Wirelless foot pedal

[todmorg]

The torch switch only uses the two wires. So I wonder if you spliced the torch switch into the pedal plug I think it might work. The torch switch would be open when you use the pedal so it wouldn't mess with it. Then when you use the torch switch the pedal circuit would be open so they wouldn't mess with each other. I am not an expert on the plug pinouts and am just speaking from my basic electrical knowledge. Kind of like how a three way light switch works. Also you could put a connector on it so you could plug and unplug to the two wires from the pedal harness otherwise the pedal would be stuck to the torch wires.

The problem is, if you were to just close the switch contacts, the welder would be a minimum pedal amps. There would need to be a bypass circuit of some sorts.

2 plugs on the welder for this purpose would be a one up on the red and blue companies.

[GUNNER]

@Gunner... have you tried the CK wedge collets ?

No I haven't only because I haven't placed an order with CK as of yet.. I usually like to buy myself at least on new tool a week ( some weeks cost more than others) and this weeks just may be a CK torch and torch mounted amp control along with those collets.... I'm working Todd's idea out in my mind about how that would need to work.. I thinking it would require a control box like an A/B switch and a jumper cable from the machine to the box then simply rotate the switch located at your welding table somewhere handy to energize either the pedal or switch... Possibly that would work.. I agree plugging and un-plugging the cables all the time is for the birds.. Why Miller uses a 14 pin connector is beyond me since they only use 5 or 6 of them anyway

[Cippee]

Oh I didn't think of that. There would have to be a relay to block off the pedal wires when the torch switch it closed. I don't know if the voltage from the two wires on the torch switch would have the voltage to close a relay coil. It would have to be done with a circuit board then it starts getting complex. Lets patent it and cash in when the big two try to use it.

[Zmechanic]

Oh I didn't think of that. There would have to be a relay to block off the pedal wires when the torch switch it closed. I don't know if the voltage from the two wires on the torch switch would have the voltage to close a relay coil. It would have to be done with a circuit board then it starts getting complex. Lets patent it and cash in when the big two try to use it.

There's two pins on the connector that the foot-pedal shorts out to let the machine know it's a pedal. Make one connector with a simple circuit in front of it that branches out to both the foot pedal and the torch switch. When you press the torch switch, it closes the circuit to turn the welder on, but breaks the circuit that makes it look like a foot pedal. Either that, or you could take over the voltage input from the pedal, and just make it output max voltage when you press the torch switch to get max amps from the machine. Not too complex.

[Cippee]

The post earlier in the thread mentioned ck wedge collets. When I was looking at them I saw their trailing shield kit. This looks like a cool little thing. I bet it would help alot on titanium that has to be shielded until it cools a bit. Here is the page http://www.ckworldwide.com/trailing_shield.htm

[GUNNER]

The post earlier in the thread mentioned ck wedge collets. When I was looking at them I saw their trailing shield kit. This looks like a cool little thing. I bet it would help alot on titanium that has to be shielded until it cools a bit. Here is the page http://www.ckworldwide.com/trailing_shield.htm

I've welded a lot of Ti with just a large cup and adjustment of my torch angle and careful attention to amps.. However I have been looking at those Large size Gas saver lenses with the Pyrex cups that they sell for my Ti work. If you're doing work that's going to be Dye Pen inspected you will see cracks in your Ti welds unless it's welded in an Atmosphere Chamber purged with Argon completely! but for most other applications you'll not see any ill effect from not using the chamber unless you are a real bone head and are trying to screw up of something insane like that.. Personally I love Ti welding and Stainless steel as well. Both produce beautiful welds when properly done.. But both in the wrong hands can also produce some ugly results just they same.. My personal favorite is always Aluminum because after all these years it will still kick my butt if I don't pay attention to details.. It's still a fun challenge every time and I don't recall ever thinking I done a perfect job ever! I always see places I could have done better.. Sadly I've spent a lot of time working around some welders that I would give my left nut to be as good as they are and because of that I push to improve with every dip of the filler wire! Maybe by the time I'm blind I'll be satisfied with my own work.. But maybe not because blindness has really started to take a toll on me in recent years... Perfect vision until about 43 or so and now at 48 I can tell a huge difference.. I weld with 2.75 reading glasses now and without them I can only see a blur !!! With them I see perfectly still I hope and pray they don't stop working or else I'll need a new profession!!! That or hurry my son along and get him ready to take over which is my dream anyway!!

[Cippee]

You can make a chamber cheap out of a harbor freight sandblast cabinet. I think is is only $120 or so. You can't go wrong for that price. Like you said though you can get by without one. The soviets made a couple of attack subs during the cold war out of titanium. I am curious to how they faired welding the hulls together. That is some thick stuff. They must have needed some huge ovens to preheat that thick crap. The whole thing would have to be welded in an inert atmosphere. I bet the welders had to wear scba tanks. Maybe it was welded using a special process I don't know. I would have liked to see it done though. The subs were able to dive to an estimated 4000 feet deep. Our best subs today barely hit 2000. The soviets only made a couple out of titanium because of the insane cost.

[GUNNER]

You can make a chamber cheap out of a harbor freight sandblast cabinet. I think is is only $120 or so. You can't go wrong for that price. Like you said though you can get by without one. The soviets made a couple of attack subs during the cold war out of titanium. I am curious to how they faired welding the hulls together. That is some thick stuff. They must have needed some huge ovens to preheat that thick crap. The whole thing would have to be welded in an inert atmosphere. I bet the welders had to wear scba tanks. Maybe it was welded using a special process I don't know. I would have liked to see it done though. The subs were able to dive to an estimated 4000 feet deep. Our best subs today barely hit 2000. The soviets only made a couple out of titanium because of the insane cost.

Funny you mention the Subs.. I worked with a company that worked hand in hand with Electric Boat during the Sea Wolf project which was America's answer to those Titanium Hulled Russian Subs.. However they still aren't the answer to those.. Because of one of Ti's best properties those subs will never be equaled by anything short to another Ti Sub... A Sub has a Hull life that is measured by Hull distortion caused by the pressures of diving deep in the ocean. Ti has a great memory ! In fact one of the best of any metal known to man. It will stretch and compress, twist and come back to it's original condition better than any other material used for Hull construction. The light weight was just an added bonus. Those subs can't be equaled still today. The sea wolf hull was made of a carbon steel material but every other main component was Titanium! That was where I first got introduced to welding Titanium materials. I held a Navy Nuclear 250-1500 welding cert at that time which meant I had clearance to weld on piping that came in direct contact with the primary water ( the nasty stuff ).. The secondary water is what flows all over the boat and it's not suppose to have any contamination in it. I built a part called a Boiler Water Sample Cooler that had one job. It was used several times an hour during the time a Sub was in operation with the reactor active to check the secondary water for leaks in the system.. It took the secondary water (steam) in on one end at 575 degree there about and it passed through a coil inside made of 70/30 copper nickle ( Monel ) and when it came out the other end it was condensed into water that went to the on boat lab and was check for radiation leaks in the system. If one was discovered unless the boat was involved in war at the time it was returned to the dry Doc for repairs.... The sea wolf back in 1994 when I left that company cost 3 plus Billion a copy to build... At today's rate I wonder what that would cost? The inspectors from Electric Boat was always at the plant doing inspections and during the time spent standing around waiting for a test to come off we would always talk. It was funny how they reacted when you ask them specific questions about those boats... imagine this was Pre 9-11 and they still acted like you were some kind of Russian Spy!!! Today you would be arrested on the spot and probably sent to Cuba for a long lonely vacation.. Being from Tennessee I have always lived near Oak Ridge and know many people that work there.. After 9-11 the security has increased to a point of insane! They have no sense of humor out there about anything! I enjoyed working at that level during the time I was doing it but I'm a lot more happy NOT working at that level!!! Life is a lot less stressful not having someone crawling up in your business 24/7... It pays well but the dedication required did cost me my first marriage! Not seeing your family but 6 or 8 hours a week for several years on end will result in the same results every time!

[GUNNER]

The subs were able to dive to an estimated 4000 feet deep. Our best subs today barely hit 2000. The soviets only made a couple out of titanium because of the insane cost.

Imagine a building large enough to weld a sub hull completely purged with argon !! That's how they did it.. The welders wore contained suits that supplied their air and carried away their exhaust.. The United States wouldn't even consider doing that at that time and damn sure not today!! Those subs are still very classified! and will probably always remain that way

[Cippee]

I would think also the Ti subs would be harder to detect. Ti is non magnetic. Planes use a device I think called a mad. Magnetic anomaly detector to look for large metal objects. Lucky for America they didn't build more of them. I think in new london, connecticut kind of by where I live they have a sub base and plant they build them. I would like to see them build them. Like you said I would be talking a trip to cuba if I tried to check them out. That is some interesting stuff you did. I hope it isn't classified still or your going to have some vacation time.

[GUNNER]

I would think also the Ti subs would be harder to detect. Ti is non magnetic. Planes use a device I think called a mad. Magnetic anomaly detector to look for large metal objects. Lucky for America they didn't build more of them. I think in new london, connecticut kind of by where I live they have a sub base and plant they build them. I would like to see them build them. Like you said I would be talking a trip to cuba if I tried to check them out. That is some interesting stuff you did. I hope it isn't classified still or your going to have some vacation time.

Fairly common knowledge these days... Nothing that anyone would consider top secret.. The company I worked for Aqua Chem Water Technologies Division supplied all the water making equipment for most all Navy vessels from Aircraft carriers to SeaWolf Class Subs, 688 class sub, and Ohio Class Subs. Pure water is a very important thing when you stop to think about it and they don't exactly carry bottled stuff ya know.. The rest of the equipment we made all spawned from the water equipment.. I had the privilege of working with some very smart people.. The modern Sub is the most advance weapon known to man.. They would never tell stuff like how fast they could go or how deep they could dive... I do know they are faster under the water than on top..

[dyethor]

I remember getting a tour when I was little on a sub my uncle was on. It was the USS Gurnard a sturgeon class. The only area that was restricted was the reactor area. Got to see the torpedo room and everything else. That was way cool. And talk about a small sleeping area.