What kind of welding machines you guys have ? Anyone got a Miller multimatic 220?

[Former Member]

I have 2 auto darkening ones. One is true colour, love it. But it does cost.

When I first started welding, I used a regular helmet, it did make welding difficult, when I switched, my first one was a cheap one (still have it) but my welding improved...I could see!

The true colour lens is the next level in clarity.

I would say, aside from a good welder, this is the most important item, makes welding easy and most importantly protects your eyes.

One other thing some of the newer cheap auto versions do not filter correctly and do not provide protection, so be careful when you buy.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

The best money I ever spent on welding gear was my Lincoln Viking autodark helmet. I had a couple fixed shades and a cheap PA autodark, that always served me well for mig and stick, but once I got the tig, my autodark flashed me a couple times at lower amperages. Looking around online, it was a common problem of the older import autodarks. I figured it was time to treat myself, so I splurged and bought the viking because it had a bigger lense than the others in it's category. It's been a few years, so there might be better deals and values out there, but I don't regret spending the money for a good quality hood. I only use it for mig and tig. I still prefer my gold lense for stick.

 

[CalgaryPT]

Auto darkening helmets are to welding what soldering irons are to electronics. You can find other ways to do it, but the right tool makes it a joy.

(Pipeline welders not withstanding, but—well…they are pipeline welders after all and not subject to normal rules or physical laws of nature.)

 

[Former Member]

Speaking of soldering electronics I do a lot with lead free. Secret is not only a good (digital) temp controlled iron with power (80w my other is 150w and both are pencils) but the solder itself, makes the biggest difference between this is just as easy as leaded or ARGH! Hate this stuff.

BTW I go through about 3 to 8lbs of lead free a year.

 

[ShawnR]

Speaking of soldering electronics I do a lot with lead free. Secret is not only a good (digital) temp controlled iron with power (80w my other is 150w and both are pencils) but the solder itself, makes the biggest difference between this is just as easy as leaded or ARGH! Hate this stuff.

BTW I go through about 3 to 8lbs of lead free a year.

That is a lot of soldering! I bought a 1 lb roll of solder about 28 years ago and still have some. And I ran a business doing repairs....and other nerdy stuff. But my iron is only 27 watt......I guess I am a small fish....

 

[CalgaryPT]

Everyone thinks I’m nuts for this BUT I love the smell of lead solder and have for almost 50 years. I’m sure I’ll be drooling into a small cup at the old folks’ home while the rest of you are playing three dimensional chess and solving differential equations.

 

[YYCHM]

Everyone thinks I’m nuts for this BUT I love the smell of lead solder and have for almost 50 years. I’m sure I’ll be drooling into a small cup at the old folks’ home while the rest of you are playing three dimensional chess and solving differential equations.

You sure it was the lead and not the flux

 

[CalgaryPT]

You sure it was the lead and not the flux

Sadly I'm sure.

 

[Tom O]

That’s like the bottle of mercury in the basement I have.

 

[Former Member]

Everyone thinks I’m nuts for this BUT I love the smell of lead solder and have for almost 50 years. I’m sure I’ll be drooling into a small cup at the old folks’ home while the rest of you are playing three dimensional chess and solving differential equations.

I started soldering because I loved the smell of flux (sad I know), The new fluxes they use now in solder is as bad as the lead if not worse in other ways, I use an air filter (big one designed for this stuff).

 

[LRSbm146]

My old roll of kester finally ran out and started using that MGchemicals no clean. It seems to be pretty good. I got the lead but don’t solder that much.
For welding helmets, I have a Miller titanium that was pretty good. It came with the power air filter belt pack and I think the fan was a bit of a let down. There might be more options now but the filters were pretty much the same as a dust mask. The 3m half mask or similar with the filter selection they offer is a pretty safe setup. Someone should 3D print an adapter....
Another thing with welding as we get older is our eyes and I wear a pretty strong prescription. I keep a cheap PA helmet around with a clear glass lens upfront, regular old glass #10 and a magnifier lens on the helmet side. I like it for tig welding, it’s a clearer picture through the glass and try to limit how many layers I’m looking through. Then switch to a grinding face shield to save my welding lenses.
Sometimes these auto darkening will flicker with lower amps or corners. Cheap backup is good anyway.

 

[Susquatch]

Auto darkening helmets are to welding what soldering irons are to electronics. You can find other ways to do it, but the right tool makes it a joy.

You are a sick man. First, by your own admission, you sound like a real sicko playing a musical instrument and now you claim that soldering can be a real joy with the right tools.....

I can solder with the best of them and I have some great soldering tools. But I still hate soldering. It's right up there with using the best tools to pick up dog poop.

Just yesterday I repaired some sprayer electronics for a neighbour who had pulled a male blade out of the circuit board. It's a 12 handed job. My wife helped hold the parts I couldn't hold with clips while I replaced the blade. Her telling observation was: "I think I'd rather be poked in the eye with a sharp stick than do that."

 

[jcdammeyer]

NDS Electronics in Coquitlam does the surface mounts but I still solder on the connectors. But on the DMX2LED prototypes I soldered all the parts. The quad flat packs aren't that hard with a bit of practice. I use a flip down magnifier to help. Hot air to remove.

For welding I now have a nice Lincoln Helmet to replace the erratic one I think I bought at PA many decades ago.

 

[Susquatch]

Hot air to remove.

Huh? That's a new one on me!

I will have to look into how that is done! I've been using braid for years now.

 

[Former Member]

Huh? That's a new one on me!

I will have to look into how that is done! I've been using braid for years now.

????? Been around for at least 15 years. Where have you been hiding??

 

[jcdammeyer]

 

[Susquatch]

????? Been around for at least 15 years. Where have you been hiding??

I've heard of low melt solder, but never knew you could do it with hot air!

 

[Susquatch]

????? Been around for at least 15 years. Where have you been hiding??

Actually, now that I think about it, I retired a bit over 15 years ago....... Not sure I'd call that hiding though.......

Amazing how fast time flies. Seems like just yesterday I was playing with my oldest son. I have a great grandson to play with now!

 

[jcdammeyer]

The nozzles I have for mine can redirect the hot air so it only hits the pins. I've removed devices and reused them with that approach.
The easy way to solder if you don't have paste and all is to tack one corner pin of the device until the quad pins all line up properly. Then tack the other corner. Once you have it well lined up apply lots of flux and drag the iron and solder along all the pins. You don't care if they short.

Then use solder wick and again lots of flux to remove the bridges. You end up with the pads shorted and nothing between. If there is a bit, it's easier to apply more solder first and then remove it with lots of flux and wick.

These in the attached picture are a bitch to solder. That's because under the device is a large copper pad which serves also as the Ground connection. If it doesn't solder well then the chip releases magic smoke. Removing them requires 3 hands and the desire to be more like an octopus with 8 arms.

Essentially if it's toast the easiest way to remove it is to use a bade to slice through both rows of pins to separate them from the body of the device.
Then lots of solder on the pins and wick to remove the cut pins without lifting the pads. Now hot air from the top and a larger soldering iron with a solder blob on it from the other side conducting heat through the feed through and melting the solder under the pad.

 

[Former Member]

Personally never used hot air, just a hot iron, fine tip and good hand eye coordination. Smallest form factor I've used and designed for is 0602