TIG torch cooler

[JoeE.]

Here's some before and after comparisons.

 

[JoeE.]

Duplicate

 

[Rob F.]

Consider yourself lucky it came with all the parts and was not dropped from the forklifts max height. File a claim and hope for the best...

 

[JoeE.]

HGR sent me pics of the shipment on their dock, all strapped down.
I called R&L and complained. They explained to me that HGR used a freight broker (Recon Logistics) to select a carrier, and they chose R&L. In the end, R&L has to file the claim on my behalf.
I told the salesman at HGR a figure of $150 as damages... said he'd see what he could do. Not holding my breath

 

[G-ManBart]

That's a bummer for sure. Accidents happen, but 9 times out of 10 that sort of stuff is just because nobody gives a damn.

 

[EmGo]

HGR sent me pics of the shipment on their dock, all strapped down.

This stuff amazes me. You can see it on the pallet, there's like a foot of clearance on all sides, how the hell can you smash it up like that ? You're not going to stack other pallets on top, right ?

wtf, over ?

 

[Cole2534]

This stuff amazes me. You can see it on the pallet, there's like a foot of clearance on all sides, how the hell can you smash it up like that ? You're not going to stack other pallets on top, right ?

wtf, over ?

Run other pallets into it.

 

[amaranth]

At least all the parts are there, a little body work and it should be in good shape.

I had a pallet of solar cells delivered that looked like it was dropped off a loading dock. Fun

 

[ChevyCrawler]

Miller guy through and through. But I broke down and bought a Everlast Typhoon 330. The power cool w375 was $400 shipped.

Try to get you money back for sure. If that falls through just get it working and move on.

 

[Hot_wrench]

Be sure to turn the pressure down so the water flow is just enough to go through the torch, you dont need any more pressure than that and the excess pressure will find or create water leaks.

The way you used to be able tell what shops had a tig welder was the mossy damp spot in the parking lot outside the roll up doors. Most just ran the water through the machine and out the door, like you are describing. Water bill used to be way cheaper than an expensive cooler (40+ yrs ago)

That's how I have my old P&H machine setup. I was but a poor college student when I bought it with no $ for a cooler so I hooked it up to domestic water and stuck the discharge under the door. Then, when I rearranged the shop and the door was too far away, I plumbed it through a 1/4" copper pipe that discharges from head-height into a utility sink. So, whenever I'm welding, I can hear the water falling and I know everything is working correctly. It has come in handy as once when I pushed the pedal and heard no falling water, I investigated and found that the cheap water filter I installed had decomposed into a pile of mush. Once replaced, everything was back to normal.
I recently purchased an old Bernard cooler at an estate sale for a song but I can't bring myself to switch over. My system works as is, doesn't freeze, lets me know when there is flow, doesn't take up any space, and, with the small amount that I use the welder, costs almost nothing to run.

 

[JoeE.]

Well, I got it all mounted and connected and used it some today.
I used Ethylene Glycol... the 50/50 stuff at the parts store. It took 2 gallons. I didn't add any distilled water, and there doesn't seem to be "deionized water" for sale anywhere. I needed the freeze protection, though... so it got the glycol.
This machine came equipped with a "Deionizing Filter", which is a clear cylinder filled with what looks like the media in a water softener... round beads of varying gold/brown colors. This filter thing is mounted in the vertical filler neck of the tank... the return line from the pump pours into the top of this cylinder, and the liquid runs through the media and out the bottom into the tank.
I figured the original filter was worn out but, as luck would have it, a google search found a new/old stock item for sale on ebay.
I just got it today and installed it on the cooler and I'm in business.
I welded for a few minutes going over some mig welds on this boiler I've repairing. The water in the return line was warm, but the supply coming in was room temp.
I mounted this machine up near the ceiling, to get it out of the way in my welding area. Didn't want it down there with all the grit and grime of welding and grinding. To connect it to the tig machine, I used clear vinyl tubing from the hardware store. I have brass barbed fitting on the inlet/outlet of the cooler. The tubing was just slid over the barbs, no clamps.
I adjusted the pump pressure as low as it will go, and that is still at 30 psi!!!... 30 plus, actually. I think the root cause of the high pressure is the high GPM of the pump compared to the ability of the torch to only flow about a quart a minute. Trying to push too much water through there.
The outlet of the cooler... where the tubing connects... can't quite withstand 30 psi, and it wanted to drip. I figured that if I put a gear clamp on the vinyl tubing, it would eventually cut it. So, I cut a piece of thicker rubber hose and slid it over the tubing.... THEN put a gear clamp over that. That solved the dripping problem.
All in all, I'm satisfied with what I got.

 

[Rob F.]

Nice, is there a spring loaded pressure relief that you adjust to change pressure? Maybe you can put a lighter spring in so you get lower pressure, its got to be worth a look to see at least.

 

[EmGo]

I welded for a few minutes going over some mig welds on this boiler I've repairing. The water in the return line was warm, but the supply coming in was room temp.

Super. If it isn't going back warm, it isn't doing anything.

How's the bodywork ? Rob and me can recommend bigflake green glitter, then you can wear that hat out to the shoulders to protect from welding glare. A foxtail boa and some gold chains would complete the ensemble

 

[rons]

The only thing I don’t like is that my welder does not have the option to turn the cooler on/off automatically, like my old Sycrowave did.

The Syncrowave runs the water flow after the foot peddle is lifted. Built in delay before going off.
You could use the foot pedal to trigger on/off/delay operation with a small cube-relay and a RC circuit or 555 timer.

 

[kb0thn]

If you visit HGR in person you'll understand how your thing got smashed. Big cavernous warehouse and forklift drivers zooming around to make time. I saw them load a pretty healthy size press brake without even getting off their forklift to look at where they should fork it from.

 

[dkmc]

This is what my tig cooler looked like when it arrived today. I wasn't at the dock when the truck got there and neglected to tell the people there to call me when the truck got there so I could inspect the shipment before they signed for it. So I'm fucked there.
It had one strap, which was broke. Nothing holding the item to the pallet. The pallet didn't have one single tight board on it.. I took all the bent sheet metal off and straightened it out with a rubber mallet and got it presentable... nothing was broke... but I sent all these pictures to hgr ripping that salesman's ask because the last communication I had with him I told him I sure hope I can count on your shipping Department to hook that thing down good to where it doesn't get tore up and he gave me his assurance that they would.

Well, they didn't spare the stretch wrap did they.......idiots.

 

[amaranth]

When buying from HGR I've always gone down and picked whatever it was up in person.

Once I had them ship a paper tape punch, but it was small enough to fit in a box and it survived intact. Given the stories, that almost surprised me.

 

[JoeE.]

Well, when I called them about the damage.. they had taken "before" pictures of the pallet setting on the dock...item was strapped down with two straps, and stretch wrapped.
It would have been better crated... but they don't take into account the gorillas with the forklifts at the truck lines who load and unload things...so they just put it on a pallet to fend for itself.

 

[Trboatworks]

Miller guy through and through. But I broke down and bought a Everlast Typhoon 330. The power cool w375 was $400 shipped.

Try to get you money back for sure. If that falls through just get it working and move on.

I have been using that cooler for a few years now.
Works great.

 

[JoeE.]

Well over the last week, come to find out the seal on the water pump in my TIG cooler leaked, so after finding out a rebuild kits were expensive, I found a replacement pump for $62..
Today, I replaced the pump, put a new fan belt on it and buttoned it all up. I put it on a platform to hoist it up onto that rack on the wall and about the time I had it up to the right level.. about 8 ft... it slid and fell off the lift and landed on the ground. Bent the legs a little, but broke the only irreplaceable part on the whole thing.. the bakelite cap on the reservoir.
After all that trouble I went to... weeks of flembling around waiting on parts and everything else and I end up dropping the damn thing myself... but, I got it all put back together, soaked up all the spilled antifreeze with floor dry, hoisted it back up and set it in place. Plumbed it all back in and it works good, so I'm calling it good. So.. I've probably got $700 in this $129 item, LOL