Hello from Western Pa...

[blasphemy000]

Hello all. I just wanted to introduce myself to your wonderful welding forum. My name is Brad, I am from Home, Pa. I work building mobile water treatment plants that fit inside single axle box trucks. Welding and fabrication is a hobby of mine but I would one day like to make welding, or both, a career. I love working with my hands and building stuff out of metal. I am soon looking to purchase myself both a TIG/Stick Inverter machine, along with a plasma cutter. Due to my lack of funds I will most likely be purchasing a PowerPro 256 instead of purchasing multiple machines. I would much rather get a PowerTig 250EX and a PowerPlasma 60 but I think the all-in-one machine will suit me fine. Currently I own an older 120v Hobart Handler MIG welder which has kept me welding for the last 5 years. I also built myself a scratch-start TIG welder with a 90A Chrysler alternator, a 220v 1 1/2HP air compressor motor, and a battery charger to power the field coils. I have a rheostat wired between the charger and the alternator to provide me with a Max Amperage control and I also have an A/C rheostat pedal wired between the wall outlet and the battery charger to vary the field current thus also varying the output current. At the time of building it I couldn't even afford a TIG torch so I went ahead and built my own torch as well. It was all a great learning experience and it has allowed me to get a feel for TIG welding when I wasn't able to afford a proper machine.

I'm sorry this is terribly long and most of you have probably bailed already but I do have a few pictures of a practice weld I did tonight on 2 pieces of 1/4" plate set up in a 90* corner joint. This weld was made in 2 passes, 1 root pass with decent penetration and 1 cover pass over top of that. The plates are made of mild steel and unfortunately I didn't have any mild steel rods so I used some 1/16" stainless tie-wire I had laying around as filler. It's not meant to hold anything so don't worry about that, it was just a practice bead. It did pass the BFH test though. Anyways, on to the pictures. I only took pictures after the cover pass was laid down, I forgot to take a picture of the root pass. This was done in a horizontal position too by the way.

This was done at about 60-70A(I really have no way of telling.) with an 1/8" 2% Thoriated Tungsten(All I have availible). Argon as the shielding gas.

Link: Backside of weld.

Link: Top/Outside of weld.

The scuff in the very center is from where I bashed it a few times with a hammer. It didn't bend any that I could measure. Please critique away, but keep in mind I only have about 15minutes total seat time with a TIG welder and all of it has been with my alternator unit.

[everlastsupport]

Welcome Brad,

Interesting building a TIG torch and machine. Maybe post up some pictures of that as well. You welds will only get better and better, it is all practice.

The PP256 is a good light duty machine. If you plan to run and work most of the day, I would recommend separate units. I myself have the 250EX and a PP60 like you mentioned. No musical gas and torch changes save time as well. If the budget and space allow, that is a better choice for me.

[blasphemy000]

Thanks, I'll dig up the pictures of it and get them posted here soon, it's kind of a neat setup. I've been doing quite a bit of research on your machines and I'm still on the wall about the combination or separate units. I'll be putting the unit to work but it will by no means be a main source of income, and would be mostly light duty work and hobbyist type stuff. I figure it this way, if I can get the machine to at least pay for itself then I'll be happy.

Thanks for the welcome.

[everlastsupport]

Thanks, I'll dig up the pictures of it and get them posted here soon, it's kind of a neat setup. I've been doing quite a bit of research on your machines and I'm still on the wall about the combination or separate units. I'll be putting the unit to work but it will by no means be a main source of income, and would be mostly light duty work and hobbyist type stuff. I figure it this way, if I can get the machine to at least pay for itself then I'll be happy.

Thanks for the welcome.

Brad,

Glad to have you with us.

Surprised Mark or Ray did not pop in, they probably saw I responded and skipped the post, I do that a lot when I see they're the last to post in a thread. Or, it is the weekend, they might be off having fun.

I normally think more (dedicated) is better myself. But if hobby type work the PP256 will work fine for you. If light duty work, limited space or on a budget. Also, the payback between your picks are probably one-two jobs. Unless the jobs are for you personally .

You'll be happy either way and you can always upgrade down the road if needed.

Let us know if you have any questions.

[blasphemy000]

Pictures of my DIY TIG Machine:

Foot Pedal


Torch 1


Torch 2


Alternator and Max Amp Control

[zoama]

That's a hard core DIY welder you've got there... good job.

Please use the insert image tool for pics it's very easy... You can upload them from your computer or put your photobucket url in.

[blasphemy000]

Thanks zoama. It was really quite the learning experience and for thin metal it works great. I consider it a nice learning tool.
Thanks for the tip about the images, I'm not used to this newer version of vBulletin yet.

[performance]

I bet you won't complain about the 256 torch being too big...lol.

Don't forget, we have the PowerPro 205 as well. For the money, to me, it is the better bargain.

[DaveO]

Welcome, Brad! That's an impressive setup- can I ask, what is your background? A lot of people might have an alternator, compressor motor, and battery charger lying around the shop, but many fewer of them have connected those dots and created a welder.

[sportbike]

If you don't need the plasma cutter, take a look at the 200dx tig. I use it for general repair and to fabricate parts for my racebike. I have one and it works well. If I have something that actually requires a weld that is too large for this machine to handle, I can tack it together and take it to work and have it welded by someone who actually knows what they are doing :-)

By the way, I live just outside of Johnstown, about 35 miles from you.

[blasphemy000]

I actually went to school for computer programming, although I had been doing it for years before hand. I know a little bit about electronics, enough to build crazy stuff like this. I've looked over your entire range and I really like the PP256, I know I probably won't need all of the features that it has but I think it would be good for me to learn how to use them anyways. Just in case. That's how I see it anyhow. =)