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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    South Australia
    Age
    58
    Posts
    33

    Default A partly DIY, cheap TIG pedal.

    Hi guys,
    I think I mentioned I had a cunning plan to make my own TIG pedal in my post about the AIG TIG 200P earlier in the year. Well I just got it done and tested this week...
    The result is yes you can modify a generic sewing machine foot operated speed control pedal to run a TIG machine, my TIG machine at least.

    I scrapped the idea to include bluetooth wireless for now, can't justify the effort right now.

    I also have the metal pedal for the 200P that is sold by AIG to suit it, but I really find it uncomfortable to use for long periods, so I kept on with the above plan to make/hack something much more suited to me and my small welding bench.

    Images below...

    In short:
    I bought the pedal for about $20AU from AliExpress (must have be a 'speed control' type not just an 'on/off' type).
    Removed a couple of unneeded components with a soldering iron.
    Added a micro-switch from Jaycar.
    Replaced 2 core cable with some trailer wire (at least 5 cores needed).
    Added a three pin and a two pin GX16 plug bought from Ebay.

    Fitting the micro switch required a little thought (and an L bracket), as did wiring the plug pins to the right places on the circuit board.
    I 3D printed the L bracket for the switch (but it could have been done with a bent bit of metal plate) and then epoxied in position.

    I am really happy with the result and would do it again rather than buy the awkward heavy metal one.
    This pedal is way easier to hold steady at low amps than the big one, and I can leave my shoes heal on the ground when operating it which is way less tiring.
    The big metal pedal might end up on Gumtree now.

    PA190025.jpg P9185551.jpg PA190023.jpg PA050002.JPG Fullscreen capture 21102021 90642 PM.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Tasmania, Australia
    Posts
    2

    Default

    Thanks for the info, I am thinking of doing something similar. Is the Ali Express foot pedal sturdy enough in your opinion? I was considering buying a 'Yamaha Expression FC7" music foot pedal second hand off ebay and modding it, someone else managed to do it successfully online. Hope to fit it to my Unimig Razor 200 AC/DC TIG.
    Laurie

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    South Australia
    Age
    58
    Posts
    33

    Default

    If the Yamaha pedal is metal then it will be sturdier, but if it's plastic (the images I just looked at seemed like plastic) then I'd say there may be not be any difference.
    The Ali pedal is made from ABS and it's reasonably thick. It popped open and closed OK while testing it with no damage also, which is often the battle with cheap plastic things.

    FYI, the Ali sourced pedal has a 20kohm slider in it, which works fine with my machine (the OEM pedal had two 10kohm rotary pots in it). The AIG TIG unit input works in potentiometer mode so the ohm value of it can probably be fairly broad.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Tasmania, Australia
    Posts
    2

    Default

    The Yamaha pedal is metal and plastic/rubber, seems pretty good quality. This is the YT video I was looking at:
    My Unimig foot pedal uses a 10k pot from all accounts and other threads. The slider potentiometers seem the go though if you can integrate them in your foot pedal somehow.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    South Australia
    Age
    58
    Posts
    33

    Default

    Yep the Yamaha pedal is much sturdier looking than the sewing machine one, and the pot was easily swapped. It's much more expensive though, but similar cost to what I first bought anyway and didn't like...

    If your machine normally uses a 10k pot with three wires on the pot (voltage divider rather than variable resistor sensing method) then 20k will probably work also. It will drop the current across the pot but voltage at the wiper terminal should remain the same depending on the way they sense it (the input impedance). I see no harm in trying it out at the very least if you can't find something with 10k easily.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2022
    Location
    Australia
    Age
    58
    Posts
    1

    Default Wiring diagram for 200P footpedal

    DO you have a wiring diagram for the foot switch please? I have one of the heavier footswitches (with inbuilt pot) but it just seems to behave like and on/off switch for my 200P. I would be interested to know the pot wiring to the machine. I sent AIG a query awhile ago, with no response.
    TIA

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Melbourne S.E Burbs
    Posts
    5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by roblin31 View Post
    DO you have a wiring diagram for the foot switch please? I have one of the heavier footswitches (with inbuilt pot) but it just seems to behave like and on/off switch for my 200P. I would be interested to know the pot wiring to the machine. I sent AIG a query awhile ago, with no response.
    TIA
    +1 please, this 200P user would love to know the schematic also. Thanks in advance.......

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