O.K. what's up with this tig business...

[tacmig]

I've got a confession to make here. My tig skills would have to dramatically improve just to suck! As far as mig and stick I'm considered the master of the shop and have done it for over 25 years, but little does anybody know I can't tig worth a rats posterior. I have 2 tigs in my shop Maxstar 200 & Dynasty 350) that my guys use on all of our appearance grade work as well as aluminum. I have been fighting tooth and nail like an old fart learning to program his remote not to tig. To keep this short, HELP! My learning resources are limited because my guys can't teach worth a Yaks as!

[SignWave]

If youve been MIG'n for 25 years, TIG should be a breeze.
Read Millers Tig handbook. http://www.millerwelds.com/education/TIGhandbook/
And read up on Millers TIG guidelines...
http://www.millerwelds.com/pdf/gtawbook.pdf
both of these articles can be found here. this is the "front desk" to learning TIG.

I'll bet that once you pick up a torch and see the shiny puddle of quicksilver, you'll get it in 10 hours or less..

Im working on my 6th hour now and I am having pretty good results. I have no shame in what I can do so far, but there is always room for improvement.

get your sefl a pile of coupons... stick stuff together.. get one of the guys to set one of the machines up for you and giver the goose...dont be shy because if you dont try, you;ll never know...

there are other fundamentals to consider but once you get it, youll be thinking how easy it really is.. weld aluminum in ac mode, rule of thumb is about an amp per .001" of thickness- so 1/8th Aluminum would need about 125 amps to weld (go with 85 to start and you wont be so inclined to turn the coupon to a puddle of goopy slop.)

Steel requires DCEN ( direct current, electrode negative) and more or less the same rule of thumb for input current.

try to stay away from DCEP (direct current, electrode positive) until youve got the jist of it all because this setting is most likely to burn out your equipment.

oh yeah, try to keep the tip of the tungstem about 1/8" from the work and without dipping it into the puddle.. You'll know when you do...

Go slow, watch whats happening, absorb the liturature, and practice.. Only 10 hours to a good bead...

[HMW]

To me learning to TIG was more like welding with a torch than MIG or stick. If someone had alot of experience with gas welding TIG would be easier for them. Like Signwave said, just step on the pedal. Been TIG welding for about 3 yrs now and still learning. Had lots yrs of stick, then MIG in the shop, but TIG is different to me. Especially to make it look really nice takes tons of practice, thats what I'm still working on...

[boldfabrication]

I try to tell people to get comfortable, nothing harder than welding in a uncomfortable postion (sometimes you have to). I try to rest my palm (the one holding the torch) on the table or on the piece to be welded (untill it gets to hot). I will also at times rest my cup on the base metal (fillets) and that will steady the hand, as every little movement will be noticed in the bead.
Start out just running a few beads without filler, then fuse 2 pieces together, if you have scrap stainless around that to me is the easiest. When fusing try a few different torch movements and also watch the puddle. Once you get the hang of that add a hair more heat and start feeding wire.
I get in a rhythm almost like numbering a sheet of paper top to bottom and touching each number as it is counted, just dont touch the metal with the tungsten.
I have pictures but not shure if it will help, also I dont post very often so I hope this wasnt a waste of bandwidth.


Stu

[mcostello]

Have a TIG machine coming in a coupla weeks, and I just gotta know-What happens when you touch the metal with the tungsten? Blow hole in table? Inquiring minds need to know,Don't want to learn
everything the hard way!

[SignWave]

you will contamintate the tungsten, and most likey the work too. You will mosst likely have to repoint your tungsten so that the arc will go where you direct it to. it may stick too and you'll most likey have to break it off the table or work.

[Propulsion]

I found practicing tig welding on heavy plate first is more forgiving then sheet stock.

[SignWave]

I found practicing tig welding on heavy plate first is more forgiving then sheet stock.

what machine did you use to weld that?

[Propulsion]

A Miller Dynasty 300.

[SignWave]

Nice looking beads.. very nice

Did you know that I can weld in Cyberspace? Wanna see an example?