Any tips or good-to-buy items before it gets here? I've got an auto darkening mask, a good set of gloves, some mild steel and stainless steel filler rod, and a full bottle of argon. Any other things im missing or a recommended have?

 

Couple packages of tungstens in different colors/thicknesses. Some short backing caps. Different size cups. Different size collets. A bench grinding wheel dedicated to tungstens so they don't get contaminated. A chunk of clean copper to ball the ends of tungstens for aluminum.

 

Do you smash the tungsten into the copper or something for aluminum? How does that work? I've never tigged aluminum before so im kind of in the dark. Thanks alot

 

You put the machine on Electrode Positive (+), and put the piece of copper on grounded metal. When you start an arc, the arc will travel from the copper to the electrode, concentrating the heat onto the tip of the tungsten. This will melt/ball the tip so that it is round. Since the copper can't be welded, it won't transfer any of the material to the tip of the tungsten, therefore keeping the tungsten clean/uncontaminated. You then switch the machine over to A/C to weld aluminum.

The key to welding aluminum is keeping the aluminum as clean as possible. Use only stainless steel to brush off the oxides from the metal.

 

Any recommendations on what a good "base" stock of filler metal is? I'll be doing chromo, aluminum, mild and stainless (304 and 321), once i get some practice.

 

sup man, i have a pt 185 too. I love it. I would stock up on 1/16 and 3/32 304 rods for ss, for mild on ss go 309. good luck.

 

Does anybody have a watercooler setup for the pt185 or is even necissary on something like that? I've had a couple people recommend a water cooler as a worthwile upgrade but theyre all professional welders that do it all day.