Home brew water circulator for tig?

[EasyXJ]

I need to dump this air cooled torch and get a water cooled one, but I'm too cheap to pay $600+ for a circulator. I've got a coolant pump out of my southbend 400 lathe that I'm contemplating using. Can you send too much water through the torch? And any guess as to what kind of flow requirements I should be shooting for? How big is your reservoir(5, 10, 15gal)?

[71Dauntless]

What about using a small pond pump from Harbor Freight?

[fj40guy]

Originally Posted by EasyXJ

I need to dump this air cooled torch and get a water cooled one, but I'm too cheap to pay $600+ for a circulator. I've got a coolant pump out of my southbend 400 lathe that I'm contemplating using. Can you send too much water through the torch? And any guess as to what kind of flow requirements I should be shooting for? How big is your reservoir(5, 10, 15gal)?

What is your duty cycle? Max Amps?

I found a 5 gallon bucket to work fine. At 60% 250 Amp duty cycle (heavy duty machine) I need a break long before the machine does. The original miller water tank is a good 18" x 18" x 36" long. Old school stuff. Tank was too big, so just placed the pump (1/4 hp???) over a 5 gallon bucket... all it needs.

Ya, had planned on a automatic transmission cooler. Fan, pump, fancy housing... All I'm going to change is make my tank from an aluminum cylinder about 9" diameter, 36" tall, so it will sit on the back of the welder. Found the 9" alumium tube in the scrap yard, part of an industial light fixture.

Tom

[jstarnes]

why not just hook up to your tap water put a good filter on it and dump the waist down the drain or in the yard?

just put a valve on the tap to regulate the flow

[EasyXJ]

The unit is a Hobart CyberTig-200, and it's old. I believe the duty cycle to be 60%. The machine works great, I never knew the joys of DC stick welding until I got this thing. Next I need to find a torch with finger controls.

Can't/ wouldn't do the tap water because a: no running water in the shop, b: I wouldn't want everything to corrode from the well water that would be pumped in.

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by EasyXJ

The unit is a Hobart CyberTig-200, and it's old. I believe the duty cycle to be 60%. The machine works great, I never knew the joys of DC stick welding until I got this thing. Next I need to find a torch with finger controls.

Can't/ wouldn't do the tap water because a: no running water in the shop, b: I wouldn't want everything to corrode from the well water that would be pumped in.

No running water in the shop? that sounds like a fairly dangerous situation right there. Might want to get at least some water in there. But I would not use the well water for cooling either, maybe some of that high dollar bottled water:_)

[weedwacker]

I have built several. You can over pressure but it does require a few lbs. to cool properly. Use an Ogerdorf (sp?) pump it will cosst about 70 bucks. The company is in NY and these same pumps are used in several purpose built coolers. 5 gallons should cool just fine. Get the pump with the built in regulator turn the pressure up untill it just starts to leak at the torch head and then back off a little,

[GOAT1]

I made my own and used the same pump used on the ones you buy. I got it from Grainger, pumphttp://www.grainger.com/Grainger/pro...629241&ccitem= and motor http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/pro...634300&ccitem= about $165 for both, and just use a tank to hold a few gallons. Make sure you use the coolant made for welding coolers, if you just use water it will get nasty and grow stuff that will clog the pump and lines.

[TN bronco]

Grainger sells the Italian brand.

Miller, Lincoln, ESAB all us the American made pump, Procon. You can purchase factory direct Proconpump.com for contact info.

The same pump is used in fountain drink machines and are often on ebay used for around 10 bucks. You want a 100 gallon per hour model.

[fj40guy]

Tig water pump... $5 from a friend who didn't want the friggin big water tank!

Tom

[Chark]

Hey Stud...when we weld out in the field on tanks, tube bundles etc. we run H20 from a utility station thru 1/4" plastic air line and let the flow go to the sewer. We use a Hoke valve to shut off the supply on older machines that don't have a foot pedal that fires up the high freq. and auto turn-on of the water. Hell....don't throw your $$ away...Later.

[GiantTechGuy]

I've got water cooled torches for your Chinese tig or tig/combo machines over here.... /forum/tools-supplies/643662-water-cooled-tig-torches-chinese-machines.html

[Rob G]

Had to replace the pump on the one on my mig welder at work recently.
Here are some pics to help anyone contemplating building their own.

[fj40charles]

Originally Posted by Rob G

Had to replace the pump on the one on my mig welder at work recently.
Here are some pics to help anyone contemplating building their own.

I have one of those Tig coolers too.. Brand new Bernard 3500SS if anyone needs one.

[nissancrawler]

Originally Posted by wheelsup

No running water in the shop? that sounds like a fairly dangerous situation right there. Might want to get at least some water in there.

Why

[thehackman15]

Originally Posted by nissancrawler

Why

In case he gets dirty and has to quickly wash his hands duuuuh

[ChiScouter]

Originally Posted by nissancrawler

Why

Or a guy might get thirsty and possibly dehydrate. People can die from that you know. Double duuuuh

[jpboyjeep]

I used 2 different types at work. I made these because our 30 gallons of standing water was getting too hot from running the TIG's all day.

First was a simple pond pump with an oil cooler hooked up next to a bathroom vent fan.

Second was an air circulator from a house in a 4" tube that had copper tubing run in a coil along the inside with a pond pump.

They both worked fine to keep the 30 gallons of standing water cool for both machines. Since then I've moved them over to the Spot welders instead of running tap water through them and draining outside.

My boss doesn't like to spend any money on equipment unless he gets a bug up his butt about something. He dropped 4k on a Lincoln welding fume extractor when I'm running 1960's? TIGs that blows fuses when trying to weld 1/4" alum (various reasons for this). I complain for years and nothing, he says to deal with it, but a new hire welder that I had to train how to weld complains and gets a new Miller 250DX and a Miller 210 dropped off. WTF??!!

[dopeassjackson]

the grainger pump and motor is discontinued.
my lincoln square wave 175 machine came with a small 120A air cooled torch thats only about 10ft long. the torch is also sort of bent due to alot of aluminum welding and taping the tungston out. i was thinking of getting a longer higher amp water cooled torch. i also dont want to spend over $100 on a water system. what hp pump or flow do i want for a setup like this?