Tig welding

[Lilikoi_Heavy_Industries]

Yes of my genny, so if i had enough solar panels and enough batteries i should be good to go. Question is which hybrid inverter can handle 240v at 30A boost ?!

I guess have fun with that, I'd be looking for good inverters that have been around for awhile and are good at handling large loads. By asking about hybrids you're immediately pushing yourself into buying sketchy shit that hasn't been around very long.

 

[Alandall1]

I guess have fun with that, I'd be looking for good inverters that have been around for awhile and are good at handling large loads. By asking about hybrids you're immediately pushing yourself into buying sketchy shit that hasn't been around very long.

Yes cheers i will have fun (if i dont burn my shed down) lol, i assumed hybrid inverters had been around for a while, anyway its all new and exciting stuff, need to sell a couple of motorbikes to start funding it all lol. Cheers

 

[Kornbread]

Yes of my genny, so if i had enough solar panels and enough batteries i should be good to go. Question is which hybrid inverter can handle 240v at 30A boost ?!

Is there any way you could attach some cts to the input lines and data log how much current is being drawn, especially inrush that is probably going to occur every time you start an arc or the way the current upramps when the pedal is pushed. That would be good information.

 

[Alandall1]

Is there any way you could attach some cts to the input lines and data log how much current is being drawn, especially inrush that is probably going to occur every time you start an arc or the way the current upramps when the pedal is pushed. That would be good information.

Yes, im trying to work on that at the moment, finding the right device to do the job is where im at.
It would be very valuable information on which i could base everything, a true and acurate reading

 

[Zwy]

Ummm congrats?

Thanks.

The original poster already clarified they can run this welder off a 7KW generator. There's not even a need to really discuss welding at that point.

I looked up the specs for the Boswell, it has an unbelievable power factor, way higher than any Lincoln or Miller. Those 2 companies must be far behind the Chinese technology when it comes to welders.

Then we have this post by the OP, https://diysolarforum.com/threads/tig-welding.44511/post-562280

Not quite certain things are quite that rosy running it off the generator.

I say he should go for it and post up the results. Experimentation is necessary to keep the learning process ongoing.

 

[Vigo]

It seems silly to me to post pics of data plates when you don’t know what they mean anyway. All kinds of things have inrush currents that far exceed the nominal capacity of the circuit they’re run on. Nonetheless, if someone sells a 240 welder with a 20, 30, or 50 amp power cord you can be certain it can be setup to run at some percentage of its capacity on a circuit of that size. Welding amps are at welding voltage. It is adjustable within a range, but roughly speaking will be something like 15-80v with the vast majority of cases being closer to the bottom. 12kw of inverter would handle almost all 200a welding scenarios as long as the welder didn’t cause it to ‘trip’ as soon as the arc was started. I suspect that initial inrush depends on what kind of welder you’re using (inverter vs transformer) and that part might be the leap of faith necessary since its unlikely anyone’s going to come along and say ‘yeah i weld aluminum at 200a all the time on this inverter’. Its too specific a request, i would guess. I can tell you my entire shop runs off a 60a breaker and i have run my 205-amp RATED welder at max settings with a 22k btu ac also running, and didn’t trip that 60a breaker. All i’m saying is this stuff still mostly falls in the ‘normal household electrical power’ range.

So bottom line is that MOST welding you would do with a 200a INTERMITTENTLY CAPABLE welder is possible with some pretty mainstream inverter options. Lots of people on this forum already own setups that could run it, despite what some of these data plates would have you believe.

So i dont really understand the pie in the sky tone to some of these posts. But i do understand the whole ‘giving up on this thread unless we start talking about REAL scenarios’ thing.. ?

 

[Kornbread]

Yes, im trying to work on that at the moment, finding the right device to do the job is where im at.
It would be very valuable information on which i could base everything, a true and acurate reading

Maybe a cheap ct monitor like this. Not sure if it can capture inrush. Cheap ct monitor It can be hacked to datalog.

 

[HRTKD]

I have a PrimeWeld TIG225X. I run it on a 50 amp 220 volt circuit. But it will run on a 110 volt ~30 amp circuit. I don't expect that I would have access to the full 225 amp output on a 110 volt circuit, but I've never pushed the output over 120 amps, so I think I could get by on the 110 volt circuit if I had to. It's the only welder I've used at my house so I can't compare it to anything else.

 

[Vigo]

My 205 amp rated welder derates itself to 166a (on the screen, not measured/verified) when plugged into 120. I think even that is an oversimplification of the 'power loss', but i have maybe 5 seconds of welding time with it hooked up to 120v so i dont even have subjective experience to fill in on that issue.

 

[corn18]

Just get a Honda eu7000is inverter genset. If your neighbors complain about 58db @ full load, you need new neighbors.

 

[Mannfamilywoodworks]

Just get a Honda eu7000is inverter genset. If your neighbors complain about 58db @ full load, you need new neighbors.

Things almost silent. That’s a great generator

 

[ncowan]

If you bought a 12k inverter let’s say a growatt. You’re looking at roughly $2,000 for it to arrive at your door.
Many other inverters out there.
Battery bank size would depend on how long you plan to weld for.
I would assume you’re going to be welding the thickest materials on the highest settings for 8 hours a day.

I saw 5280 watts being your draw at %35 so let’s say
5280x8(hours welding) =42,240
Divided by 5,000 =8.44
So to answer your questions.
You’d need like 9 or 10
-5 kWh batteries to weld 8 hours a day
welding atlanta
I think hahaha
All I know is that I know nothing

I have done some tig welding before and recently got the dynasty 200dx, I was wondering if anyod could take a picture of there tig setup how much tungsten stickout and the positioning of their hands. I just want to make sure that I am practicing that right thing. Also does anyone have any tips for fillet welds becasue I am constantly burning holes in thin guage steel fillet welds. Secondly I am have some difficulty welding aluminum because the puddle size gets out of control on me. THe reason he puddle gets so big is because I can't dip the filler metal in the puddle when the puddle is small because I usually end up hitting the tungsten. So to allow me to dip the filler metal into the puddle easier i make the puddle bigger which ends up making a huge mess and the weld doesn't look right.

Any tips or help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

 

[Kornbread]

Not to be cynic, but search youtube. All kinds of how to weld vids there.

 

[timselectric]

Or maybe search for a welding forum.

 

[Symbioquine]

I'm self-taught with my "beginner machine" 200 Amp IGBT welder (an AHP AlphaTIG 200X) so take this with a grain of salt, but it seems to work just fine on the 120v output of my Victron Multiplus 24/3000/70 inverter. There have been a few repairs where I've wished I had the higher amps that would be available if I had it running on a 240v AC supply, but those have been rare. Maybe I'll eventually get a second multiplus hooked up for 240v split phase...

 

[HRTKD]

I have done some tig welding before and recently got the dynasty 200dx, I was wondering if anyod could take a picture of there tig setup how much tungsten stickout and the positioning of their hands. I just want to make sure that I am practicing that right thing. Also does anyone have any tips for fillet welds becasue I am constantly burning holes in thin guage steel fillet welds. Secondly I am have some difficulty welding aluminum because the puddle size gets out of control on me. THe reason he puddle gets so big is because I can't dip the filler metal in the puddle when the puddle is small because I usually end up hitting the tungsten. So to allow me to dip the filler metal into the puddle easier i make the puddle bigger which ends up making a huge mess and the weld doesn't look right.

Any tips or help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

As stated in above posts, YouTube is a good resource. Check out The Fabrication Series.

A weld puddle that gets out of control is likely due to too much heat. Your amps may be too low. Increase the amps so you get a weld puddle faster. That was one of my issues that got corrected when I went to a class.

 

[Kornbread]

I have done some tig welding before and recently got the dynasty 200dx, I was wondering if anyod could take a picture of there tig setup how much tungsten stickout and the positioning of their hands. I just want to make sure that I am practicing that right thing. Also does anyone have any tips for fillet welds becasue I am constantly burning holes in thin guage steel fillet welds. Secondly I am have some difficulty welding aluminum because the puddle size gets out of control on me. THe reason he puddle gets so big is because I can't dip the filler metal in the puddle when the puddle is small because I usually end up hitting the tungsten. So to allow me to dip the filler metal into the puddle easier i make the puddle bigger which ends up making a huge mess and the weld doesn't look right.

Any tips or help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

Generally, I'll run stickout <1/4" from the tip of the cup, but it depends on what is being welded. Among other things, stickout affects how the arc feels. If you do not have a pedal with your tig setup, you really need one. I never welded without one until picking up a cheap inverter tig setup sans the $250 pedal option, for home use. The only way I can partially make up for no pedal is by turning the arc off (switch is on the tig torch) for a second, to let the puddle cool, then right back on. Set post flow so gas never stops flowing while the arc is off.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

how much tungsten stickout

1/3 to half the cup diameter, 12-14cf

 

[Jacob89]

I think the obvious answer to the OP is to run the welder from the inverter for any kind of light duty intermittent work (which is most welding for home gamer diy projects in my experience anyway). When you actually need to get serious and crank the machine up, and do longer heavier welds(welding up an aluminum hulled boat or something), than its time to fire up the generator.
I've run my own 200 amp (inverter style) tig from my 3kva victron phoenix for some little welds and it was fine.
I welded the whole steel frame of my tiny house with my 180 amp inverter mig running from my 5kva victron. It was light 1.6mm wall steel tubing so with the welder turned right down it was only drawing about 1800w from the inverter. Easy on the batteries too as I welded almost exclusively when there was sun on my panels.

I would certainly suggest an LF inverter, maybe HF inverters play just fine with inverter welders, but I can only speak to my experience with the LF inverters.

For Australian and NZ people, don't think that because a welder is sold with a 15 amp plug it won't draw more than 15 amps. I've measured north of 50 amps from a 250 amp Lincoln mig that was sold with a 15 amp plug, and 30 - 40 amps from several old single phase transformer welders.

But the fact is that most people in Australia and New Zealand buying single phase welders with 10 or 15 amp plugs are diy types and just aren't welding long enough or heavy enough for it to be an issue. Any heavy industrial type welding is done with 415v three phase machines or mobile diesel welders.
Plus most all new welders sold now are inverter machines which are much less savage to power supplies.

 

[ElectricIslander]

I have done some tig welding before and recently got the dynasty 200dx, I was wondering if anyod could take a picture of there tig setup how much tungsten stickout and the positioning of their hands. I just want to make sure that I am practicing that right thing. Also does anyone have any tips for fillet welds becasue I am constantly burning holes in thin guage steel fillet welds. Secondly I am have some difficulty welding aluminum because the puddle size gets out of control on me. THe reason he puddle gets so big is because I can't dip the filler metal in the puddle when the puddle is small because I usually end up hitting the tungsten. So to allow me to dip the filler metal into the puddle easier i make the puddle bigger which ends up making a huge mess and the weld doesn't look right.

Any tips or help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

I have a 200DX as well and run it off my Kubota 4500W generator on occasion (which only gets the DX up to about 100 amps .... but it works).

Using a gas lens (nozzle with wire mesh diffuser) really helps provide a smoother gas flow which allows more stickout and thus more space for dipping.

Do you have an auto darkening helmet with adjustable density - that really helps in seeing the puddle properly.

Have you tried the pulse welding mode? It helps avoid burn through. There are a couple of benefits to using pulse on thin gauges - If you set to a slow pulse rate like 1 per second, it helps you set a rhythm so you can synchronize your dipping and moving to avoid problems with hitting the tungsten (i.e. a pulsing out a big peak blast of power to create a puddle which lasts long enough to get your filler in, but a pulse short enough to avoid burn through).

Another benefit of pulsing, especially at higher pulse rates, with aluminum, is that it allows enough energy in at the peak of the cycle to burn through oxides and stir up the puddle dynamically which helps wetting. Cleanliness of stock and rod is a big help welding aluminum as the puddle forms much faster and more uniformly (oxide melts at much higher temperature) on clean aluminum.

The trick with aluminum welding is to crank up the power, hit it hard and fast and travel relatively quickly since aluminum conducts heat so well.

Sometimes a rhythm that includes backtracking forward and back a bit to expose the puddle for dipping helps too.

By the way, Miller makes a really handy cardboard TIG welding slide rule calculator that gives you recommended tungsten, current settings, gas flow etc. for a variety of materials and weld configurations (lap, fillet etc.). I usually set my max current about 20% higher than it recommends and dial back the hand held control on my torch to 80% once the puddle has stabilized. That usually works and helps avoid burn throughs.

A bit of a beginner trick, but if you can lay the rod down and just advance over the rod and fillet that can work in some cases too. The rod doesn't always have to get right into the puddle. If you are overrunning it and focusing the arc forward, in some cases it melts continuously at just the right rate even if just pushed in at the leading or trailing edge of the arc.

Good luck and happy metal melting!

 

[12VoltInstalls]

measured north of 50 amps from a 250 amp Lincoln mig that was sold with a 15 amp plug, and 30 - 40 amps from several old single phase transformer welders

Input? Or output? I’d expect output; you ain’t gonna do 40A on a 20A outlet.

 

[Jacob89]

Input? Or output? I’d expect output; you ain’t gonna do 40A on a 20A outlet.

Of course I mean input. It would be pretty disappointing if I could only get 50 amps from the ouput of a 250 amp welder. It was not a continuous 50 amps, just a peak, when I cranked the welder up to its maximum for the purpose of the test.

Any outlet will deliver far more than its rating for a brief period. If things are set up correctly the circuit breaker should trip or the fuse should blow long before the outlet or the circuit wiring bursts into flames.

Its common that a 15 amp 240v outlet would be protected with a 20 amp C curve breaker. A 20 amp C curve breaker could hold 50 amps (2.5 x rated current) for 10-20 seconds before tripping.

The Lincoln welder in question actually came with a warning tag on the factory fitted power cable and 15 amp plug that says a heavier rated plug and cable must be fitted to use the welder at higher power levels.

I believe this is a sort of loophole that sellers of welders in Australia can use to be able to sell larger single phase welders with only a 15 amp plug fitted. The 15 amp plug is simply for "demonstration purposes" and not intended for running the welder at full capacity. The reason they do this is because while single phase outlets and plugs bigger than 15 amps do exist, they're quite uncommon, particularly in any domestic shed or garage.