Recent posts

#81

The Lounge / Re: Tig Welders

Last post by MiniDave - February 16, 2026, 07:56:22 AM

Yeah, it cleaned up pretty well for being as old as it is, still works perfectly too. I'll hang on to it for a while as I get the new one sorted. I'm going to try some brake cleaner on those rocker switches, that's the only part that didn't shine up nicely.

I need to go find an adaptor to fit the new gas hose to the old gauges. I think I may need to go to a welding store....maybe while I'm there I'll pick up some silicon bronze wire. Save me a trip.

Once I get the gas turned on I'm ready to weld with it. Oh, and I need to reconfigure my welding cart a bit to fit the new one, it also needs some new casters - all the little balls fell out of one as I was moving it around today

#82

The Lounge / Re: Tig Welders

Last post by 94touring - February 16, 2026, 07:39:45 AM

It's so clean I thought that was the new welder. It's the old one you're selling

#83

The Lounge / Re: Tig Welders

Last post by MiniDave - February 15, 2026, 11:01:47 PM

I had a 10lb spool in it, but since I'm planning to sell it soonish, I put a small spool of .30 in it so I could demonstrate that it works to a potential buyer. Cleaned up nicely, didn't it? Looks almost new now. I put the 10lb spool of .23 wire in the new welder, as soon as I figure out what adaptor I need to connect the bottle I'm going to do some test welds with it, so I wanted to have the same wire in it.

The new one is driven off the capstan, and the spool freewheels, so there is a tensioning device to keep it from unwinding after you let off the trigger.

BTW, the trigger on the new one feels quite a bit more sophisticated than the old one, which was simply a piece of metal that gets pressed against a stud in the handle. I had to clean the surfaces occasionally to make a good contact. It always worked just fine, but this new one feels like it has a micro switch in it. 

#84

The Lounge / Re: Tig Welders

Last post by 94touring - February 15, 2026, 07:34:36 PM

The feed is the same as mine.  I didn't realize there was another style that doesn't stop immediately when you let of the trigger actually.  Time to fit 10lb spools in there!

#85

The Lounge / Re: Tig Welders

Last post by MiniDave - February 15, 2026, 06:45:58 PM

I know a lot of guys do prefer TiG, once you get a smooth rhythm going it's kind of a zen thing I guess.

I've seen guys do that total long weld thing, but it seems first they spot a few places to hold it together, then hammer/dolly those to release the stress, then start at one end and tig the whole thing.

My torch will be here Wed, but I'm going to work with it as MiG first to get used to the control settings.

I spent today cleaning the old welder, I didn't realize how filthy it had gotten over the years. I tried setting the new one in my old cart and it doesn't quite fit, I'm going to have to make some small mods to it. I also found the gas pipe that came with the new welder doesn't fit my gauges, I'll need to come up with an adaptor.....right now the gauges take a female fitting and the hose they sent has male fittings both ends.

It's interesting - this welder has both a wire advance button and a purge button for the gas.

I'll be putting my old Clarke 100E up for sale once I get this one squared away, it's a really good welder to learn how to MiG on. One cool thing is the spool of wire is driven, so you never have it birds nest up when you release the trigger, it stops immediately.

Edit: I had no idea it was made in Italy, I thought it was English?!?!?

#86

The Lounge / Re: Due to arrive soon

Last post by 94touring - February 15, 2026, 06:24:13 PM

I've done my share of these in the car, #3 was always the toughest one in a Beetle, you couldn't even see it since it was down in the sheet metal and all the way to the back of the engine (front of the car)We used to stuff panty hose remnants into the cylinder then when we pulled it out all the chips stuck to it. We also greased the flutes of the tap up so it would hold the chips too.

That #3 could be a real bear if the plug was cross threaded or stripped, there were times we just pulled the motor out cause it saved time overall.

I'm hoping it doesn't turn into that getting the head back on. Getting the studs out was tricky. I think I can reverse install it better.  Then the exhaust flanges will be a fight also.  I make it a point to only change spark plugs when the engine is out because 3 and 1 are difficult and you're really doing all of them in the blind anyways. Since I don't have the stock oil cooler I can at least take things out rather quickly otherwise. 

#87

The Lounge / Re: Due to arrive soon

Last post by 94touring - February 15, 2026, 06:20:41 PM

Here's what's in the kit. It will make more sense once I take pics step by step.

#88

The Lounge / Re: Due to arrive soon

Last post by MiniDave - February 15, 2026, 06:17:45 PM

I've done my share of these in the car, #3 was always the toughest one in a Beetle, you couldn't even see it since it was down in the sheet metal and all the way to the back of the engine (front of the car)We used to stuff panty hose remnants into the cylinder then when we pulled it out all the chips stuck to it. We also greased the flutes of the tap up so it would hold the chips too.

That #3 could be a real bear if the plug was cross threaded or stripped, there were times we just pulled the motor out cause it saved time overall.

#89

The Lounge / Re: Due to arrive soon

Last post by 94touring - February 15, 2026, 06:08:41 PM

You should do a series of pics on putting the Timeserts in when you get the kit. I'll like to see how you square it up to get it straight, that's the toughest part, I think. Having the head off will help since you won't have to worry about schmutz getting in the cylinder.

Well it should be easy to square it up actually. In their spark plug kits the tap is a 2 level step tap.  The first level chases the current threads, which since I have enough threads available should go in straight. The 2nd portion and level of the tap then creates the new larger diameter hole and new threads.  But, even if it's still not square to the face of the sealing surface, the counter bore insert that afixes to the tap also has 2 levels. The first creates the counter bore for the insert and the 2nd level then machines off the sealing surface square to the hole.  After watching a series of videos it should be very easy, I'll snap pics though.  In fact I kind of wish I left the head installed and just vacuumed out shavings with my little hose attachment on my shop vac.

#90

The Lounge / Re: Due to arrive soon

Last post by cstudep - February 15, 2026, 04:51:24 PM

As a bike guy long before I was a car guy I feel your pain. I have had to deal with damaged spark plug threads in motorcycle heads more than I care to think about lol.

Like Dave said, at least you have the head off that simplifies things, although there are ways to deal with it I always felt nervous doing it with the head on, never actually had any issues and head on is how I had to do most of them.