set on local, i dont get it? thanks again, don

donald wrote:thanks, my welder is the same as the black tigwave with the american flag sticker. im having trauble reading the "high frequency switch" in your photos. i think the switch is 4 possition being 8 oclock, 7 oclock, 5 oclock & 4 oclock. the photo looks like 7 oclock is "continuous" but the owners mauel talks about "a.start, b.off, c.continuous, d.stick" which make me think b. = 7 oclock.

Don,
For what it's worth, I make out that photo as:
Start - 5 o'clock
Off - 6 o'clock
Continuous - 7 o'clock
Stick - 8 o'clock
Which seems consistent with the instructions you have.

Cheers,
Richard

this is great, i got it. thank you, thank you. don