On 8/1/2016 8:54 AM, Joe Gwinn wrote:

No TIG required. The old hack is a 100-watt incandescent lamp in
series with the TC and a carbon rod from a D-cell, across 110 Vac. The
TC wires are twisted together, heated in a flame, and dipped into
borax.

The arc from the lamp turn-on surge will weld the ends of the wire
together. Tap the weld bead with a hammer on an anvil to crack the
fused borax off the bead.

What also works is a charged photoflash capacitor discharged through
the same twisted wire and carbon electrode.

Commercial TC welders are the photoflash capacitor et al, but with an
argon blanket and no borax.

Joe Gwinn

Cool stuff!

Just to clarify: the carbon rod is touching the end of the TC?

Bob