Switch mounted on torch

The switch on my new torch stopped working.


Swapped to the pedal and the welder worked fine.


Took the switch backing plate off, and it all looks fine then noticed it would work occasionally depending on where/how the switch was held.


It's acting like there is a break in the wire somewhere. Like i said, the actual switch looks fine, the connections are solid, and I can feel the depression and hear the 'click' sound.


If I order a new switch, do you know if it will come with the full length wire or just the switch? Does anyone know what size wire is used< would make sense to try a new length of wire to rule out a broken wire.

Frustrating to say the least.

It would be just the switch, or it was that way in the past.

Check and make sure the solder joints on the switch are good, give them a tug. Did you ohm out the switch? This would be the first if the wire was broken inside, but anything is possible.

Thanks for the reply.

I was able to get it fixed. I held it in place until it would stop working, cut the wires and spliced back together and it is working fine again.

The solder on the switch portion of the wires was fine, that led me to think it was a broken wire. One other thing, I took off the plastic sleeve cable covering, and like others have said, the torch is much easier to maneuver around. Not sure if I'm comfortable having the cables exposed, may get a after market cable cover. I've discovered I like the torch mounted switch better than using the foot pedal.

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Originally Posted by willida

Thanks for the reply.

I was able to get it fixed. I held it in place until it would stop working, cut the wires and spliced back together and it is working fine again.

The solder on the switch portion of the wires was fine, that led me to think it was a broken wire. One other thing, I took off the plastic sleeve cable covering, and like others have said, the torch is much easier to maneuver around. Not sure if I'm comfortable having the cables exposed, may get a after market cable cover. I've discovered I like the torch mounted switch better than using the foot pedal.

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Glad you got it going. I too prefer the switch over the pedal most of the time. Did you go denim or leather on the aftermarket cover? Where did you pick it up and how was the price/shipping? I looked at the flex-loc, but willing to try that option. Denim would probably be best, and soak it in boric acid to make it last longer. Leather is nice, but more money and stiffer.

I have heard that leather absorbs moisture and it interferes with the Hf. I don't know if that' true or not.

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Originally Posted by marvin

I have heard that leather absorbs moisture and it interferes with the Hf. I don't know if that' true or not.

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If you soaked it and grounded it maybe? Maybe wet and on concrete (makes for a fair ground)? It is dry in most places, but never know. Same issue with cloth too.

Well....
switch is acting up again. Same problem as the initial problem.
wonder what the deal is, if I keep cutting into the cable and splicing back in, at the rate the switch is acting up, I'll be to short on the cable in no time.

I know for sure the torch has not been overheated, I weld at the most an inch at a time with at least 1-2 minutes before starting again.

I may take a look at my repair section again and go with a crimp connections.

Still, I really like the 200DX, getting more confident with more time under the hood, even thought the switch issues has returned.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by willida

Well....
switch is acting up again. Same problem as the initial problem.
wonder what the deal is, if I keep cutting into the cable and splicing back in, at the rate the switch is acting up, I'll be to short on the cable in no time.

I know for sure the torch has not been overheated, I weld at the most an inch at a time with at least 1-2 minutes before starting again.

I may take a look at my repair section again and go with a crimp connections.

Still, I really like the 200DX, getting more confident with more time under the hood, even thought the switch issues has returned.

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The switch does not know the amps. So no a problem there. Maybe splice a little in on the next cut. How long have you had it, have you contacted sales? ext 201

Did you actually strip back the insulation and find the break?

Make sure you are not creating a hard point in the wire (stress concentration) when splicing it back together. If you do chances are you are going to have it break there again after a while from the flexing.

As for the your cable getting to short .... Just splice in a piece of telephone wire. Or replace the whole wire with the phone wire. That way you eliminate all possibe problems with the wire you have now. Phone wire is cheap. Small gauge speaker wire will work too and it is stranded (and as such will flex better) unlike the phone wire which is not stranded.

I didn't look for any break. I determined where the wire was bad by moving the cable around until it would stop working, then cut about one inch out, and spliced back together. The switch worked fine until last week, and is now acting the same way, depending how I hold the torch it would work, then at different positions it wouldn't work at all.

I've had the unit for only a few months, I guess I should call to see if there are any known issues/repairs. I took off the tape that held the cable to the torch handle to move it around to see if I could determine the bad spot like I did the first time, now, I can't get it to work at all. The switch itself is fine, it's the cable that is the issue.

Thanks for the reply and info.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by willida

I didn't look for any break. I determined where the wire was bad by moving the cable around until it would stop working, then cut about one inch out, and spliced back together. The switch worked fine until last week, and is now acting the same way, depending how I hold the torch it would work, then at different positions it wouldn't work at all.

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My guess is that just moving things around temporarily masked the problem, and it was never really fixed. You can probe the wire with a small needle to use a meter to locate exactly where the problem is. Unless there is some kind of embrittlement of the wire it seems really strange that it would break from normal use, even without the covering sleeve. Was there any signs of damage during manufacturing like deformation of the outside of the insulation? Of course if I had any doubts about the wire I would just replace the whole run. Splices are not something I would want in something like a flexible torch cable assembly.

Assuming you can solder, I agree with Poptm, just get some speaker wire, replace the whole length and be done with it. There could be a spot where the wire flexes at the end of the torch handle, so adding a few inches of heat shrink might beef it up and prevent a recurrence.

For what little the switch costs I would replace it. I would think that Everlast can supply you with a complete replacement switch assembly with cable and plug ready to go. Then you will not have to deal with it again. Food for thought.

I agree with you, that would be the quickest fix.