first fitment is key with thin guage metal as there isn't ---- to work with.... you have that pretty much covered. then lets talk about the cleaning. go out and buy a good hand grinder and a set of flap disk's.... they make taking down burs and what ever super quick. then a quick pass of the wire wheel will clean it up ready for welding.

now i don't do a root pass on a collector or on thin guage as it is not needed. now i use about 40-50 amps on 16guage, then dab the filler at the leading edge of the puddle but do not keep the filler to close to the torch as it will want to bal up causing you to add to much at one time. about the top of the collector you shouldn't have to extent out your tungsten more... as a general rule i like to have my tungsten ground about double the thickness of the tungten. and i stick it about roughly 1/8"-1/4" depending on what i'm doing.

post up some pics of your plate welds... also some fillet welds etc.....

 

thanks for the replies and the tips. definitely some things to try for the next practice one. i don't have any pictures but just these of beads on a plate, not joining plates.


i think i dab my filler too often. and any idea what creates the dimple at the end of the bead? when i end the arc i try to keep the torch there for a good 5 seconds for some post flow.

-Luke

 

i have never used the scratch start tig, but i think since you dont have a foot pedal you cant slowly back off of the power. i have always used a foot pedal and never gotten that little dimple before. your beads dont look too bad though. i think you are on the right track

 

yah i hate the scratch start

to control the heat i have to just control torch to material gap. further away = hotter, bring it closer = cooler. but still, it means i always have a slightly contamenated tungsten because i have to touch the material to start the arc.

i'll try to find out of i can somehow convert to a peddle but i don't think i can, not with this welder.

btw here it is:



-Luke

 

you can use that method to a point but getting too far or too close can cause problems too

 

yes definitly! like improper gas coverage. i think those dimples are from when i pull away the torch to break the arc, it goes slightly hot for a second enough to melt a dimple into the bead?

i'll be off on vacation for a week but when i get back im going to order up a gas lense setup for the torch. i keep hear a lot of rav about them and how much better the dispurse the gas.

-Luke

 

wow that welder is tiny, and that bottle is soo cute!!! aww haha
a bottle that size wouldn't even last me 6 hours

 

nice job luke, now that i know you have a bandsaw and a tig, i might have to finally meet you, lol.

 

You can put a pedal on that machine.
Take the potentiometer thats behind the amperage **** out, extend the wiring, and put it into a pedal for a sewing machine or a video game system. Thats how I would have done it (had the guy I bought my HF TIG from not already done it). It works really really well. My pedal is a MadCatz game pedal for a N64, he got it for like $10.

 

its an inverter tig, they are small, high duty cycle, and low amp draw.

ftw!