Arc Pig User`s Manual
Contents
1. other torch mounted controls Push down Or you can make your own trigger with any hard mechanical switch To mount the trigger the Don t pinch tne wire secret is to press it hard against your torch while you pull the tie wrap very tight This trigger design does not satisfy my sister She Pull tie wrap tight complains about how it looks and prattles on about those flat plastic switches on laser sights I note that my design resists molten steel spray and can be felt through welding gloves The trigger is like me ugly but lovable But she has a point about the wire which is alarmingly thin and not a proper color I apologize and note that it was free It also offers you a flexible stranded core coated with silver then PTFE then metal braid then abrasion resistant no snag FEP The finished wire is thin enough to lie comfortably beneath your hand yet it fends off hot slag and is strong enough to swing your Pig around your head Still that color You should cover it with a cable sheath 12 CABLES AND SETUP The Pig does not require special weld cables but cracked insulation will let your spark leak out YO u 3 8 m DA Strain BNC f loop Trigger 1 Part Q a Bind trigg Gas T NOV LA wire to fore water adapter Strap on the trigger before you cut your torch cable to get the length right BAD 3 8 hammer on lugs You need w on four f rs E HF is absorbed at the input2. OPERATION Suggested Technique Position the electrode 1 8 from the workpiece Press the trigger and move straight in until the arc ignites Leave the trigger pressed through the weld Power Switch Lack Of The Pig has no On Off switch It cannot interrupt your weld current and its blower runs all the time But it only Sparks when you press the trigger Overheat The Pig s overheat alarm works like the overheat light in your car It means you have already done some damage and if you keep going something bad will happen Handles The Pig is designed to be dragged or dangled by weld cables but do not pull too hard You will know you pulled too hard when you hear a cracking noise Polarity The Pig does not care about polarity However for a hot Spark connect the Torch stud to your torch If you connect the torch stud to your workpiece your spark will be weak If you connect the torch stud to your welder your welder may be destroyed by HF Voltage Sensing At power up the Pig beeps for 1 8 second while it measures your welder s voltage This is how the Pig knows when your weld voltage is near its maximum which is the best time to fire the HF spark Lift Start Disable lift start because it interferes with the Pig s startup calibration and may even withhold the power the Pig needs to operate To disable lift start you may need to switch your welder to Stick mode 10 WELDERS AND TORCHES QUICK OVERV
3. 19 SYMBOL GLOSSARY This section included by law p on w MIG or wire welder K piza Your welding torch A Your workpiece Ground clamp es Alien invader possibly S u rp ri se malevolent qu ame Trigger Ny AC or DC power tg Lift Start aai Pou ii Welding creates hazards dii we have not warned you about 20 Q j q W L Q V PRIS C 9J91dYJOM 103 Buljdnog ane Ay PNIS YOJO pieog Od UIBN fA er l 21 SPECIFICATIONS Current Capacity Input Voltage Firing Rate Power Consumption Peak Output Voltage Max Altitude Operating Frequency Suggested Output Cable Input Cable Length Input Capacitance Enclosure Protection Power Connectors Trigger Switch Dimensions 250A 60 duty 200A at 100 duty 24 VRMS 130Vpeak DC or AC 25 60Hz 50 120 Hz 30W 12KV into 220pF 15 000 Ft 4800M low MHz varies with weld cables 8 ft Unlimited 50nF plus startup surge IP21S 3 8 16 studs Any mechanical SPST 5 X 5 X 10 5 1 Ibs TECHNICAL SUPPORT For help on issues not covered in this manual visit arcpig com or send inquiries to supportQarcpig com or call us at 409 234 2652 Do not ask us for marital advice 22 FCC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY Arc Pig This device complies with Part 18 of the FCC Rules Responsible Party Arc Pig Co 575 19 St Beaumont TX 77706 Two Ways to Block a Welding Arc
4. is not painful If you carelessly touch your electrode you will feel only the normal unpleasant zing from your weld voltage However if you a most touch your electrode the HF spark will leap through the air to your skin This looks interesting tingles like continuous static electricity and will eventually give you a small deep burn The Pig is powered by weld voltage which is safer than mains voltage In addition the Pig s high internal voltage cannot leak into your weld cable for the same reason you cannot lift yourself by your bootstraps Nevertheless welding is not safe and the Pig may become hazardous due to malfunc tion or design flaws We promise only that the Pig s designer uses a Pig himself and rarely bothers to wear gloves But he might be an idiot Obvious hazards of the Pig include e The Pig makes sparks e The Pig makes high voltage Less obvious hazards include but are not limited to e The Pig induces high voltage transients In wires e The Pig draws current intermittently which can momentarily boost weld voltage Caution The Pig makes sparks Do not use the Pig in the presence of flammable gas In fact when air is flammable you should avoid most welding related activities Do not use the Pig to illuminate fuel tanks Caution The Pig generates high frequency and high voltage Do not touch the HF spark I have touched it dozens of times with no obvious ill effect but it will probably k
5. studs liza Return current must hit the Pig s input Shield gas and cooling water must stud before it reaches your welder be routed around the Pig If your cable is the two part type then route the gas tube like in the picture below For one part Adapting 2 Part TIG Cable to Your Pig or water cooled cable This drawing not to scale 71 aches you will need Ais Nee adapters Buy a our adapters vi or make your own See our simple ong instructions at ArcPig com adapters Your 3 8 Lug Do not cut Cable outer sleeve gas tube 13 MAINTENANCE REGULAR MAINTENANCE After a few years you should inspect the insulation on the high voltage wire The wire that connects to the spark plug We think the silicone insulation will last a long time but we won t know for sure until it has been a long time In the meantime for most users the Pig requires no maintenance except to tighten the nuts and clean the blower The exception for some users is the spark plug SPARK PLUG The spark plug is good for a lifetime of arc strikes but will eventually be eroded by continuous fire You can easily recognize continuous fire because your Pig has to buzz constantly to keep your arc ignited This happens only with low voltage AC The spark plug is a Champion CJ7Y available everywhere for less than 5 Do not substitute because similar looking plugs increase their sparkover voltage too much as they erode A heavily ero
6. taa ea e pk a di a a pt a ka a ee ee kk e e aa a a A A 22 Tecnnical SUD DOME f t it on ik a ka t aa akt pa a EENI ENERE NERIENE 22 FCC Declaration OF Conformity kaa ok nati kapa ipai bk ans e tis peye kn ak anpe 23 WELCOME Congratulations on acquiring an Arc Pig the best arc starter available anywhere The Pig offers outstanding performance and ground breaking flexibility Extensive market research has revealed that a person who owns an Arc Pig is likely to be independent self assured male and not interested in this introductory drivel Your Pig offers the following useful features Powered entirely by your welder No wall plug Works with any TIG or stick up to 60Hz a 250A at 60 duty e Inline draggable design Prevents rectification 0 Strap on trigger included with purchase Minimal maintenance e Audible alert when 3 spark gap wears out 0 Full power spark with arbitrarily long cables 0 FCC approved EMI with arbitrarily long cables e 5 Ibs Won t rust Sexy SCOPE OF THIS MANUAL This manual describes the Pig including more information than you really need This manual will not teach you how to weld because I suck at welding But with a Pig I suck less and enjoy it more 1 No market research was conducted WHAT IS THE PIG The Arc Pig is a high frequency welding arc starter and arc stabilizer It wires into your weld cables and gooses your weld voltage with HF High F
7. will not be damaged But we do not guarantee your welder is well made See instructions for protecting your welder on Page 17 More Radio Less Radio To reduce electronic interference ground every thing in your shop and cover the windows with grounded wire mesh Some people claim exposure to fluctuating K magnetic fields such as those generated by the Pig is harmful If you are not willing to assume the personal risk of exposure to magnetic fields then you should not arc weld To reduce your exposure to magnetic fields Tie your cables closely together Route both cables on the same side of your body Encase your body in iron or nickel BAD GOOD Keep a safe distance while Sancho does your welding GENERAL HAZARDS OF WELDING QUICK OVERVIEW The hazards of welding are extensive and not all of them are described here No sensible person would weld anything DANGER Electricity can stop your heart Insulate yourself DANGER Arc light will sunburn any part of your body It can sunburn your eyes from a long distance Sunburn can permanently damage your eyes Sunburned eyes really hurt For a long time Gas goggles are not dark enough for arc welding DANGER Do not breathe the fumes DANGER Welding is hot Molt n metal flies everywhere Wear lots of thick leather Do not weld near stuff that can catch fire Do not weld over flooring your wife cares about Even ceramic tile Trust me on this
8. Flux Coatino Either can be fixed with a firm tap 23
9. IEW The Pig works with most welders up to 60 Hz and with any torch that does not contain electronics or motors DELICATE ELECTRONIC WELDERS The Pig broadcasts HF energy to everything including your welder A well made welder will not be damaged but if you have doubts see instructions for protecting your welder on Page 17 WELD VOLTAGE The Pig accepts AC or DC CC or CV EN or EP and adjusts automatically to your welder s voltage Warning Do not plug the Pig into a wall outlet It will refuse to spark and it lacks safety features for mains powered devices FREQUENCY The Pig can fire 50 120 spark bursts per second Thus it will fire every half cycle for AC frequencies between 25 and 60 HZ For Ouch KO DC the Pig will fire roughly 70 bursts per second For AC below 25Hz or above 60Hz Sunburned eyes the Pig will attempt to fire at useful moments but we do not guarantee performance NO MIG O MIG Ti The Pig s HF output may damage a spool gun really hurt Don t look at the bright light Don t spark a spooldrive 11 STRAP ON THUMB TRIGGER The trigger straps to your torch and lies under your thumb If it dangles it tangles so the trigger wire should be tie wrapped to your weld cable and also to your torch handle so the thin wire will not flex We make two trigger types pushbut ton and toggle The pushbutton is more comfortable and rugged but the k toggle lets you move your thumb to
10. Owner s Manual Made In Texas salts SO Human Children Copyright 2014 Arc Pig Co Beaumont TX All rights reserved Pig and Arc Pig are trademarks of Arc Pig Co THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD WARRANTY For thirty days after purchase if you are dissatisfied for any reason we will refund the cost of the Pig For one year after purchase your Arc Pig is warranted against failure for any reason During this period we will repair or replace the Pig at our sole discretion We don t care why it failed If you drop your Pig into a wood chipper we will fix it or replace it Just tell us the truth Caveats You must ship us a recognizable carcass at your expense Ship it Delivery Signature Required so if it never arrives everyone will Know who to blame We pay shipping back to you via UPS ground To get your money back within thirty days you must return your Pig in good condition Except it is okay if you dog eared the owner s manual If you break more than one Pig doing something stupid we will charge you 100 to fix the second one So don t be a jerk But if the problem is our fault we will keep fixing until we get it right Probably we will get it right the first time We will not pay for anything beyond fixing your Arc Pig Act accordingly The Arc Pig radiates powerful electromagnetic interference which can confuse or damage nearby electronic devices It is your responsibility to ensure that all nearby d
11. arther than three feet So don t do that FERRITE ROD The ferrite rod will survive a three foot drop but a larger shock might break it If that happens the spark will be weak The ferrite rod runs through the coupling coil the big copper helix To find it trace the wire from the spark plug The rod is hiding inside a protective fiberglass tube that cost me 1 per inch Digging down to the ferrite rod is a hassle so don t drop your Pig To inspect the rod you will have to disconnect the spark plug wire and cut some rubber insulation For a replacement rod contact us at Arcpig com We might make fun of you But we won t charge you more than 50 18 TROUBLESHOOTING Symptom Cause Solution Overheats quickly Fan clogged exhaust vent won t Clean or replace fan or failed blow out a match Singing Overheat Give it a rest Fan but no HF Broken trigger Fix it taka ea Move weld cables spoofing Chirp or chittering Spark for three minutes noise when firing Spark gap to clean the plug failed or fouled If that fails replace the spark plug Rolls closer when my back is turned Demonic possession Move to Detroit Weak spark after Resistor plug Use Champion CJ7Y replacing spark gaP pose wire Check the plug Weak spark Various See previous page Burnback Tap electrode tip Arc hard to start Low weld Tighten connections power Try smaller electrode
12. ded plug sparks harder which will reduce your Pig s life For best reliability check the plug every 40 hours of continuous fire Replace it when the electrode is worn off When the Pig attempts to spark and fails it squeaks Occasional misfires are normal but constant chittering indicates a failing spark plug How to Adjust the Spark Gap Use pliers to rip So it looks off the hoo like this 14 Disassemble the Pig by disconnecting the input cables then remove the little Phillips screw and slide out the internals Do not operate the Pig without its protective Shell because the internal high voltage is dangerous and not adequately insulated On reassembly twist Reassembly the black bumper to Start with the align this little screw little screw Align it by twisting the black bumper Tighten the nuts to 120 inch pounds so the studs won t spin Don t go King Kong on the nuts because you are strong enough to break the brass stud When tightened correctly the input studs are the same length as the output stud The internal spark gap voltage really hurts 15 OVERHEAT QUICK OVERVIEW Casual users cannot overheat the Pig because the Pig can handle more current than any welder from Home Depot After six minutes of arc time at 250 Amps you must let the Pig cool for at least four minutes with the power on or fifteen minutes with the power off At 200 Amps the Pig can operate continuously In extre
13. evices including your welder can tolerate HF My Pig Serial Number is Date of Purchase CONTENTS This is a Pretty Good Warranty esse kaa aje anana e a pt a ak e a 2 VW SCOTT YO ai ata tib isit kt ia ea a e ik a ek e a a e ka ka A e pp are e n ak on 4 Scope of this Manual oo wont to isit ci ot de tt a at e affe del er et a r et 4 WAC ENS PIGS aki atan tp pit en te kat kt aa a ik kn jr ak l a a ae A seman 5 gTa EA c ee ee a OU e a ee A a e m 6 General Hazards of Welding eeeeeerereeseestosessessoosoossestoueossesros 9 KODE aO avan kri ini vet ft pti al e e l n e ek e aa ae et a a A p ee e ERR 10 welders and FON CHE SI ke sab a da il at ot a aa kd aa ka e a it dp a e ie ab 11 Strap On FWOTE OO vaccsscisaeeasnasnesariaweerasensaesineenaesers ces 12 Cables and SOU Dean y m desas ha daye rak aid aide ese nE da rA EN NEDES 13 PEI MAC E wf tat ii ako m it kte a ai in l L aa a n l uid e et n e n l a aa e aa e 14 DISASSENN ON Y kiye ia sew de a ken tk kre kon av a ee ak n ko np re anti Gn e tn e ra 15 Overheat e ti ai to af an on ia ap af ann op kt a e n e a n n kk e en e pea 16 Protecting Your Welder From RF eeseeseeeeestouressesrovseosessonroe 17 VWE I DIK oak ati E ee e tn an e et eben EN a ty L e a 18 TFCUBICSIOOUIN Gia oeil aka ct ajan ip ka e a e kk e taks ay ae ia ea n lt a 19 Sy INDO CIOS SAN Y ki ti koy kata e e a apa ka pi a rel n ak a an a ja aa 20 DCMI GE Oak a ik REEE E e ep a ket Bone 21 PECCATO aore kaka k aka
14. ill you If HF energy reaches you by arcing through the air or through a thin wire its energy could focus to a tiny patch of skin and burn you deeply If your glove has a hole HF could arc through and burn you before you know it Be extra careful if you have numb spots Caution Water Electricity Water could connect hazardous internal voltage to the trigger Water will cause misfire and wick into wires to corrode connections If you wet your Pig remove its outer tube the printing can t take the heat and dry the innards overnight in the oven at 160F no hotter with foil on the lower shelf to block radiant heat Caution The Pig can boost weld voltage The Pig draws current intermittently which can boost the voltage of some welders The Pig monitors itself to ensure it does not raise weld voltage to unsafe levels but this monitoring could fail Always insulate yourself from weld voltage Caution Magnetic Fields and Electromagnetic Interference The Pig induces sub microsecond spikes up to thousands of volts in nearby wires These transients are not perceptible to humans but will confuse or destroy some electronic devices possibly from a distance of several yards Do not operate the Pig in a flying airplane or when you visit Grandpa in intensive care If your body contains implanted electronics you should probably stick with gas welding Every welder manufacturer knows you might use HF so a well made welder
15. me hot weather allow more cooling time SOME OVERHEAT FACTS The Pig is substantially cooled by thermal conduction through your weld cables So for heavy welding use big cables The Pig s current rating assumes AWG 1 cables The Pig cools faster with its blower After heavy welding try to leave your welder turned on for five minutes Do not rely on the Pig s thermal alarm for routine duty cycle compliance The thermal alarm sings when the electron ics reach 160 F but those electronics are thermally isolated from the power cable so the power cable may already have reached dangerously high temperatures This will shorten the Pig s life and could eventually create a hazard of unknown but perilous nature The Pig will shut down if you manage to overheat its high voltage coil with prolonged continuous fire But it probably won t happen because the Pig has more stamina than you 16 PROTECTING YOUR WELDER FROM RF QUICK OVERVIEW As of this writing Arc Pig Co is not aware of any welder that requires RF protection If you find one please contact us We routinely operate Pigs beside our smart phones laptops oscilloscopes voltmeters cameras power supplies and aged parents with no problems But we do not guarantee you will get the same happy result THE BROADCAST THREAT The Pig sends HF through your torch cable which inevitably broadcasts some of the HF energy as radio waves which spread outward to induce HF i
16. n nearby wires including the cables to your welder A well made welder even the 159 Harbor Freight inverter box will be protected by filters If you doubt your welder you can protect it with two capacitors ceramic or poly film size 50 nanofarads 0 05 microfarad Larger capacitors add no benefit and could damage an inverter welder ren RAMEE Recovers input cables a output cables Input Stud Welder w Nen se Workpiece Spark Stud Gap z E Electronic Stuff Chassis Ground HF absorbed by capacitors High Frequency Circuit 50nF 250V Use the capacitors to connect your welder s output terminals to its metal chassis as shown in orange Consult with the manufacturer before adding output capacitors to any square wave or exotic waveform welder 17 WEAK SPARK If your spark is weak or the arc won t strike check the following Burnback or electrode tip covered with slag Give it a tap Ground clamp not connected to workpiece Yeah it happens Output cable length Long cables dissipate HF Ideally the Pig s output cable will be 8 25 ft To work farther from your truck use long cables between the truck and Pig Cable insulation If your output cable insulation is cracked the spark can leak out Reversed connection The output stud is for your torch If you connect it to your ground clamp the spark will be weak Broken ferrite rod This will only happen if you drop your Pig f
17. requency sparks The sparks have low current but their voltage is high enough to leap the weld gap and start an arc without touching the work piece While you weld the Pig monitors your progress and instantly restarts your arc when your elbow is jostled by the invisible fairies You may hear your Pig crackle as it restarts your arc faster than you can see The Pig needs no wall plug It draws all its power about 30 watts from your weld cables It works with most TIG or stick welders intended for handheld use EN or EP CC or CV DC or AC 25 60Hz The Pig contains a Tesla coil When it fires it makes a buzzing noise This is the spark gap and a reminder your torch is doing something interesting While you press the trigger you get effective continuous fire The Pig s continuous fire is particularly effective because it fires as voltage approaches the AC half cycle peak If weld current is already flowing HF has no effect even with aluminum so the Pig does not bother The Pig also works with DC l The Pig lets you TIG weld aluminum with any AC lcs makna Aie dako welder up to 60 Hz The Pig s no touch start Unless they had it coming Prevents tungsten contamination and its effective continuous fire can improve your bead by preventing arc rectification Be advised you can still benefit from other features of high end TIG welders such as heat control and AC frequencies above 60 hertz HAZARDS The Pig s HF output
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