Tigging a radio patch panel?

[Dne007]

Ooo ' 57 is nice!! Hm that's easy enough about the copper, so I would just shape it and place it behind the part that I'm welding? Bay sitting today, no playing in my garage today! : (. But I've been watching tig welding on YouTube, good seeing that but that doesn't teach about settings and use of the foot pedal.
Thanks!,

HI Dne`

Where I get my copper is from the hardware store. Just buy a section like 6” of ¾” copper water tubing smack it flat. Or cut it length-wise and roll it out to make it flat and cut small pieces from that. The tubing comes in two types soft (coils) and rigid (straight tubes) get the soft it will shape to your work better if not flat like a dash.
Have fun
Tom
P.S. my buddy has a 57 3100 Chevy almost bone stock (we put AC in it).

[Jason]

Nice truck.. The copper is a good tip and they actually make backing tools that are copper to pull the heat away. I got to where I felt I could TIG decently and then tried some sheet metal.. I found out really fast that it is entirely harder to do without burning a hole. Also I would go with thinner wire than 1/16 if possible. It seemed like the sheet metal wanted to melt away before my rod but then again you may be using older/thicker sheet metal than I was.

[DaveO]

Another post just reminded me: can someone comment about whether or not Dne' will need or should consider a water cooling system for her TIG setup? It sounds like she's going to be doing sheet metal work to start so it may not be an issue now, but may be something to consider moving forward.

Edit: I looked at the PU205, which comes with an air cooled torch-

[Dne007]

That's really nice of you to mention DaveO, but I don't think my little PU205 will accept a water cooler. I'll be practicing and that's where I'd probably using my tig most. In actual use, probably be a few minutes! HOWEVER, when I go to box the frames in, in my engine compartment, I maybe putting the tig to the test, or I may just mig weld the plates in. It's a little ways off yet before actually doing it. ; )

http://www.everlastgenerators.com/Water-Coolers.php

[DaveO]

Kinda stepped on myself there: my original thought was, it would be a real setback to find out the hard way about needing a cooler. Only after I posted did I look at the specs of the 205. And I'm sure the sales guys at Everlast made sure you'd be properly equipped. So as the old SNL line goes... "Never mind."

[Jason]

If your welding low amps, you don't need a cooler. You could manage ~200 amps before needing a cooler from what I was told when I purchased my PP256. I also purchased a smaller air-cooled torch as most my welding will be less than 200 amps. I think the highest I have run my PP256 so far is 120A but there will be the need for higher occasionally which is the reason I went with a 250A TIG and I can get a cooler to use for those hotter welds.

[Dne007]

Thanks Jason! yesterday, I was only up to about 45-55 amps while practicing on what little sheet metal I had bought. It goes quickly and so does the argon! IT's like watching a gas gauge on a gas guzzling car, you can see the needle moving downward towards empty, every time I look at the tank pressure, it's gone down! yikes! And I'm only good for practiciing for short burst of time. Today or more than likely tomorrow, I'll be looking at getting a better welding hood; I'm getting flashed pretty strongly on the initiating arc, like my northern tools hood is not adequate for the quickness of the tig, but works Ok on my mig. ok, got to get busy! daylight is burning! days are going by way too fast! ; )