I recently purchased a Lincoln precision Tig 185. I want to learn how to use
it. Can anyone suggest a good book. I know you'll probably suggetst taking a
night school course. I tried that a while back but it was cancelled. I'll
probably look into that again soon but the one I looked into was two nights
a week for 10 weeks. With that schedule I'm not sure I wouldn't miss a class
or two which would be a shame.

Any suggestions apreciated

Thanks

Dave

Lincoln "wrote the book" on welding, and indeed have a bit of a library,
fwiu, so I'm sure they have sumpn on tig.
And since you bought their brand, you might be able to hit'em fer a freebie!
Ernie L., if he sees yer post here, will certainly have good advice. Or
post on sci.engr.joining.welding.

But, there is nothing like school for tig, book or no book. Gotta do it!
Or offer to sweep/clean up yer local welding shop fer a few demos.
I went to school, which was disappointing, altho better than nothing, and
afterwards hired a real pro to actually show me stuff on *my* machine
(econotig, ca 1996, proly not as good as yer lincoln).
He said, w/ regards teaching me on my machine, Well, I'll do my best... And
then he sighed.... He really was tryna be diplomatic.
Later on, he let me use some of his bad-assed tiggers in his shop. Big
diff! Much easier to weld w/ his, than w/ mine. ThermalDynamics, I think.
----------------------------
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll
"Dave Sage" wrote in message
...
I recently purchased a Lincoln precision Tig 185. I want to learn how to
use it. Can anyone suggest a good book. I know you'll probably suggetst
taking a night school course. I tried that a while back but it was
cancelled. I'll probably look into that again soon but the one I looked
into was two nights a week for 10 weeks. With that schedule I'm not sure I
wouldn't miss a class or two which would be a shame.

Any suggestions apreciated

Thanks

Dave

In article , Dave Sage
wrote:

I recently purchased a Lincoln precision Tig 185. I want to learn how to use
it. Can anyone suggest a good book. I know you'll probably suggetst taking a
night school course. I tried that a while back but it was cancelled. I'll
probably look into that again soon but the one I looked into was two nights
a week for 10 weeks. With that schedule I'm not sure I wouldn't miss a class
or two which would be a shame.

Any suggestions apreciated

Thanks

Dave



Lincoln and Miller both have decent intro welding books that cover TIG.

Do a google groups search for my posts on sci.engr.joining.welding.
I post a lot of TIG stuff.

Here is my compiled responses to basic TIG questions.


The foot pedal should only be giving you a percentage of the dial
setting.
If the dial on the machine is set for 100 amps, then the foot pedal is
giving you 0-100 amps.

The dial on the machine should be set to about 5% more amps than
the minimum needed for your weld.

Here are some guidelines for amperages.

For Steel or Aluminum.
Start with 1 amp for each thousandth of an Inch of thickness (0.001").
So 1/8" steel or aluminum = 0.125" thick = 125 amps.
Simple and easy.

Now take those numbers and adjust them for these other materials

For stainless steel, decrease amperage by 30%.
For copper, increase amperage by 100%.
For bronze, decrease amperage by 50%.

Now 2 complications.
For inside fillet welds, increase amperage by 1/3 or 30%
For outside fillet welds, decrease amperage by 1/3 or 30%



DCEN or AC Lanthanted or Ceriated tungsten
High amperage AC Zirconiated tungsten

Base Metal Tungsten Filler rod Amperage
0.010" - 0.045" 0.040" 0.024" - 0.030" 5 - 20
0.030" - 1/8" 1/16" 0.030" - 0.045" 15 - 90
3/32" - 1/4" 3/32" 1/16" - 3/32" 50 - 200
3/16" - 3/8" 1/8" 3/32" - 1/8" 180 - 275
5/16" - 1/2" 5/32" 1/8" - 3/16" 220 - 350

The tungsten sizes do overlap, and you can fudge a little up or down,
but try not to use a tungsten or filler rod THICKER than your BASE metal.

Also when dealing with really thin base metal and low amperages on
DCEN, you do want a sharp point since the diameter of the tip of the
point sets the minumum amperage needed to initiate the arc.
For 1/8" material and thicker you want a tiny flat on the tip, because
at higher amperages a really sharp point can melt back and pop off into the
weld metal.

Thoriated tungstens are about the same as Lanthanated, but can take
about 10% less heat.
If using Pure tungstens all tungstens are shifted up 2 rows.

Lanthanated Tungstens run on DCEP for aluminum shift up 2 rows.



A basic selection of TIG Rod should include Steel, Stainless steel,
aluminum, and bronze.

Steel
ER70S-2
The basic TIG filler for steel.
It comes copper plated to prevent rust, but keep it in a tube or bag
anyway.
Sizes:
0.045", 1/16", 3/32", 1/8"

Stainless steel
308L is the standard filler for 304 SS which is the most common type.
309L is a better filler for joining any kind of stainless to steel.
316L is the best for marine work.
Sizes:
0.045", 1/16", 3/32"

Aluminum
4043 is the most common aluminum filler rod.
It works well for most situations, but...
5356 is stronger, better corrosion resistance and better color match
for polishing or anodizing.
4047 is my favorite for welding castings, but it is kind of hard to
find.
Sizes:
1/16", 3/32", 1/8"

Bronze
Silicon Bronze is excellent for joining other copper alloys such as
copper, brass and most bronzes.
It can also be used to TIG Braze Weld steel and stainless steel.
TIG Braze Welding is very useful for stainless steel since it doesn't
actually melt the base metal so there is no chromium oxides formed on
the back face of the metal.
Sizes
Sizes:
0.045", 1/16", 3/32"
Sil-Phos Bronze can also work here, but only on copper alloys, never
use it on steel.

An advanced selection would include:
Some aerospace alloys like Inconel, Hastelloy, or Haynes alloys.
They are my favorite alloys for joining odd things and are extremely
strong.
Pure Nickel is excellent for joining cast iron.
Pure Copper is good for TIG welding copper where it will be seen.
ER80S-B2 is the current top choice for TIG welding Chrome-Moly tube for
planes, cars, motorcycles and bikes.

As to a vendor.
The only guys I know that even list TIG rod on the Web a

http://www.tigdepot.com

Great outfit, they carry all things TIG.

You can also mail order from Central Welding at :

http://www.centralwelding.com

Just call them and they will ship it to you.


Here is an exercise to practice when not welding.

Level 1

Take a 3/8" steel washer.
Place it on a piece of white paper.
Take a nice sharp pencil.
Place the tip of the pencil against the paper inside the washer.
Now start swirling the pencil tip around the inside of the washer to
draw a circle on the paper.
Keep circling the inside of the washer, while nudging the washer across
the paper.
Try to end up with the washer traveling in a straight line across the
paper.
You should end up with a long swirl pattern across the page.
Keep practicing until the swirl pattern is even and in a straight line.

Level 2

Same setup, with one change.
Once again slide the washer across the page while swirling the pencil
tip around the inside of the
washer, but now DON"T touch the paper with the pencil tip.
This means being able to hold the tip of the pencil within a 1/16" of
the paper without touching it
and without lifting out of the washer.

Level 3

Do Level 2 while standing next to the table without any part of your
arm resting on the table.

Level 4

Move to a 1/4" washer.


This exercise comes from a welding textbook from 1929, and it still
works quite nicely to train your
muscles for floating the torch.


Normally I do not swirl the torch while TIG welding, but this still
works as an exercise to build up muscle control.

Here are 2 Quicktime movies I posted a while back

http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_200...ller_adding.mo
v
http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_200...iller_Feed.mov


Here is all the info on water pumps for building your own water cooler.

For most TIG welding all you need is a pump and a bucket.
A water filter isn't a bad idea either.
Fittings can be purchased from most welding suppliers from the Western
Enterprises catalog.
TIG water fittings are 5/8" x 18 Left hand thread.

You need 50 psi water pressure to get the water through the head.

You can buy just the pump and build your own water cooler with a 5
gallon water bucket.

These guys sell the pumps direct

Depco Pump Company
2145 Calumet St
Clearwater FL 33765
Phone: 727.446.1656
800.446.1656
Fax: 727.446.7867

Business Hours: -Monday thru Friday 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM ---Eastern Time

Tell them you are interested in the constant pressure gear pumps used
for welding water coolers.

They have an Italian brand that works very well called Fluido-tec.


Procon replacement (Used in most Miller water coolers)
Fluido-tec PA301X-100PSI $86.36

Oberdorfer (used in most Bernard water coolers)
1000R-39 $139

These pumps require a 1/3 HP 1750 RPM motor

Another source is Grainger

Product Category: Pumps & Plumbing Pumps Gear Pumps
Description: Bronze Carbonator-Mount Rotary Gear Pump Head without
Adjustable
Relief Valve, 1/4 inch connectors

Your Price: $108.25
Grainger Item#: 2P381
Manufacturer: TEEL
Mfg. Model#: CBN2
Catalog Page: 3270

www.Grainger.com

The pump model used by Tweco is:
Procon #101C100F11B060
100 Gal per Hour @ 60 PSI

On Sat, 2 Apr 2005 18:19:46 -0500, "Dave Sage"
wrote:

I recently purchased a Lincoln precision Tig 185. I want to learn how to use
it. Can anyone suggest a good book. I know you'll probably suggetst taking a
night school course. I tried that a while back but it was cancelled. I'll
probably look into that again soon but the one I looked into was two nights
a week for 10 weeks. With that schedule I'm not sure I wouldn't miss a class
or two which would be a shame.

Any suggestions apreciated

Thanks

Dave

http://www.millerwelds.com/education/library.html

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/knowledge/


Rule #35
"That which does not kill you,
has made a huge tactical error"

Ernie,

Ahm printing this one out!! Thanks.

Ed just mentioned welding alum w/ O/A. wow!!
How does one do that?? Special fluxes? And argon??
----------------------------
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll
"Ernie Leimkuhler" wrote in message
...
In article , Dave Sage
wrote:

I recently purchased a Lincoln precision Tig 185. I want to learn how to
use
it. Can anyone suggest a good book. I know you'll probably suggetst
taking a
night school course. I tried that a while back but it was cancelled.
I'll
probably look into that again soon but the one I looked into was two
nights
a week for 10 weeks. With that schedule I'm not sure I wouldn't miss a
class
or two which would be a shame.

Any suggestions apreciated

Thanks

Dave



Lincoln and Miller both have decent intro welding books that cover TIG.

Do a google groups search for my posts on sci.engr.joining.welding.
I post a lot of TIG stuff.

Here is my compiled responses to basic TIG questions.


The foot pedal should only be giving you a percentage of the dial
setting.
If the dial on the machine is set for 100 amps, then the foot pedal is
giving you 0-100 amps.

The dial on the machine should be set to about 5% more amps than
the minimum needed for your weld.

Here are some guidelines for amperages.

For Steel or Aluminum.
Start with 1 amp for each thousandth of an Inch of thickness (0.001").
So 1/8" steel or aluminum = 0.125" thick = 125 amps.
Simple and easy.

Now take those numbers and adjust them for these other materials

For stainless steel, decrease amperage by 30%.
For copper, increase amperage by 100%.
For bronze, decrease amperage by 50%.

Now 2 complications.
For inside fillet welds, increase amperage by 1/3 or 30%
For outside fillet welds, decrease amperage by 1/3 or 30%



DCEN or AC Lanthanted or Ceriated tungsten
High amperage AC Zirconiated tungsten

Base Metal Tungsten Filler rod Amperage
0.010" - 0.045" 0.040" 0.024" - 0.030" 5 - 20
0.030" - 1/8" 1/16" 0.030" - 0.045" 15 - 90
3/32" - 1/4" 3/32" 1/16" - 3/32" 50 -
200
3/16" - 3/8" 1/8" 3/32" - 1/8" 180 -
275
5/16" - 1/2" 5/32" 1/8" - 3/16" 220 -
350

The tungsten sizes do overlap, and you can fudge a little up or down,
but try not to use a tungsten or filler rod THICKER than your BASE metal.

Also when dealing with really thin base metal and low amperages on
DCEN, you do want a sharp point since the diameter of the tip of the
point sets the minumum amperage needed to initiate the arc.
For 1/8" material and thicker you want a tiny flat on the tip, because
at higher amperages a really sharp point can melt back and pop off into
the
weld metal.

Thoriated tungstens are about the same as Lanthanated, but can take
about 10% less heat.
If using Pure tungstens all tungstens are shifted up 2 rows.

Lanthanated Tungstens run on DCEP for aluminum shift up 2 rows.



A basic selection of TIG Rod should include Steel, Stainless steel,
aluminum, and bronze.

Steel
ER70S-2
The basic TIG filler for steel.
It comes copper plated to prevent rust, but keep it in a tube or bag
anyway.
Sizes:
0.045", 1/16", 3/32", 1/8"

Stainless steel
308L is the standard filler for 304 SS which is the most common type.
309L is a better filler for joining any kind of stainless to steel.
316L is the best for marine work.
Sizes:
0.045", 1/16", 3/32"

Aluminum
4043 is the most common aluminum filler rod.
It works well for most situations, but...
5356 is stronger, better corrosion resistance and better color match
for polishing or anodizing.
4047 is my favorite for welding castings, but it is kind of hard to
find.
Sizes:
1/16", 3/32", 1/8"

Bronze
Silicon Bronze is excellent for joining other copper alloys such as
copper, brass and most bronzes.
It can also be used to TIG Braze Weld steel and stainless steel.
TIG Braze Welding is very useful for stainless steel since it doesn't
actually melt the base metal so there is no chromium oxides formed on
the back face of the metal.
Sizes
Sizes:
0.045", 1/16", 3/32"
Sil-Phos Bronze can also work here, but only on copper alloys, never
use it on steel.

An advanced selection would include:
Some aerospace alloys like Inconel, Hastelloy, or Haynes alloys.
They are my favorite alloys for joining odd things and are extremely
strong.
Pure Nickel is excellent for joining cast iron.
Pure Copper is good for TIG welding copper where it will be seen.
ER80S-B2 is the current top choice for TIG welding Chrome-Moly tube for
planes, cars, motorcycles and bikes.

As to a vendor.
The only guys I know that even list TIG rod on the Web a

http://www.tigdepot.com

Great outfit, they carry all things TIG.

You can also mail order from Central Welding at :

http://www.centralwelding.com

Just call them and they will ship it to you.


Here is an exercise to practice when not welding.

Level 1

Take a 3/8" steel washer.
Place it on a piece of white paper.
Take a nice sharp pencil.
Place the tip of the pencil against the paper inside the washer.
Now start swirling the pencil tip around the inside of the washer to
draw a circle on the paper.
Keep circling the inside of the washer, while nudging the washer across
the paper.
Try to end up with the washer traveling in a straight line across the
paper.
You should end up with a long swirl pattern across the page.
Keep practicing until the swirl pattern is even and in a straight line.

Level 2

Same setup, with one change.
Once again slide the washer across the page while swirling the pencil
tip around the inside of the
washer, but now DON"T touch the paper with the pencil tip.
This means being able to hold the tip of the pencil within a 1/16" of
the paper without touching it
and without lifting out of the washer.

Level 3

Do Level 2 while standing next to the table without any part of your
arm resting on the table.

Level 4

Move to a 1/4" washer.


This exercise comes from a welding textbook from 1929, and it still
works quite nicely to train your
muscles for floating the torch.


Normally I do not swirl the torch while TIG welding, but this still
works as an exercise to build up muscle control.

Here are 2 Quicktime movies I posted a while back

http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_200...ller_adding.mo
v
http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_200...iller_Feed.mov


Here is all the info on water pumps for building your own water cooler.

For most TIG welding all you need is a pump and a bucket.
A water filter isn't a bad idea either.
Fittings can be purchased from most welding suppliers from the Western
Enterprises catalog.
TIG water fittings are 5/8" x 18 Left hand thread.

You need 50 psi water pressure to get the water through the head.

You can buy just the pump and build your own water cooler with a 5
gallon water bucket.

These guys sell the pumps direct

Depco Pump Company
2145 Calumet St
Clearwater FL 33765
Phone: 727.446.1656
800.446.1656
Fax: 727.446.7867

Business Hours: -Monday thru Friday 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM ---Eastern Time

Tell them you are interested in the constant pressure gear pumps used
for welding water coolers.

They have an Italian brand that works very well called Fluido-tec.


Procon replacement (Used in most Miller water coolers)
Fluido-tec PA301X-100PSI $86.36

Oberdorfer (used in most Bernard water coolers)
1000R-39 $139

These pumps require a 1/3 HP 1750 RPM motor

Another source is Grainger

Product Category: Pumps & Plumbing Pumps Gear Pumps
Description: Bronze Carbonator-Mount Rotary Gear Pump Head without
Adjustable
Relief Valve, 1/4 inch connectors

Your Price: $108.25
Grainger Item#: 2P381
Manufacturer: TEEL
Mfg. Model#: CBN2
Catalog Page: 3270

www.Grainger.com

The pump model used by Tweco is:
Procon #101C100F11B060
100 Gal per Hour @ 60 PSI

"Gas Tungsten Arc Welding" by Minnick.

It really is a lot easier to learn when you can have someone demonstrate the
correct technique and then critique your technique. Not everything you need
to learn is in the books.

Missing a night or two of a class over 10 weeks won't be catastrophic,
particularly if you have you own equipment at home to make up the hands on
time.

Have you done any other sort of welding? If you have then I would not
put a lot of effort into finding a welding school. My experience with
welding schools is that there is very little instruction. It is 5%
instruction, 95 % practise. But of course that 5% can be invaluable in
getting started.

I took welding at a Votech night school when I was a teenager. All
they had were oxy/acet and stick welding. Many years later I decided
to get a TIG welder, but before I did that I thought I ought to try it
out. Being over 60 years old, I was able to go to the local community
college at minimal cost. There were only two of us interested in TIG
and a mess of new students taking gas and stick welding. Over the
length of the course, I got maybe an hour of instruction. Maybe I
would have gotten a lot more if I had needed it, but my experience with
gas welding let me know what I wanted the puddle to do. And the rest
was just adjusting to the differences between gas and Tig welding (
which took very little time ).

Dan

Yeah, my jaw nearly dropped when the instructor told me the course I signed
up for wadn't a tigging course. But, proly just to get rid of me, he set me
up in a booth, to let me tig away. Wound up bringing about 30 lbs of alum
scrap from my shop for everyone to practice on (cuz then evrybody wanted to
tig!), cuz they didn't have any!!

The instruction was indeed minimal, and haphazard, but better than nothing.
Everyone once in a while you get a real crackerjack instructor, who can make
a big big diff in your welding, but how can a prospective student know this
in advance?
General welding knowledge is indeed helpful in tigging, as well, if only as
a reference point, which to me always increases comprehension.

Also, as I mentioned, instruction on your particular machine can be a big
help as well, and a knowledgeable person can give you a good perspective as
to what your realistic machine limitations are.

Does Ernie make housecalls??

Actually, the OP might post on the welding ng, see if anyone is near him.
----------------------------
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll wrote in message
ups.com...
Have you done any other sort of welding? If you have then I would not
put a lot of effort into finding a welding school. My experience with
welding schools is that there is very little instruction. It is 5%
instruction, 95 % practise. But of course that 5% can be invaluable in
getting started.

I took welding at a Votech night school when I was a teenager. All
they had were oxy/acet and stick welding. Many years later I decided
to get a TIG welder, but before I did that I thought I ought to try it
out. Being over 60 years old, I was able to go to the local community
college at minimal cost. There were only two of us interested in TIG
and a mess of new students taking gas and stick welding. Over the
length of the course, I got maybe an hour of instruction. Maybe I
would have gotten a lot more if I had needed it, but my experience with
gas welding let me know what I wanted the puddle to do. And the rest
was just adjusting to the differences between gas and Tig welding (
which took very little time ).

Dan

In article , Proctologically Violated©®
wrote:

Ernie,

Ahm printing this one out!! Thanks.

Ed just mentioned welding alum w/ O/A. wow!!
How does one do that?? Special fluxes? And argon??

TIG aluminum filler rod, special flux and special goggles.

go to http://www.tinmantech.com


----------------------------
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll
"Ernie Leimkuhler" wrote in message
...
In article , Dave Sage
wrote:

I recently purchased a Lincoln precision Tig 185. I want to learn how to
use
it. Can anyone suggest a good book. I know you'll probably suggetst
taking a
night school course. I tried that a while back but it was cancelled.
I'll
probably look into that again soon but the one I looked into was two
nights
a week for 10 weeks. With that schedule I'm not sure I wouldn't miss a
class
or two which would be a shame.

Any suggestions apreciated

Thanks

Dave



Lincoln and Miller both have decent intro welding books that cover TIG.

Do a google groups search for my posts on sci.engr.joining.welding.
I post a lot of TIG stuff.

Here is my compiled responses to basic TIG questions.


The foot pedal should only be giving you a percentage of the dial
setting.
If the dial on the machine is set for 100 amps, then the foot pedal is
giving you 0-100 amps.

The dial on the machine should be set to about 5% more amps than
the minimum needed for your weld.

Here are some guidelines for amperages.

For Steel or Aluminum.
Start with 1 amp for each thousandth of an Inch of thickness (0.001").
So 1/8" steel or aluminum = 0.125" thick = 125 amps.
Simple and easy.

Now take those numbers and adjust them for these other materials

For stainless steel, decrease amperage by 30%.
For copper, increase amperage by 100%.
For bronze, decrease amperage by 50%.

Now 2 complications.
For inside fillet welds, increase amperage by 1/3 or 30%
For outside fillet welds, decrease amperage by 1/3 or 30%



DCEN or AC Lanthanted or Ceriated tungsten
High amperage AC Zirconiated tungsten

Base Metal Tungsten Filler rod Amperage
0.010" - 0.045" 0.040" 0.024" - 0.030" 5 - 20
0.030" - 1/8" 1/16" 0.030" - 0.045" 15 - 90
3/32" - 1/4" 3/32" 1/16" - 3/32" 50 -
200
3/16" - 3/8" 1/8" 3/32" - 1/8" 180 -
275
5/16" - 1/2" 5/32" 1/8" - 3/16" 220 -
350

The tungsten sizes do overlap, and you can fudge a little up or down,
but try not to use a tungsten or filler rod THICKER than your BASE metal.

Also when dealing with really thin base metal and low amperages on
DCEN, you do want a sharp point since the diameter of the tip of the
point sets the minumum amperage needed to initiate the arc.
For 1/8" material and thicker you want a tiny flat on the tip, because
at higher amperages a really sharp point can melt back and pop off into
the
weld metal.

Thoriated tungstens are about the same as Lanthanated, but can take
about 10% less heat.
If using Pure tungstens all tungstens are shifted up 2 rows.

Lanthanated Tungstens run on DCEP for aluminum shift up 2 rows.



A basic selection of TIG Rod should include Steel, Stainless steel,
aluminum, and bronze.

Steel
ER70S-2
The basic TIG filler for steel.
It comes copper plated to prevent rust, but keep it in a tube or bag
anyway.
Sizes:
0.045", 1/16", 3/32", 1/8"

Stainless steel
308L is the standard filler for 304 SS which is the most common type.
309L is a better filler for joining any kind of stainless to steel.
316L is the best for marine work.
Sizes:
0.045", 1/16", 3/32"

Aluminum
4043 is the most common aluminum filler rod.
It works well for most situations, but...
5356 is stronger, better corrosion resistance and better color match
for polishing or anodizing.
4047 is my favorite for welding castings, but it is kind of hard to
find.
Sizes:
1/16", 3/32", 1/8"

Bronze
Silicon Bronze is excellent for joining other copper alloys such as
copper, brass and most bronzes.
It can also be used to TIG Braze Weld steel and stainless steel.
TIG Braze Welding is very useful for stainless steel since it doesn't
actually melt the base metal so there is no chromium oxides formed on
the back face of the metal.
Sizes
Sizes:
0.045", 1/16", 3/32"
Sil-Phos Bronze can also work here, but only on copper alloys, never
use it on steel.

An advanced selection would include:
Some aerospace alloys like Inconel, Hastelloy, or Haynes alloys.
They are my favorite alloys for joining odd things and are extremely
strong.
Pure Nickel is excellent for joining cast iron.
Pure Copper is good for TIG welding copper where it will be seen.
ER80S-B2 is the current top choice for TIG welding Chrome-Moly tube for
planes, cars, motorcycles and bikes.

As to a vendor.
The only guys I know that even list TIG rod on the Web a

http://www.tigdepot.com

Great outfit, they carry all things TIG.

You can also mail order from Central Welding at :

http://www.centralwelding.com

Just call them and they will ship it to you.


Here is an exercise to practice when not welding.

Level 1

Take a 3/8" steel washer.
Place it on a piece of white paper.
Take a nice sharp pencil.
Place the tip of the pencil against the paper inside the washer.
Now start swirling the pencil tip around the inside of the washer to
draw a circle on the paper.
Keep circling the inside of the washer, while nudging the washer across
the paper.
Try to end up with the washer traveling in a straight line across the
paper.
You should end up with a long swirl pattern across the page.
Keep practicing until the swirl pattern is even and in a straight line.

Level 2

Same setup, with one change.
Once again slide the washer across the page while swirling the pencil
tip around the inside of the
washer, but now DON"T touch the paper with the pencil tip.
This means being able to hold the tip of the pencil within a 1/16" of
the paper without touching it
and without lifting out of the washer.

Level 3

Do Level 2 while standing next to the table without any part of your
arm resting on the table.

Level 4

Move to a 1/4" washer.


This exercise comes from a welding textbook from 1929, and it still
works quite nicely to train your
muscles for floating the torch.


Normally I do not swirl the torch while TIG welding, but this still
works as an exercise to build up muscle control.

Here are 2 Quicktime movies I posted a while back

http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_200...ller_adding.mo
v
http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_200...iller_Feed.mov


Here is all the info on water pumps for building your own water cooler.

For most TIG welding all you need is a pump and a bucket.
A water filter isn't a bad idea either.
Fittings can be purchased from most welding suppliers from the Western
Enterprises catalog.
TIG water fittings are 5/8" x 18 Left hand thread.

You need 50 psi water pressure to get the water through the head.

You can buy just the pump and build your own water cooler with a 5
gallon water bucket.

These guys sell the pumps direct

Depco Pump Company
2145 Calumet St
Clearwater FL 33765
Phone: 727.446.1656
800.446.1656
Fax: 727.446.7867

Business Hours: -Monday thru Friday 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM ---Eastern Time

Tell them you are interested in the constant pressure gear pumps used
for welding water coolers.

They have an Italian brand that works very well called Fluido-tec.


Procon replacement (Used in most Miller water coolers)
Fluido-tec PA301X-100PSI $86.36

Oberdorfer (used in most Bernard water coolers)
1000R-39 $139

These pumps require a 1/3 HP 1750 RPM motor

Another source is Grainger

Product Category: Pumps & Plumbing Pumps Gear Pumps
Description: Bronze Carbonator-Mount Rotary Gear Pump Head without
Adjustable
Relief Valve, 1/4 inch connectors

Your Price: $108.25
Grainger Item#: 2P381
Manufacturer: TEEL
Mfg. Model#: CBN2
Catalog Page: 3270

www.Grainger.com

The pump model used by Tweco is:
Procon #101C100F11B060
100 Gal per Hour @ 60 PSI

In article , Proctologically Violated©®
wrote:

Yeah, my jaw nearly dropped when the instructor told me the course I signed
up for wadn't a tigging course. But, proly just to get rid of me, he set me
up in a booth, to let me tig away. Wound up bringing about 30 lbs of alum
scrap from my shop for everyone to practice on (cuz then evrybody wanted to
tig!), cuz they didn't have any!!

The instruction was indeed minimal, and haphazard, but better than nothing.
Everyone once in a while you get a real crackerjack instructor, who can make
a big big diff in your welding, but how can a prospective student know this
in advance?
General welding knowledge is indeed helpful in tigging, as well, if only as
a reference point, which to me always increases comprehension.

Also, as I mentioned, instruction on your particular machine can be a big
help as well, and a knowledgeable person can give you a good perspective as
to what your realistic machine limitations are.

Does Ernie make housecalls??

Within a 100 mile radius I am willing to make house / shop calls.



Actually, the OP might post on the welding ng, see if anyone is near him.
----------------------------
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll wrote in message
ups.com...
Have you done any other sort of welding? If you have then I would not
put a lot of effort into finding a welding school. My experience with
welding schools is that there is very little instruction. It is 5%
instruction, 95 % practise. But of course that 5% can be invaluable in
getting started.

I took welding at a Votech night school when I was a teenager. All
they had were oxy/acet and stick welding. Many years later I decided
to get a TIG welder, but before I did that I thought I ought to try it
out. Being over 60 years old, I was able to go to the local community
college at minimal cost. There were only two of us interested in TIG
and a mess of new students taking gas and stick welding. Over the
length of the course, I got maybe an hour of instruction. Maybe I
would have gotten a lot more if I had needed it, but my experience with
gas welding let me know what I wanted the puddle to do. And the rest
was just adjusting to the differences between gas and Tig welding (
which took very little time ).

Dan

"Dave Sage" wrote in message
...
I recently purchased a Lincoln precision Tig 185. I want to learn how to
use it. Can anyone suggest a good book. I know you'll probably suggetst
taking a night school course. I tried that a while back but it was
cancelled. I'll probably look into that again soon but the one I looked
into was two nights a week for 10 weeks. With that schedule I'm not sure I
wouldn't miss a class or two which would be a shame.

Any suggestions apreciated

Thanks

Dave

Shorten your learning curve tremendously by finding a welder who will give
you some private lessons. See my post in sci.engr.joining.welding titled "A
Welding Story" for my comments on welding mentors.

If you can find someone who will teach you one on one, you can learn things
about 10x faster. Nothing substitutes for experience, and you WILL have to
"just do it" to get the hang. But, just like bowling, you improve fast at
first, then more slowly as you get better. You can get a lot of info from a
welder for a few bucks and a few beers.

Ask around at welding supply shops and other places. Ask around among
friends, because sometimes there is someone who knows how but just doesn't
weld much any more.

TIG ain't rocket surgery, but there are a few things you gotta get right to
get started.

If that fails, find a class, pay the money, and go every time. Classes are
a real steal because they let you use high quality machines, give you lots
of free practice materials, and USUALLY have good instructors. The two I
had were ex-Navy men, and really good men as well as welders. Some may want
you to be proficient at stick first, but get to know the instructor, and
tell him about your home tig. Most of the time, if you show talent and an
ability to listen and follow directions, they let you try the processes you
are interested in.

Most courses start off with OA (gas) welding. Seems like tinkertoys, but it
is ALMOST EXACTLY the same as TIG welding in principles, you just use a
different heat source, one being flame and the other being electric arc.
The principles, motions and movememts are identical. Don't be miffed if
they want you to do that first, because you will be able to take it straight
home and apply it to TIG.

Just some suggestions, like you asked for.

Steve

On Sun, 3 Apr 2005 11:52:27 -0700, "SteveB"
wrote:


Most courses start off with OA (gas) welding. Seems like tinkertoys, but it
is ALMOST EXACTLY the same as TIG welding in principles, you just use a
different heat source, one being flame and the other being electric arc.
The principles, motions and movememts are identical. Don't be miffed if
they want you to do that first, because you will be able to take it straight
home and apply it to TIG.

Almost, but one key difference is the footpedal. With gas you can
back the flame away to reduce heat input. If you get in that habit
with gas, you must break it with TIG. With TIG you use the footpedal
and/or move the torch faster but never further from the work.

On Sun, 3 Apr 2005 11:49:36 -0400, "Proctologically Violated©®"
wrote:

Ernie,

Ahm printing this one out!! Thanks.

Ed just mentioned welding alum w/ O/A. wow!!
How does one do that?? Special fluxes? And argon??

Visit the Tinman like Ernie sez. No argon, just O/A. The biggest key
here is the special goggles. It's fairly easy to do with the right
goggles (and some practice), quite difficult to do without them.
The special goggles eliminate the sodium flare from the flux that
otherwise obscures your view of the puddle -- and ya can't weld well
if ya can't see the puddle.

"Don Foreman" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 3 Apr 2005 11:52:27 -0700, "SteveB"
wrote:


Most courses start off with OA (gas) welding. Seems like tinkertoys, but
it
is ALMOST EXACTLY the same as TIG welding in principles, you just use a
different heat source, one being flame and the other being electric arc.
The principles, motions and movememts are identical. Don't be miffed if
they want you to do that first, because you will be able to take it
straight
home and apply it to TIG.

Almost, but one key difference is the footpedal. With gas you can
back the flame away to reduce heat input. If you get in that habit
with gas, you must break it with TIG. With TIG you use the footpedal
and/or move the torch faster but never further from the work.

Well, yes, but when attempting to compare apples with oranges, the writer is
entitled to a little leniency. You must admit that the main point I was
trying to make is a valid one ......... heat it up, get a puddle, add some
filler rod, move on, repeat, repeat, repeat.............

Steve

"Don Foreman" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 3 Apr 2005 11:49:36 -0400, "Proctologically Violated©®"
wrote:

Ernie,

Ahm printing this one out!! Thanks.

Ed just mentioned welding alum w/ O/A. wow!!
How does one do that?? Special fluxes? And argon??

Visit the Tinman like Ernie sez. No argon, just O/A. The biggest key
here is the special goggles. It's fairly easy to do with the right
goggles (and some practice), quite difficult to do without them.
The special goggles eliminate the sodium flare from the flux that
otherwise obscures your view of the puddle --

and ya can't weld well
if ya can't see the puddle.

Funny, dat never bothered me!
--
----------------------------
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll

On Sun, 3 Apr 2005 20:48:16 -0700, "SteveB"
wrote:


"Don Foreman" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 3 Apr 2005 11:52:27 -0700, "SteveB"
wrote:


Most courses start off with OA (gas) welding. Seems like tinkertoys, but
it
is ALMOST EXACTLY the same as TIG welding in principles, you just use a
different heat source, one being flame and the other being electric arc.
The principles, motions and movememts are identical. Don't be miffed if
they want you to do that first, because you will be able to take it
straight
home and apply it to TIG.

Almost, but one key difference is the footpedal. With gas you can
back the flame away to reduce heat input. If you get in that habit
with gas, you must break it with TIG. With TIG you use the footpedal
and/or move the torch faster but never further from the work.

Well, yes, but when attempting to compare apples with oranges, the writer is
entitled to a little leniency. You must admit that the main point I was
trying to make is a valid one ......... heat it up, get a puddle, add some
filler rod, move on, repeat, repeat, repeat.............

Right. I only mentioned it because the OP hasn't formed any habits
yet. It took me quite a while to break that pull-back habit when I
started using TIG.

On Mon, 4 Apr 2005 11:46:14 -0400, "Proctologically Violated©®"
wrote:



and ya can't weld well
if ya can't see the puddle.

Funny, dat never bothered me!

Just rivet patches on the holes in the sheetmetal, right? :)

"Don Foreman" wrote

Right. I only mentioned it because the OP hasn't formed any habits
yet. It took me quite a while to break that pull-back habit when I
started using TIG.


Well, don't tell him EVERYTHING! He should have to learn a few things the
hard way. ;-)

TIG welding ain't the easiest thing in the world to do.

Steve