Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 31 to 44 of 44

Thread: Tig welding

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Athelstone, SA 5076
    Posts
    4,255

    Default

    [QUOTE=Com_VC;1967836]Try you tube, lots of info there that will help you to learn.[/QUOT

    been doing that.

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    666

    Default

    That’s how I learnt to weld. YouTube. Do as much watching as you can but also buy a lot of reasonable quality (or known quality) steel and Alu and just lay beads.

    The coordination is the thing that takes time and you can’t learn that just from a video.

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by neevo View Post
    That’s how I learnt to weld. YouTube. Do as much watching as you can but also buy a lot of reasonable quality (or known quality) steel and Alu and just lay beads.

    The coordination is the thing that takes time and you can’t learn that just from a video.
    The problem with U-tube learning, is that guys who teach welding there usually do it in ideal situations sitting behind the table with a lot of light available and make very pretty welding, but in real life it rarely happens. When I MIG weld it's usually the opposite, uncomfortable and light and space limitations.
    So when you are at the table it's all good, when in the field it's not always. But I would definitely watch several video's on TIG. Maybe you can recommend some, the ones that helped you.

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    666

    Default

    I watched a lot of Welding Tips and Tricks and This Old Tony. Jodie at WTT is a pro so you’ll get the textbook stuff but he’s also pretty pragmatic in his education too. TOT is a machinist really but I reckon is also pretty handy with a TIG torch, but gives much more home shop relevant info I think.

  5. #35
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Australia
    Age
    26
    Posts
    11

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by neevo View Post
    I watched a lot of Welding Tips and Tricks and This Old Tony. Jodie at WTT is a pro so you’ll get the textbook stuff but he’s also pretty pragmatic in his education too. TOT is a machinist really but I reckon is also pretty handy with a TIG torch, but gives much more home shop relevant info I think.
    Both those guys have taught me more than my TAFE lecturers have.

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    54
    Posts
    825

    Default

    I pretty much learned to TIG weld by watching the Ron Corell Tig Welding Basics DVD and lots of practice. I also got his Advanced TIG Welding DVD when I started to get the hang of it. Welding tips and tricks wasn't around when I started out and perhaps you can learn all you need to know from there, I'm a regular and love watching Jodi do his thing but he covers a lot of topics in no particular order which isn't ideal if you want to learn the basics. What I liked about the Covell videos is they are a beginning to end course with topics and techniques presented in the order you need to learn them. They're not free, I just googled and you can still get them from Graffiti Publications for $50 each but I reckon it's money well spent even if you just get the basics one.
    Cheers,
    Greg.

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Athelstone, SA 5076
    Posts
    4,255

    Default

    20200513_134052.jpg

    20200513_134045.jpg

    Must be getting better...i know it doesnt look like it but I didnt have to regrind the tip about 30mins of practice...lol
    67amps 1.6 316rod and 12l/m on 1.5mm316SS

    so what is wrong ...limit it to 3 at first and then we can move onto next 3 and so forth

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    666

    Default

    I found using lay wire as a technique helped me when I started to get my coordination down. I tend to dab the rod in now, but I’ve only really done that since I’ve had a pedal to be honest (not that long).

    Give that a go as you can then concentrate on keeping a steadier hand and movement.

    You can see your arc is all over the place as the welds are not straight.

    Try laying the wire and get in to the habit of progressing, backing off a little and lifting a fraction, progress again etc.

    This should get you a nice looking bead and you only have to concentrate on 1 hand for the moment.

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    54
    Posts
    825

    Default

    Hi Richard,
    Get some thicker material to weld on, trying to learn on 1.5mm will drive you mad.
    Try some 6mm at 95A to start (stainless or mild steel, doesn't matter) this will give you time to see how the weld pool behaves and reacts to torch movement and filler addition before it burns through.
    If you only have the thin stuff, try resting it on a copper or aluminium backer plate and probably drop your amps to around 50.
    Not sure what size electrode your using but try 2.4mm, they won't burn up as fast.
    Keep going mate, you'll get the hang of it.
    Cheers,
    Greg.

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    666

    Default

    Also if you get some thicker stuff try butt welds as a starting point. They’re a little easier I think to start on as the heat input is the same on each part to lay a bead. Lap welds require the heat to be concentrated in the part without the end as it takes more heat. Another thing to control as you’re learning and for that I think you want to control and limit as many variables as possible... but also do what you’re doing... just weld a lot of stuff.

  11. #41
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Adelaide
    Age
    68
    Posts
    1,373

    Default

    As others have said, start with thicker material, at least ⅛" (3 mm) and I also would suggest starting with mild steel, not stainless as it's a lot more forgiving.
    As a starting point practice just running beads on the plate, use that to get consistent with travel speed, arc gap etc. then move onto butt & fillet welds.

    2.4 tungsten, 1.6 or 2.4 filler, 100-120 amps and 8-9 lpm argon flow.

  12. #42
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Geelong, Australia
    Age
    57
    Posts
    2,651

    Default

    You could also try outside corner welds, or just 2 pieces flat together with edges aligned clamped in the vice and no filler. Just practice getting the weld pool to run.
    Something in the 2-3mm thick range for learning I reckon. Thin enough that it doesn’t take a huge amount of heat to weld but thick enough that you’ve got some time to react.
    I find that stainless is great if you nail the weld first up, but if you have to start messing with it then it’s a mongrel as it oxidizes and goes horrid.
    Brushing it with a stainless brush as it cools will remove most of the oxides that are on yours.
    Mild steel you can just keep going over with no drama so is easier to learn on IMO.

    Steve

  13. #43
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    25

    Default

    20 years ago when I was learning to tig weld (man life goes quick hey!), a guy in my class said "I can't tig welder to say my life, but I am an excellent tungsten grinder!"

    The one thing you really need (which I think you have already) is patience. When I first started I was ready give up many times but I really wanted to do it and stuck with it and it worked out. As one or two have said already, start on thicker materials (3mm or so) and check out youtube, and perhaps the Welding Tips and Tricks website also.

    If I was learning again, I would probably start on aluminium as the weld puddle size is bigger and easy to see (especially now my eyes are going) and if you master it the rest will be easier, I reckon

  14. #44
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Southern Flinders Ranges
    Posts
    1,536

    Default

    If you start on ally the learning curve is much steeper, but much faster (at least that’s how I found it). First thing I did was got 100 x 3 flat cut into bits around 100ish long. I drew lines on them 10mm apart. Then I puddled it and ran the puddle at low amperage along the lines, no filler. I used 4 or 5 of these because they get hot quick, one or two runs and put it aside to cool off. I puddled on these on both sides in both directions making a # pattern until they were a mess. Then I cut up some more and did the same thing with filler. At this point I realised my filler control sucked and started bringing my gloves and bits of rod in the house and was (much to the disdain of my other half, sitting on the couch with my gloves on feeding wire while watching TV). I was also taking my gloves and a couple of wires away to work with me so I could get more practice in (got some interesting looks practicing that on the red eye to Perth a few times). Once I got a lid on feeding wire, I bought a piece of plate about 300ish square and proceeded to lay beads. I put two full packs of filler onto that plate over a number of weeks, and went through an E bottle of gas. By this point I had grinding down to nothing more than a quick pit stop. Then I cut some more flat bar and started doing various forms of joints.. Once I had those down I started moving them out of position, I found the biggest thing with that was to get comfortable and dry run it to make sure you aren’t restricted. I read somewhere on the internet that using a metronome helps consistency, so I found YouTube’s of them and put my head phones on. That was a winner. I noticed Arron at 6061.com does the same in his YouTube videos as well when I started watching him.
    At this point I’m nowhere near an Instagram welder but I can lay a reasonably consistent looking bead, but it’s taken me several hundred hours to get to where I am with it.

    As an aside you see a lot of comments around the internet saying you must learn gas welding first before attempting TIG. I disagree with that, gas welding is a completely different process and control of the puddle is very different because the radiant heat transfer is different.

    Anywho, enough waffle, back to scheduled programming

Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123

Similar Threads

  1. Welding set up
    By Lovey71 in forum WELDING
    Replies: 41
    Last Post: 30th Sep 2017, 10:37 PM
  2. Tig welding - what else do I need ?
    By Matt_M in forum WELDING
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 23rd Apr 2015, 08:33 PM
  3. CO2 with TIG Welding????
    By iron bark in forum WELDING
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 26th Mar 2013, 06:47 PM
  4. Welding SHS
    By Karlval in forum WELDING
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 15th Apr 2009, 09:19 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •