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.

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?

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?

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.

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


Rick

Welcome to "damnit" welding school

the tungsten does not need to stick out far

your arm can rest ont he welding table

I've gotten better but i also keep the grinder close and use it extensively

you will get used to holding the arm up and you can hold it a little
farther off about 1/4" above the work isnt a bad distance

i dont recmmedn dragging the cup on the work because that can mess up
the angle.

As for your welder all I can say is GRR i wanted that one but its not
CSA approved (UL equivalent for canada)

you might want to cross post this to sci.engr.joining.welding as well

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.

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?

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?

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.

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


Rick

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.

"Pete C." wrote in message
...
a 1.5% 3/32" tungsten....well you get the idea.

I think you generally want DC for TIG on steel.


Yes, I had the TIG set for DC...by square wave I meant the first TIG
setting, which is full current when foot pedal is pressed, not the slope or
pulsed modes, which I don't fully understand yet.



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.


Perhaps I was holding the torch a bit far from the tip...will the method you
mention.

I didn't want to get so close for fear of breathing too many fumes. But I
guess welding
mild steel with argon, the fumes are not so bad? You can't exactly have a
fan on the work
can you?


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).


Thanks for the tips both of you! I regularly solder 100 pin SMT parts with
no problem, but I
haven't had to grind my soldering iron point because it welded to the
circuit board in quite some time. :-)

Rick

"Rick" wrote in message
news:KHgwf.16904$v84.7887@trnddc06...
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?

I'm not the world's most experienced welder, but maybe that's a good reason
for me to give you advice... I've had to figure out what works for someone
(me) who doesn't have twenty years of experience.

Welding is about setup for me - if I get myself set up properly, then it's a
lot easier. I have a couple of blocks of wood that I use to rest my hand on
when welding so that my hand is steady. I run the hose over my shoulders so
that the weight of the hose isn't supported solely by my torch hand. And
I've learned that when I feel like I'm getting out position as the bead
progresses, I should stop and reposition myself. The temptation is to
extend the bead just a little bit more... invariably I find my self screwing
up.

Another poster mentioned not resting the cup on the work. Although I don't
do it much when welding a butt or lap joint, I find it helps when running a
bead on the inside of a "T" joint.

HTH,

Peter

On Sun, 08 Jan 2006 22:51:22 GMT, "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.

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!

Practice! Cheating also works. I cheat.

Try to set things up so you're not welding "freehand" using large
muscles. Find a way to get comfortable, with places to rest elbow
or wrist or whatever you can so control is mostly from small muscles
in hand and wrist. It's a bit like shooting a rifle; try to
establish contact betweeen skeleton and available stationary objects.
I prop my butt on a tall lab stool whenever I can. Not sitting
exactly, because I need to work the footpedal. More like using a
bunseat in a bassboat while running the trolling motor with one foot.

I thought I was probably a wimpy welder until I brought in a boat prop
for repair and noted that the really good welder at the shop also
works that way. He was repairing some kind of tool or mold with very
precise small welds.

Can you rest the pink ceramic cup on the workpiece?

That doesn't work for me.

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?

I run the torch almost vertical to the work, feed filler at a low
angle from the not-yet-welded direction. I alternate between
puddling and feeding to avoid sticking the filler rod into the
tungsten. Get a puddle, back up a smidge, melt off a bit of rod in
the puddle, move the puddle a bit foward with the torch, and so on.

On inside corner fillet welds, I run the torch at about a 45° angle to
the planes. If the materials are of different thicknesses, I focus
more heat on the thicker part.

I don't know if these are proper techniques, but they work for me.

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.

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


Rick

Rick wrote:

"Pete C." wrote in message
...
a 1.5% 3/32" tungsten....well you get the idea.

I think you generally want DC for TIG on steel.


Yes, I had the TIG set for DC...by square wave I meant the first TIG
setting, which is full current when foot pedal is pressed, not the slope or
pulsed modes, which I don't fully understand yet.

You definitely want to be in a foot pedal controlled amperage mode. This
is one of the big advantages of TIG which allows you to move smoothly
between thicker and thinner sections of weld.



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.


Perhaps I was holding the torch a bit far from the tip...will the method you
mention.

I didn't want to get so close for fear of breathing too many fumes. But I
guess welding
mild steel with argon, the fumes are not so bad? You can't exactly have a
fan on the work
can you?

With clean mild steel there should not be much to worry about from
fumes. A fan would of course blow the shielding argon away from the weld
which would be bad.


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).


Thanks for the tips both of you! I regularly solder 100 pin SMT parts with
no problem, but I
haven't had to grind my soldering iron point because it welded to the
circuit board in quite some time. :-)

Rick

A bit of a difference between the 40 Watt soldering iron at 700 degrees
and the 10Kw welder at several thousand degrees.

Get your head in as close as you would for soldering and steady your
torch hand with a finger and you'll find it gets a lot easier.

Pete C.

On Sun, 08 Jan 2006 22:51:22 GMT, "Rick" wrote:

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.

Breath deeply. :-) Let's start with a few little suggestions. First
of all, you're going to want the machine set up for the "ramping"
power on the foot pedal. You'll want to use it like a car's gas
pedal. Only difference is that you'll generally want to jump straight
to at least 50% when starting and quickly work up to and around 100%.
At the end of a weld you might just back off the power a tad to keep
from burning through the material.

Given that point, set your machine's amperage to the approximate
decimal equivalent of the thickness of the thinnest material you are
welding. For example, if you are welding two pieces of 1/8th"
material... 1/8 = .125 = 125 amps. Also, make sure you're using DC-.

1/4" = .25 = 250 amps... but this is for 100% penetration. If you are
welding a 1/8" piece to a 1/4" piece use the THINNEST material, or the
1/8" setting of 125 amps.

Also, the angle of your Tungsten grinding will affect the control, and
thus quality, of your weld. Generally speaking, the tip should be
ground at a 20 degree angle. Don't grind the tip as much as you have.
Just knock the sharp point off of it but don't really flatten it.

Also VERY IMPORTANT, grind the tungsten so that the grinding marks run
lengthwise!

The tip of the tungsten should only protrude from the nozzle by less
than the width of the nozzle interior diameter.

Incidentally I purchased a Techsouth Inc. PowerPoint Tungsten Grinder
(http://www.techsouthinc.com/) with adjustable angle for $249 and it
is fantastic. I highly recommend it to anyone who does more than a
little TIG welding. In about 3 seconds I can put a perfect tip on any
Tungsten.

20CFH is probably more than you need. You might drop down to 15-17 to
save a little gas. But too much won't hurt anything... just burning
extra money.


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?

That is exactly what I thought the first 50 times I tried TIG welding!
:-) But yes you can, and will, get to the point eventually that you
won't "dip the electrode". I hate to tell you, but you are going to
do a lot of grinding and a lot of dipping. When you have to
manipulate the filler rod with one hand, the torch with another, and
the power with a foot, you are bound to experience coordination
psychosis! But I promise you, if I could learn to do this you can
too!

You really shouldn't rest the cup on the weld material. Ideally you
will hold the electrode within 10 degrees of perpendicular to the
weld. The more of an angle to the material the more likely that your
shielding gas will sweep across the weld and suck in oxygen with it
instead of creating an oxygen free buffer around the weld.

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?

The most popular way to hold the torch, and the way I do it, is to
grasp the handle in your right hand the same way you would hold a fat
sharpie marker. That is, between your thumb and pointer finger with
the middle finger adding support.

You will feed the rod into the puddle from your left hand and the
torch and rod will be essentially coming together at about a 45 degree
angle. Imagine how grandma holds knitting needles. Kind of like
that.

You will "push" the torch forward as you weld.

Initially you power up the torch and then after you see the base
material form a puddle you gently insert the filler rod into the
puddle to add some, and then back it out. Then push the torch
forward slightly and after the puddle inches forward it will create a
little shape that kind of looks like PacMan's mouth. When you see
the "", feed the puddle "mouth" with a bit more filler, then repeat.
Think of it like you're playing PacMan.

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.

Well, technically since you were just using on 1/4" plate, you weren't
welding. :-) But you were running a bead.

I would have you first practice without any filler rods. Take that
same plate, leave your amperage at 125, and practice pushing the weld
puddle all the way across the plate many, many times. All you are
trying to do is move the puddle in front of your tungsten at a steady
pace and maintain about 1/4" from the surface of the material.

The next practice step is to take two 1/8" pieces of flat material and
hold them at a 45 degree angle pointing upwards (Upside down V). Tack
weld their edges together and then practice WITH NO FILLER ROD getting
the two pieces to flow together to make a pretty welded 45 degree
corner.

After you've done that about 100 times, then try it with the filler
rod. By that time you'll be feeling pretty good.

Hope this helps,

John P.

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.

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?

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?

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.

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

Rick

When I first TIG welded, in a school and about 7 years ago now, the
slowest part of the course was the lineup in front of the grinder.

It takes very little time to grind a handful of tungstens, after which
you can actually get down to doing some practice. Once all your
tungstens are contaminated, you will be ready for a short break while
you get them ready to go again.

Yes! There are guys hands out there that ARE that steady. It comes from
practice.

Feed the puddle from the direction you can. I like to feed from in
front of the torch if I can, but it depends on the orientation of the
work, the weld bead, and the welder.

I watched two instructors, at the school I was at, weld a cracked
assembly under the dash of a light aircraft. The guy doing the welding
was upside down, with his head on the floor facing the front of the
aircraft, while the other held the pedal against the foot of the first,
so as to allow him control. The weld looked much better than what we
were doing at the time.

Cheers
Trevor Jones

Rick wrote:


Perhaps I was holding the torch a bit far from the tip...will the method you
mention.

I didn't want to get so close for fear of breathing too many fumes. But I
guess welding
mild steel with argon, the fumes are not so bad? You can't exactly have a
fan on the work
can you?

Fumes? You get more fumes using up one stick electrode outdoors than
you'll get welding an entire project indoors with TIG. I have a fume
hood I built for spray painting, and it has a pretty small fan. For
small projects that don't have any galvanizing on them I don't even turn
on the fan. I did one fairly large project (a 2 x 3' surface plate
table) just in the middle of the basement floor, and had no problem with
fumes at all. (No galvanized material in that one, though.)


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.

One of the tricks is to use the torch as a light shield. You want to be
able to see as much of the weld puddle as you can, but you DON'T want to
see the electrode. If I have to TIG weld where I can't block the light
from the electrode, I might as well shut my eyes and do it by feel!

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?
I don't worry about these angles very much. I mostly try to get a
position so I can see a good part of the weld line on at least one
side of the torch, while using the cup to block my view of the
electrode. If the direct line to the electrode is blocked, the
light from the glowing electrode will light up the area REALLY
well, giving you good vision of the weld line and the melt puddle.
This will allow you to get right in there with your head a foot from
the arc, and you can really see what is getting welded. I often
even look under my eyeglasses to use my close-up vision when welding
really small stuff. That is the 9-12" range for me.

There are dodging techniques where you back up the arc every few
seconds to dip the filler into the puddle, then pull the filler away
and bring the electrode back. I'm still learning this stuff, but
getting fairly good at it. Steel is now something I consider pretty
easy with TIG, and it came to me within an hour or so on my first
project. Stainless I find a bit harder, I think the temperature
difference between the fusion range and the everything falling to
the floor in a big glowing glob is narrower for stainless. Aluminum
is still the big challenge, I've only made a couple of small test
samples that came out OK. I did my first copper welding a couple
weeks ago, and it worked like a charm. There, I had to just play
the arc over the part for a couple seconds until it started to glow
dull red, then the metal fusion started like a dream, and I was able
to control the size of the puddle by how fast I was advancing.
REALLY COOL to weld solid copper blocks! The weld looks kind of
like a good stainless weld.


Thanks for the tips both of you! I regularly solder 100 pin SMT parts with
no problem, but I
haven't had to grind my soldering iron point because it welded to the
circuit board in quite some time. :-)
Ah, that copper part was a de-soldering tool for a 128-pin SMT
chip. It is a 0.5 mm lead pitch, and the commercial tools don't
heat the outermost pins of each side. So, I made my own! Yeah!

Jon

John P. wrote:

20CFH is probably more than you need. You might drop down to 15-17 to
save a little gas. But too much won't hurt anything... just burning
extra money.

And, it adds up. One of the first things I got after getting the
machine running was a set of gas lenses. These are fatter than the
equivalent electrode collet assembly, but give a laminar flow to the
Argon. You can actually see the turbulence in the plain torch setup
if you hold the torch against a bright light and blip the pedal to
start the gas flow. And, you can see the gas lens' much smoother
flow in the same manner. So, you can cut the Argon flow to about
half what you need without them. I got mine on eBay from aglevtech,
who has a huge amount of TIG parts that he sells WAY cheaper than the
local dealers.
You really shouldn't rest the cup on the weld material. Ideally you
will hold the electrode within 10 degrees of perpendicular to the
weld. The more of an angle to the material the more likely that your
shielding gas will sweep across the weld and suck in oxygen with it
instead of creating an oxygen free buffer around the weld.

Again, a gas lens makes this much less of a problem. There are
a few situations that are so cramped a gas lens gets in way, but
I haven't needed to go back to my old collets yet. And, the gas
savings really starts to add up. I didn't realize when I got
into this that the Argon would be the most expensive consumable!

Jon

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:15:54 GMT, "Rick" wrote:


Thanks for the tips both of you! I regularly solder 100 pin SMT parts with
no problem, but I
haven't had to grind my soldering iron point because it welded to the
circuit board in quite some time. :-)

If you can do that, you clearly have the hand-eye coordination and
control to become an excellent TIG welder with some practice.

Another poster suggested arranging the TIG torch cables for minimum
strain and weight. I forgot to mention that in my previous post, but
I do that too and it helps a lot. Ideally, you want the TIG torch
to be almost easy to wield and manipulate as the solder'n ahrn you
use for sticking SMT's in place.

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:52:28 -0600, Jon Elson
wrote:


One of the tricks is to use the torch as a light shield. You want to be
able to see as much of the weld puddle as you can, but you DON'T want to
see the electrode.

That sounds like a good trick. I don't think I don't do that
when I'm welding, but I'm gonna try it. Do you have any trouble
maintaining your electrode distance from the work when you can't see
the electrode?

On Sun, 08 Jan 2006 18:48:00 -0500, Brent Philion
wrote:

Welcome to "damnit" welding school

the tungsten does not need to stick out far

your arm can rest ont he welding table

I've gotten better but i also keep the grinder close and use it extensively

I mounted a grinder on the TOP of the welder. Now I can get up and
stretch, grind the tungsten and not have to walk too far. Only problem
is..with all the stretching and grinding..Im not getting hell of a lot
of welding done....


Gunner

The aim of untold millions is to be free to do exactly as they choose
and for someone else to pay when things go wrong.

In the past few decades, a peculiar and distinctive psychology
has emerged in England. Gone are the civility, sturdy independence,
and admirable stoicism that carried the English through the war years
.. It has been replaced by a constant whine of excuses, complaints,
and special pleading. The collapse of the British character has been
as swift and complete as the collapse of British power.

Theodore Dalrymple,

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:15:54 GMT, "Rick" wrote:


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.


Perhaps I was holding the torch a bit far from the tip...will the method you
mention.

With the long tunsten holder that sticks out the back of the
torch...its pretty easy to hold it like a pencil. This is about the
only way I can weld with TIG.

Gunner, who on a whim..welded a razor blade to a chunk of railroad
track with the stick welder today (1/8" 7018) ..and ground the
tungsten about 300 times putting a tiny project together...

Sigh...


The aim of untold millions is to be free to do exactly as they choose
and for someone else to pay when things go wrong.

In the past few decades, a peculiar and distinctive psychology
has emerged in England. Gone are the civility, sturdy independence,
and admirable stoicism that carried the English through the war years
.. It has been replaced by a constant whine of excuses, complaints,
and special pleading. The collapse of the British character has been
as swift and complete as the collapse of British power.

Theodore Dalrymple,

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:34:26 GMT, "Pete C."
wrote:

Rick wrote:

"Pete C." wrote in message
...
a 1.5% 3/32" tungsten....well you get the idea.

I think you generally want DC for TIG on steel.


Yes, I had the TIG set for DC...by square wave I meant the first TIG
setting, which is full current when foot pedal is pressed, not the slope or
pulsed modes, which I don't fully understand yet.

You definitely want to be in a foot pedal controlled amperage mode. This
is one of the big advantages of TIG which allows you to move smoothly
between thicker and thinner sections of weld.



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.


Perhaps I was holding the torch a bit far from the tip...will the method you
mention.

I didn't want to get so close for fear of breathing too many fumes. But I
guess welding
mild steel with argon, the fumes are not so bad? You can't exactly have a
fan on the work
can you?

With clean mild steel there should not be much to worry about from
fumes. A fan would of course blow the shielding argon away from the weld
which would be bad.


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).


Thanks for the tips both of you! I regularly solder 100 pin SMT parts with
no problem, but I
haven't had to grind my soldering iron point because it welded to the
circuit board in quite some time. :-)

Rick

A bit of a difference between the 40 Watt soldering iron at 700 degrees
and the 10Kw welder at several thousand degrees.

Get your head in as close as you would for soldering and steady your
torch hand with a finger and you'll find it gets a lot easier.

Pete C.


And get a cheapy pair of 3x reading glasses at the dollar store. It
helps a lot

Gunner

The aim of untold millions is to be free to do exactly as they choose
and for someone else to pay when things go wrong.

In the past few decades, a peculiar and distinctive psychology
has emerged in England. Gone are the civility, sturdy independence,
and admirable stoicism that carried the English through the war years
.. It has been replaced by a constant whine of excuses, complaints,
and special pleading. The collapse of the British character has been
as swift and complete as the collapse of British power.

Theodore Dalrymple,

I perconally take a tiny lightweight 4.8v drill i have

Lightly toss the tunsgten in the keyless chuck and use the drill to spin
it on the bench grinder

I also bought a pack of 10 tungstens and sharpened them all, So i vanish
for 10 minutees get a coffee and sharpen tungsten then back to welding
till i mess the 10 up again

And of Course I use 2% thoriated so you can insert the radiation jokes here

Gunner wrote:
On Sun, 08 Jan 2006 18:48:00 -0500, Brent Philion
wrote:


Welcome to "damnit" welding school

the tungsten does not need to stick out far

your arm can rest ont he welding table

I've gotten better but i also keep the grinder close and use it extensively


I mounted a grinder on the TOP of the welder. Now I can get up and
stretch, grind the tungsten and not have to walk too far. Only problem
is..with all the stretching and grinding..Im not getting hell of a lot
of welding done....


Gunner

The aim of untold millions is to be free to do exactly as they choose
and for someone else to pay when things go wrong.

In the past few decades, a peculiar and distinctive psychology
has emerged in England. Gone are the civility, sturdy independence,
and admirable stoicism that carried the English through the war years
.. It has been replaced by a constant whine of excuses, complaints,
and special pleading. The collapse of the British character has been
as swift and complete as the collapse of British power.

Theodore Dalrymple,

NO wonder youre selling the Lincoln Tig machine

Gunner wrote:
On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:15:54 GMT, "Rick" wrote:


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.


Perhaps I was holding the torch a bit far from the tip...will the method you
mention.


With the long tunsten holder that sticks out the back of the
torch...its pretty easy to hold it like a pencil. This is about the
only way I can weld with TIG.

Gunner, who on a whim..welded a razor blade to a chunk of railroad
track with the stick welder today (1/8" 7018) ..and ground the
tungsten about 300 times putting a tiny project together...

Sigh...


The aim of untold millions is to be free to do exactly as they choose
and for someone else to pay when things go wrong.

In the past few decades, a peculiar and distinctive psychology
has emerged in England. Gone are the civility, sturdy independence,
and admirable stoicism that carried the English through the war years
.. It has been replaced by a constant whine of excuses, complaints,
and special pleading. The collapse of the British character has been
as swift and complete as the collapse of British power.

Theodore Dalrymple,

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 09:35:21 -0500, Brent Philion
wrote:

I perconally take a tiny lightweight 4.8v drill i have

Lightly toss the tunsgten in the keyless chuck and use the drill to spin
it on the bench grinder

I also bought a pack of 10 tungstens and sharpened them all, So i vanish
for 10 minutees get a coffee and sharpen tungsten then back to welding
till i mess the 10 up again

And of Course I use 2% thoriated so you can insert the radiation jokes here

Brent,

Just trying to help here... but hopefully you are still holding the
tungsten so that the grind marks are parallel to the tungsten it's
self?

If your grind marks are going around the tungsten as opposed to inline
with it you will have a variety of problems.

John P.

Just trying to help here... but hopefully you are still holding the
tungsten so that the grind marks are parallel to the tungsten it's
self?

If your grind marks are going around the tungsten as opposed to inline
with it you will have a variety of problems.

John P.


Really?
I'm not a welder, but I play one in the shop. I've always ground mine in a
drill chuck too. What kind of problems am I creating for myself?

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 02:33:11 -0600, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:52:28 -0600, Jon Elson
wrote:

One of the tricks is to use the torch as a light shield. You want to be
able to see as much of the weld puddle as you can, but you DON'T want to
see the electrode.

That sounds like a good trick. I don't think I don't do that
when I'm welding, but I'm gonna try it. Do you have any trouble
maintaining your electrode distance from the work when you can't see
the electrode?

I'm not sure what the purpose of this trick is. If you are wearing
the proper welding hood the electrode shouldn't be any brighter to
look at than the molten puddle which by this time should be glowing a
bright radiating color. Also, keeping an eye on the electrode tip
allows you to keep an eye on it's condition. If the arc coming from
the tip is small and pin-point you should keep doing what you're
doing. But if the arc is getting fat and bulbous you've probably
dipped your rod and need to re-grind it to a 20 degree point.

John P.

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 01:03:46 -0600, Jon Elson
wrote:

I got mine on eBay from aglevtech,
who has a huge amount of TIG parts that he sells WAY cheaper than the
local dealers.

I just checked out his auctions and the prices are impressive. 2%
tungstens for $20 (including shipping) is 1/2 what I pay locally...

Again, a gas lens makes this much less of a problem. There are
a few situations that are so cramped a gas lens gets in way, but
I haven't needed to go back to my old collets yet. And, the gas
savings really starts to add up. I didn't realize when I got
into this that the Argon would be the most expensive consumable!

I guess I've never seen a gas lens in use. Could you describe a
little more how it is employed? Where does it connect to the torch,
etc?

Personally I have a Lincoln Precision TIG 185 with the standard torch.

John P.

"John P." wrote:

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 01:03:46 -0600, Jon Elson
wrote:

I got mine on eBay from aglevtech,
who has a huge amount of TIG parts that he sells WAY cheaper than the
local dealers.

I just checked out his auctions and the prices are impressive. 2%
tungstens for $20 (including shipping) is 1/2 what I pay locally...

Again, a gas lens makes this much less of a problem. There are
a few situations that are so cramped a gas lens gets in way, but
I haven't needed to go back to my old collets yet. And, the gas
savings really starts to add up. I didn't realize when I got
into this that the Argon would be the most expensive consumable!

I guess I've never seen a gas lens in use. Could you describe a
little more how it is employed? Where does it connect to the torch,
etc?

Personally I have a Lincoln Precision TIG 185 with the standard torch.

John P.

The gas lens replaces the regular collet body, and the gas cup for it is
larger than the standard gas cup. Should be available to fit just about
any torch.

Basically the gas lens collet body is a larger diameter than a standard
one, and instead of just having some holes to emit the shielding gas, it
has a series of screens that straighten and stabilize the shielding gas
flow.

Pete C.

"Pete C." wrote:

"John P." wrote:

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 01:03:46 -0600, Jon Elson
wrote:

I got mine on eBay from aglevtech,
who has a huge amount of TIG parts that he sells WAY cheaper than the
local dealers.

I just checked out his auctions and the prices are impressive. 2%
tungstens for $20 (including shipping) is 1/2 what I pay locally...

Again, a gas lens makes this much less of a problem. There are
a few situations that are so cramped a gas lens gets in way, but
I haven't needed to go back to my old collets yet. And, the gas
savings really starts to add up. I didn't realize when I got
into this that the Argon would be the most expensive consumable!

I guess I've never seen a gas lens in use. Could you describe a
little more how it is employed? Where does it connect to the torch,
etc?

Personally I have a Lincoln Precision TIG 185 with the standard torch.

John P.

The gas lens replaces the regular collet body, and the gas cup for it is
larger than the standard gas cup. Should be available to fit just about
any torch.

Basically the gas lens collet body is a larger diameter than a standard
one, and instead of just having some holes to emit the shielding gas, it
has a series of screens that straighten and stabilize the shielding gas
flow.

Pete C.

Forgot to mention, when I got my Syncrowave setup at my local Airgas
shop, they just set me up with the gas lens collet bodies up front.
Indicated unless I was welding stuff in areas with very little clearance
there was no reason to bother with the standard bodies. The gas lens
bodies let you reduce your argon consumption as well so they save you
money in the long run.

Pete C.

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 10:25:12 -0500, Brent Philion
wrote:

NO wonder youre selling the Lincoln Tig machine

After 4 tanks of gas..yad figure I should have it down by now..

The Lincoln is surplus..with the big 300 amp Airco Squarewave..I got
all sorts of neat ways to melt down a tungsten now..

less see..if I turn this gizmo in this direction....FIZZZAACKKK!

Hummm..that didnt work very well.....

Grind...

Now this gizmo does what? Hummmm ...BSSSTTT!!!

Hummm welds the tungsten to the work pretty good...might need to do
that sometime.....

Grind....





Gunner wrote:
On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:15:54 GMT, "Rick" wrote:


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.


Perhaps I was holding the torch a bit far from the tip...will the method you
mention.


With the long tunsten holder that sticks out the back of the
torch...its pretty easy to hold it like a pencil. This is about the
only way I can weld with TIG.

Gunner, who on a whim..welded a razor blade to a chunk of railroad
track with the stick welder today (1/8" 7018) ..and ground the
tungsten about 300 times putting a tiny project together...

Sigh...


The aim of untold millions is to be free to do exactly as they choose
and for someone else to pay when things go wrong.

In the past few decades, a peculiar and distinctive psychology
has emerged in England. Gone are the civility, sturdy independence,
and admirable stoicism that carried the English through the war years
.. It has been replaced by a constant whine of excuses, complaints,
and special pleading. The collapse of the British character has been
as swift and complete as the collapse of British power.

Theodore Dalrymple,

The aim of untold millions is to be free to do exactly as they choose
and for someone else to pay when things go wrong.

In the past few decades, a peculiar and distinctive psychology
has emerged in England. Gone are the civility, sturdy independence,
and admirable stoicism that carried the English through the war years
.. It has been replaced by a constant whine of excuses, complaints,
and special pleading. The collapse of the British character has been
as swift and complete as the collapse of British power.

Theodore Dalrymple,

Don Foreman wrote:

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:52:28 -0600, Jon Elson
wrote:




One of the tricks is to use the torch as a light shield. You want to be
able to see as much of the weld puddle as you can, but you DON'T want to
see the electrode.



That sounds like a good trick. I don't think I don't do that
when I'm welding, but I'm gonna try it. Do you have any trouble
maintaining your electrode distance from the work when you can't see
the electrode?


At least with my auto-dark helmet, I CAN'T see the electrode tip. If I
expose
much of the electrode, the light is blinding, and that is ALL I can see.
So, I
can see the electrode, sort of, but I can't see the workpiece in
relation to it.
I CAN judge the electrode spacing because I CAN view the arc, itself. The
arc puts out mostly UV, I guess, and the color of the Argon discharge, and
so it isn't too bright viewed through the glass. You need to be up close to
see just the arc, but not much electrode, but with a bit of practice,
you can do
it pretty easily. Once I've blocked out the huge white light from the
electrode,
then I have a terrific view of the work and the melt. Especially with
aluminum,
you never get it hot enough to glow, so the change in surface finish is
all you
get to know the difference between solid and melted. I still bump the
electrode
into the work fairly often. With aluminum, that is a big mess. With
steel, it
doesn't seem to stick well, and I often can just continue welding. The
contamination
burns off the electrode in a few seconds and everything is usually OK.

I've thought about mounting a little metal "visor flap" to the torch to
get more
adjustment on the electrode shielding, but haven't needed to do that, yet.

Jon

John P. wrote:

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 02:33:11 -0600, Don Foreman
wrote:



On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:52:28 -0600, Jon Elson
wrote:



One of the tricks is to use the torch as a light shield. You want to be
able to see as much of the weld puddle as you can, but you DON'T want to
see the electrode.


That sounds like a good trick. I don't think I don't do that
when I'm welding, but I'm gonna try it. Do you have any trouble
maintaining your electrode distance from the work when you can't see
the electrode?



I'm not sure what the purpose of this trick is. If you are wearing
the proper welding hood the electrode shouldn't be any brighter to
look at than the molten puddle which by this time should be glowing a
bright radiating color.

No, the electrode is running around 4000 - 5000 K, probably hotter than a
light bulb filament. It lights up the whole room! With steel, the melt
puddle
only gets to red-yellow heat in most cases. (Actually, it has to be
hotter than
that, I guess the red-yellow is what the welding glass does to it.) With
aluminum, the metal NEVER gets hot enough to glow. If you get your aluminum
glowing, it will all be a big puddle on the floor the next second.

Also, keeping an eye on the electrode tip
allows you to keep an eye on it's condition. If the arc coming from
the tip is small and pin-point you should keep doing what you're
doing. But if the arc is getting fat and bulbous you've probably
dipped your rod and need to re-grind it to a 20 degree point.


It depends on the electrode, the workpiece material, the shielding gas,
and a bunch
of other factors. But, at least with my welder and other setup
particulars, the
electrode is just blindingly white and hot, and totally washes out all
the other
things I need to see. I CAN look at the arc, itself, and that gives me
a lot of
info on the arc length, the condition of the electrode, etc. But, being
able to see
the workpiece, the joint, and the weld puddle is the most important thing.

I think you may be right that when doing steel, the glowing puddle is a LOT
easier to see than the NON-glowing aluminum puddle. That is the toughest,
and I am still learning the knack of aluminum.

Jon

John P. wrote:

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 01:03:46 -0600, Jon Elson
wrote:



I got mine on eBay from aglevtech,
who has a huge amount of TIG parts that he sells WAY cheaper than the
local dealers.



I just checked out his auctions and the prices are impressive. 2%
tungstens for $20 (including shipping) is 1/2 what I pay locally...



Again, a gas lens makes this much less of a problem. There are
a few situations that are so cramped a gas lens gets in way, but
I haven't needed to go back to my old collets yet. And, the gas
savings really starts to add up. I didn't realize when I got
into this that the Argon would be the most expensive consumable!



I guess I've never seen a gas lens in use. Could you describe a
little more how it is employed? Where does it connect to the torch,
etc?

It goes directly in place of the collet holder for the electrode. It is
a little
fatter than the plain collet holder, so it takes a larger diameter cup.
It has several
layers of fine wire screen that collapses the turbulence of gas shooting out
of a small hole.


Personally I have a Lincoln Precision TIG 185 with the standard torch.


I think you can get gas lenses for just about any TIG torch. I have a
water-cooled
300 A torch.

Jon

In response to someone who did want to see the electrode
while he's welding, that's the first time I heard of that one.
I usually want to look at the whole setup, puddle, electrode,
and filler metal. Just use a darker lens (or setting) on your
welding helmet if it's too bright.

The one thing that improved my welding most was holding the
electode closer to the work. You want to be as close as
possible, 1/32" or 1/64". As a beginner I used to hold the torch
further away, and things would get too hot too fast.

I took a TIG class at Lincoln Electric, and the instructor held
the electrode ridiculously close to the work. His rhythm was
about 1 dip of the filler metal every 2 seconds. I think the
closer you hold the electrode to the work, the less heat goes in.
The 1amp / 0.001" rule works only if you're close, if you hold the
electrode 1/4" away from the work forget it.

It's all about the setup and being comfortable. I usually set
things up so that I can rest my torch hand on the work, if that's
not an option I try to use a clamp and rest my hand on the clamp.

Tom.
http://www.TomEberhard.com

Jon Elson wrote:

John P. wrote:

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 02:33:11 -0600, Don Foreman
wrote:



On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:52:28 -0600, Jon Elson
wrote:



One of the tricks is to use the torch as a light shield. You want to be
able to see as much of the weld puddle as you can, but you DON'T want to
see the electrode.


That sounds like a good trick. I don't think I don't do that
when I'm welding, but I'm gonna try it. Do you have any trouble
maintaining your electrode distance from the work when you can't see
the electrode?



I'm not sure what the purpose of this trick is. If you are wearing
the proper welding hood the electrode shouldn't be any brighter to
look at than the molten puddle which by this time should be glowing a
bright radiating color.

No, the electrode is running around 4000 - 5000 K, probably hotter than a
light bulb filament. It lights up the whole room! With steel, the melt
puddle
only gets to red-yellow heat in most cases. (Actually, it has to be
hotter than
that, I guess the red-yellow is what the welding glass does to it.) With
aluminum, the metal NEVER gets hot enough to glow. If you get your aluminum
glowing, it will all be a big puddle on the floor the next second.

Also, keeping an eye on the electrode tip
allows you to keep an eye on it's condition. If the arc coming from
the tip is small and pin-point you should keep doing what you're
doing. But if the arc is getting fat and bulbous you've probably
dipped your rod and need to re-grind it to a 20 degree point.


It depends on the electrode, the workpiece material, the shielding gas,
and a bunch
of other factors. But, at least with my welder and other setup
particulars, the
electrode is just blindingly white and hot, and totally washes out all
the other
things I need to see. I CAN look at the arc, itself, and that gives me
a lot of
info on the arc length, the condition of the electrode, etc. But, being
able to see
the workpiece, the joint, and the weld puddle is the most important thing.

I think you may be right that when doing steel, the glowing puddle is a LOT
easier to see than the NON-glowing aluminum puddle. That is the toughest,
and I am still learning the knack of aluminum.

Jon

It kind of sounds like you're overheating the tungsten and perhaps
should be using a larger size. I don't recall ever having problems with
the tungsten being too bright when I've been welding. I use a Jackson
EQC Executive HTLS helmet and a water cooled TIG torch (ESAB HW-18) BTW.

Pete C.

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 14:31:28 -0600, Jon Elson
wrote:



I think you may be right that when doing steel, the glowing puddle is a LOT
easier to see than the NON-glowing aluminum puddle. That is the toughest,
and I am still learning the knack of aluminum.

The aluminum puddle just looks "wet".

I grind them to run to the point as opposed to radially

I'm just a lazy bugger who got tired of the uneven grinds i got by hand
so chucked them in this wimpy cordless to get a nice even job.

BTW i DO not see in 3d SO no matter what i will ALWAYS Grind more
tungsten than the next guy all things being equal

Trust me its not a grinidng issue its a user issue

I'm worst with my filler control especially with touching the filler
direct to the tungsten. I'm getting a LOT better but it will be a decade
at least b4 i call myself good



John P. wrote:
On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 09:35:21 -0500, Brent Philion
wrote:


I perconally take a tiny lightweight 4.8v drill i have

Lightly toss the tunsgten in the keyless chuck and use the drill to spin
it on the bench grinder

I also bought a pack of 10 tungstens and sharpened them all, So i vanish
for 10 minutees get a coffee and sharpen tungsten then back to welding
till i mess the 10 up again

And of Course I use 2% thoriated so you can insert the radiation jokes here


Brent,

Just trying to help here... but hopefully you are still holding the
tungsten so that the grind marks are parallel to the tungsten it's
self?

If your grind marks are going around the tungsten as opposed to inline
with it you will have a variety of problems.

John P.

In article KHgwf.16904$v84.7887@trnddc06, "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.

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?

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?

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.

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


Rick

I may be back at SSCC in April, for evening classes.

--
"I love deadlines, especially the wooshing sound they make as
they fly by" - Douglas Adams

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 20:11:37 -0500, Brent Philion
wrote:

I'm worst with my filler control especially with touching the filler
direct to the tungsten. I'm getting a LOT better but it will be a decade
at least b4 i call myself good

One trick that works sometimes... instead of dipping your filler into
the puddle, lay the filler rod right along the seam that you are
welding and just start welding. Too large a filler rod is better
than too small when using this technique.

Have fun,

John P.

I think i'd be in danger of not penetrating deep enough if i do that

I think i'm going to stick to grinding tungsten till i get it right

that having been said i'm very happy with my Stainless welds without
filler so i know at least from the torch side i'm doing that end right

Maybe if i hold the filler higher so that the cup kind of protects the
tungsten?

Or just drink more coffee while grinding more tungsten and cussing a bit
more


John P. wrote:
On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 20:11:37 -0500, Brent Philion
wrote:


I'm worst with my filler control especially with touching the filler
direct to the tungsten. I'm getting a LOT better but it will be a decade
at least b4 i call myself good


One trick that works sometimes... instead of dipping your filler into
the puddle, lay the filler rod right along the seam that you are
welding and just start welding. Too large a filler rod is better
than too small when using this technique.

Have fun,

John P.

On Tue, 10 Jan 2006 12:07:08 -0500, Brent Philion
wrote:

I think i'd be in danger of not penetrating deep enough if i do that

Well, if your application requires 100% penetration it might be a
problem, but for normal stuff it will work just fine...

I think i'm going to stick to grinding tungsten till i get it right

that having been said i'm very happy with my Stainless welds without
filler so i know at least from the torch side i'm doing that end right

Maybe if i hold the filler higher so that the cup kind of protects the
tungsten?

Or just drink more coffee while grinding more tungsten and cussing a bit
more

I think you've got the right plan now. ;-)

John P.

John P. wrote:
On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 20:11:37 -0500, Brent Philion
wrote:


I'm worst with my filler control especially with touching the filler
direct to the tungsten. I'm getting a LOT better but it will be a decade
at least b4 i call myself good


One trick that works sometimes... instead of dipping your filler into
the puddle, lay the filler rod right along the seam that you are
welding and just start welding. Too large a filler rod is better
than too small when using this technique.

Have fun,

John P.

I'm from a soldering background so i would rather condition myself to
penetrating deeper than needed than the make the type of nice looking
barely penetrating Joints that are normal good ones for soldering.

I'm a harsher critic of my own welds than anyone else i know

John P. wrote:
On Tue, 10 Jan 2006 12:07:08 -0500, Brent Philion
wrote:


I think i'd be in danger of not penetrating deep enough if i do that


Well, if your application requires 100% penetration it might be a
problem, but for normal stuff it will work just fine...


I think i'm going to stick to grinding tungsten till i get it right

that having been said i'm very happy with my Stainless welds without
filler so i know at least from the torch side i'm doing that end right

Maybe if i hold the filler higher so that the cup kind of protects the
tungsten?

Or just drink more coffee while grinding more tungsten and cussing a bit
more


I think you've got the right plan now. ;-)

John P.


John P. wrote:

On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 20:11:37 -0500, Brent Philion
wrote:



I'm worst with my filler control especially with touching the filler
direct to the tungsten. I'm getting a LOT better but it will be a decade
at least b4 i call myself good


One trick that works sometimes... instead of dipping your filler into
the puddle, lay the filler rod right along the seam that you are
welding and just start welding. Too large a filler rod is better
than too small when using this technique.

Have fun,

John P.

When I first started TIG welding, I would setup my practice work
outside in the bright sunshine. This way, I could see everything when
I was working. My helmet has Swiss optics and starts as a shade # 4
which allows me to easily see my work in the bright sunlight. When the
arc strikes, the helmet's shade changes to shade # 9 - 14 depending on
what my preference is. I also found that if you first learn to
oxy-acetylene weld prior to learning how to TIG weld, it helps a lot.
If you haven't taken this route, then start with a piece of scrap steel
and practice burning holes thru it with the TIG. Forget about the
filler rod initially and just practice melting metal. Once you have a
good idea of what your TIG welder can do, then practice using the
filler rod to fill in all of the holes that you made in your practice
piece of metal.
-------------------------------------------
Jon Elson Jan 9, 1:24 pm

At least with my auto-dark helmet, I CAN'T see the electrode tip. If I
expose much of the electrode, the light is blinding, and that is ALL I
can see.
So, I can see the electrode, sort of, but I can't see the workpiece in
relation to it.