no amp control... econotig..

[buk]

hello all!

i recently bought a used miller econotig.. and there is no amperage control at all via the foot pedal or hand control...

i have the weld process switch set to gtaw... and the range/polarity switch set to dcen..


i have a foot pedal as well as a hand control.. and neither of them are allowing me to change amperage.. they are more like an on/off switch.. weather i press the foot pedal a little or all the way it puts out the same (what i assume to be) 100% output

the same goes for the hand control..

basically the metal is over heating.. and glowing red hot.. with the arc jumping all over the place and burning holes through the material.. (from what i assume to be too much amperage)

my welding scd10 ss pipe..

this is my first time welding.. but i know im supposed to have control over the amperage.. not just an on off switch..

local welding supply store wants 70 bucks just to look at the welder..

online manual says to clean out the inside of the welder.. i may try this in a little bit.. but from what i see online this is a common problem with econotigs..

http://dtsfab.com/index/index.php?topic=1829.0

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=35789

^^ this guy apparently fixed his problem..

im trying to contact the person i bought it from but i doubt ill get any help from him..

thanks..
jay

[Hillbilly69]

Turn knob 4 to the left!

[buk]

Turn knob 4 to the left!

i wish it were that easy!

knob 4 is inactive in tig mode.. its only used for stick welder mode..

well im hoping this is my only problem.. i dont see any scorch marks on the board but i wont be for sure till i start to clean out the welder..

a simple air can will not clean this up.. can i use electronic parts cleaner to just spray the entire inside of the machine?

electonic parts cleaner is like brake parts cleaner.. propably the same thing.. non conductive.. and i wont turn on the machine till im sure that its 100% dry.. maybe 2 cans of electronic parts cleaner then 1 can of air to make sure its 100% dry?

[buk]

[buk]

[cruizer]

Your "D" pin appears to be missing on your amphenol, thus no control. Find it and shove it back in.

[engnerdan]

i wish it were that easy!

knob 4 is inactive in tig mode.. its only used for stick welder mode..

Wrong it is not, that is why there is a break down below the knob of how many amps you are running at each number. If you set it to 100 amps on dc when you floor the pedal to max you will get 100 amps but at half pedal it should be about 50 and so on. So if knob 4 is turned all the way up you are getting the least amount of control.

Next thing you did not say what tungsten you are using, what gas you are using. So lets start there.

With Sch 10 stainless I would set my amp knob at 70-80%, gas flow at 20CFH, us 3/32 red tungsten sharpened to a point. Is this what you are doing?

One other thing did you make sure you have gas coming out of the end of the torch?

-Dan

[buk]

[QUOTE=engnerdan;228045]

i wish it were that easy!

knob 4 is inactive in tig mode.. its only used for stick welder mode..

QUOTE]

Wrong it is not, that is why there is a break down below the knob of how many amps you are running at each number. If you set it to 100 amps on dc when you floor the pedal to max you will get 100 amps but at half pedal it should be about 50 and so on. So if knob 4 is turned all the way up you are getting the least amount of control.

Next thing you did not say what tungsten you are using, what gas you are using. So lets start there.

With Sch 10 stainless I would set my amp knob at 70-80%, gas flow at 20CFH, us 3/32 red tungsten sharpened to a point. Is this what you are doing?

One other thing did you make sure you have gas coming out of the end of the torch?

-Dan

but why does the manual says

4. Amperage Control

This control does not work in GRAW (TIG) mode. Use control for Stick when Weld Process switch is in stick position

i dont know.. this is confusing.. it even has the stick welding mode icon right under the knob.. eitherway there was no difference when i changed the knob weather i set it to 0 or 100..

[buk]

just hosed off the entire machine with sensitive electronic parts cleaner.. can beileve i paid 6 bucks a can and it took 2 cans.. should have just went with the brake parts cleaner...

oh well..

machine is about 80% cleaner.. i just made sure i got all the knobs and switches good (the current type selector actually feels alot better now)

anyone have a miller econotig? can you take a picture of the connector for the amp control? do you have the d pin?

[Broccoli1]

[QUOTE=engnerdan;228045]

i wish it were that easy!

knob 4 is inactive in tig mode.. its only used for stick welder mode..

QUOTE]

Wrong it is not, that is why there is a break down below the knob of how many amps you are running at each number. If you set it to 100 amps on dc when you floor the pedal to max you will get 100 amps but at half pedal it should be about 50 and so on. So if knob 4 is turned all the way up you are getting the least amount of control.

Next thing you did not say what tungsten you are using, what gas you are using. So lets start there.

With Sch 10 stainless I would set my amp knob at 70-80%, gas flow at 20CFH, us 3/32 red tungsten sharpened to a point. Is this what you are doing?

One other thing did you make sure you have gas coming out of the end of the torch?

-Dan

Dan,

Not so on the early Econotigs-- as stated in the manual-- that the Knob does not work in GTAW- The FC would be 0-100% of the machine's power.