I cant TIG

[AkumaNoZeta]

 

 

I have them labeled from order I did them, front to back, and direction they go.

[AK-Z]

you need to have a steady hand and don't so quick to jam the filler rod into the pool. If it starts key hole on you, you aren't moving fast enough or too much heat.

[Datsun260Z]

Hey buddy, I don't think you are doing half bad at all, keep up the good effort and just watch how soon these doubts you have are a thing of the past. Looks like your on the right track for a beginner.

[AkumaNoZeta]

Number 2 was the best one I ever did, I actually smiled after seeing it. I would have kept it going through the whole plate if I didnt run out of rod. Then I completely messed it up when I continued it (Number 3) and that made me sad again. When I did Number 6 I didn't think I got penetration at all and then I flipped it over and almost freaked out, it looks like a slug on the other side...too much rod... Just a little adder, when I have a collection of short filler rods I like to weld them together to make a long one that I can use. I hate making excess waste

[MoNkEyT88]

Is using a backing plate an option? That would take a lot of the sugaring out of the equation on the back side, because that should probably be back purged if you're doing a butt weld with a gap like that.

 

Keep yourself moving, and do the same thing every time. It's like a ritual, if you do the same thing.. puddle, fill rod, move, puddle fill rod move.. it will look the same.

 

You can see bluing from the heat on the exhaust I welded are pretty even, consistent travel speed is key.

 

[lumberjackj]

takes a lot of practice to get super clean welds....looks like your using a lot of filler too...

 

Like monkey said

"Keep yourself moving, and do the same thing every time. It's like a ritual, if you do the same thing.. puddle, fill rod, move, puddle fill rod move.. it will look the same."

 

Also, if you rest your elbow on something like your leg to keep it steady, this will help with the "uniform" look. Keep it up!

 

Also.....search for how to videos on the net, came across "Tony's Welding Series" by looking on google videos.... http://video.google.com/

 

 

heres a pic of some work from our resident fab guy **WARNING** WELD PORN***

 

[DeleriousZ]

the best tig weld you can hope for on SS is a solid salmon colour.

 

i'm not sure what you guys are on about with the constant voltage bit for tigging, but i learned with a pedel and i don't think i could ever use anything else.. having that pedel there is so much easier IMO, there's so much adjustablility and control over the puddle, you don't have to worry about keyholing or anything, can just back the pedel off for a few seconds and regain your composure.

 

also, the HF start is tits. i couldn't imagine how many times it saved me from scratch/lift starting and re-dipping the tungsten back onto the material.

 

one thing i found that really helps to get solid penetration on the vertical open groove welds is to add your filler rod to the back of the weld puddle.

 

also, start with a LARGE tack. this adds backing to the start of your weld so you never have to worry about burning through right at the start.

 

oh, and for your groove size, i found on that gauge of plate, 1/8" filler rod works well. when you're tacking it up, make sure you can rattle the rod back and forth just slightly all the way along. this will allow you to get the rod in there where you want it, and help with the correct travel speed.

 

 

 

but take my advice with a grain of salt, i've only been on the torch for about 20 hours or so.

[SHO-Z]

Is using a backing plate an option? That would take a lot of the sugaring out of the equation on the back side, because that should probably be back purged if you're doing a butt weld with a gap like that.

 

Solar Flux will work on the inside and stop the sugaring. According to the can you mix it with alcohol, but I found that it works better mixing it with water. The alcohol it has a tendency to flake off when welding and with water it stays on better. It does not give the same results on the bead as an argon purge but it will come out nice an shiny after you clean off the flux. It forms a black glass like cover over the bead.

 

I welded a bunch of drain lines in a brewery using this stuff and it does work.

 

As for our student welder. It looks like you are too hot to me. With tig you do not keep the heat in the center, you should be working the puddle from side to side at a slight angel. It is just like stick welding. As you move across the other edge will cool and then move the heat back across. As I said before PRACTICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited March 10, 2009 by SHO-Z
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[AkumaNoZeta]

Its been a while since I've tried it again. I'm currently cutting up the BMW suspension I bought keeping certain parts (calipers, hubs, ect) and after I'm done with that I'll get back and practice on the tig. This has been a nice cool down period, I know that because I'm actually happy again instead of dissapointed in myself. lol

[Bart Hoedemaker]

I don't know what you Americans are up with the pedal use? Here we control with the fingertip on the tourch. ( Picture ) But maybe there's both, I don't know, I'm used using this one.

 

 

It isn't really more difficult than MIG ( Co2 ) welding. Both process need concentration and a steady hand. For the TIG make sure the needle is not to sharp, and stitch out half the diameter of the round. The Amps you can check by testing, how's the melting bed or puddle. Don't hit the object with the needle. Use a light glass on the welding cap, not to dark! But that a personal thing. It's like they say a continous process: make a melting bed and than add the filling material, than move forward and make a now melting bed and add.. and keep doing the same. While welding keep focus on the size of the melting bed and how much filling material you put, so when done, the weld will look nice and smooth. Don't hold the torch to much on one spot, but try to move a bit back and forward, and keep the filling material close to the torch while welding.

 

Good luck.

[DeleriousZ]

i dunno about you, but i'd rather be moving my foot back and forth when my tip is 1/32" away from the puddle, not fumbling with my thumb bouncing the tip off the material. to each their own.

[Bart Hoedemaker]

I think it's what u are used to do! Anyway i don't see problems with it.

[Nizm0Zed]

my tig is finger control too, and i think its better then messing with a pedal.

I know with some of the crazy angles i have had to weld in, a pedal, or even just having to hold my balance on one foot to even consider controlling a pedal would be near impossible.

[MoNkEyT88]

It's all about using the tool that suits the job the best.

 

I started out using a TIG with a momentary switch. Not good for aluminum, but great if you're doing the same weld over and over on stainless or mild. (Production)

 

A foot pedal is great when you're at a bench, great for aluminum where you need to control the puddle because some times when you're backing off amperage on a thumb wheel you may boggle the torch around.

 

Thumb wheels are great when you're in a lot of crazy positions. Try dragging a helmet, foot pedal, fill rod, flashlight and the torch through a spot where your body barely fits through.

[yo2001]

Looks like the amp is too high and the torch traveling too slow.

 

First what kind of welder are you using, set up? Getting use to your machine sometime takes time.

 

I just finished up flanges to 16ga mild steel pipe and my setup was 90-100amp, 3/3" red 2% thoriated tungsten with pulse set at 1 per 1 sec. Usually use filler on the every other pulse. The pulse really puts the weld in good rythem, if you have it I would use it.

 

On sheet metal work in 20-22 gauges, I'm stepping down the tungsten size to 1/16" and low amp in the 30-40amp. The arc are alot stable with smaller tungsten in lower amp. I do increase the pulse to 10 per sec also.

 

My machine is Miller syncrowave 200.

[Guest asimo]

Dude you're not THAT bad welding on mild steel/scrap isn't always the most beautiful so you really aren't that bad and your hand is fairly steady Are you looking for color? Color is really a sign of contamination in any work besides automotive lol.

 

You are a tad too hot + clean that steel better + less filler

 

What size filler are you using? try 1/16? if you are using 3/32 , What is your gas set at? If you contaminate your tungsten cut it back so it's all clean.

 

 

If you can't still get it try reading the 100's of "learning to tig" topics on this forum ....most amazing welders/fabricators are there that won't mind helping

http://honda-tech.com/forumdisplay.php?f=53

 

check this out

http://honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2503416

 

Thumb control is nice for cage when you are hanging upside down lol:mrgreen:

[DAT280SUN]

I have used both and i prefer the finger trigger. been welding for over 10 years stick, wire (steel and alum) tig (steel and alum) Like others have told you #1#1 is get comfortable This is very important when you lean over on the table weather you are standing or sitting get comfortable. If you cant get comfortable you will never lay a nice bead!!! (go through the motions before you strike a arc, and position your hands and body according to how long of a weld you running) #2 is practice you keep on keeping on and you will get it

[WizardBlack]

You may also want to be sure your tip is not contaminated. If it is, your arc is way too diffused and will only server to dump massive heat into the part before it starts to weld together. Lay the tungsten tip on the table and tap it lightly with a socket or something. It if shatters, then it's contaminated. Re-grind it down and start over. If you are like me, you spend almost half your time at first regrinding your tungsten tip after it touches the pool and contaminates it.

[tannji]

If I may.... What helmet are you using, and what filter setting? While I am most certainly not a master welder of any sort, I get to watch beginner welders attempting TIG and MIG all the time, and I remember my failures quite well. In my experience, especially having learned MIG first, the TIG puddle was hard to see, and the electrode gap was hard to see and control. The helmet plays a part, especially if it is a cheap lens, or setup incorrectly. You need to see the puddle, and lots of beginners focus in on the arc, not the puddle. You cant learn or progress until your eye is trained on what you need to actually see, because that is when you will be able to modify your action while you are doing it, instead of looking at the weld afterwords and trying to determine cause and effect. Once your eye can see the puddle, and see where it ends, you can tell the difference between hot glowing surface and wet, molten puddle. Once you can see that, you can start seeing how much metal you are adding to the puddle with your filler rod. I found it hard to control my filler until I was able to see those details. I also agree that you should meld or fuse before you use filler, using the area of heat-changed color, (or HAZ, Heat affected zone) to judge how smoothly and consistently you are moving the arc. Once you get a feel for the timing, and can see the puddle progression through your lens, start using filler rod. I found that on a machine with pulse, I was using the tempo of the pulse to dip filler... this can be good for some people and a distraction for others.

Finally, the point of not using a petal at first is this; there are too many variables to control at first, so remove the variable that has the largest possible affect, so that you can concentrate on learning to control the others. If you have no temp control (pedal) you learn to find the sweet point for the other variables: travel speed, electrode gap, how often and much to add filler. If you try to learn while using the pedal, that variable is constantly changing, making learning control more difficult. If you are welding plate with a consistent thickness and gap, nothing should change, and you don't need the pedal to begin-with.

[ZT-R]

make sure your tip is sharp at all times (steel) and rounded for aluminum. the tip of the electrode should be out of the cup about 1/3- 1/4 inch. try locking in the amps so you can just floor the remote until you get the hang of adding the filler.