Does anyone know the operational status of the TIG welding machine?
Is there a foot pedal for the machine?
I found that the coolant tank seems to be empty. Has the coolant system been tested for leaks?
Using that torch without coolant will almost instantly destroy the liquid cooled power lead.
The tungsten in the torch looks contaminated; maybe starting an arc without the shield gas.
Does the shield gas system work properly?
I will have some time in the afternoons of the week of Oct 25 that I can use to do repairs if I can get an idea of what needs doing.
I’ve never TIG’d at DMS, but I always used my own electrodes at the space in Calgary. Electrode contamination, as I’m sure you know, is unavoidable with amateurs on a TIG.
Yes, I believe it is operational but it requires training ("orientation ") before use and the welding safety class.
I agree that the water cooled torch might not be the best default for beginners; as you said, there is a high risk of damage if the coolant tank is empty and a newbie doesn’t check it first.
As for consumables like electrodes, they are cheap enough to bring your own.
Coolant required, but it does not have any…
There is a piece of equipment that should have a "Lock-out."
…X…
1 Like
Why not use distilled water?
Distilled water with the appropriate additive (per Miller), should work fine. You’ll need to ask/verify what the metal shop chairs want to run in this machine before using it, however.
I’ll make the suggestion to put an air cooled torch on the rig as the default setup. However, like any tool, you can melt that too if you run high amps.
Lol. Or not realize that the polarity is backwards. I did that once a couple years ago with my tig torch. Melted the cup, that was a SOB moment.
Haven’t done that yet, but I’ve knocked my torch head off the welding table a few times and had to replace the cup nearly every time. 