TIG cooler project? Routing lines.

[TJS]

Can someone show me a schematic of the TIG cooler routing of the lines, pump, heat exchanger,and tank of a home made unit. How about you Sundown. I just ordered my alum. sheet to make a tank. With my calculations of the volume formula the tank will hold about 2 or so gallons. This does not include the volume of the exchanger. Is this enough, it seems like it to me. I am using a 03-04 Mustang Cobra heat exchanger that is used for the intercooler set up.

Thanks.
T.J.

[unixadm]

I'm not sure if I would make the tank out of aluminum. You have to be careful mixing materials in your radiator, tank, pump and torch head. I'd really recommend stainless or some sort of plastic for the tank.

You can pretty much do it several ways.

Tank -> Pump Inlet -> Pump Outlet -> Torch -> Radiator -> Tank

Tank -> Pump Inlet -> Pump Outlet -> Radiator -> Torch -> Tank

I tend to like the radiator after the pump outlet as you will hopefully reduce the small amount of heat put into the water by the pump. You just have to make sure the radiator is capble of handling the pressure within your cooling loop.

[Sundown]

Can someone show me a schematic of the TIG cooler routing of the lines, pump, heat exchanger,and tank of a home made unit. How about you Sundown. I just ordered my alum. sheet to make a tank. With my calculations of the volume formula the tank will hold about 2 or so gallons. This does not include the volume of the exchanger. Is this enough, it seems like it to me. I am using a 03-04 Mustang Cobra heat exchanger that is used for the intercooler set up.

Thanks.
T.J.

Here's a quick and dirty, done in paint (I uaually use crayon) I hope you can read it. The pressure guage is between the pump outlet and where the feed to the torch is located. This way the torch always get the coolest water available. There is also a filter attached to the bottom of the water pickup tube, to lessen the chance of something foreign getting to the torch head. I hope this helps.

[fun4now]

(I uaually use crayon)

humm and all this time i had you figured as a finger paint's kind of guy. :p

[Sundown]

(I uaually use crayon)

humm and all this time i had you figured as a finger paint's kind of guy. :p

Had to switch to crayons when they made me quit drinking in public :D

[TJS]

Thanks everyone. I appreciated it. The heat exchanger is made out of alum. so I hope the chemicals in the tig coolant will protect from a reaction.

Thanks.
T.J.

[Sundown]

Thanks everyone. I appreciated it. The heat exchanger is made out of alum. so I hope the chemicals in the tig coolant will protect from a reaction.

Thanks.
T.J.

My heat exchanger & tank are aluminum, the fittings & pump are brass as is the metal in the head of all my CK torch's, everything else is plastic or rubber. I will run 1.5 gal of deminerlized water, 1 gal of gycol (RV antifreeze) and the radiator conditioner (wetting agent/Lube) that Jim is using. I don't forsee any problems as long as the filter is changed often and PM is done on a regular basis as you would with any commerical cooler, besides it won't be run more than hour or so a day as I have to put some time in on the MM210 (and the other machines) or they gets sulky on me. We will be needing pictures of what you come up with. The only problem I can think of happening would be with the pump seals and I have an extra set (because I bought a used pump) just in case.

[Fishy Jim]

If you actually got a "carbonator" pump, it doesn't need lubricant, as it is intended for continuous use with drinking water. Your additive package need is due to stagnation (which cannot be avoided in a closed system, since you'd need an agitator in the tank 24/7), what's still in the water you use (like what got in it in storage and when it was exposed to the atmosphere), and environmental concerns (like freezing).

I'm not running glycol, because I don't think I need it. Freezing has never been an issue in my basement shop.

[Sundown]

If you actually got a "carbonator" pump, it doesn't need lubricant, as it is intended for continuous use with drinking water. Your additive package need is due to stagnation (which cannot be avoided in a closed system, since you'd need an agitator in the tank 24/7), what's still in the water you use (like what got in it in storage and when it was exposed to the atmosphere), and environmental concerns (like freezing).

I'm not running glycol, because I don't think I need it. Freezing has never been an issue in my basement shop.

I plan on using glycol in the winter as it can get down to freezing in the shop a few times in the winter, I will change to plain water after april 15th (last possible freeze date here). That way the coolant will get changed at least twice a year.

[fun4now]

i think in the summer month it might be werth adding then just to prevent alge in the system. 6 month in a closed semie stagnent system hat is given heat to help the groth might be pushing it . adding antiefreez will keep the water groth free, even if you just use standerd auto antiefreez. ;)
just a thought. :)

[burninbriar]

I cant find my litterature right now but I think there are some issues with the coolant used with high frequency machines and aluminum. If I can find it I'll post it.

[fun4now]

i know there are isues with useing plain tap watter but he said he was useing distiled watter i think??? any way lots of people have gotten away with just running a garden hose throw the torch and down the drain for cooling. although there is a chance of mineral deposits pluging the torch as well as some othere isues with the curent. with my track record of bad carma i would stay away from that method. also i have had my tap water tested and although tecnicly drinkable it is full of solids :eek: if i wont drink it i wouldnt want to force my torch to tolerate it. :rolleyes: just dosent seem right some how. :p

[Sundown]

I cant find my litterature right now but I think there are some issues with the coolant used with high frequency machines and aluminum. If I can find it I'll post it.

Miller makes two types of coolant, 1) Low-Conductivity Antifreeze/Coolant is used in systems that generate HF and is basicly Gycol/water, 2) another type (Hi-conductivity :confused: maybe) to be used in mig machines that have aluminum drive housings and no HF. Other than that they don't give any other reational for the two different types. I know a few guys that have been using coolers with aluminum heat exchangers for years and systems with HF with no appearant problems. It there is a problem then I hope whoever knows what it is, speaks up.

[burninbriar]

I'm sure thats what I was thinking about, I knew the word aluminum was mentioned some how.

[Sundown]

I'm sure thats what I was thinking about, I knew the word aluminum was mentioned some how.

Thats the only information I can find but I really can't find out what it means. It may have something do with the alloy that is used in drive castings, or maybe that transformer machines have HF on all the time while using AC to weld aluminum, unlike some inverters (maybe all) that only use HF to start the arc. Anyway, unless I can find some definative information on the subject I am not going to worry about it until I start glowing in the dark :eek: .

[Fishy Jim]

The only reason I'm not using glycol, is because nothing has ever frozen in my basement. My garage does get cold enough in late Jan to be a problem and early Feb, but my arc machines are deeper inside where it's warmer. If the tig was in the garage, it would be a 50/50 blend.

[Sundown]

The only reason I'm not using glycol, is because nothing has ever frozen in my basement. My garage does get cold enough in late Jan to be a problem and early Feb, but my arc machines are deeper inside where it's warmer. If the tig was in the garage, it would be a 50/50 blend.

No basements here, just a slab the house it built on.