Welding Tips and Tricks

I decided to order a valved 26 torch over a 17 so that I could make use of all my 3/16 and 1/4 scrap without melting the torch down or dealing with rigging up a pump however apparently I didn't catch that the dinse adapter I ordered was sized for a 17 torch not a 26 so I'll need to return something.

However I'm used to a watercooled torch so actually getting it in my hand the 26 feels ridiculously large, so I'm wondering just how much control I'm giving up, am I better off returning the torch for a 17 rather than the adapater? I won't be using a pedal at first so I'll have limited control anyway and the torch size might not be an issue, but I'm not sure, does anyone here use a 26 and would feel comfortably using it exclusively if they had to?

With a stubby kit it's not that much bigger, but it is slightly bigger. I wouldn't say it's preventative, you'll get used to it. I used a 26 for about a year and a half before getting a CK 17 Flexhead.

Mine is a flex head where as the water cooled I'm used to are not which might end up outweighing the torch size anyway, but I just wanted to make sure it wouldn't be too hard to get used to. I'll go ahead and order the right sized connector tonight and worry about returning the one I have later.

I have, and it can actually be advantageous for some people. If jittery at times like me, sometimes the extra weight helps stabilize your fine-motor control in your hands. Of course it might not be appropriate at all times.

howdy baker,,,,I do have a 26 torch, don't use it that much as I also have a 17 that I use. I do find the 26 a bit bigger than the 17,,,not like comparing a volkswagen to a caddy limo, but a bit bigger and a bit of difficulty handling for my messed up hands. Two things to consider is YOU have to be happy with it and EVERYTHING has a duty cycle, whether it's equipment or operator.
gramps

If you learn tig on a 26 and use it mostly, it feels normal.
Little boy torch only comes out for restricted access or really thin stuff.

26 is my go to , unless making a weld where I need all the room I can get , 26 torch walks so smoothly and is nice and heavy and stable . One thing I found is with smaller torches the lead always seems to way it down , with the 26 i dont feel that.

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I have a trimline 26 & apart from the power cable is a bit thicker it does'nt bother me at all - I have a 9 for anything small / low amp or restricted access & would'nt use a 17 ever - can't see much point - it's mostly got the same power cable as a 9 & that will always melt in the torch handle join before the torch gives up & the torch is only rated 25amps more than a 9 - if I did'nt have to move stuff around as much I'd like a 20 - never tried one but I hate how hot torches get - worked at a place with water cooled but those torches were bigger than a 26 - not sure what they were now - was a long time ago.

I'm not worried about it based on the responses then, It doesn't seem to be a real issue for anyone so I'm sure I can get used to it.

i've only ever used 26 torch. its ok but its like wielding a sledgehammer to nail a tack when your welding thin stuff.
would really like a very small torch for doing sanitary tubing etc.

tweake wrote:i've only ever used 26 torch. its ok but its like wielding a sledgehammer to nail a tack when your welding thin stuff.
would really like a very small torch for doing sanitary tubing etc.

Yeah, that's because you folks get those clunky Euro style 26 torches that are about as nimble as a pregnant rhino...

How about this one with a stubby kit? FWIW, this is a $13 Chinese WP-26F (Flexhead) torch.

Ewwww.

I have 2 or 3 26's.

They sit in boxes on a shelf.

I found the connector I needed when I got a bottle of Argon today so I finally got to hook my torch up, I'm glad at least I went with a 26 over a 17 based on how hot it got towards the head a couple times, I think my next torch would definitely be a watercooled rather than a 17.

I do need to get a stubby kit and perhaps a large gas lens for my torch though just to increase it's versatility.

sbaker56 wrote:I think my next torch would definitely be a watercooled rather than a 17.

I do need to get a stubby kit and perhaps a large gas lens for my torch though just to increase it's versatility.

Good idea

20 torch with standard 2-series GL consumables is what I use for 99% of my work. Everything from 20-300 amps.

sbaker56 wrote:I found the connector I needed when I got a bottle of Argon today so I finally got to hook my torch up, I'm glad at least I went with a 26 over a 17 based on how hot it got towards the head a couple times, I think my next torch would definitely be a watercooled rather than a 17.

I mainly wanted the 26 for anything over 200 amps. Since my machine only can do 225 amps, it's not that big of a deal, most of what I do will be under 200 amps and I most likely won't upgrade to a water cooler until I get another welder. I just don't weld enough to warrant it.

sbaker56 wrote:I do need to get a stubby kit and perhaps a large gas lens for my torch though just to increase it's versatility.

I find the stubby kit nice to have as it saves on gas, I have 3 torches and all of them have stubby gas lenses (2 x CK 17s and this Wuhan 26). I use a number 8 cup mostly and with a gas lens set it around 15 CFH. Gets me about 8 hours of welding out of my 125 cu.ft. tank.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

tweake wrote:i've only ever used 26 torch. its ok but its like wielding a sledgehammer to nail a tack when your welding thin stuff.
would really like a very small torch for doing sanitary tubing etc.

Yeah, that's because you folks get those clunky Euro style 26 torches that are about as nimble as a pregnant rhino...

How about this one with a stubby kit? FWIW, this is a $13 Chinese WP-26F (Flexhead) torch.

don't talk about my CK like that
the new welder has one of those "pregnant rino" torches, with amp controls on the torch. tho you have to press so hard to make the buttons work the tungsten takes a dive off the high board.

tweake wrote:don't talk about my CK like that

If you have a CK, are you saying that you find the 26 that much bigger than a 17?

I find the size very similar, the 26 is slightly bigger, but not by much. I don't have a CK 26 though, but I'm under the impression that this WP-26F is a similar size as the CK.

I used this 26 for a long time, albeit with a different, but similar and size wise the same, torch for about 1-1/2 years and I didn't find it very big.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

tweake wrote:don't talk about my CK like that

If you have a CK, are you saying that you find the 26 that much bigger than a 17?

I find the size very similar, the 26 is slightly bigger, but not by much. I don't have a CK 26 though, but I'm under the impression that this WP-26F is a similar size as the CK.

I used this 26 for a long time, albeit with a different, but similar and size wise the same, torch for about 1-1/2 years and I didn't find it very big.

i don't have a 17 to compare.
i just find the 26 big and bulky when doing small stuff at low amps.

tweake wrote:i don't have a 17 to compare.
i just find the 26 big and bulky when doing small stuff at low amps.

What are you comparing it against?

You're the one making the claim it's big and bulky, so what are you comparing it against?

sbaker56 has a 275 amp machine, so what would you suggest for him to use for tig? He doesn't have a water cooler.

For me given the range of the machine and what he's looking for, the 26 is not a bad size torch to have for a gas cooled torch. It's only marginally bigger than a 17 with 50 more amps capacity. He was the one asking about the 26 and I think he's spot on with his consideration.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

tweake wrote:i don't have a 17 to compare.
i just find the 26 big and bulky when doing small stuff at low amps.

What are you comparing it against?

You're the one making the claim it's big and bulky, so what are you comparing it against?

sbaker56 has a 275 amp machine, so what would you suggest for him to use for tig? He doesn't have a water cooler.

For me given the range of the machine and what he's looking for, the 26 is not a bad size torch to have for a gas cooled torch. It's only marginally bigger than a 17 with 50 more amps capacity. He was the one asking about the 26 and I think he's spot on with his consideration.

For the torch itself, a Heavy Hitter 350 torch would be the ticket...BUT, a key component is the cable. 1pc cables are crap because the conductor itself is rather small since it has to fit inside the hose. (just to be clear, when I say "they are crap", I mean with respect to running the torch full-bore, or even past it's intended limits). This, IMO, can be problematic because the copper conductor is a heat-sink that is part of the entire system's ability to "cool off". By going to an oversized cable (yes I know it will reduce mobility), it will wick away heat much better. Definitely not something you'd want hanging all the way down to the floor because of the weight, but if it's long enough, it can be located/secured at a higher point so as to not weigh down the operator and limit maneuverability.

Oscar wrote:For the torch itself, a Heavy Hitter 350 torch would be the ticket...BUT, a key component is the cable.

When you say Heavy Hitter 350, are you talking about a CK 18, which is a water cooled torch that will go up to 350 amps?

Oscar wrote:1pc cables are crap because the conductor itself is rather small since it has to fit inside the hose.

One is limited on amperage for a gas cooled torch and at some point one will need to go to a water cooler, but I didn't get the impression that sbaker56 wants to go to a cooler at this time, which is why he was looking at the 26. Maybe I'm wrong, but it would seem he wants to try tig without spending an arm and a leg. He has a more than adequate welder, the 275-S is a well respected stick welder and it has a couple nice things for tig, like it will accept a pedal. It is lift start, but nothing wrong with that. Given a pedal and a decent valve torch, no reason he can't do a lot of great tig welding, IMO, and he won't need to spend an arm and a leg to do so.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:When you say Heavy Hitter 350, are you talking about a CK 18, which is a water cooled torch that will go up to 350 amps?

Nope. Google.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:One is limited on amperage for a gas cooled torch and at some point one will need to go to a water cooler,

Yes, of course. There is no question about that. IMO, part of that limitation is trying to "gas-cool" the relatively small conductor inside the 1pc power-gas cable assembly. But now you know this: there are other options besides "gas-cooled" (where the conductor resides within the shielding gas hose itself), and water-cooled (which you already know about). Which is why I have my belief about going to a heavier duty "air cooled" torch and a 2-pc setup for cable & hose: 1/0 copper welding cable for power, and a separate gas hose.

So, since the separate lines ( the 1 ought power cable and the separate gas line) will work for high amps because the gas is only used to cool the torch head and not the entire cable? By the end of the day with me using a heavy power cable, I'd need muscles in my poop plus eat more spinach.....

BillE.Dee wrote:So, since the separate lines ( the 1 ought power cable and the separate gas line) will work for high amps because the gas is only used to cool the torch head and not the entire cable? By the end of the day with me using a heavy power cable, I'd need muscles in my poop plus eat more spinach.....

Well thats too bad as you cant have your cake and eat it too without going water cooled.

BTW, I don't buy into the whole "gas cooling the cable" all that much. Typical Argon flowrates are very, very small in the grand scheme of things.

Oscar wrote:BTW, I don't buy into the whole "gas cooling the cable" all that much. Typical Argon flowrates are very, very small in the grand scheme of things.

Now that would make for an interesting test