Greetings from Oregon

[redbeard]

Hi all, my name is Ed and I'm a jack-of-all trades, heavy on the woodworking and home maintenance/repair light on mechanics and metalwork. My current occupation is the restoration of an 80 year old house in an old logging town in east-central Oregon which should give me some excuses to build myself some new tools and equipment (first on the list: snowplow!).

Hopefully Santa will have enough money to bring me a TIG this year to add to the plasma cutter from last Christmas. So far the PowerPlasma 60 has been doing great, at least for the modest amount I have been using it.

Looking forward to seeing everybody's projects and and sharing knowledge with all the members here.

Ed

[everlastsupport]

Welcome Ed,

Yes a TIG and you can make a number of tools. MIG is better for larger projects. Both a must, but TIG would be a great start. Hope Santa takes care of you. If you were local, I have a 225LX I would sell you.

Get a hold of Oleg at our main office when you are ready, he will make you a deal for sure. Post up your projects as well. We have a non-metal project area on the forum for those things.

[redbeard]

That 225LX would probably do me just fine, too bad I don't have the time or money for a vacation right now.

I'm doing OK with the stick for the larger stuff, but when I get down below 3/32", lets just say I've gotten pretty good at filling holes... I'm looking at the TIG primarily so I can do aluminum and hobby/art/tiny stuff. You never know when you might want to weld up a chainmail suit.

[everlastsupport]

That 225LX would probably do me just fine, too bad I don't have the time or money for a vacation right now.

I'm doing OK with the stick for the larger stuff, but when I get down below 3/32", lets just say I've gotten pretty good at filling holes... I'm looking at the TIG primarily so I can do aluminum and hobby/art/tiny stuff. You never know when you might want to weld up a chainmail suit.

That would work Could show you how to use it if new to TIG. This one has maybe 3 years left on the warranty or less, but Oleg might bump it. And it has been very well test.

Local sale would be better, no pack and pray it makes it. Show it work and how to use it, then send them on the way.

A number of people love the 250EX, but to be honest, the 225LX and 250LX I have used for years (we no longer have the 250LX). I only have a 250EX since Oleg (my boss) was nice enough to put me in it to be on top of all our machines.

Yea, TIG you will like and the AC/aluminum is great. You can do a lot of small to medium repairs with it and re-coupe you money on the unit in no time.

If you make the suit, post pictures. Haha

[bobwills]

Ed you might want to go with a smaller rod with your arc welder when you get down to the small metal if you have any little projects that you want to do before you get your tig. I weld some tiney metal sometimes with my arc. It may be a huge pain but 1/16" rods will do the job in a pinch. For 3/32 metal a 5/64 rod might be a good choise. Shouldnt burn through with it. I just have an arc and i have done some pretty presise things with it.

[redbeard]

Ed you might want to go with a smaller rod with your arc welder when you get down to the small metal if you have any little projects that you want to do before you get your tig. I weld some tiney metal sometimes with my arc. It may be a huge pain but 1/16" rods will do the job in a pinch. For 3/32 metal a 5/64 rod might be a good choise. Shouldnt burn through with it. I just have an arc and i have done some pretty presise things with it.

Thanks Bob, I didn't even realize they made 1/16 rod. I think my biggest problem with blowing holes is that I can't seem to strike an arc at the lower amperages and I wind up bumping it up until I quit sticking. I did actually weld a patch into an old computer case that was probably 16 or 18ga, but it was just a series of tacks, nothing even close to a bead.

[sportbike]

If you don't need to do heavy welding with the tig, take a look at the 200DX. AC / DC, pulse, foot pedal and hand switch standard, pretty nice little machine. The price is right and it uses very little current. I can run mine with 100+ ft of 10 ga extension off of my 30 amp dryer circuit. Cord never even gets warm.

John

[redbeard]

I'm looking at the minimum amperage specs and the 5A AC on the 250EX is quite tempting even though I don't need anything close to the top end of it's capabilities. It's too bad the 200EX isn't in the lineup anymore.

[everlastsupport]

I'm looking at the minimum amperage specs and the 5A AC on the 250EX is quite tempting even though I don't need anything close to the top end of it's capabilities. It's too bad the 200EX isn't in the lineup anymore.

Have you seen the 225LX. Another very good choice, I have used one for years and use and EX now. For me, nothing gained on the EX. But again it depends on your projects and the extra power.

[Jason]

Welcome to the site. I am similar to you in I am skilled in multiple trades also. I have come to realize that many members here on the site are skilled in multiple areas. Like yourself, I enjoy wood working and metal work/fabrication and have done a lot of work on cars ranging from fabrication to mechanics to body work. I also have an education in computer networking and telecommunications which is the field that I am currently working in and doing some computer/web programming.

[redbeard]

Welcome to the site. I am similar to you in I am skilled in multiple trades also. I have come to realize that many members here on the site are skilled in multiple areas. Like yourself, I enjoy wood working and metal work/fabrication and have done a lot of work on cars ranging from fabrication to mechanics to body work. I also have an education in computer networking and telecommunications which is the field that I am currently working in and doing some computer/web programming.

Cool, I went to tech school in the early 80s myself, until I decided that a life working for "The Man" wasn't for me, so instead I went to work for various Mom & Pop outfits collecting skills along the way. I was dabbling a bit in PIC programming until the house came along and started eating all of my time. I'll have to post my mini CNC mill as one of my projects, you should like the homebrewed controllers.

How do you like the PP256? I almost went that way but decided I finally had enough of the x-in-1 machines, as much as I like the concept, I'm finding they don't fit my work style all that well. Almost wish I had gone that way though, I could be TIGging right now instead of moaning about Santa needing to put in more hours.