In article , Jim C Roberts wrote:

Ernie and/or anyone else who may have some input,

In light of the problems we are having with the new Maxstar, I wanted to
seek your advice before we have any more problems.

I was perusing your site yesterday (http://www.stagesmith.com) and came
across your set up for your Maxstar 200
DX,(http://stagesmith.com/gallery/shop_p...rig/index.html)
NICE! The welder _and_ the set up that is. I have a couple of questions,
if you don't mind.

How do you get your argon tank in and out? We, a very interested fellow
employee and myself, can not see any way other than straight out of the top
unless the bars in the back are removable.

It is a small bottle.
I have no trouble lifting it straight out the top.


Also, do you consider the bottle
to be safe being free standing like that?


As long as at least the tool box is on the cart it is quite stable.


You mention that you have 3 power cords at 25' each. The literature on
this 150 says the max length for a #10 wire is 47'. I plan on purchasing
50' of 10/3 cable, use 40' for the extension cord itself and cut up the
remaining for use as "pig tails", sound OK?

Sounds fine.
I was able to just buy my extension cords at Home Depot.
They are Yellow Jacket brand 4 pin twist locks (14L20) intended for use
with small generators.


I like the way you used what we
call a "dryer plug" (the gray one), I may copy that if your patent will
allow.

I currently have 7 adapters for my Maxstar 200DX but then mine can use
everything from 110v to 460v 3 ph.
Your is 110 v to 240 v.

Due to the inexperience electrically of some of my fellow
workers, I will probably only make connectors to fit in 115V outlets. We
have an odd 20A/230V/3 Phase connector in the shop that I would like to be
able to power the Maxstar from while in house. IF I can make this
connection idiot-proof enough for general use I will, otherwise we will only
use it on 115V.


As long as you only plug it into 110v or 220-240 v then it will be fine.


My coworker wants to build a "case" for the Maxstar itself that will
attach to our hand truck and only expose the power and gas outlet in the
rear and the lead plug in and controls in front. This will be mostly an
anti theft measure, but I'm thinking that if we utilize a tool tub like you
did we could fit all the welder and all of its parts and pieces into it. I
personally don't care for the case it came in, having to cram all of the
leads into that hole is a real PITA

Make sure the case has good ventilation or the Maxstar will overheat.



and what the hell is up with them
sending a regulator out with it?

That is a pressure style flow guage.
They are cheap and work ok, kind of, sort of maybe.


I see a flow meter purchase in our near
future.


I like the compact Victor ball and tube flow gauges.


Well, this has gotten to be alot longer than I had planned, and I probably
haven't asked half of the questions I need to.

Thanks in advance to anyone brave enough to reply. If we come up with
anything that seems useful I will try to get some pics for the dropbox.


My Maxstar 140 lived on a hand truck with a small Argon tank on the
bottom, a shelf above for the welder and a rack on the back for all the
cables.

It worked great and was extremely portable.