I'm borrowing a Miller Maxstar 140 which is a little portable stick/TIG welder, to take to christian youth camp next week which is cool. The thing is about the size of a lunch box (and about as heavy), but will put out 140amps for stick or TIG welding. I gave it a try, just to remind myself how to do it, and after burning the end off of the tungsten electrode a couple times when I forgot to turn on the Argon, I got down to business making some welds.
Boy, inverters are smooth. No wandering, pulsing or poping. This unit doesn't have high frequency, so its lift-start, which isn't ideal, but serviceable. It just hums right along after started, and the box is so small that its easy to keep it right to the side, and just adjust the power output as you go. And it didn't seem like I needed that much power (compared with an older Sychrowave). 20 amps was more than enough on some 16gauge, and even at 100amps, I was fusion welding 1/4" plate just fine. Even held its arc down to 5amps, making the tinyist little melt dimple on the face of the metal. If it wasn't for the fact that its a DC only machine, I could probably weld tinfoil with it.
With a few extra electrodes, cups and collets; I should be all set. (Jim Hess was complaining that I shouldn't be breaking cups, but I reminded him that the last time I was welding I managed to break one anyway. I've got to plan for not what should happen, but what could happen.)
