Rick wrote:

Ok, so I fired up my Christmas present today, a thermalarc 185TSW tig/stick
welder.

First I tried a stick, on DC...wow! So much easier to start and maintain
the arc than my AC buzzbox. Very happy.

Next I ground a 1.5% lanthinated 3/32" tungsten electrode to a pencil point,
then ground the tip flat to about 1/4 the diameter of the rod, put in a #5
pink cone thingy and tried running a bead on a piece of 1/4 mild steel,
sanded clean, using a 3/32 filler rod, 115 amps, basic square wave foot
pedal operation, and 20CFH flow rate on my argon. A few seconds later I
reground a 1.5% 3/32" tungsten....well you get the idea.

I think you generally want DC for TIG on steel.


How in the world do you keep the tungsten tip from touching the work or the
filler rod??? Nobody's hand can be *that* steady!
Can you rest the pink ceramic cup on the workpiece?

Yes it is indeed possible for a person's hand to be that steady, indeed
it's far easier to control a TIG torch than the end of a 14" stick
electrode. The tungsten should stick out perhaps 1/8" from the end of
the gas cup. The key is to not be afraid to get real close to what
you're welding.

Resting a finger of the hand holding the TIG torch on the work piece a
few inches away from the weld point is a good way to help steady your
hand. Also don't be afraid to have your thumb and index finger holding
the torch body just back from the gas cup which will give you better
control of torch twist.

I'm certainly no pro welder, but I don't dip the tungsten very often.
Most times it's when I'm fast tacking something together and didn't take
the time to get in a good working position.


How do you hold the torch (angle from vertical) and where do you feed in the
rod to the puddle? In front of the torch? to the side? behind it?

Download some of the PDF pamphlets he
http://www.millerwelds.com/education...pamphlets.html

Also order the set of welding calculators he
http://www.millerwelds.com/education/tools/#calculators they are
invaluable for us non-pros for finding a starting point for machine
settings and electrodes selection. Get the full set even if you don't
yet have a MIG (you will eventually).


I accidentally welded a pretty smooth bead, but the next few attempts
produced more of the filler rod or tungsten getting stuck to the workpiece.

Practice, practice, practice. Get the biggest pile of scrap bits you can
and spend a weekend making a sculpture out of them.


I need a class...Ernie, when is the next welding course in Seattle?

Rick

Classes are invaluable as well. I took a couple evening welding classes
for very little cost at a local tech school. One thing that I found also
helped me was the years of electronics soldering I had done. Heating
with a soldering iron in one hand and adding solder with the other while
viewing up close translates pretty well to TIG.

Pete C.