On Sun, 6 May 2012 09:24:42 +0800, "Dennis" wrote:


"Ignoramus18788" wrote in message
m...
On 2012-05-05, erik wrote:
thats one expensive board!


Many are much more expensive than that...

i

Just out of interest can you put up a photo of the faulty board. I'm
interested in what's on the board and how repairable they might be.

Apparently they are repairable. IIRC there's a place in the south -
NC? that specializes in Miller board repairs.

RWL

wrote in message
...
On Sun, 6 May 2012 09:24:42 +0800, "Dennis" wrote:


"Ignoramus18788" wrote in message
om...
On 2012-05-05, erik wrote:
thats one expensive board!


Many are much more expensive than that...

i

Just out of interest can you put up a photo of the faulty board. I'm
interested in what's on the board and how repairable they might be.

Apparently they are repairable. IIRC there's a place in the south -
NC? that specializes in Miller board repairs.

RWL



At $500 for a replacement, repairing them could be a good little sideline!

"Gunner Asch" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 6 May 2012 13:41:51 +0800, "Dennis" wrote:


wrote in message
. ..
On Sun, 6 May 2012 09:24:42 +0800, "Dennis" wrote:


"Ignoramus18788" wrote in message
news:wJydnUbjWrR4KDjSnZ2dnUVZ_uednZ2d@giganews .com...
On 2012-05-05, erik wrote:
thats one expensive board!


Many are much more expensive than that...

i

Just out of interest can you put up a photo of the faulty board. I'm
interested in what's on the board and how repairable they might be.

Apparently they are repairable. IIRC there's a place in the south -
NC? that specializes in Miller board repairs.

RWL



At $500 for a replacement, repairing them could be a good little sideline!

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.

On 2012-05-06, Dennis wrote:

"Gunner Asch" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 6 May 2012 13:41:51 +0800, "Dennis" wrote:


wrote in message
...
On Sun, 6 May 2012 09:24:42 +0800, "Dennis" wrote:


"Ignoramus18788" wrote in message
news:wJydnUbjWrR4KDjSnZ2dnUVZ_uednZ2d@giganew s.com...
On 2012-05-05, erik wrote:
thats one expensive board!


Many are much more expensive than that...

i

Just out of interest can you put up a photo of the faulty board. I'm
interested in what's on the board and how repairable they might be.

Apparently they are repairable. IIRC there's a place in the south -
NC? that specializes in Miller board repairs.

RWL



At $500 for a replacement, repairing them could be a good little sideline!

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

On Sun, 06 May 2012 00:45:46 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Sun, 6 May 2012 13:41:51 +0800, "Dennis" wrote:


wrote in message
. ..
On Sun, 6 May 2012 09:24:42 +0800, "Dennis" wrote:


"Ignoramus18788" wrote in message
news:wJydnUbjWrR4KDjSnZ2dnUVZ_uednZ2d@giganews .com...
On 2012-05-05, erik wrote:
thats one expensive board!


Many are much more expensive than that...

i

Just out of interest can you put up a photo of the faulty board. I'm
interested in what's on the board and how repairable they might be.

Apparently they are repairable. IIRC there's a place in the south -
NC? that specializes in Miller board repairs.

RWL



At $500 for a replacement, repairing them could be a good little sideline!

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

Gunner
You need some "conformal coating remover" I think GC used to make
some - not sure if it is still available - pretty nasty stuff.

"Dennis" writes:

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.

They spend money on parylene coating for a reason. It protects
the board from water, corrosion, and also prevents sneak paths
via conductive crap deposited on the traces.

But I'm sure *your* welders are kept in clean-room conditions,
and such would never ever be exposed to such hazards...

{You want PITA: take the WWII fungusproofing seen on radios such
as command sets, etc.}

--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

On 2012-05-06, David Lesher wrote:
"Dennis" writes:

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.

They spend money on parylene coating for a reason. It protects
the board from water, corrosion, and also prevents sneak paths
via conductive crap deposited on the traces.

But I'm sure *your* welders are kept in clean-room conditions,
and such would never ever be exposed to such hazards...

{You want PITA: take the WWII fungusproofing seen on radios such
as command sets, etc.}


Dave, I also cannot imagine welder boards without conformal
coating. Additionally, I think that engine driven welders should have
all boards enclosed in sealed enclosures with watertight
connectors.

i

Gunner Asch writes:

But I'm sure *your* welders are kept in clean-room conditions,
and such would never ever be exposed to such hazards...

Snicker...mine are kept outdoors, under a roof 365 a year.

The only problem I have is the odd spider than makes it through the
screened in vents (I install screen in all openings that could lead to
bugs getting to a board. Shrug) Happens maybe once every 5-10 yrs

I am explictly thinking of the threat of vaporized/sprayed/whatever
metals taking up residence on a board....Never any of those in
the air near a welder, right?

But dampness is just as good a board killer.


--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

David Lesher wrote:

{You want PITA: take the WWII fungusproofing seen on radios such
as command sets, etc.}


Or military broadcast gear that was prepped for jungle use, no matter
where the military radio station was located. The crap was so thick that
you had to use a large soldering iron to burn it off the terminals, to
repair the equipment. The Gates console at Ft. Greely was shipped that
way. I don't think it was the original console, since the station went
on the air with homebrew equipment.


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.

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 --

wrote:

You need some "conformal coating remover" I think GC used to make
some - not sure if it is still available - pretty nasty stuff.



General Cement sold 'Print Coat Solvent' for their silicon based
coating. I may still have part of a 40 year old bottle, in my shop.


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.

In article ,
"Bruce L. Bergman (munged human readable)"
wrote:

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...

I've researched patents on welders (from curiosity - I don't own a
welder), and they sometimes have the full circuit diagram in the patent,
even including component values.

If the welder has some patent numbers on it (or in the manual), it can
be worthwhile to look the patents up.

Joe Gwinn

On 2012-05-07, Bruce L. Bergman (munged human readable) wrote:
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.


I agree, what the ****, a welder dies from jump starting a dead
battery? They can do better than that.