Anyone doing scratch start TIG with a Power Arc ? (Adding a pedal ?)

[someguy]

I have a Power Arc 300. Awesome stick machine. Has anyone tried scratch start TIG with it ?

If it works, I'd like to add a pedal to it. The current potentiometer controls the current on that machine. I'd like to open it up and intercept the wiper lead on the current pot, put it to a switch and input jack that would allow me to control the current with the voltage output from a pedal.

If I did that, it would allow me to adjust the current while welding and also to shut the current down at the end of the weld, thus eliminating fish eyes.

While I was at it, I'd take the contact output from the pedal and use it to control the gas solenoid.

Wouldn't it be awesome to have a heavy duty 300 Amp 60% duty cycle DC TIG box for heavy duty TIG work ? Being its DC, it wouldn't work on aluminum, but it would work for everything else.

I think it would also be great to have a pedal on a Power Arc while stick welding. Miller stick/TIG boxes have them.

http://www.millerwelds.com/products/stick/cst-280/

Notice that the Power Arc 300 kicks the CST280's butt other than the pedal. The CST 280 is only 200A on single phase power. The PA 300 is 300A. The CST 280 is only 35% duty cycle. The PA300 is 60%. And the CST 280 doesn't have a 6010 output, nor Arc Force adjustment, nor Surge Current adjustment. And the PA300 is less than 1/4 the price.

I'd really like to get a pedal on my PA300 and try TIG with it.