Sign Stand

[olddudbob]

This is my first post though I have been reading the posts on the forum for sometime. I am a retired hobbyist metalworker/welder. My equipment consists of a Lincoln AC tombstone welder, Lincoln AC/DC tombstone welder, Lincoln Weld-Pak 100 wire welder (flux core), carbon arc torch, 14" cutoff saw, Hypertherm 350 plasma cutter, ring roller, table top bender, drill press and an assortment of power tools.

Some of my metalworking projects include two canoe trailers, modifications to utility trailers, double bike carrier for the back of my travel trailer, double spare tire carrier that mounts under the travel trailer, club sign stand (see attachment), cart for my wire welder, etc.

The sign stand is made from a old hammock stand. Most of the metal is 2" round tube. It can be taken apart and breaks down in to seven pieces for storage/transportation. This stand will hold our Good Sams Chaper Sign and four flags.

This is with out a doubt the best welding forum I have been able to find and has provided me with a great deal of useful information.

All of my wire welding experience has been with my Weld-Pak 100 using flux cored wire.

What would I gain by converting to gas and using bare wire?

What would be the best gas to use?

Can the AC tumbstone welder function as a power source for some sort of Tig welding equipment? If so, what and where can I purchase it?

Any and all responses will be appreciated.

[asad]

What would I gain by converting to gas and using bare wire?

You would gain better looking welds with less spatter and no slag to clean. However the flux-core will give you better penetration, and no shielding gas coverage issues when working outdoors.

What would be the best gas to use?

For steel, the standard gases are 100% CO2 and C25 -- 25% CO2/75% Argon. CO2 alone will give better penetration and is cheaper. C25 will make it easier to get spatter-free welds, and will give less penetration which would be better for thin materials.

Can the AC tumbstone welder function as a power source for some sort of Tig welding equipment? If so, what and where can I purchase it?

AC TIG is usually used for welding aluminum, not for steels. You would need to add a high-frequency unit if you wanted to do AC TIG.

Asad

[Mike W]

Hi Bob, I use straight CO2 although most folks run 75% argon, 25% CO2. I have tried flux core a couple of times and just didn't care for it. You don't have the smoke and the slag when you use gas. You could use your Lincoln for a tig setup. Pic of mine is here