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

[country gent]

O recently put a 2x magnifying lens in my helmet. It helped me a lot. Allows me to see what is happening

[OS OK]

O recently put a 2x magnifying lens in my helmet. It helped me a lot. Allows me to see what is happening

Good tip, I'll check into that. Can't cost that much to give it a try...right?
I have had cataract surgery in both eyes and can see really good now, thank God for that! But I'll check into a magnifier lens for my auto darkening helmet.

[elmacgyver0]

I have used strong readers inside my helmet, but recently installed the magnifying lenses.
For me it makes a world of difference.
One other tip.
Do not try to pick up your welder soon after you have had prostate surgery.

[country gent]

I think the last 2 x lens I bought was around 10.00. In my auto helmet they are held in with the rubber gasket.

[owejia]

Used pigskin gloves back in my tig welding days, the heat didn't make the leather as hard as regular leather gloves, and they were very soft and could get better feel for the control of the stinger and rod. My hands and arms get tired to quick now to do good welding beads even with mig welding. Need to be in a comfortable position when doing welding. Like most have already told you practice improves your welding skills

[OS OK]

Used pigskin gloves back in my tig welding days, the heat didn't make the leather as hard as regular leather gloves, and they were very soft and could get better feel for the control of the stinger and rod. My hands and arms get tired to quick now to do good welding beads even with mig welding. Need to be in a comfortable position when doing welding. Like most have already told you practice improves your welding skills

That was part of the practice lesson yesterday...'getting comfy' like I do with the MIG. It is a little strange just yet, the position I have to get into to use the TIG Torch. It's a different animal.
Starting out, I had a wood block/riser under my wrist and that'd give me about a 2 or 3" bead before I needed to slide the block or try to overreach a comfy position.
I researched the Y-Tube again and found a video specific about getting the torch hand/arm comfy...the resolve was to anchor the arm just in front of the elbow as I sit at the table. That was much better and it extended my comfy reach to about 6" of straight bead or a little better.

Yesterdays practice was about being comfy & running straight weld pools without any filler rod.

Well...I went in with that conquering attitude..."I got this" type approach, started practicing and everything headed for the toilet pretty fast, see for yourself...



*I'm a lefty, I worked the coupon top left to right & top to bottom.



QUESTION are those little 'nipples' sticking up 'gas contamination' that hasn't popped just yet and left the crater look?

What a surprise. I thought after a successful practice yesterday, that I'd move on to practice with adding filler rod in the next session...work that angle until I have some decent skills.
Then...suddenly...POROSITY HAPPENED! ... You know, like...SPIT HAPPENS!
While sitting there watching all this explode in my face, I couldn't imagine why? I haven't changed any machine settings from the day before.
I was determined to keep the tungsten out of the weld pool and I am sure I didn't dunk once but looking at the tungsten, I see a black tungsten instead of it being it's normal grey color.
So...even though I didn't dunk that sucker...I find myself back at the grinder several times. I'm feeling pretty stupid, I'm wondering that maybe it's this little grinding belt that's introducing some other metals into the weld. I went over to the aluminum oxide '8 inch stone' on the grinder...no improvement...I'm thinking, I have another evening in front of the computer trying to research what the heck happened today!

TWO THINGS...
I think my gas flow is not adequate, either the torch is not passing the gas because of a damaged collet(?) or the regulator got accidentally bumped or twisted and I am not sending enough Argon to the torch? < most likely this! I have the 'post flow gas' set at 5 seconds...I'll see about this today.
UPS came in late in the evening and delivered a set of 2.3" diamond grinding wheels and that's what I needed to built that dedicated grinder for the tungsten.



Here's hoping today's practice goes smooth! I don't like problems but without having to deal with all this now, I doubt I'd learn very much and then...right in the middle of my first TIG project I'd see something like this and have to stop work and go back to old'skool!

[country gent]

As has been stated get in a comfortable position. if you want strait welds you cant pivot your hand / wrist on the rest. I use a short length of 2" pvc pipe for a rest it allows the glove to slide easier and smoother. I keep mine right with the welder.

A good secure ground is essential to good welds. The clamps are okay but one the size for the part and with the proper contact makes a big difference.

CLEAN EVERYTHING GOOD THEN CLEAN IT AGAIN. Dont forget the filler rod.
When adding filler to the weld add it to the front of the puddle not into the arc.
Sharpen the electrode so the grind lines run parallel to the electrode.

A lot of tig welding is muscle memory it takes practice. When practicing tape a piece of filler rod to the cup to help maintain the right spacing.

[OS OK]

[elmacgyver0]

I had a little HF red scratch start TIG welder and probably would still be using it, but lightning storm claimed it along with most all the electronics in my home.
I replaced it with an Eastwood AC/DC 200 TIG, Christmas present from my wife.
Absolutely love it, can't beat the high frequency start.

[Plate plinker]

I recently started tig welding too. A sobering experience to say the least.

Two issues I experienced were getting a good setup and setting the heat (amps) properly.

[OS OK]

I had a little HF red scratch start TIG welder and probably would still be using it, but lightning storm claimed it along with most all the electronics in my home.
I replaced it with an Eastwood AC/DC 200 TIG, Christmas present from my wife.
Absolutely love it, can't beat the high frequency start.

That's a big plus having the AC for aluminum! HF start is the only way to go...it's hard enough to keep that tungsten clean as it is.

I recently started tig welding too. A sobering experience to say the least.

Two issues I experienced were getting a good setup and setting the heat (amps) properly.

I like having a new skill to hone. So far...I'm pretty dang good at sharpening them tungstens. Think I'll change my name to Charlie-Dipper.
I got that diamond grinding wheel installed in my dremel and chucked in the vice and it sharpens the tungstens lickedy'split now.



I hold the drill motor in one hand and the collet in the other and I have control over the angle of the grind...dang quick these diamond wheels.

[W.R.Buchanan]

OK a couple of things,,, First; your tungsten is not sharp enough. Put it in your drill motor and grind it to a dead sharp point where the length of the cone is 3-4 times the diameter of the tungsten. I have a "Green Wheel" mounted to a small bench grinder I use to do this. Since I am grinding on the outside of the wheel the cone comes out slightly concave. This forms a more precise arc that produces a better puddle.

Second, you have it sticking out too far from the cup. Thus it is easier to stick in the puddle when it sticks out too far. I do it all the time, and I have been TIG welding for 50 years.

Next: Get a Magnifying Lens for your helmet. I also wear my normal glasses when welding or I can't see anything. If you can't see, you can't weld. It is not done by feel!

The process of TIG welding goes like this. Establish a Puddle, then move the Puddle Ahead, then add Rod, puddle ahead, rod, puddle ahead, rod, puddle ahead, and so on.

Last: Don't be afraid to cheat. When doing Fillet welds, I use a cup with a large hole in it so that I can rest it on both sides of the fillet. My fillet welds come out perfectly strait. if you are welding a strait line don't be afraid to put a strait edge down so you can have something to guide the Torch.

Unfortunately you will have to practice to get good and with us older guys nobody is going to pay us to practice. For you this is a Hobby. I got paid to weld, and after a month or so doing it 8 hours a day I got pretty good.

Since I do it infrequently now, it takes me a hour or so to get back on top of my game. If I am going to weld something that matters, I always practice the weld on scrap rather than mess up my nice project.

My last big project was Repairing the Traction Bar on my Jeep. It had broken right outside of the previous welds, so I beefed it up using "fish plates." The welds on that were pretty much all done out of position as opposed to being done on the bench where you can position the work for optimal torch position, so they don't look perfect but they also don't look that bad and I know they are strong.

I tried to load a pic of the best weld on the Jeep but it will not load onto the site, so you'll just take it from me,,, it is perfect!.

I case you haven't figured it out I built this entire Jeep from scratch, and there was a ton of welding on the frame. It was a combination of MIG and TIG welding and I did most of it, although my Friend John Cimbura helped with the frame which was built on 2 Saw Horses and came out with in .015 of being perfectly Square. John taught me a lot about not just welding but "fitting" which is the hard part.

Lots more to Welding than sticking things together. That is the easy part.

Randy

[OS OK]

Thanks for all the tips W.R.Buchanan, I appreciate advice from an old'Salt.

[Cap'n Morgan]

It's been years since I last TIG welded anything. I'll gladly admit my hands are far too shaky to run the torch and rod at the same time and get anything not resembling a WWI battlefield.
The solution was to run over the welding one more time, this time using both hands and if possible resting my wrists on the vice.

[jmorris]

You can learn more in 2hr with someone who knows what they are doing and can see what you are doing, than spending 2 years reading words they wrote.

With oxy/act welding under your belt, you are ahead of the game. That said, if you don’t have control of the power (foot or hand) you are handicapped. I have “set and go” machines but they are a compromise and not as easy to use. I would suggest that right from the start, to make things as easy as possible.

For me it’s not a “thickness = amps” calculation. The speed you travel has a huge impact on this as does what material you might be welding.

The cheap high frequency machines are generally just start and can’t weld things like aluminum but it’s a good example of a material that might require a lot of current initially and then taper back as you go or you might just hold in place until your puddle forms, keep it floored and weld at a higher inches per minute, rather than back off and slow down.

Tungsten needs to stay sharp on steel and can help on precision aluminum welding of thin materials too. If you are having trouble touching the tungsten to the work, put on a larger cup, if you have the same angle and protrusion of tungsten, you will be further from the work.

I’d also suggest getting some silicon bronze filler to practice with. Beginners seem to have better luck with it as brazing “flow” is easier to see before you are too hot on the parent material. It’s also reasonably strong too, lots of chromemoly chassis of open wheel racecars are assembled using CuSi and it makes for an easy repair. Your Oxy/Act and compressed air can disassemble without cutting.

Flex head torches can help a lot finding angle that work for you and are pretty inexpensive these days with China imports.

[OS OK]

You can learn more in 2hr with someone who knows what they are doing and can see what you are doing, than spending 2 years reading words they wrote.

With oxy/act welding under your belt, you are ahead of the game. That said, if you don’t have control of the power (foot or hand) you are handicapped. I have “set and go” machines but they are a compromise and not as easy to use. I would suggest that right from the start, to make things as easy as possible.

For me it’s not a “thickness = amps” calculation. The speed you travel has a huge impact on this as does what material you might be welding.

The cheap high frequency machines are generally just start and can’t weld things like aluminum but it’s a good example of a material that might require a lot of current initially and then taper back as you go or you might just hold in place until your puddle forms, keep it floored and weld at a higher inches per minute, rather than back off and slow down.

Tungsten needs to stay sharp on steel and can help on precision aluminum welding of thin materials too. If you are having trouble touching the tungsten to the work, put on a larger cup, if you have the same angle and protrusion of tungsten, you will be further from the work.

I’d also suggest getting some silicon bronze filler to practice with. Beginners seem to have better luck with it as brazing “flow” is easier to see before you are too hot on the parent material. It’s also reasonably strong too, lots of chromemoly chassis of open wheel racecars are assembled using CuSi and it makes for an easy repair. Your Oxy/Act and compressed air can disassemble without cutting.

Flex head torches can help a lot finding angle that work for you and are pretty inexpensive these days with China imports.

Thank you jmorris...these are exactly the tips I need.
I have the HV start but they didn't supply a foot pedal with the purchase. I raised a stink over that and it looks like they will send me a pedal now.
I bought a flex torch and that is a big help.
One of the things I have to be much more concerned over is the shielding gas & wind. I am going to build a wind-shield for the bench, that should help a great deal & I am on my largest standard cup, 8 I think?
I have some of the other really wide and clear type cups but haven't tried them yet.

[Liberty1776]

Just put an order in for a PrimeWeld TIG225X tig/stick unit. Still need the cart and bottle of argon.



Comes with a good, US-made CK Worldwide #17 flexible head torch.

https://youtu.be/ddIveqH1uQM

[OS OK]

Just put an order in for a PrimeWeld TIG225X tig/stick unit. Still need the cart and bottle of argon.



Comes with a good, US-made CK Worldwide #17 flexible head torch.

https://youtu.be/ddIveqH1uQM

I hope you like it...looks to be heads & shoulders above my little unit. There's some really good videos out there for advanced units like that one.

[Liberty1776]

I hope you like it...looks to be heads & shoulders above my little unit. There's some really good videos out there for advanced units like that one.

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.



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.

[country gent]

You dont have to actually buy the bottles a lot of welding shops sell a life lease on them. Around here its the better option your own tank you pay for any maintenance and wait to have it filled, a leased tank is exchanged in a few mins.

I have 2 tanks on my miller multi process 220. Ive used the stick/arc welding twice. The mig mostly and and have yet to switch it over to tig. I would like to add a second flow meter to the tig so purge welding could be done on tubing.