At Oshkosh this year, I was finally able to get myself to go over and take the TIG workshop. I have no idea what took me so long to do that. While I've done a wee bit of O/A welding on and off over the past few years (mainly just to stay in practice until I actually use it in earnest), I couldn't believe how nice it was to weld with a TIG torch! The temperature control was wonderful with the foot pedal, and the quality of the welds was outstanding. When doing a lap weld on steel, the amount of burn-back I was getting while welding was crazy minimal, and the joints where amazing. Welding with AC on aluminum was really nice, too, and the process felt really natural.
So, being a good student, I went over to the Lincoln booth and ordered a TIG-200. Oshkosh show special was $200 off, plus I got a nice set of gloves and 10 pounds of filler material. Sadly, living in the Wisconsin Tax Zone, I got the pleasure of putting that $200 back on the price in the form of sales tax. But I'm really looking forward to using it on the Expedition. The cost of the welder will likely be recouped quickly on the fuel tanks alone, versus sending them out to get done.
I'm really looking forward to the adventure, as well as not storing Acetylene in the basement (my current workshop). That feeling of knowing that I won't come home and find my house displaced by a half mile should the well pump contactor spark meet a low-hanging gas cloud is a good one.
So, being a good student, I went over to the Lincoln booth and ordered a TIG-200. Oshkosh show special was $200 off, plus I got a nice set of gloves and 10 pounds of filler material. Sadly, living in the Wisconsin Tax Zone, I got the pleasure of putting that $200 back on the price in the form of sales tax. But I'm really looking forward to using it on the Expedition. The cost of the welder will likely be recouped quickly on the fuel tanks alone, versus sending them out to get done.
I'm really looking forward to the adventure, as well as not storing Acetylene in the basement (my current workshop). That feeling of knowing that I won't come home and find my house displaced by a half mile should the well pump contactor spark meet a low-hanging gas cloud is a good one.