Good morning!!!!

[rswyan]

63F and cloudy @ 15:15 ...

Enjoying my first cup of java while I try to wake up.

Tore into the plaz last night ... ended up replacing the resistors ... but still no joy ... squeeze the trigger and ... nada ...

The resistors were clearly toast ... fried on the outside and no continuity ...

I avoided having to desolder/solder on the PCB itself ... by clipping the wires on each end of the resistors and soldering to them instead ...

There's a pair of big, honkin' caps right next to where the resistors were ... 850 microfarad and 450v IIRC ... about an 1 1/4" in diameter and 2" tall ... one of those looks like it had a hole or two burned into the side of it when the magic smoke got let out ... so I dunno ...

There's also a shunt (looped meal strip) that was between the resistors and the caps that looks to be somewhat burned ...

Word is that the PCB is no longer available from Harbor Freight ... but I haven't got thru to them to verify that yet. When they were available, they were only about $63 ... a spare one would have been cheap insurance.

There's a guy over DE that repairs these ... have a call into him and waiting on a call back.

The thing that's most frustrating to me is that despite the age of the unit (circa '05) it really doesn't have all that many hours of use on it ... maybe less than 10 ... or 15 at most.

I think the next thing I might do is pull the PCB and inspect all the solder joints and see if anything is amiss there.

Probably should see if I can drain the caps before I get too frisky tho' ...

Edit: BTW ... I've been all thru the torch (it's a Trafimet Alpha 3) and its lead and checked it, including the trigger switch ... all good, has continuity, etc.

Also tried adjusting the incoming air pressure (pilot arc won't fire if the air pressure is too high or too low)

I did manage to fix the on/off switch for unit - which had been stuck in the "on" position ever since I bought it - just by removing it and reinserting it into the case.

 

[rswyan]

RS, just a tad envious here of your talents.

David,

Thanks for your kind words

I'm guessing however that my talents are one of those things that might look good from afar ... but don't hold up quite so well under close inspection ... :laughing:

 

[rswyan]

Just got off the phone with George from George's Plasma Cutter Shop ... he sez quite often when the resistors go, the IGBT is smoked as well ... so that's probably the next thing to address/test ... researching that for test procedures.

If it's good, then it's probably the PCB.

He has some in stock, salvaged from old machines ... but is unsure whether they are good or not.

Uncle Buck is going to bring down his O/A tanks and torch in the morning and we'll use that to cut the plate ... so at least I'm not totally stopped ...

More learning experiences ...

 

[RoyJackson]

2014-10-08, 0327

48 right now and although the forecast says rain, it's not raining here...yet. The high today is to be 60 and it looks like it'll will be rain most of the day.

Update at 0430: steady rain now...looks like one of those rainy days all day long.

 

[wngsprd]

60 and the rain has stopped. Glad we got the good end of the 30% chance in yesterday's forecast. Even got some thunder and lightning as a bonus. It's been dry.

Should get up to 82, so will try to get some painting done after my haircut this morning.

 

[ronjhall]

Poured first cup of coffee. 45° with clear skies this morning. Heading to 57° with sun and a good breeze. Good view of Lunar Eclipse. Chipping is done. Leaves are changing and starting to drop. Time to start closing garden pond. Before it fills with leaves.
Good Morning All.

 

[Buppies]

55 this morning high of 80 later today. A few rain showers yesterday until heavens opened up about 3:30 in the afternoon then storms and heavy rain while NCIS was on and don't you know took out satellite. Came back about 9:10. Beautiful today and tomorrow before rain comes back for weekend.

Do not forget lunar eclipse this morning for those of you interested in these kind of things

Good Morning

 

[Thomas]

54F steady rain heavy at times for the couple of hours,clearing by late morning temps mid 60's for high.
Its hum day starting to think of the weekend,hope the forecast stays true looks like beauty.

Enjoy the day all.

 

[daugen]

good morning all.
a much warmer 66 degrees out going up to 84 today. Not quite like Wisconsin...
no rain in sight, warm clear days all week.

planted six rose bushes I got from Jackson & Perkins, which I see now owns/partners with Park Seeds and Wayside Gardens.
On the last one just as i was finishing I knelt down to push the dirt in firmly with my hands, and that's when the fire ants attacked. A couple got up my pants leg and let's say there was a quick exiting and a fast shower.
With this heat wave, I wonder if the roses will bloom; they had a few nice buds on them. I need another four bushes to fill up the rose garden, which was there when I got here, with a nice slate stone inscribed The Rose Garden. Ok, works for me. My grandfather raised roses, which I tended, as did my father as do I. Going to have many rose bushes on this place when I'm done, particularly climbing roses along the fence posts coming in the lane.

 

[Buppies]

G

good morning all.
a much warmer 66 degrees out going up to 84 today. Not quite like Wisconsin...
no rain in sight, warm clear days all week.

planted six rose bushes I got from Jackson & Perkins, which I see now owns/partners with Park Seeds and Wayside Gardens.
On the last one just as i was finishing I knelt down to push the dirt in firmly with my hands, and that's when the fire ants attacked. A couple got up my pants leg and let's say there was a quite exiting and a fast shower.
With this heat wave, I wonder if the roses will bloom; they had a few nice buds on them. I need another four bushes to fill up the rose garden, which was there when I got here, with a nice slate stone inscribed The Rose Garden. Ok, works for me. My grandfather raised roses, which I tended, as did my father as do I. Going to have many rose bushes on this place when I'm done, particularly climbing roses along the fence posts coming in the lane.

A great tradition to carry on through the ages so to speak.