kf4zht
Well-known member
So I picked up Miller 330a/bp TIG a few weeks back. Started hooking it up so I can get up a welding. Power was no issue, but when I went to connect the gas to my existing tank/regulator I discovered the correct fitting on the welder had been removed and a pipe fitting installed, and a pipe fitting put on the reg hose it came with. So I found the correct fitting...
Then I took a look at the cooler that it came with... I knew it was homemade, but the box itself was clearly well constructed stainless. Then I began looking that it seemed to have quite a few fittings for what it needs to do. I started taking it apart, here is a picture of the fittings after I removed them all:
It even included several pipes welded together to change size, and a brass barb brazed to a stainless pipe.... The intake went from 1/4" to 3/8" back to 1/4" then to 1/2" then back to 3/8 then to 1/4. Whoever did this was either bored or needs to lay off the drugs.
Ordered the parts off amazon to make it right, however I was curious. The Engineering Genius who created this used plastic tubing to connect from the return on the power block to the return on the tank. I am right in assuming this is normally done with the same LH B type fittings that everything else is? If so does anyone have a source for ~5ft hoses, all I can find are 15-25ft and longer.
Also included a couple pics of the pump. Googling the numbers on it didn't turn up much, it appears to be a gear driven pump - 1 inlet, 2 outlets (likely due to over pressure on the tig lines) It is driven by a 1/2hp motor.
Then I took a look at the cooler that it came with... I knew it was homemade, but the box itself was clearly well constructed stainless. Then I began looking that it seemed to have quite a few fittings for what it needs to do. I started taking it apart, here is a picture of the fittings after I removed them all:
It even included several pipes welded together to change size, and a brass barb brazed to a stainless pipe.... The intake went from 1/4" to 3/8" back to 1/4" then to 1/2" then back to 3/8 then to 1/4. Whoever did this was either bored or needs to lay off the drugs.
Ordered the parts off amazon to make it right, however I was curious. The Engineering Genius who created this used plastic tubing to connect from the return on the power block to the return on the tank. I am right in assuming this is normally done with the same LH B type fittings that everything else is? If so does anyone have a source for ~5ft hoses, all I can find are 15-25ft and longer.
Also included a couple pics of the pump. Googling the numbers on it didn't turn up much, it appears to be a gear driven pump - 1 inlet, 2 outlets (likely due to over pressure on the tig lines) It is driven by a 1/2hp motor.
curious to see what it looked like with all those fittings
I think Mike is correct, that looks like an Oberdorfer pump. 
Those are just a headache and $ if they need to be repaired. Unless it works 100% as is now, do yourself a favor and replace it with a Procon pump, for ~$100. Much simpler, quieter and cheaper to rebuild down the road if need be. I use to have a Coolmate 1 that had an orberdorfer pump that needed rebuild, I ended up custom building a part number for a new Procon cheaper than the rebuild kit for the orberdorfer. 
