Fluxcore probably would have done it, ugly but would have held.
Need to send them another email, I'm certain their diode fix will not work so I need a schematic or they need to offer up some circuit boards to swap.
Ordered a new flow meter, the one I had would flow the set amount sometimes, and flow 1/3 or less other times which is probably why some welds went fine, and others sounded loud and angry. It is also calibrated in liters per minute which when turned down to the proper flow was even less reliable. Hope this thing gets fixed soon, I have stuff waiting on this welder and my skills to improve.
My TIG stick machine is that AHP 200 unit. My old stick welder suffered a blasting arc flash death due to moisture. I needed to stick some cast so I figured to get the TIG stick unit so as to get the job done then I can finally learn TIG. Hasn't happened yet. I have not had the time to play and learn lately.
Due to the car crash, I haven't had time or energy to get it worked out. Hoping that this week I might feel good enough to work on it, but a coughing fit has the side of my head hurting again so I'm not sure.
They have actually been decent to work with, can't complain.
I was working with a guy who was welding intermediate runners to vertical posts on handrail. He was straddling the vertical post while welding it and a berry fell between his legs, burnt through his jeans and landed on the head of his peter. I've never seen anyone jump around like that. I thought he was going to fling himself off the mezzanine.
Working at a large body shop 30 years ago, I always wore air sole sneekers. The dealership had 110 or so employees. They had a safety meeting requiring at least high top leather boot type shoes for all of the shop workers.
Got my new leathers on and about a week in I got a molten ball to some how go into the shoe and burn its way into my foot just above the little toe. It was 3/16 diameter and it burned in until my skin and blood cooled it off. I tried in vane to get that Damn shoe untied and off.
It never left a mark on or in the shoe as to how it got in there. Even squatting there were no gaps in the tongue.
So I had to show the manager the foot to go to a Dr. Idiot asked if I was wearing my sneakers and got half way into a safety spiel about the boot program when I pointed to the boot on my other foot.
I was so mad about the whole situation after being questioned by other management as to if I was wearing the Damn boots they made me pay over a $100 for, I cut the end off with a sawsall to see how the ball got to my foot.
It did not. The ball formed in my foot. The steel flowed through a crack in the leather tongue edge like water. Had I been wearing my leather top sneakers I could have flipped the shoe off to brush off the molten steel.
I cut the other shoe in half and deposited them in the main office's garbage can. I went back to work with my sneakers. They never did bother me about it again.
I was trying to remove a leaf spring shackle once that was fused with rust. Got the bolt nice and hot with the smoke wrench and tried to beat it out with a BFH. Melted rubber spurted out onto my hand. Melted rubber doesn't wipe off easily! 3rd degree burns, but luckily it was just spots on my hand.
Had a spark enter the side vent of some safety goggles once too. I watched the damned thing bounce around until it landed in the corner of my eye. Glad it didn't mess up my vision!
Probably going to be screwed out of the $400 I spent on this thing. No replies in the last 2 months, and way past the time that Amazon will give a refund (but my next stop to ask). I even sent an email to he manufacturer, but as expected, no reply there.
And then there is the useless $600+ worth of accessories and materials I bought for this thing.
They no longer have any products for sale on Amazon, and everything on their web store is at blow out pricing. Gave them a call and after about 30 rings a voice mail finally picked up.
For those tat may want to play along, here is the contact info from their web site:
Good luck man, it's been a long road for you. I just picked up that AHP 201DX TIG ($780 shipped) because I like the manual settings. I'll post up here what I find
Thats what I found too. And for so cheap!? Worth the risk for me. I have a couple small MIG's (Lincoln SP-100, 125) that I have had forever and like a LOT, The 125 is my go-to for damn near everything, and a big MIG (Miller 200) for really thick stuff.
I want to expand to aluminum and ultra thin stuff, so the TIG is exciting! Been watching a crap ton on "Welding tips and Tricks"
