Tig welder

rnscustom wrote: Still jammed at work but managed to do a couple cash jobs and save some more money so I finally pulled the trigger on a Lincoln squarewave 200 . Got it 3 weeks ago and still in the box . Anyone have any feedback on this machine . Was on the edge with the AHP but figured this would be better service wise ( bought at the local Airgas ) thanks again for all the help , Richard

Been real busy at work so I havnt looked up the tig setup for the mig . Can aluminum be done with this setup . Thanks for all the responses , Richard

I really wouldn't want to learn how to tig weld aluminium without frequency control. It's possible, but learning on a machine that was intended for the application first would be easier. The DC/inverter arc conversion setups work incredibly well though for mild steel and stainless.

You don't need a TIG welding machine, just a TIG torch (with gas control valve on torch) and gas bottle with regulator assembly. Clip the torch electrode end to the rod holder, ground as normal, connect torch to regulator on bottle.

TIG can be used AC or DC. AC is typically used on aluminum because the constant polarity switch keeps the weld clean of oxides. AC doesn't penetrate as much as DC. DC straight polarity (electrode positive, ground negative)  penetrates the most. For sheet metal or other thin materials reverse the cables with DC -- negative on torch, positive on ground. AC is sort of between the two DC configurations. You can weld anything with AC, just doesn't penetrate as much as DC straight at the same heat, but it's enough for even heavy welding on 1/4"-1/2" thick material, just requires more amps for the same penetration as DC straight. So if you have an AC stick welder you can get a torch and gas bottle setup and start TIG welding on the cheap.

I have a Lincoln Squarewave 255 Tig Welder with Water Cooled Torch and convertible to Stick, it has seen a lot of hard service doing Aluminum and Stainless Steel flawlessly, but it does take up alot of space and I think is way overkill for anything you would run into in the Automotive World.  The only problem it ever had was the "touch" pad to adjust the current and modes.   The main reason I bought it was to do very thin Aluminum and S/S and you can dial the current down so low.  If you are keeping in the hobbyist world, I would go with Armand (White70JavelinSST), low investment advise.   Just keep an eye on the consumables/parts prices, some companies like to gouge big time on the air cooled torches and make it very difficult to swap to a "generic" replacement.  Used machines if you don't know the seller can be a real gamble too.