Welding Tips and Tricks

I've got a Lincoln Square Wave Tig 200 on the way and it comes with a #17 torch. I'll be doing small artwork projects (in addition to heavier items that the 17 torch will handle) involving 12 ga stainless and mild steel wire in tight places in the area of 30 amps or so. I can't decide between a micro torch like the http://ckworldwide.com/micro-torch.html or the http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/eq ... ucttype=gt. I've only done AC stick and gas welding/brazing for years and new to TIG.
I've watched bazillions of Jodi's videos, but didn't see any with really small torches.
Do any of yoos guys have any experience with these small torches?

FNG wrote:I've got a Lincoln Square Wave Tig 200 on the way and it comes with a #17 torch. I'll be doing small artwork projects (in addition to heavier items that the 17 torch will handle) involving 12 ga stainless and mild steel wire in tight places in the area of 30 amps or so. I can't decide between a micro torch like the http://ckworldwide.com/micro-torch.html or the http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/eq ... ucttype=gt. I've only done AC stick and gas welding/brazing for years and new to TIG.
I've watched bazillions of Jodi's videos, but didn't see any with really small torches.
Do any of yoos guys have any experience with these small torches?

Hello FNG
Welcome to the forums
I haven't used a Lincoln TIG torch, come to think of it I've never seen one in my 25+ years of welding, guess I've always lived in Miller country. I've always had CK torches and in recent years the Miller brand, they may be made by CK they are very similar and both use the same consumables

Unless you're doing hard to reach areas I wouldn't think you'd want the CK you linked to just because it's intended for that use. You'll get better gas coverage with something like this, and the parts should be available if you have a LWS (local welding supply) where as they may not stock the consumables for the micro torch.

I would be interested in seeing some of your work if you care to post some pics.

There is also a wp20 pencil torch with a 180° head and a wp24 with the small torch head.

A size 9 is the smallest I've used. I only use it to get into tight spots but I do use it on pipe so generally about 130 amps.

I think that it might be easier to give you adice regarding the size and type of torch if you could post some representative photos of the kind of work you have in mind.

I used to have a CK80 (24 series). It was nice and small, but I hated that it didn't have a back cap. You have to take off the cup and loosen and tighten the gas lens or collet body to replace the tungsten. I was just starting out and didn't know better. And I was changing a lot if tungsten early on, so it was really tedious. Now I just have a CK20 for everything I do. Nice and light. Small enough with the medium back cap. I have a small button back cap and some short tungstens when I need to get into really tight spots.

zank wrote:Now I just have a CK20 for everything I do. Nice and light. Small enough with the medium back cap. I have a small button back cap and some short tungstens when I need to get into really tight spots.

Same. Water-cooled torches for the win! Seriously though, water cooled or not, a 9/20 torch will likely be small enough for what you want, unless we are talking mega tight. At 30a you could weld forever with an air-cooled torch.

If you have the funds, upgrading to water-cooled torches are a major improvement over air cooled for most stuff, being that you can weld until your heart is content in most cases and touch the torch head when you are done. We used air cooled 17 in school, and after about 15-20 minutes at 120-150 amps, you could barely hold on to the torch because it became so heat soaked.

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