Got my tig welder working
 

Very, very nice. It's like oxy/ace with a wah-wah pedal.

I can see it's going to take some practice to get
good at it.

Got my tig welder working
 

Jim Stewart wrote:
Very, very nice. It's like oxy/ace with a wah-wah pedal.

I can see it's going to take some practice to get
good at it.


I got one 7 days ago.
I got nowhere.
Today I got a lesson.
What I learned:
1) Put the big piece on top, and melt the bigger piece down onto the
small piece.
2) Don't move until a puddle forms on both pieces.
3) Move when a puddle forms on both pieces.
4) The length of filler rod that gets used up is almost equal to the
length of the joint.
5) Even with only two 1/8" thick pieces being joined, get it up to 185 Amps.
6) Wrap the hose around my neck so it doesn't get hung up on the bench.
7) Get the pedal under my right foot, which is more sensitive from gas
pedals.
8) If the electrode is to be ground, grind until the bulge is gone.
9) Start the arc further out, but get the arc down to 1/8"
10) Wear my reading glasses under the hood when welding.

Got my tig welder working
 

Jim Stewart wrote:
Very, very nice. It's like oxy/ace with a wah-wah pedal.

I can see it's going to take some practice to get
good at it.
I was capable of doing small projects with an AC stick welder,
but hated the smoke and all the spatter, and it was hard to
start the arc and control it.

I got a Lincoln Square-Wave TIG 300, which is a pretty fantastic
machine, and was doing assorted steel projects in a couple of
days, and finding it MUCH easier than horrible stick. I can
weld indoors, get up close to the work and see what I'm doing,
without the smoke getting in the way. (The stick flux really
messed up my sinuses, which was a major problem.)

I did a little project with some 1/4" copper parts, and the only
interesting thing was it took a while to pre-heat, and then you
had to weld fast to keep the whole piece from melting. But, for
the first time EVER I welded copper, I got a really nice bead!

I still have to get the hang of aluminum, but I have actually
made a couple servicable, but truly UGLY welds! I need to keep
trying.

Jon

Got my tig welder working
 

On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 01:33:57 -0500, Jon Elson
wrote:

I still have to get the hang of aluminum, but I have actually
made a couple servicable, but truly UGLY welds! I need to keep
trying.
Jon

The aluminum base metal must be pefectly cleaned and degreased before
welding, otherwise you will get a mess. Tricloroethylene (sp?) is the
best solvent for cleaning it before welding, but this is pretty nasty
stuff. Avoid skin contact and breathing it.
Dave

Got my tig welder working
 

11) Also, a fairly bright halogen light to illuminate the work. Tig
doesn't make much light, and the hardest problem I have is actually
seeing the operation.
JR
Dweller in the cellar

Clark Magnuson wrote:
Jim Stewart wrote:

Very, very nice. It's like oxy/ace with a wah-wah pedal.

I can see it's going to take some practice to get
good at it.



I got one 7 days ago.
I got nowhere.
Today I got a lesson.
What I learned:
1) Put the big piece on top, and melt the bigger piece down onto the
small piece.
2) Don't move until a puddle forms on both pieces.
3) Move when a puddle forms on both pieces.
4) The length of filler rod that gets used up is almost equal to the
length of the joint.
5) Even with only two 1/8" thick pieces being joined, get it up to 185
Amps.
6) Wrap the hose around my neck so it doesn't get hung up on the bench.
7) Get the pedal under my right foot, which is more sensitive from gas
pedals.
8) If the electrode is to be ground, grind until the bulge is gone.
9) Start the arc further out, but get the arc down to 1/8"
10) Wear my reading glasses under the hood when welding.


--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes
Doubt yourself, and the real world will eat you alive
The world doesn't revolve around you, it revolves around me
No skeletons in the closet; just decomposing corpses
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dependence is Vulnerability:
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Open the Pod Bay Doors please, Hal"
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.."

Got my tig welder working
 

"dav1936531" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 01:33:57 -0500, Jon Elson
wrote:

One thing I've noticed at shops that don't specialize in tig is the length
they stick the tungsten out. Get used to having the tungsten as short (in
the torch) as you can stand. Several friends that couldn't run a decent bead
were all welding with way too much tung. length.
Dixon

Got my tig welder working
 

JR North wrote:
11) Also, a fairly bright halogen light to illuminate the work. Tig
doesn't make much light, and the hardest problem I have is actually
seeing the operation.
Huh? I have to keep the cup of the torch in the way of the arc
or it blinds me and I can't see ANYTHING but that bright dot!
But, if I shield my eyes from the direct arc, then it lights up
the work like a floodlight. This allows me to run with the
helmet filter set about one notch lighter, and I can really see
the surface of the aluminum, and tell when it is developing a
puddle. You don't have to see really well, to weld steel, the
glowing puddle tells you a lot. But, for aluminum, you have to
really be able to see the surface to know how hot you are
getting it.

If I have bright lights on the work, then it fools my cheap
helmet and everything goes black.

Jon

Got my tig welder working
 

dav1936531 wrote:
On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 01:33:57 -0500, Jon Elson
wrote:


I still have to get the hang of aluminum, but I have actually
made a couple servicable, but truly UGLY welds! I need to keep
trying.
Jon


The aluminum base metal must be pefectly cleaned and degreased before
welding, otherwise you will get a mess. Tricloroethylene (sp?) is the
best solvent for cleaning it before welding, but this is pretty nasty
stuff. Avoid skin contact and breathing it.
I've used a new stainless steel wire brush, and it helps a lot.
i have also trued cleaning with denatured alcohol, it didn't
seem to help. I will try acetone, but I think I will skip the
Trichlor! I also have to make up some copper clamp plates to
keep the aluminum from sagging.

Jon

Got my tig welder working
 

Jon Elson wrote:
dav1936531 wrote:

On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 01:33:57 -0500, Jon Elson
wrote:


I still have to get the hang of aluminum, but I have actually made a
couple servicable, but truly UGLY welds! I need to keep trying.
Jon



The aluminum base metal must be pefectly cleaned and degreased before
welding, otherwise you will get a mess. Tricloroethylene (sp?) is the
best solvent for cleaning it before welding, but this is pretty nasty
stuff. Avoid skin contact and breathing it.

I've used a new stainless steel wire brush, and it helps a lot. i have
also trued cleaning with denatured alcohol, it didn't seem to help. I
will try acetone, but I think I will skip the Trichlor! I also have to
make up some copper clamp plates to keep the aluminum from sagging.

Try hot water, 409 and a 3m abrasive pad.
The water should be hot enough that the
part air-drys when you remove it from
the water and shake it. It's always a
plus when your cleaner can go down the
drain.

Come to think of it, 409 is such a nasty
witch's brew, I surprised you can put it
down the drain....

Got my tig welder working
 

On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 13:31:46 -0400, "Dixon"
wrote:


"dav1936531" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 01:33:57 -0500, Jon Elson
wrote:

One thing I've noticed at shops that don't specialize in tig is the length
they stick the tungsten out. Get used to having the tungsten as short (in
the torch) as you can stand. Several friends that couldn't run a decent bead
were all welding with way too much tung. length.
Dixon

Use of a "gas lens" helps when you need a longer tungsten.

Gunner

Got my tig welder working
 

My experience is the TIG arc stops down the lens to where I can't see
anything but the arc. Don't have this prob with SMAW. Solved the problem
with the floodlight. It doesn't trigger the lens by itself, unless I
look right at it. I suppose there is a considerable difference in lens
performance though.
JR
Dweller in the cellar

Jon Elson wrote:
JR North wrote:

11) Also, a fairly bright halogen light to illuminate the work. Tig
doesn't make much light, and the hardest problem I have is actually
seeing the operation.

Huh? I have to keep the cup of the torch in the way of the arc or it
blinds me and I can't see ANYTHING but that bright dot! But, if I shield
my eyes from the direct arc, then it lights up the work like a
floodlight. This allows me to run with the helmet filter set about one
notch lighter, and I can really see the surface of the aluminum, and
tell when it is developing a puddle. You don't have to see really well,
to weld steel, the glowing puddle tells you a lot. But, for aluminum,
you have to really be able to see the surface to know how hot you are
getting it.

If I have bright lights on the work, then it fools my cheap helmet and
everything goes black.

Jon


--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes
Doubt yourself, and the real world will eat you alive
The world doesn't revolve around you, it revolves around me
No skeletons in the closet; just decomposing corpses
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dependence is Vulnerability:
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Open the Pod Bay Doors please, Hal"
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.."

Got my tig welder working
 

dav1936531 wrote:
On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 01:33:57 -0500, Jon Elson
wrote:

I still have to get the hang of aluminum, but I have actually
made a couple servicable, but truly UGLY welds! I need to keep
trying.
Jon

The aluminum base metal must be pefectly cleaned and degreased before
welding, otherwise you will get a mess. Tricloroethylene (sp?) is the
best solvent for cleaning it before welding, but this is pretty nasty
stuff. Avoid skin contact and breathing it.
Dave

I use a wet lacquer thinner wipedown to degrease aluminum and then use a
stainless steel wire brush for mechanical cleaning. The best results
were gotten using a rotary wire brush in a cordless drill. The cordless
drill I was using had lots of low speed torque so it would crank the
brush pretty well but not be running so fast as to be uncontrollable.
Unfortunately the garage sale cordless drill died and I have not wanted
to spend real money to buy a new one for a single purpose.

Bob

Got my tig welder working
 

JR North wrote:
My experience is the TIG arc stops down the lens to where I can't see
anything but the arc. Don't have this prob with SMAW. Solved the problem
with the floodlight. It doesn't trigger the lens by itself, unless I
look right at it. I suppose there is a considerable difference in lens
performance though.
I have an auto-dark lens with a variable setting, and I put it
at about 9 for light TIG work. If I do move such that the arc
is directly visible, it is bright and distracting, but not so
bright as to be really uncomfortable on the eyes. But, when I
shade the arc with the cup so I can't see it, then the surface
of the work gets much more visible. I have seen a gadget that
is a dark plate that clips onto the torch, made for this
purpose. It is like 1/2 of a standard filter plate, so maybe 2
x 4". I suspect TIG welders used it for the same purpose,
expecially before auto-dark lenses.

Jon

Got my tig welder working
 

Gunner Asch wrote:
Use of a "gas lens" helps when you need a longer tungsten.
If you've never used one, I highly recommend it. You can see
the difference by holding the torch at arms length with a bright
light behind you, and checking the shadow of the torch when you
trigger the gas. Argon is so dense, it makes a visible shadow
due to the refraction of light at the boundary between air and
Argon. You can see the pronounced turbulence with the standard
torch and cup, and a much more laminar flow with the gas lens.
They will save you their cost in Argon on your first tank, as
you can often cut your Argon flowrate in half and still have
less contamination of the weld.

Jon

Got my tig welder working
 

Jon Elson wrote:
But, when I shade the arc with the cup so I
can't see it, then the surface of the work gets much more visible. I
have seen a gadget that is a dark plate that clips onto the torch, made
for this purpose. ..
Jon

Jon,
Your two posts helped ME.
I can see the puddle of metal better if the torch is between me and the
brightest light.