TIG welding....humbling skill to learn

[vintage chromoly]

so, I’ve always wanted to step up my game as it pertains to welding. I’ve had a MIG forever, but always wanted to buy a TIG machine and learn to use it.

Part of the hurdle was the buy in, as you’ll have 2 grand or better in a starter setup. Lots of moving parts, specific gas and torch setups to get going.

I bought a Lincoln square wave 200 inverter machine and two bottles. The gas goes quickly as the post flow eats up argon like mad.

When I got started, I was about 1/2 hour into this madness and was already composing my craigslist add in my mind as I was clearly not skilled enough for this.

At this point I’ve got about 6 hours on my machine and things are starting to look up. Maybe I will master this after all.

The primary reason for wanting to learn this process is so that I can fabricate with stainless, aluminum and chromoly.

Here’s some stainless thinwall 4” tubing I’ve been working with. Far from textbook, but I’m learning

 

[vintage chromoly]

Here’s my first “job”. This is a water jacketed offshore marine exhaust:

 

[bearman]

Better all the time. Like they say practice makes perfect.

 

[5.7 hemi]

Get a song you like in head and move to the beat of the song. Also practice just moving the puddle like your brazing.

 

[khryslerkid]

Youll get the hang of it. It takes "seat time" to get the technique down. Big difference from mig welding where the wire feed is automatic.

If you're going through a lot of gas, back it off to the limit then increase just a little. Clean, clean, clean your pieces. Any oil, dirt ect is bad. Forget about your mig welding techniques, tig is a form of torch welding. Just enough filler rod as you go and just a little wip of the torch. Use the proper lense for your eyesite. Seeing exactly whats going on in the puddle is of the utmost importance. Its why i have a hard time with a consistant stitch. My eyes aren't what they use to be. Flooding your workpiece with good lighting will help also, even when mig welding.

Keep up the good work!

If you're not useing a flow meter, get one!

 

[snakeoil24]

Post flow gas being used up might simply been improper setting. A good start is to learn gas welding then this comes easy. Many guys buy newer computer controlled tig machines, an expensive way to start. I would find a used Miller DX 250 for 500-750.00 and have a 10,000 machine. So what if its 25 years old. All come with frequency start.

 

[khryslerkid]

Youll get the hang of it. It takes "seat time" to get the technique down. Big difference from mig welding where the wire feed is automatic.

If you're going through a lot of gas, back it off to the limit then increase just a little. Clean, clean, clean your pieces. Any oil, dirt ect is bad. Forget about your mig welding techniques, tig is a form of torch welding. Just enough filler rod as you go and just a little wip of the torch. Use the proper lense for your eyesite. Seeing exactly whats going on in the puddle is of the utmost importance. Its why i have a hard time with a consistant stitch. My eyes aren't what they use to be. Flooding your workpiece with good lighting will help also, even when mig welding.

Keep up the good work!

If youre not useing a flow meter, get one...

 

[vintage chromoly]

My post flow is not adjustable on this machine.
It’s factory set for 1 second of flow for every 10 amps. Aluminum eats it up as I’m practicing on 1/8” and 1/4” aluminum plate and with the 1/4”, I’ve got the amperage cranked up.

I have a flow meter.

 

[vintage chromoly]

I did buy a 2.0 magnifying insert for my helmet. (Amazing what seeing the work does for a guy) I have a miller helmet and they make great inserts for guys like me who can’t see **** up close anymore.

 

[Don selleck]

interesting info, always wanted to learn how to use a tig welder. seen some beautiful work with them. practice makes perfect.

 

[gkent]

You'll use a lot of gas on post flow if you're doing short welds. Do longer beads and the results is fewer stops/post flows.

If your machine has a pulse setting, use it and move with the pulse to develop a rhythm. When it pulses you dip, when it goes off you move ... on-dip off-move on-dip off-move ...

 

[gkent]

There is a ton to be learned at weldingtipsandtricks.com

 

[steve from staten island]

You need to learn to "cup" weld the joint. Were talking pipe here. First of all open joint pipe or tube when tig welding stainless the joint has to be purged of oxygen. I assume this was not a open joint, no matter, master the technique of walking the cup and your joints will look great.
By walking the cup. It means you hold the torch at a angle, have the tungsten set properly and guide your hand while the cup is touching the work piece. The cup is rocked slightly back and forth as you move it and feed filler material. Its the same for steel.
I thought i was a good TIG welder until i had to take a 6G open root pipe test using TIG for the first pass's. I then realized i sucked.
The root had to be perfect inside the pipe and the overhead was a bitch. You had to keep feeding the filler wire to get the proper penetration. I had to practice for several weeks to get it all down before i took a series of qualifying tests
That was over 30 years ago and i doubt i could pass those tests today

 

[Mike67]

I bought the same Lincoln ealier this year....definitely not as easy as it looks. I wanted to use it on my body panels and change some things on my cage.
It's a neat welder toughest thing to get used to was the pedal, I still run the min amperage setting so I can go full throttle...,when set higher it's pretty ugly trying to find the right position.
I don't have a problem going through the argon though....but seem to be constantly sharpening the tungsten

 

[vintage chromoly]

I’m just getting used to the pedal and throttling the heat.
Trying to train your brain and 3 motions (both hands and a foot) to work “in time” is the challenge to me.

With the stainless, there is a really fine line between not enough and too much heat. At first my welds were way too hot and the welds looked Smokey and grey.

 

[vintage chromoly]

I bought 20 tungstens and sharpened them all.
As soon as you stick the tungsten, you’re done. Gotta change it out, or you’re just pissing in the wind.

 

[hoover]

I also have the sqarewave 200.
Great little welder .
At work I have a Miller dynasty 350 (about $9000) which is as great welder.
I still enjoy playing with the lincoln.
Get yourself some music on your smartphone and use earbuds. It helps me a lot

 

[steve from staten island]

tBelieve it or not i hardly ever used a pedal. A lot of people think you need fancy equipment to TIG weld, you dont. We TIG welded superheater tubes in the boiler that were chrome moly. We also did TIG welded joints that had to pass X-rays. We used DC welding machines with straight polarity. Thats what you TIG with. A DC, CC ( constant current) stick welding machine using straight polarity.
Aluminum uses AC and a high frequency box.

 

[vintage chromoly]

“Scratch” starting Steve?

 

[steve from staten island]

I bought 20 tungstens and sharpened them all.
As soon as you stick the tungsten, you’re done. Gotta change it out, or you’re just pissing in the wind.

Yes and no. Don't forget you can scratch start the weld with no issue. The tungsten will be fine. You'll know when its time to dress up the tungsten. What you do have to watch for is tungsten inclusion