inline air dryer

[johnson697]

this is an inline air dryer i made for my tig welder to remove moisture from the line ,got instructions from welding tips and tricks

[Trip59]

this is an inline air dryer i made for my tig welder to remove moisture from the line ,got instructions from welding tips and tricks

Nice work!

Where'd you get the beads, get a good deal?

[johnson697]

Got the beads from insulationstation and i think i paid like 10.00 plus shipping,there was plenty there i could make another if i wanted to.

[everlastsupport]

Got the beads from insulationstation and i think i paid like 10.00 plus shipping,there was plenty there i could make another if i wanted to.

Looks like 10% off or a little better for 5lbs. Wish HF sold it. Figure what they make on the $7.99 unit, not much desiccant in those little things.

Looks like 14oz if a fair amount for the price.

http://shop.theinsulationstation.com...c?categoryId=3

[Mike J]

How long you think the beads will last?

[Trip59]

How long you think the beads will last?

You mean how many uses or per cycle? I'd think per cycle would depend on quite a few environmental factors, how hot outside, how long it's running (stops and starts would prevent as much moisture) the original gas composition, etc. I wouldn't even hazard a guess without running it to pink for the first time.

[johnson697]

you can reuse these beads after they turn pink heating in an oven and being careful not to get them to hot ,till they turn blue or the guy i talked to where i bought said you could even put them on a cookie sheet and set them outside in the sun and wait till they turn blue again

[ShaneJackson]

or put them in the microwave for 20 to 30 sec bursts. take out and mix between each heating. may take 3 or 4 heat cycles.

[everlastsupport]

I would think at low temperature dryouts, you would get a lot of use as nothing will melt, just evaporating the moisture out. I did put on in the toast oven/rod dryer at 250 range, took some time but they did turn dark blue again. Johnson deal on 14 oz for $10 is not too bad. I just have kept the last two HF ones and have about 3 left, so I will dump them and have enough I think at a much higher price (but got use of them prior).

Redbeard or someone mentioned the HF ones unscrew, confirmed.

[redbeard]

Looks like 10% off or a little better for 5lbs. Wish HF sold it.

They used to. I haven't seen it online in a while. I got a decent sized bag from the local store a year or so ago. They might still have some on the shelves.

Redbeard or someone mentioned the HF ones unscrew, confirmed.

I was actually wondering if they did, I haven't bought one yet. Thanks for being the guinea pig.

[johnson697]

mile have you ever had one on your argon tank for tig welding and have 1 turn pink?just curious to see if i ever will have a mositure problem.

[jakeru]

I think there are a lot of skeptics regarding whether something like this is of benefit, so please keep us posted after use it if you find that it is actually beneficial.

I believe that if you plumb yours in where Jody did (between the machine solenoid and the flow control valve in the flowmeter), the extra volume it adds there is probably going to increase the amount of argon that suddenly gets wasted out the TIG nozzle ("whoosh!") each time the gas solenoid opens. This could cause a noticeable increase your shielding gas consumption.

[redbeard]

I think there are a lot of skeptics regarding whether something like this is of benefit, so please keep us posted after use it if you find that it is actually beneficial.

I believe that if you plumb yours in where Jody did (between the machine solenoid and the flow control valve in the flowmeter), the extra volume it adds there is probably going to increase the amount of argon that suddenly gets wasted out the TIG nozzle ("whoosh!") each time the gas solenoid opens. This could cause a noticeable increase your shielding gas consumption.

I'd like to know that too, I just always assumed that the argon bottlers would make sure their product is moisture-free, but you do hear horror stories now and again.

Good point on the location jakeru, I bet if it was plumbed between the solenoid and the torch, it would actually help to absorb some of that annoying initial gust of Ar.

[everlastsupport]

I believe that if you plumb yours in where Jody did (between the machine solenoid and the flow control valve in the flowmeter), the extra volume it adds there is probably going to increase the amount of argon that suddenly gets wasted out the TIG nozzle ("whoosh!") each time the gas solenoid opens. This could cause a noticeable increase your shielding gas consumption.

Why the little harbor freight one my be a better, cheap, easier option for the argon filter. And build a bigger one for the compressor. Or the Fraz thing. Maybe I will look into that again today. I have a trip to Home Depot on the list for a 50 amp plug.

[johnson697]

so you think maybe i should cut it in half then?its like a foot long.

[jakeru]

If I were attempting one, I'd try modifying the flowmeter to install the dessicant in between the internal pressure regulator (of the flowmeter) and the flow control valve (of the flowmeter.) This could be on either side of the "floating ball" gauge. Usually, there are pipe threads on most flowmeters in one of these two locations, which is where you could install that dessicant inline. If you installed the dessicant "cavity" in that location, then it shouldn't have any affect on the volume of argon that suddenly comes out the TIG cup each time the solenoid opens.

[Poptm]

Doesn't matter where you plumb it in. The flow isn't going to increase over that which would occur if it wasn't there. The driving force is the same either way and as such the volume flowed out will not increase.

[Poptm]

Let me correct/clarify that. Plumbing it in where Jody did isn't going to increase the argon consumption. The flow isn't going to increase over that which would occur if it wasn't there. The driving force down stream of the flow meter doesn't increase with it installed and as such the volume flowed out will not increase.

[Trip59]

Not trying to argue, but I would have to disagree. If you look at the fluid dynamics of the configuration, the chamber would allow a larger volume building to pressure with the solenoid closed. Releasing the solenoid would bring that down to the same pressure as the hose under flow, but the additional volume would displace. My setup had a similar demonstrable example, I had the hose that came with the machine installed, full length. I had a blast of gas when I hit the switch because the hose had expanded, allowing a larger volume of gas to build. Reducing the length and using a more stretch resistant hose reduced this dramatically.

Now, to figure out how much, you'd need to take the volume at atmospheric pressure, the capacity of the chamber AT pressure and subtract. Multiply this by the number of times you release the solenoid and you may be surprised.

Using a rigid chamber would be the best way to mitigate the difference, at the very least, fiber reinforced hose versus the plain clear vinyl to minimize the stretch.

Or just tack on a buck to your base rate to compensate for the little bit of wasted gas.

[jakeru]

Poptm - for steady state gas flow, it wouldn't matter. For dynamic flow conditions (stops/starts of the solenoid), it actually would matter, as this post graphically explains:
http://www.everlastgenerators.com/fo...7184#post17184
if you try flipping back and forth between those two pictures in the linked post above, check out where the pressure is staying roughly the same, versus where is it undergoing dramatic pressure changes. Each time the pressure builds (when the solenoid closes), all that volume fills up. And each time the pressure drops (when the solenoid opens), whatever volume there is that undergoes the pressure drop suddenly gets released out the TIG torch.