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Thread: TIG WELDING...can the old'Dog learn a new trick?

  1. #41
    Boolit Grand Master OS OK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Liberty1776 View Post
    Like shooting, welding can be an expensive hobby. I've been looking into TIG for many years, but every machine was like $3000.

    An "M" tank of mixed Argon and CO2 to purchase is like $400. (Cheaper to refill, but still.) Then you need a cart to hold the welder, the tank and all the accessories. My little MIG cart is totally holding too much junk.

    I'm going with the Harbor Freight welding cart with drawers with nice slides and a door over the "garage" lower section. $200 but it would take hours and hours, plus materials and wheels, for me to fab. And it will fit my new little welder. And if I shop the coupons it might be less.

    Attachment 313624

    One of the most important questions is: What model of welding helmet is best? They have wide-field lenses now with 13 sq inches of view, very clear imaging, with less green cast. Problem: name brand models cost half what the welder machine costs!

    Like I said, expensive hobby.

    But welding is a satisfying experience for me -- connecting two pieces of metal together like they were machined from a solid block. Amazing when you think of it.
    Now that's a nice little cart...like the door & drawers, here they'd keep the sawdust off everything in there.
    I used to rent bottles in SoCal where I contracted, just tell them what size and what I wanted for gas and pay & go around the outside dock and pick them up. They always wanted an exchange bottle of the same size.
    I had forgotten that and ended up spending what I spent on the TIG to get the gas set up.

    I've heard this more than once about the hoods. "DON'T SKIMP ... YOU HAVE TO SEE CLEARLY WHAT YOUR DOING! GET READERS OR A MAGNIFIER LENS FOR THE HOOD!"
    It's been said with just about the same emphasis as those all caps in the quote.

    I've had one of Harbor Freights better helmets for prolly 6 years and it's been good for the MIG & STICK but it ain't actually adequate for the TIG. My brother Manny gave it to me for a B-Day present. I suspect it is not the pick of the litter for a professional welder! But...I've had the cataract lens installed and I can see like an old Eagle now but I did still round up a pair of magnifiers/readers to wear under the hood. GADGETS! Can't stand all the crap a man needs to do something simple. But...seeing that liquid pool of metal is awesome & helps a great deal.

    I'd say..."Get ready, your going to spend some more precious deflated $'s to get a nice inflated hood!"
    a m e r i c a n p r a v d a

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  2. #42
    Boolit Buddy Phat Man Mike's Avatar
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    I'd watch that guy on YouTube. Welding tips and tricks. He's a good instructor and has welded in the Aerospace industry.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check