Now have the "New Toy"

In remarkably good condition, he bought it new and its sat being used 2x - 4x per year when he can't get the 3 phase unit to the job or out of bits, "Old Faithfull" but "Unloved"...Its complete (has damaged torch will look at that later - it works but is taped up, may be able to improve with some HD Glue ) ,has the proper regaultor, torch earth lead clamp etc etc BUT...I could do with some help with the following

It has NO Consumables at all, so if it was yours what would be the basics ?...Remember I have only done TIG At night school for 20 weeks .........

The Unit is a Kemppi Kempak 150 Super DC TIG
Anyone got a manual for it or know somewhere that may oblidge for a few £s ?
Tried the Kemppi website no joy
It has 3 dials, main power Slope down and post gas I think, worked out MMA vs TIG
Its transformer not Inverter..... but for the money I'm

No pedal, ......anyone know what type this takes or should I learn again 'pedal-less' ?
I guess if I relearn on a pedal moving about is out compared with torch only ?? - thoughts

• Other more easy to ask Qs :
  .
• What electrodes should I buy size wise ?
• ie although I know red = steel,... for say 1-3mm welding 3-?mm welding ...what sizes do I buy ???
• I think DC would do Stainless ? what colour / size stainless should I buy ?
• Can I use Pure Argon for Steel and Stainless, or is it Argosheild for Steel and Argon for Stainless ?
• What size / type welding rods should I buy for steel for say 1mm - 3mm 'Tiging' ?
• What other basic consumables should I consider when I go and get any of the above ?
• What pressure should the ball in the tube show for gas about 12 ?
• Any other suggestuions for set up / starting up ?

Nige

Google is your friend.

Try service.uk@kemppi.com

The website http://www.kemppi.com/ has no information, but an email should (hopefully) get you the info required.

Martin

Thanks Martin

I had trawlled about their website (and found Zip) - but hadn't thought of an e-mail, ....may be worth a try

Nige

have you asked on mig-welding.co.uk? i would.

Nige, I guess you looked here for manuals - http://www.kemppi.com/inet/kemppi/en/akp.n...=Product%20Info

Have you tried emailing them? Never know... There is also a guy on ebay who seems to have a business photocopying manuals and sending them out for about a tenner. I've picked up a couple of fairly obscure ones (Pedrazzoli / Kingsland), so he might be worth an email.

Regarding consumables, I'm sort of stocking up as I go on learning, but most of them relate to the torch, which I guess you need to replace before wading into collets / collet holders / back caps / ceramics etc only to find you change torch type? Obviously get some thoriated tungstens in 1.6 / 2.4 etc. At least the DC-only means you don't need to double up on tungstens! I don't think you'll need more than 2.4s. You won't need any other bits - a flow meter after the reg (nice suggestion from Jez there), and torchy replacy collety ceramicy bits.

Yes, it'll be fine on stainless. What colour stainless??? Er... metal colour! You mean what 'code'? - depends what its for (awkward reply!) and how waterproof you need it (usually versus expense).

Pure argon worked fine for me on steel & stainless too.

For the pedal, I guess you need to talk to Kemppi. If you want to move about, either go for a thumbwheel torch, or just get used to no instant control. You've got downslope, so its not too bad.

Only other suggestions I have would be a dedicated wheel for tungsten grinding to avoid contamination - but thats pretty fussy - and maybe some dedicated cleaning bits for pre-tigging cleaning (I have separate stainless wire brushes just for that so they are 'clean', and separate grinder (zirconium discs or similar) or air powered cleaning bits ('strip and clean' wheels) for the same reason). Oh and maybe somewhere to sit or stand thats nice and comfy - important!

If its lift-arc start, you'll probably be re-grinding your tungstens a fair amount, so buy a bunch and do them all so they are ready for action and don't keep stopping you in your tracks.

N.B. The above is the opinion of a learner!

Cheers, Al

Landyman / Astro

Good info from both Ta !

Al - do you have a ref re the ebay blokey ?

Nige

come round Nige - I'll can give you enough stuff to start playing.

B&Q £9 no-brand bench grinder is my dedicated tungsten fettler, 150watts of el cheapo nastiness, I'll bin it and buy another rather than change the wheels (its cheaper ) but it does the job nicely

just run argon

build you're rod library as you go along but 1.2, 1.6 and 2.4 will do most stuff

tungsten wise you dont have the horse to drive more than 1.6 and 2.4's

Nige - I *think* it was this guy: http://shop.ebay.co.uk/merchant/fazerblazer

Worth sending him a message to ask.

Might also be worth asking at Westermans - read the list here (last point especially), seems they might have something useful: http://www.westermans.com/product.asp?UID=...PS5000%20SPARES

Hope you find one, but to be honest, it won't tell you a thing that you don't already know or are about to read... Its not complex enough to have lots of things to remember - like certain functions in certain modes only etc etc.

Al

Thanks all

Mate dropped round last night with some bits in a bag, I have a Y ARgon BOC so I may get to fire it up and have a quick go late todat

I did post on the Welding forum mentioned above, and had some hugely helpfull responses, I also was advised iof this :

Hugely Helpfull welders set up guides which I thought many hobby welders such as me (or in the case of TIG hope to be ) would find very very useful ?

Right, now to fix the 90 1st..........

Nige

Now I just need to pratice

Regulator has defo seen better days, .....may replace,
torch taken apart and put back togther, tad of glue new screws ...tapped out captive holes ...and seem fine

Nige

Nige

We use kemppie machines alot - try rapid welding supplies HERE we use them for our service and supplies etc

They tend to deal with the trade - but are quite close to you and well worth a try

HTH

Steve

How did you get on with it Nige? Any luck? Did any of those options yield a manual?

Al

Yep

Me got manual - from member on the Welding Forum

Told me a few interesting things, inc the HF start isn't broken it doesn't have HF Start
and that its welding range is 4amps to 150

4 ??????????? tig weld razor blades sir ?

Need now to get a new regulator and some consumables

I have been given a "Quill" (or whatever the word is ) of 1.6mm rods, but need some tungstens etc etc etc



Oh, and some practise....about 10 years may do it

Nige

Just got a Kempak 150 ourselves off eBay (would you believe for £70 and that came with long extensions on the arc side) to use for doing some SS pipes for our desert racer (range rover 2 door '81) and also some bike projects..(www.xtz750.com)

Great robust welder, just need a manual...we did PM you on the welding forum (as Jenna) but no reply... Don't suppose you could point us in the right direction

ThanX Jenna

Well.......its your lucky day

Not only have I approved your post but I did get a manual, PM me your e-mail and I'll ping a copy over

nige

ThanX Nigel...

I noticed that the remote control (foot pedal) comes in three specs with the final one being a pulse modulated pedal... My partner is an electronics specialist so I was wondering if anyone has a pedal available that can be copied as the Kempak 150's do come up quite often and would be a bonus to everyone...

Just FYI I'm Kymmy and Jen's partner, we run Raidxtreme as a extremely little profit company in which we bring bikes/buggies and LR's upto desert spec. Current projects are XTZ750's, Chenowths (hoping to mod either a porsche or subaru boxer engine without destroying the gearbox) and also 2 door rangerovers classics. Jen's an ex-WRC tech with Ford and Subaru's and I'm an electronics specialist so I end up doing the looms, comms, tracking...etc...

We're not on here to make profit or further the business but instead as with XTZ750.com we're more into passing on our knowledge and gaining some ourselves from personal experience..

Back on topic...Does anyone know if a DC tig can braze aluminium using the avalable aluminium soldering rods.. I know that the heat required the weld ali needs the AC to blow away the oxide but surely a minimum amperage tig would be enough to braze without the oxide effect???????? The reason for asking is that we're thinking of doing so automatic roadbooks which only need thin ali, to thin to weld so brazing would be needed...

Kymmy

Given the right gas/flux & filler brazing alloy can be done with almost any heat source - some years ago I hand brazed some drain tubes into the corners of an aly pressed sunroof that was only 0.75mm before the stamping (2000 of the damn things in a week) and I did that with a gas set. Only thing to watch is there's normally only a small window between the filler melting into the joint and your work piece becoming a puddle