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Joined: Jan 2002
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Sidelock
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Is a machine like this acceptable for the type welding one would do when building up a barrel hook on a doublegun, and other very small tasks where you want to limit the heat buildup?

I'm not new to welding in general, and have a big Miller Bobcat AC/DC stick welder/generator in my farm shop, with a "suitcase" MIG welder attachment, but am interested in learning to do the small, tedious welds necessary for restoration and repairs on doubles. So, no deep penetrating welds would ever be called upon to be done with the little TIG welder in my gun shop.

Thanks for any and all experienced replies.

https://www.eastwood.com/tig200acdc.html

SRH


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The heat control afforded with TIG is best for gun parts. If you have the correct wire you can even have the weld hard enough to do sears without having to re-heat treat. Chopper lump barrels can be a problem though. Get a couple junk barrels and weld and grind. The more beads you run the better, just like anything else. Good luck!

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I've never used an Eastwood TIG but the reviews sound mostly favorable. Most of the complaints seem centered around welding thicker aluminum, which takes higher amperages and pure tungstens. You will be amazed what you can do with a TIG welder and very small tungstens and gas nozzles. Having the high frequency start is much nicer than scratch starting, and keeps the tungstens needle sharp for a much longer time, so long as you can keep the tip off the work and out of the puddle. I remember how I stressed about tackling a job on a broken trigger guard on a nicely engraved Hermann Eichhorn German sidelock 16 gauge gun. It was broken right across the screw hole at the back of the tang, and I thought it wouldn't be possible to repair without having the added expense of finding an engraver to repair the engraving that was very near the break on either side. I used a 5/8" thick piece of copper ground to the exact shape to clamp the broken pieces to, and to serve as a heat sink. I welded the front side with the engraving first, and was able to repair the break without touching the engraving at all. I then ground and dressed the repaired break with fine stones and carefully recut the countersink for the screw. Then I did the back side, and was pleasantly surprised when the heat colors on the already finished front side blended very nicely with the existing case colors on the guard.

This job was done with a large industrial three phase Miller TIG, but the fine work was possible by using the smallest collets, tungstens, and gas nozzles we had, and adjusting the current accordingly. There is a learning curve, and it helps to know a good tool and die welder who can show you the ropes for precision welds. I was lucky to have a good instructor, and was paid to learn and practice at work. A dedicated stone just for grinding tungstens is a must to avoid contamination. An auto darkening hood makes life easier too, to be able to see exactly where you are when you start the arc on precision work. If you can do precise welds in sheet metal with an oxy-acetylene gas welding torch and very small tips, the transition to TIG welding will be easy. The process is very similar except that you are using an electric arc instead of a flame, and you have very clean welds with no scale due to the shielding gas.


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Thanks, Keith. I learned to weld in a college course. The first thing he made us learn was how to butt weld cast iron with an oxy-acetylene torch and a mild steel filler rod. So, I have the basic understanding of how to use filler rods. Plus, I've done tons of brazing on the farm over the years with an oxy-acetylene torch. This looks like the same basic procedure except the heat is from the tungsten electrode and can be controlled so much better and so much more precisely. Looks like the learning curve might be getting the hang of using the foot pedal to control the heat/arc.

I could add it to my big Miller out in the farm shop, but I want to be able to do it in a little better environment in my heated/cooled gun shop.

Running off 240V it should be plenty big enough to do anything I'd want to do on guns. One video I watched told about using a .020" tungsten electrode and getting the amps down below 5 to do "micro-welding".

I appreciate the input. SRH

Last edited by Stan; 11/15/18 03:59 PM. Reason: sp.

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Thanks, Mark II.

SRH


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At that price point you might also consider an Everlast.

https://www.everlastgenerators.com/catalog-tig

My friend was in a similar situation, giant Miller in the shop but, in need of something more portable. He picked up an Everlast (mostly for stick welding). We recently welded up a bunch of exposed architectural steel for his home renovation. The Everlast is okay. We used the Miller whenever possible. We lift start. Weld quality aside, TIG is nice when you don't want to make a giant mess. We did a lot of welding inside the house.

Do you really need an AC machine?

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What I need is a TIG machine for my little shop that is suitable for welding up barrel hooks, rib extensions, screw holes in ribs, etc. I'm sick and tired of sending barrels out to be fitted to actions and having them come back with one barrel making contact with the breech face and seeing .003" daylight on the other side...................... at best. I'm going to learn to do this job myself, using a milling machine for the primary cut on the hook. In order to do this right I need to be able to weld the hook after setting up the barrels in a fixture, and not have to mess with the mill until I get the hook welded and put back in the fixture.

I don't have a mill, but a close friend and neighbor does. If I can set up the barrels in the fixture, indicate everything, take them out and weld the hook, then put them back in friend's mill the same day and make the plunge cut, I can do the rest of the minor filing to fit them. This eliminates sending the barrels off to have the hook welded.

A small machine like the Eastwood or the Everlast seems like a good way to go, but I'm still open to suggestions. I certainly cannot justify a laser welder for my hobby work.

SRH

Last edited by Stan; 11/15/18 10:16 PM. Reason: punctuation

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Tell me more about the reasons for DC only in the kind of work I will use it for, please.

SRH


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Stan,
Instead of welding the hook, have you tried replacing the hinge pin?
Mike

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Stan,

BIG DISCLAIMER: My only formal welding education pertains to structural steel. I can tell you how to TIG pipes together but thats about it.

Anyway, most all steel welding is DC. The only AC steel application I regularly see specified is welding heavy plates. The penetration from AC with high current happens to work out better for that application. There are probably other applications where AC is better but, Im not aware of them. And cheap welders. Those are AC only, which is why they sound funny, splatter, and generally suck.

The AC setting on a welder is primarily for aluminum. Maybe you dont need that.

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