tig gas hose issue

[that-guy]

i've had my Eastwood TIG 200 for almost 2 years now and has had no issues. however, the torch hose comes straight out of the machine, where gravity forces it down to the ground, causing it to have a stress bend in the line. this has now put a tear in my line. luckily i am within warrenty and eastwood is replacing it, but i don't want this to happen again, especially if it fails when i am no longer within warrenty

my thought was to simply install a 90* fitting so the hose only points downward. the issue is, Eastwood, in their infinite wisdom, decided to use M16 x 1.50 threads, which apparently don't exist as a 90* fitting, so my next option was to get a 5/8-18 90* elbow with two M16 x 1.50 to 5/8-18 adapters. now i am having trouble finding such adapter as a CGA fitting...i will throw together a quick drawings to further explain

my real question is, where can i get such fittings, or if thet can't be sourced, what other options do i have?

 

[zkling]

How about a spring sleeve to reduce the sharp bend or honestly just a better quality hose. Almost all of the smaller tig machines use a straight out the front gas port, even the high end dynasty inverters. So I don't think it is an issue with design.

Are you sure on the thread size though?

 

[rlitman]

How about a spring sleeve to reduce the sharp bend

I'd do this. Perhaps slip a piece of heat shrink tubing on the hose that's a little longer than the spring, to protect it from chafing.

My Dynasty gas port is straight out the front, BUT, the hose connected to it is only around a foot long. It goes from there, straight to the Dinse connection to my torch hose. So the gas hose isn't left hanging with any real weight on it.

 

[that-guy]

yes, i am positive on the size, and that spring is a good idea. i was almost thinking about a small section of larger hose for it as a sleeve, but then its a matter of getting it onto the new hose...i suppose could slide it up the torch side since that only uses a 3/8-24 thread which is smaller than the hose OD

here is a quick drawing...but already based off of this conversation it seems kind of pointless

can you point me in the direction of a spring sleeve?

 

[zkling]

I'd do this. Perhaps slip a piece of heat shrink tubing on the hose that's a little longer than the spring, to protect it from chafing.

good idea, just as long as the heat shrink is flexiable enough. What I do is make cable wraps out of old garden hoses and the like. I made a small jig to spiral cut hoses that way it can be wrapped around a non free end cable and is super flexible due to the cuts. It is basically a cable sleeve on steroids. Can usually knock out a 10' section in <15min, so for minimal time and $0 in materials (find an old leaking garden hose) it works prettty good. Maybe even a short section of something like that would be enough to reduce the strain on the hose. Probably a smaller diameter, piece of vinyl tubing would be better instead of the garden hose for your small gas line.

As for the spring itself. There are all kinds of strain relief for hoses and wire.
Heck even one of these cheap plastic ones they use for wire would probably work good, since the gas hose is pretty small and lightweight.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-cord-grips/=q1ca2n

That is just awesome on the gas hose threads. So what if you want to upgrade the torch down the road? Why not the standard 5/8"-18? Just another reason I try to avoid the off brand units.

 

[welder4956]

Possible source:

http://www.adaptaflex.com/products.asp?ID=119

 

[that-guy]

i think my easiest solution at this point is to cut 6-8" of rubber hose that has the same ID as the gas hoses OD and just wrap it around it. just enough for the gravity to let it safely fall without kinking it...i'll report back after my new hose arrives