Tumbler Build - For cleaning plasma cut parts.

machinedude wrote:
DC units are cheaper but if you want to weld aluminum you need the AC unit. you can weld aluminum with the DC i think if you have special shield gas but i do believe it is more expensive and not very cost effective, a good TIG unit gets expensive. the better ones over here start at around $2,000 and go up from there. this is why i never got one

Just after I finished my apprenticeship in 2009 I brought a little inverter welder. CIG brand. It was a new thing at the time to have something so small and light that can do what a huge transformer unit could do. I brought it for the DC TIG, funny thing is I have used it twice in 2011 and not once since.
Two years later the same model came out with AC high frequency start. If it had AC it would of used it much more. And the other thing with TIG is the need for pure Argon sheilding gas. Its a pain to have to keep two types of gas. Well its not so bad these days since owning a bottle and swaping it over when its empty is common now. Back then you had to lease the bottles. When you have a bottle of Arogon, Co2/Argon/Oxygen mix for MIG, Acetylene and Oxygen the rental cost adds up!

i did come across one unit in the $750 range that was AC but is was only a 160 amp welder and the duty cycle was not that impressive. i have an argon bottle already since i tried welding aluminum with the little MIG welder i have. never did get a reliable method with that machine since i could not find a spool gun for it and it's just a little machine to begin with. but that was 10 years ago and my eyes were in much better shape then my welds would not be as good these days since i found out i'm far sighted sucks getting old

Its alive!

despite the noise of media and parts clanking around i would welcome it over doing hand work on parts without a doubt. hand work is another one of those things you learn to hate as you get older the noise is not so bad since your hearing is already half shot in the ass at my stage so it's a win win

Well done Stefan, don't forget to show some sample parts.

And I love that OHS approved chain guard...

machinedude wrote: despite the noise of media and parts clanking around i would welcome it over doing hand work on parts without a doubt. hand work is another one of those things you learn to hate as you get older the noise is not so bad since your hearing is already half shot in the ass at my stage so it's a win win

If I add a chain guard it will take away the excitement of getting caught up in the chain :lol:

Next step is to finish the design of the enclosure and the setup for adding and removing parts quickly.