Question for pipe welders.

[Arc weld]

Shield Arc, I'm curious how the Vantage 400 compares to the V-350 Pro? Pretty good welds for a hobby welder like yourself.

 

[Shield Arc]

Shield Arc, I'm curious how the Vantage 400 compares to the V-350 Pro? Pretty good welds for a hobby welder like yourself.

If you did a blind welding test, you could not tell which welder you were running. The Vantage 400 is one of the best engine drives I've run! Well my 1966 Red Face is pretty cool with SMAW!

 

[Arc weld]

My buddy was running a Vantage 400 and said it was really nice too. His machine is a dual operator Shindaiwa, I think like below. He had an older Ranger 305G that he really liked but then got a newer one and that's the one where the carb flooded (due to emissions crap) and it needed the engine rebuilt. It wasn't covered by warranty so once fixed he sold it and said he wouldn't buy another Lincoln machine. He also bought a 350P Miller Mig machine that was used in a skills competition but the pulse didn't work properly. The Miller rep. told him to take it back to Praxair for warranty and when he checked on it 2 weeks later it was still in the same place where it was unloaded. They did nothing so he stopped payment. They tried to tell him they couldn't warranty it because it wasn't paid for yet. He told them keep your machine and I'll spend my money somewhere else. That turned him off on Miller but it may have been more a Praxair problem. He was building an aluminum deck for his new truck and wanted the Mig welds to look like Tig which would be easier with the pulse. He said The Shindaiwa makes an odd sound running 6010 but is a good machine, quiet and easy to service. I think it only speeds up as much as necessary like the Excel Power option on Miller Trailblazers.

http://shindaiwa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Shindaiwa-DGW400-Brochure1.pdf

 

[Shield Arc]

Getting a little better with my tie ins to the tack welds.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Getting a little better with my tie ins to the tack welds.

Carl, that looks almost perfect. Are you grinding out the tacks first? When we were doing certified work, especially x-ray tested, that was always a requirement. Of course that was SS, not mild steel.

Ron

 

[Shield Arc]

No Ron, I leave the tacks in place. But I take a die grinder with a 1/16-inch thick disc. I feather / ramp each end of the tack. What I found that is helping, is I move the Tig torch up and down when I run up on a tack. Same thing when I start on a tack.

I found this video that Jody made. It really helped me with good reinforcement on the bottom of the pipe. Haven't tried it in the 5G position yet.
6g Pipe Welding Test - Tips for Root Pass - YouTube

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

Looking very nice

 

[Shield Arc]

Thanks Dave! Maybe one of these days, I'll learn how to take a good picture inside a pipe!

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

Thanks Dave! Maybe one of these days, I'll learn how to take a good picture inside a pipe!

Heck, I still can't get the lighting/camera right to take a decent pic of any weld.
They all are either washed out or get weird shadows that make the weld look like crap when in person it's really nice...:banghead:

 

[jack707]

I don't think it would pass common arc visual