Yes, I am a teacher. Math, woodshop, welding.Farmwelding wrote: [snip] Now if I remember right Dave, you are a teacher correct? If the answer is yes what do you have your students use for tig welding (just curious). Like I said, I am not one to spend the schools money. I am quite a conservative, especially with money, but there is always someone in these classes that wants to explore more and with not being able to stick weld on DC(despite having 25 pounds of 6010 electrodes in the back room) or running dual shield flux core/and sometimes not even self-shield(usually breaks or stops when I walk away from the other kid trying to weld it seems). Based on this I think any updates are necessary. I didn't know if this tig box was going to be worth it or not, [snip]
Also have a part-time welding shop - my first tig was my 1967 Airco 300 which welds excellent.
No, the tig box add-on is not worth it, especially for a failing program like yours.
Fancy features do not make a person an excellent welder, practice does.
We use:
One 60's Miller 250 AC/DC
Two 70's Dialarcs (one of them is mine I brought in)
One early 90's Syncrowave
Two ESAB 161 (replaced 2 other welders I brought in)
The Syncrowave is used for stick and tig. Foot control, no pulse.
The ESABs are stick/tig machines. No foot control, lift start tig.
The Dialarcs will also be used for tig by some students this year - standard old scratch start.
I will also be bringing in an engine drive of mine for them to learn about and use.
New, expensive technology is not normally in schools unless a special grant is found.
For example, don't expect to find Lincoln's STT system in a high school. Tech school/college though - yes.
Until a person can weld excellent in all positions with stick, tig, mig, and limited oxy/acetylene - exploring technology is not necessary in my opinion.
One job I had only had an AC buzzbox for me to use - did my job the same as if they had new cool stuff.
)that the program is not as critical as I thought it was. It is a new reality I will face as the next generation I suppose. The fact that is will have these skills and be able to put them in practice and be able to get oil and dirt on my hands. I guess I have another question Dave. How successful is your program. I mean like how many students do you have going into school for welding or carpentry and if that number is fairly decent, what helps you make it successful? I'm just curious to see what maybe j can do to get others interested in the trade because I don't want to be alone at my job.