Manual Wire Feeder for TIG welding thin metal

[chy_farm]

I mostly enjoy TIG welding on thin metal like 0.5mm thick steel sheet, for e.g. like power pipes, carburetor attachments and etc. The parent material of this thickness needs small wire, 0.6mm in diameter as far as my welding skill concern but this wire mostly come to us in a shape being reeled on a round plastic reel since they are mostly sold for MIG welders. So that they get curly or curved when released from the reel.



This causes me trouble when I try to give the part some precision work, so I had to hold the wire as close as possible to the aiming melting pool with the other hand.

This manual wire feeder helps me a lot in this sort of precision works.

 

[chy_farm]

This is the wire reservoir with a Teflon tube to the feeder.

 

[mgr1]

Love you work @chy_farm. See some parts from a cigarette lighter.

 

[old guy]

that black part sure looks like a front sight cover for a winchester rifle

 

[chy_farm]

Love you work @chy_farm. See some parts from a cigarette lighter.

Good evening @mgr1 and thanks, glad to know you like it. Wish to see your one when you try for one!

 

[chy_farm]

that black part sure looks like a front sight cover for a winchester rifle

Hello @old guy, thank you for comment. Did not know much about rifle but is it one like this, sitting top at the left end of the barrel?

 

[srcarr52]

There are a few filler finger feeders available for precut thin rods. I'm sure a person could adapt a whip to feed from a spool like you made.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Welding-Ti...230897&hash=item4b0aebf7db:g:3zEAAOSwcLxYD1yl


CK makes an electric tig feeder.

 

[old guy]

Hello @old guy, thank you for comment. Did not know much about rifle but is it one like this, sitting top at the left end of the barrel?

Pretty much, more like the early model 70.

 

[chy_farm]

There are a few filler finger feeders available for precut thin rods. I'm sure a person could adapt a whip to feed from a spool like you made.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Welding-Ti...230897&hash=item4b0aebf7db:g:3zEAAOSwcLxYD1yl

CK makes an electric tig feeder.

Nice one.
Who is he, CK? thinking of making a electric one with a motor unit though. Finger feeding is good for low amperage but prefer some more speed in filling when a tad more bigger current, like in a case welding 0.8mm thick steel for butt welding.

 

[chy_farm]

One candidate is this unit;
MIG Welder Welding Machine Wire Drive Motor Feed Feeder Roller 0.6 12V

 

[srcarr52]

Nice one.
Who is he, CK? thinking of making a electric one with a motor unit though. Finger feeding is good for low amperage but prefer some more speed in filling when a tad more bigger current, like in a case welding 0.8mm thick steel for butt welding.

CK is a company that makes a lot of tig torches.

http://www.ckworldwide.com/

 

[chy_farm]

CK is a company that makes a lot of tig torches.
http://www.ckworldwide.com/

Thanks, I saved his site at my favorites. Seems to be another nice site!
Chy

 

[TLee]

Neat idea Guy. Will keep this in mind when do some thin stuff. Have a new TIG and have not had the time to set up. Usually my playing is with somewhat heavier stuff. Am going to try and save(automotive) aluminum engine head, and convert an aluminum boat pontoons into a planing type vessel, hopefully.
If not mistaken, have seen your postings in an electronics forum, where you were redoing a TIG IGBT main board that the capacitors had leaked on the traces. Thanks,

 

[chy_farm]

Neat idea Guy. Will keep this in mind when do some thin stuff. Have a new TIG and have not had the time to set up. Usually my playing is with somewhat heavier stuff. Am going to try and save(automotive) aluminum engine head, and convert an aluminum boat pontoons into a planing type vessel, hopefully.
If not mistaken, have seen your postings in an electronics forum, where you were redoing a TIG IGBT main board that the capacitors had leaked on the traces. Thanks,

Good evening Sir TLee, Yes I am he who posted that to the forum some time ago. Glad to hear from a hobbyist welder like my self. Giving some nice repair to aluminium head is fascinating job too, hope you can do that soon and show us some pics of the results. Look forward to seeing them. Thanks.
chy

 

[Lightning Performance]

Neat idea Guy. Will keep this in mind when do some thin stuff. Have a new TIG and have not had the time to set up. Usually my playing is with somewhat heavier stuff. Am going to try and save(automotive) aluminum engine head, and convert an aluminum boat pontoons into a planing type vessel, hopefully.
If not mistaken, have seen your postings in an electronics forum, where you were redoing a TIG IGBT main board that the capacitors had leaked on the traces. Thanks,

Welcome to OPE

 

[TLee]

Thanks to both of you Gentlemen. Have been around automotive stuff since my teens. Was originally trained as a combination body and paint person, and trained on lead. This was when bondo was just getting popular. So welding was no biggie and expected on metal bodies. However, now everything it a throwaway item, and not much repair, per se, is done.
Used to go back at community college level welding classes to refresh skills. Hit it off with the department head as usually trying to push the machine to do things they were not necessarily designed to do-such as taking a MIG to a full axial flow, or TIG soda cans together. That a toughie for me. Don't recall ever conquering that. My expertise limited to ferrous, aluminum, and stainless. I have seen cast steel welded, but have not done.
The TIG is a(required) water cooled model, and have not built the cooling system. (Read too many projects, and run out of gas too soon.)

 

[mdavlee]

I put bends in the wire every few inches when I'm using .035-.045" to get it to feed.

 

[chy_farm]

Thanks Lee, I have not yet made a challenge to a Soda can with my TIG, seems a tad hard job to me too.
Argon gas costs a lot, so it's only a fly in the ointment or a thorn in the neck to me, lol. Hope you can give that water cooled unit a good set up.

 

[chy_farm]

I put bends in the wire every few inches when I'm using .035-.045" to get it to feed.

That's sound to be not a bad idea.
Chy

 

[mdavlee]

That's sound to be not a bad idea.
Chy

I use .045" quite a bit. 18" pieces with 4 or 5 bends and I can feed it down to 2" or so