The first thing is, this only works well with D/C Stick welding power supplies and standard air cooled, scratch start, TIG torches. You may not know this, but this basic equipment needed is about the same as the equipment used for welding power plants! That's right, no high end TIG welding power supplies or fancy bells and whistles. Just simple pure D/C power that welds most steels like carbon steel, stainless steel, and even exotic metals like copper nickel! The only common metal that cannot be welded with this set-up is aluminum.
To begin you need an air cooled TIG torch. To choose a TIG torch you need to match its amperage rating to your welding needs. Second it needs to have the power cable or lead attached to it. For most people it's best to go with a TIG torch package (including a gas regulator)! This cost will run from $80 to $200 plus, depending on the model. Third you need a bottle of compressed Argon gas.
There are three steps involved to do this conversion and they are:
Connect your ground lead to the positive (+) side of the power source.
Connect the TIG torch lead to the negative (-) side of your power source.
Install the regulator onto the bottle of Argon and connect the hose from the TIG torch to it.
That is all there is to converting a Stick welder into a TIG welder! Simple, easy, and that is the way the big companies do it!
