There are lots of automotive fabricating and repair projects you can tackle on your own if you have the right equipment for the job. HTP America, Inc. is a company that sells high-quality welders, cutting tools, helmets, and welding accessories that offer high-quality construction and operation at reasonable prices.

 We use HTP welders, Plasma cutters, and welding accessories for a reason… they make us look like pro fabricators by delivering high-quality results every time. The HTP Microcut 400 is a plasma cutter that’s small in physical size, but delivers huge cutting power. The Microcut 400 will quality cut over 400 linear inches of 18-gauge sheet metal in one minute! And it doesn’t care if its cutting steel, stainless, aluminum… anything that conducts electricity is fair game. Plasma cutters combine compressed air with and an electric arc to superheat the air to nearly 20,000 degrees Fahrenheit to slice through material quickly and easily. The HTP Microcut 400 will severance cut ½” steel at 6” a minute, so it will handle anything around an auto shop.

The cool thing about Plasma torches is that their heat affected range - the area beyond the arc that gets hot - is very small. This allows you to make cutting templates out of materials like cardboard without burning them up!

 We use two HTP welders, a MIG 200 and an Invertig 201 AC/DC. The MIG 200 is a stout wire-feed machine featuring up to 200-amp output for welding heavy steel, but it also has 25 power settings, which allow you to dial the power down for welding thin sheet metal. HTP takes pride in their wire-feed drive mechanisms… their website compares the robust metal gear drive system to other companies’ plastic drives. There’s no doubting the quality of these units.

 They also boast other features to help guarantee a quality weld job like spot / stitch welding settings to recreate factory spot welds and minimize warpage. HTP sells a flexible swan neck for their MIG welders that make welding around exhaust tubing much easier. HTP MIG welders are available in a variety of models for different applications, input voltages, and budgets.

Here's the golden trick to MIG welding... SET THE MACHINE UP PROPERLY! Here's how...

1. Set your MIG gun tip on your work area on a piece of scrap that is of similar gauge as your project.
2. Turn your heat setting to the recommended level as prescribed by the welder manufacturer. Most manuals have a chart with the proper heat settings for various Gauges of material.
3. Make sure you gas is on and flowing to around 20 cubic feet per hour. You'll know if you don't have enough shield gas because your weld will be porous... it will have little craters and holes in it.
4. Start with the wire feed speed low, (or all the way down!), and pull the trigger on the welding gun. You'll hear the wire hiss as it melts on the work. Next, SLOWLY turn the speed adjustment up until it begins to snap and pop. Imagine you're tuning in a distant radio station... turn the knob SLOWLY! Keep turning it SLOWLY until you get a nice sizzling sound. You'll know you are too fast when the sizzle begins to pop agian. Dail it back until you hear that "bacon sizzling" sound.

That's it. Now you're ready to weld!

 The HTP Invertig 201 AC/DC is rapidly becoming a favorite fabrication tool. TIG welders offer extremely precise control and the ability to weld a variety of metals without modifying the machine. Simply grab an aluminum filler rod for aluminum, stainless for stainless, etc. Operating a TIG requires one hand to hold the Tungsten torch, one hand for the filler rod, and one foot on the heat pedal, but these three variables are what combine for an infinitely adjustable arc. As its name implies, the Invertig uses an electrical inverter power supply, which gives the welder the ability to crank out 200 amp welds using only 30 amps of input power at 220 volts. You can weld in DC or AC modes, and the Invertig 201 AC/DC features the ability to vary the AC frequency to fine-tune your welding on aluminum. Other adjustments include the fully adjustable balance from 10% to 90%, post-gas flow time, power, and AC frequency from 20 Hz to 200 Hz while maintaining a square Wave throughout the complete range.

The Invertig 201 probably has the best low end in the business — all the way down to 4 amps. Inverter technology produces a smooth, stable arc, making intricate work on mild steel, chrome moly, stainless steel and inconel a breeze. Plus, with variable frequency in AC, the machine produces unparalleled results when welding thin aluminum. Pulsing is standard, with a pulsing frequency from 0.4 to 300 Hz in the DC mode .4 to 2 Hz in the AC mode.

 You can’t weld if you don’t have a good helmet, and the HTP Striker Digital auto-darkening helmet is another tool that’s fought over in our shop. The Striker Digital is not your average welding helmet. Besides auto-darkening when you strike a welding arc, the Striker Digital has separate modes for welding, cutting, and grinding, all with adjustable levels of shading. Switch the helmet to the grind mode for a light shade and complete facial protection. Hit the selector again for cutting mode and the helmet darkens for plasma cutting. One more touch of the button and the shade is set to whatever level of shade you pre-set for welding. You don’t need to scrounge up safety glasses that don’t cover enough while grinding, then switch to sunglasses for plasma cutting, then grab the helmet for welding… just leave the HTP Striker Digital on your head for protection during all phases of fabrication.

Welding, cutting, and fabricating are essential parts of building cars, and HTP has the goods you need to make your experience enjoyable.

SOURCES

HTP America, Inc.

DISCLAIMER: Demonstrations and procedures contained in the V8TV show or website may not provide all necessary or relevant information. Applicable local laws and regulations may vary and should be checked before any project is commenced. Be sure to follow all applicable safety procedures. The Men's Channel and V8TV Productions, Inc. make no warranties, expressed or implied, as to the completeness, accuracy, or practicality of any such demonstration or procedure or any information with respect thereto contained in the preceding program.

© 2006 V8TV Productions, Inc.

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