TIG Welding

Welding Techniques, Theory, Machines and Questions.

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rrnut-2
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Location: Bennington, NH

TIG Welding

Post by rrnut-2 »

Since I have a bunch of TIG welding to do, along with needing a new stick welder, I went looking for a good TIG welder or possibly one that would do both.

After looking at the Chinese welders and quite a few used machines, I decided to buy a Miller Syncrowave 250 DX. I have a Snap-On MIG welder that's 25 years
old, and I can't get parts for it, so I am very leary of a lot of brands. I am quite familiar with the reliability of Miller and getting parts if they do break.
I got the machine home and discovered two things; my shop isn't big enough and I have to install a 100amp feed. It takes 110amps at 230 volts
at 300amp output. Wow, and then my wife says; You will wire it so it plugs in right?! Well, 600 dollars later just for
the plug, receptacle and a junction box big enough to hold the receptacle and it will plug into the wall. The shop...oh well, we will just have to live with it!

So, now I have a TIG welder and extremely little knowledge of how to TIG. Stick welding I have done plenty of, as well as MIG.

Any suggestions?

I will add pictures later.

Jim B
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Dave_C
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Re: TIG Welding

Post by Dave_C »

Jim,

I'm right there with you! I am trying to learn to TIG weld as well. I have a friend who started teaching me and he is a real pro.

I don't have access to that friend anymore due to distance but I found a great expert on You tube and he has many videos to show you how to do just about anything.

Go to you tube and look up "MrTig". Lots of good videos!

He explains everything.

Dave C.
I learn something new every day! Problem is I forget two.
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BadDog
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Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: TIG Welding

Post by BadDog »

"Mr Tig", other than the painfully juvenile name, has a bunch of good stuff. But I find it a bit "soft" on hands-on up-close detailed content much of the time. Very good stuff to learn in general, but has not always been good when I'm looking for real answers to specific problems.

None are going to be as good as a pro friend providing direct instruction, but I also like Welding Tips and Tricks quite a lot. So check that one out too.
Russ
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STRR
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Location: Westminster, CO

Re: TIG Welding

Post by STRR »

Hi Guys,

Cruise You Tube:

I'll second the vote on Jody from weldingtipsandtricks. This guy knows his stuff. Great videos.

Also Kevin Caron is a down to earth multi skilled artist welder. Like Jody, Kevin talks on a level I can understand or maybe a little lower but that's good. I am sure I understand it anyway.

Good Luck,
Terry Miller
redneckalbertan
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Re: TIG Welding

Post by redneckalbertan »

I would say practice oxy/fuel welding (OFW or OAW Oxy/acetylene welding) first. The hand skills that a person needs to learn are the same. The added benefit is less sharpening of the tungsten! When you light your OFW torch and set your mixture right so you have a well defined blue inner flame pretend that this is your tungsten. When either TIG OR OFW you want to keep a tight arc length with out dipping your tungsten in your molten puddle. This will contaminate the tungsten or the tungsten will freeze in the puddle giving you a tungsten inclusion. The contamination will cause your arc geometry to spread out not giving a peron as concentrated arc, this means a much high volume of heat has to be put into your work to keep your puddle molten because you are now delivering heat from the TIG torch to a larger area of metal.

For practice this means you have to stop cause yourself out for letting happen again pull your tungsten out sharpen it then continue for another half inch and repeat the process over again!

If you are using OFW you pull the inner blue flame out of the puddle there will be a bit of an odd mark in the bead from where the inner flame touched the puddle but everything works normal and nothing changes so you carry on.

When I went through school we covered OAW welding in first year then went back for a refresher just before learning TIG in second year. The refresher was great and reminded a person what was needed for hand skills. I think it cut down greatly on my time in front of the grinder!
TomB
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Location: Southern VT

Re: TIG Welding

Post by TomB »

Your Miller dealer should have a guide to TIG welding or at least my Miller dealer had one for me. I'm in NY this evening and the book is on the shelf in VT but I will be back there on Friday and if you still need the book title I can provide it then. I believe the book goes best with the 200 series welder but it does explain things well and it provides good pictures. Although the switch positions will not be quite the same all the data with regard to the how and whys of waveforms should be useful.
rustyh
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Re: TIG Welding

Post by rustyh »

The Miller Diversion 165 and 180 comes with "TIG Welding for Dummies" so that is out there, maybe have a look for it at a Miller dealer, or order from a book store.

available as PDF for $29

http://iwqibutt.tumblr.com/
rrnut-2
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Re: TIG Welding

Post by rrnut-2 »

I found the TIG book on the Miller site and read that this morning. While searching that that, I ran across the other site "weldingtipsandtricks", that looks pretty good!
Hopefully, I can get the welder power wired this weekend and turn it on.

Jim B
STRR
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Location: Westminster, CO

Re: TIG Welding

Post by STRR »

Looks like it may be futile to post suggestions if the person asking the question doesn't read the posted suggestions/comments.

Hey, rrnut-2, You might like to check out weldingtipsandtricks.com

:roll:
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steamin10
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Re: TIG Welding

Post by steamin10 »

I am with Redneck here. Cultivating the patience, image, and hand co-ordination is easiest done with fuel gas welding on a few coupons. it works the metal pool in a similar fashion. Unlike electrode welding where you are dropping materila all the time, TIG allows a less mentally intense challenge, and you can back into foaming or porosity and remelt, without trouble. A tube of common filler wire is not expensive, and time in practice with a gas torch will help you read the roadmap in the puddle for the subleties of what to do next.

Also always sharpen your electrodes to a point pushing up above the wheel, not rolling it sideways. It makes a diference on how the arc spreads, due to the scratches made by the wheel. Always keep your arc short as practical, I use a wrist grip to get steady with the TIG torch. Air torches have limits, but a Water TIG cooler is easy to build with a Heater core, a restaurant pan, and a small pump with a 1/3 hp blower motor to dive it. Failing that, a small valve on the garden hose can you by for the short run, if you dont weld many hours a year. I have a regular Bernard cooler for my rig, and run cooling juice from the welding store. i pour it back into the storage bottle when not in use.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
redneckalbertan
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Re: TIG Welding

Post by redneckalbertan »

steamin10 wrote:Also always sharpen your electrodes to a point pushing up above the wheel, not rolling it sideways. It makes a diference on how the arc spreads, due to the scratches made by the wheel.
I came across a picture that illustrates your advice and thought I'd share.
Attachments
image.jpg
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steamin10
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Re: TIG Welding

Post by steamin10 »

Now THAT is what I am talking about. One pic = many of my words. Kudos.

Kinna takes my breath away tho... :lol:
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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