Tig welding tips, questions, equipment, applications, instructions, techniques, tig welding machines, troubleshooting tig welding process
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I once made the mistake of blacklighting a part in the shop bathroom, so as not to walk to the clean room.

"Ooops".

I did not want to know...

Steve
beltguy
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    Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:35 pm

OK folks, I know this is an old thread and some folks do not appreciate old threads being brought to the top.

However, I felt very strongly that the TIG Button should be reemphasized for those not familiar with the product.

I am 77 years old and balancing on one foot and trying to control the foot pedal is just about impossible. I have tried the thumb controls and hate them. I first saw a prototype of this product in our local welding shop a few years ago and fell in love with the concept (easy finger tip control of the amperage). I finally bit the bullet and bought one about a year ago for my Miller Synchrowave 180. It has been an amazing help with my TIG welding.

When I first started using the TIG Button, I ran into a problem of being “bit” by some stray current when I activated the button. I contacted Dave Vogel and he walked me through the issue. Turned out that Miller sets up their welders (at least some of them) for a very high high frequency start amperage spike and somehow that is conducted to the TIG button. The solution was to set the points gap to a minimum. I bring this up to emphasize that Dave was a most helpful vendor.

This week, to my horror, the TIG Button failed to work and I had to resort to a foot pedal :( . I contacted Dave and he replied immediately asking me to call him. Over the phone, he quickly walked me though a troubleshooting process and we determined that the flexing in the lead to the button had loosened a connection. Simple fix and another great support effort by Dave.

Jim
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That's good to hear. I need to contact Dave to make me one for my new TIG welder! :)
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beltguy
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It is an amazing product.

I forgot to list the link to his website: https://tigcontrol.com/

The website is pretty basic as they are working on updating it.

BTW, I have been a reader of this forum for a long time, but never registered as I did not think I could contribute. However, discussing this product gave the reason to formally become a member of the group.

Jim
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beltguy wrote: BTW, I have been a reader of this forum for a long time, but never registered as I did not think I could contribute. However, discussing this product gave the reason to formally become a member of the group.

Jim
Welcome Jim, glad you decided to become a member, don't be afraid to post, even just to post photo's of what you're working on.
Richard
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tweake
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beltguy wrote:It is an amazing product.

I forgot to list the link to his website: https://tigcontrol.com/

The website is pretty basic as they are working on updating it.

Jim
also http://www.6061.com/tigbutton.htm
tweak it until it breaks
BillE.Dee
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I'm glad that you brought up this posting about the tig button. I saw one somewhere, contacted Dave Vogel and he sent me one with the contingency that IF it doesn't work with the machines I have to call and we could make it work over the phone. It was a plug and play system. I had a problem with my hand and let it set for a while til I got fixed and I'm back using the tig button. I'm still amazed that it works without moving, simply on difference in finger pressure and not a lot of pressure either. It's like magic and just as sensitive as my wife.
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I should have one for my Invertig 400 soon. :D
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BillE.Dee
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Oscar, did you say that you already have a tig button for one of the other machines? Will that button work on the new machine or do you not want to move the button around from one to the other?
Toggatug
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Sorry to dig this up again but I figured this might be the best way to possibly get some of older posters on here to come back and give their thoughts.

So I've been debating a button for a bit now but I'm curious, how have they held up long term for you guys? And what kind of shop do you use them in?

Thanks in advance

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk
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Toggatug wrote:Sorry to dig this up again but I figured this might be the best way to possibly get some of older posters on here to come back and give their thoughts.

So I've been debating a button for a bit now but I'm curious, how have they held up long term for you guys? And what kind of shop do you use them in?

Thanks in advance

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk
My original button got pretty hard over the years, decreasing the sensitivity, but the new button is a more pliable material, and easily replaced, since it's just an 18" long pigtail that gets plugged into the main cord.
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Toggatug
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Oscar wrote:
Toggatug wrote:Sorry to dig this up again but I figured this might be the best way to possibly get some of older posters on here to come back and give their thoughts.

So I've been debating a button for a bit now but I'm curious, how have they held up long term for you guys? And what kind of shop do you use them in?

Thanks in advance

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk
My original button got pretty hard over the years, decreasing the sensitivity, but the new button is a more pliable material, and easily replaced, since it's just an 18" long pigtail that gets plugged into the main cord.
A few years of service life from a button doesn't seem too bad.

I would assume the button can be purchased separate from the whole assembly which I'd be fine with if I had to replace the button every 2 or 3 years.

I think I'll just finally buy one like I wanted to when I got the dynasty and stop kicking my pedal around all the time.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk
Rootpass
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For another opinion. I have one for my HTP. I prefer the foot pedal at the bench but part of that is the great and super comfortable HTP SST foot remote. To me the Miller style is clunky and uncomfortable.
The TIG button is truly a game changer in certain situations. I have mine mounted on the side of my torch to activate it with my thumb. I use 2-3 of those hair bands for pony tails to mount it to the torch. The remote is very secure but allows me to change the location easily.
The TIG button itself is as high a quality or higher than the ones sold by the big companies. I absolutely love it. I’ve been a pipe welder for my adult life. Not the greatest but good enough to keep a job! Power plants, nukes and then pharmaceutical plants. I’ve used several different types. I own most styles of them. The TIG button is great for the “dabbing” type of TIG welding. On the bench, out of position and in the field. Stainless steel pipe or socket welds, the Miller style hand remotes are what I use. Just roll up the the amperage and leave it then ramp down to finish.
I believe you need several types of remotes for different situations. It just depends on what you are doing.
The TIG button is a serious and legit piece of equipment. I do not hesitate to recommend it.
Dave Vogel seems like a great guy from the emails we have had back and forth. Very accessible via email. It’s such a great product that I’m shocked he hasn’t been bought out. If it happens I hope it’s by HTP because my experience is that my HTP welds aluminum better than the Dynasty at work and I’d hate to see the better welding machine lose out on the TIG button!
This is all just my opinion!
Gdarc21
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Root pass, well said and thank you.
I got a 26 Parker suregrip with the pot on the torch and have found it a pain in the butt to a point where a perfectly good torch sits idle, while the 17V Scratcher is the go to. All because of that button.Every time I bumped it amps jumped all over, I tried using like a pedal (Giving myself a bit of amp room up and down to move)and made a mess, I just got better at not bumping the wheel. I admit it never occurred to me to set it for top amps and use it for taper offs. In fact I was starting to wonder if any one used em. When I read that and realised that you were right, I face palmed so hard that you’d near hear it from there :lol:
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