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Thread: Argon tube repair?

  1. #1
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    Default Argon tube repair?

    who does this? and least $$$
    I have a S-P 168 Argon has a water leak and prob.needs regassed,
    this head has been sitting for 2 years!!
    last output was 8.5 watts

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lasernerd View Post
    who does this? and least $$$
    I have a S-P 168 Argon has a water leak and prob.needs regassed,
    this head has been sitting for 2 years!!
    last output was 8.5 watts

    cracked at the anode seal or up to water in the bore?

    Do you need a anode black or a tube?

    I have two 168s coming in at the end of this month

    you have two choices:
    One, a used tube from one of the used medical guys.

    Two
    the following three companies rebuild spectra tubes

    Evergreen Lasers, Cambridge Lasers, and Holospectra.

    None are exactly what I would call cheap, your looking at 2500-5000 minimum for a new cathode and brewsters
    The reason for the expense is the glassblowing is not easy. You cant just fuse the crack, you need to let the tube up to air, and if your gonna
    do that, you might as well redo everything.

    This is why I'm asking if you have a leaky block or actual damage to the glass


    Steve
    Last edited by mixedgas; 05-05-2008 at 10:11.

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    hi Steve,
    leaking block.pouring out of mag.bore
    the gas is still up..
    yep i know its spendy just hoping there was some new guys on the block to do repairs,,
    will these tubes you have be available?
    Are they heads? or just tubes?
    Do you know of somebody who could just replace my water seals?
    And be able to power it up?If gas is to low pres.Iwill need a tube,
    The filament is perfect!
    sat for 2 years

  4. #4
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    The anode block just requires lifting up the magnet with the tube in it. simple two person job and very common problem with stored lasers. I'm getting OEM heads, but the tube/magnet is identical. I'm going to the tube warehouse in St. Louis in two weeks, I'll see if I can get you a block, it sounds like that's all you need. Any good machine shop can make you a block. If the kovar part of the tube that sets on the block is fine, then all you need is the soft steel anode block.

    The 164 lasers I'm picking up have been in dry storage in arizona for two years, so if they start, they will be in good shape. I sould them to a customer as spares, he upgraded to 24,000 worth of hungarian solid state, never used em, said I'll meet you in St Louis and you can have them back. So what am I gonna do with another big argon when all I do is run the "advice for the lovelorn" column at PL all day. :-)
    Actually I'm setting in my lab at work, waiting for tests to complete.typing keeps me awake.

    its worth taking a shot on the block. sp tube rebuilds are $pendy these days.

    the block is at the end of the magnet, just outside the magnet and its under the anode. if its not the block, its the glass.

    Steve

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    i would bet my hat that the glass is broken...he said water is pouring out of the magnet. Time for a new Plasma Tube, this one sounds like a gonner.

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    the gas is intact

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    did you test the "gas intact" using a tesla coil or similar? You said water was pouring out the magnet. The gas can be intact and the glass water jacket be broken. They are two seperat chambers. You need to be more descriptive with pictures or words that would a:source of water B:amount of water. The "leak" should be an easy thing to diagnose, repairing it may be an whole another story.

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    It looks as if it coming somewhere inside the mag. bore,,
    I cannot see far enough to see the water jacket,
    the water pours outs no dribble about it,it does not look as if it is coming out the block

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    Your glass water jacket is broken. You will have to remove the tube to check how damaged it is. Some times you can repair broken glass with JB weld. I will give you about a 10% or less chance of fixing it.

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    Found the leak!
    I pulled the HR and took a look,there is a crack on the inner mag.bore!

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