Anyone ever use a Cobra/Henrob torch?

[Freejack]

Looks like a pretty nice setup, can provide Tig-like welds in aluminum and SS.

Also looks like it would make a good general purpose torch, the pinpoint heat would be nice in a lot of situations.

http://www.cobratorches.com/

Jake

 

[chad s]

I purchased mine about 2 months ago. I had only MIG welded (have been MIG welding for about 3 years now), never touched a torch before. I love it! I wouldnt call the welds TIG quality. In strength and maleablility, yes, in apearance, nothing compares to a TIG.

What kind of stuff do you weld? Any O/A torch weld in automotive sheetmetal will give a lot of warpage, but at least you can hammer weld with a torch.

I have also used it to shrink metal, as well as free a stuck door hinge pin, and it worked great.

I highly reccomend getting one.

 

[jbird]

I have, mostly for welding very thin sheet steel. The controls are extremely delicate, but for gas welding thin stuff, or anywhere you need very precise heat, they work very well. I think it's more about practice with the henrob design than anything. Don't expect to just get it and everything be easy as pie, it's going to take a bit to get used to/get good at, but once you do, you'll probably love it. In the right hands I've seen the henrob torches do things that I never would have believed, however I never got enough seat time with them to be THAT good.

 

[Major Ramifications]

My good friend got one of these and used it quite a bit when doing bodywork on his truck. He used it for shrinking metal and for welding long expanses of thin sheet metal together.

 

[chad s]

Here are some practice welds I did with my Cobra/Henrob after about 3 nights of practicing for about an hour each night. The outside angle weld is 1/8" plate. The sheet metal is 16 gauge.

 

[Freejack]

Nice work Chad.

I've done quite a bit of MIG, and at this point only have a small Lincoln flux wire welder for light work around the house. I've been wanting to get a torch, but I've also had reason to weld AL on a number or occassions, but not any where near enough to justify the cost of a TIG welder set-up (at least one that can do AL anyway).

Thought this torch would be a good (read cheaper) alternative.

Jake

 

[chad s]

Nice work Chad.

I've done quite a bit of MIG, and at this point only have a small Lincoln flux wire welder for light work around the house. I've been wanting to get a torch, but I've also had reason to weld AL on a number or occassions, but not any where near enough to justify the cost of a TIG welder set-up (at least one that can do AL anyway).

Thought this torch would be a good (read cheaper) alternative.

Jake

Thanks. I happen to really enjoy welding, and for about three years have been MIG welding. Well, if you find welding a fun and enjoyable thing to do, you will absolutely love gas welding. It offers so much control over your heat and penetration. No longer is the machine both heating and adding filler, you now control both.

I have only played around with aluminum welding with the henrob, with some very thin 20 gauge pieces, with not so good results. Aluminum is totally different than mild steel, so I expected my first attempts to be bad. I picked up some thicker stock the other day, as I think it will be easier to lean on, before going to thin stuff. Even the welds done on aluminum by a pro welder demonstrating the Henrob dont look like TIG welds though. They are every bit as strong of a weld, but they just dont have the beautiful "stack of dime" look. You dont see a true molten puddle with aluminum, so its much harder to gauge the heat, and when to start dipping your rod. I do plan on practicing until I can do it very well, as several of the entry gates out company serviced are aluminum, and I dont want to have to farm out aluminum welding jobs anymore.

 

[67ShortFleet]

I picked one up at an auction for $10. It works great. I practiced at work with it. No torch bottles at home yet.

 

[russlaferrera]

I picked one up at an auction for $10. It works great. I practiced at work with it. No torch bottles at home yet.

That IMO is a super score. IMO that qualifies you for the "You ****" award

 

[colmiller]

If you are having trouble seeing the weld puddle with aluminium it could be that the lens in your welding goggles is incorrect. Standard grade 5 oxy goggles will not penetrate the sodium flare that is caused by the flux needed to weld al. ColbaltBlue lenses used to be the thing but the health & safety people squashed that some time ago. The only thing I know works properly is the TM2000 lens from the Tinman. You will have to look it up on google and you will be floored by the price but with ordinary oxy goggles you will never be happy with the results.

By the way if you are after cheap and have a mig you can weld al that way no problem. You will need different pinch rollers for the wire feed & a new contact tip 'cos the wire is bigger and usually not the same shape some use a different gas mix but your supplier can sort that out. As with all welding it takes practice.

 

[ImportTuner]

I don't quite understand the ad ... weld like a tig, cut like pasma ... other than that, this torch sounds pretty good ...

 

[nissan_crawler]

By the way if you are after cheap and have a mig you can weld al that way no problem. You will need different pinch rollers for the wire feed & a new contact tip 'cos the wire is bigger and usually not the same shape some use a different gas mix but your supplier can sort that out. As with all welding it takes practice.

Depends on wire size and welder. A spoolgun is much better, but my hh 175 doesn't support them. I'm going to look into one of these, I wanted to weld up some aluminum cabinets.