On Sun, 06 May 2012 07:11:33 -0500, Ignoramus11847
wrote:

On 2012-05-06, Dennis wrote:

"Gunner Asch" wrote in message
...

I cant speak for Miller..but Lincoln are so covered with plastic sealent
that gettting to components is nearly impossible

Gunner


They are *******s when they do that. I've soaked boards in different
solvents for a few days to break the sealant down. Sometimes it'll form a
gel that you can brush off.



This board is sealed, and for a good reason.

i

Conformal coatings are good, but not perfect. The trick is finding
the right solvent to melt the coating off the board for repairs - and
not melt the board or the components. (Oopsie...)

Myself, unless the machine is getting used every day I'd save the bad
board for now - unless the guy is offering a good price to repair it
now and have a good spare on hand.

Otherwise, when it blows up again, send in both boards for repair. The
shipping is probably half the cost.

The real trick would be for Miller to (GASP!) release the board
schematics, parts lists (with conversions and substitutes) and repair
instructions - Because you can get a new circuit board now, but how
about in another 10 or 15 years...

Hate to say it, but when people drop that kind of cash on durable
tools, they expect to keep them for a long while. Like my Miller
Challenger 152 that better work till I'm ready for something bigger.

-- Bruce --