First try at TIG
 

Ok, so I want to make a SS turbo mani, and decided I wanted a welder, so I got one, and today i tried my hand at TIG for the first time. I've arc welded here and there, and consider my self decent at it. I guess nothing ever fell apaprt that I've sticked. So, I got some els and some ts from Ace, and cut them down to make a log. Then I've used the scraps to practice.

Attachment 21571

not horrible, but not clean and neat like its supposed to be. I think it kinda looks like stick weld without the splatter.

Attachment 21572

the bottom ring there was me with it on AC by mistake. AC + SS = tungsten go bye bye. Once I figured that out, and put it on DC, things went a lot better. Also, the middle ring is where I tried a 308 stick from work. That top ring was my first try at the tig. I'm still getting used to the foot control. So what do you think, any tips/hints? Also, the tigging was done with 100% argon, 20 CFH, and some stainless filler that I could look up the number if anyone wants it.


P.S. if you ever need your tungsten grinded, let me know. Seems like I was doing it every 3 minutes so I got pretty good.

Re: First try at TIG
 

Hahahah damn...I can do soo much worse then that. :P No seriously...I had to double check to see if I got a welder cause I was burning holes though everything. lol. Now that I have my garage back and should really start using my TIG I've use like twice since last xmas.

Re: First try at TIG
 

Same here, I bought this welder in Jan '07 and this is the first time I've tried using the Tig. I can't wait to try a 90* joint, should be awesome.

Re: First try at TIG
 

Well, obviously clean your metal better. You tungsten looks contaminated. Anytime you touch with the tungsten or get anything on it STOP and regrind it. You look to welding way too hot. Hand speed is learned as well.

Re: First try at TIG
 

Yea, about the hot, I finish my weld, wait for the post flow and it is red hot for about a quarter sized spot. I had it on 125 amps and its only schedule 40 pipe. I was thinkin it was a little too warm too. Next chance I get I'll turn the heat down and see what happens. Also, I know the tungsten needs to be pure, but how can you tell if its contaminated? Like sometimes I think it gets too hot and it gets discolored for a quarter of an inch toward the tip, even when I don't touch the weld pool.

Re: First try at TIG
 

If its contaminated you may actually be able to see a green hue.

P.S. that green hue will torch your skin. make sure your covered up good while welding.

Re: First try at TIG
 

lol, yea I remember seeing that a time or two.


And I know, tig is the worst on gettin burnt because of no flux. I learned the hard way when I first started stick welding during the summer time. I almost went to the emergency room the next day cause I got blistered.

Re: First try at TIG
 

TIg welding sucks who wants too ------- clean metal when you can Blast threw it with the MIG :1

Re: First try at TIG
 

I will agree with on that but tig has the omg factor

Re: First try at TIG
 

first those welds look like ----,
second what i did my first time was just get an arc going and only have the pedal pressed down far enough to just barely even melt the metal
on stainless your pool is only going to be like 1.5T to 2T or 2 thicknesses of the metal so learn to keep it that wide, and keep the tungston like 1-2mm above the metal, thats how you get penatration. and only dip your filler when you see that pool dropping.

Re: First try at TIG
 

lol, thanks for the hints. hopefully i can improve on this next time. I was just excited I could get the metal to stick together. What would be a good amp setting for sch 40 SS?

Re: First try at TIG
 

i usually just turn it to about 150amps and just leave it there and just control what i need through the pedal.

Re: First try at TIG
 

yeah.. i was dumb ass and was welding in shorts and short sleave shirt.... :1
2hours or so...

lets say i was lucky... 1st degree burns up and down my arms and legs, Its not the fucken pain for 2 weeks its Itchy fucken skin and peeling.
i was rather be stung by 100 bee's or shot in the back with salt rock again..

its horribly frustrating.

when they say cover your ---- cover it...

Re: First try at TIG
 

I always leave my amps all the way cranked. Because I can adjust it with my foot pedal. Just get good with your pedal and never touch the amps. There nothing worse then pressing all the way down...and not getting anything to melt. Set that heat HIGH!!

Also when your doing small puddles with stainless keep the point on the tungsten sharp as possible. and grind it so that the grind marks are going toward the point. It keeps the arc from wondering.

Another good tip..When your trying to fuse tack something. Hold the tungsten close, and tramp the pedal hard and quick.

Re: First try at TIG
 

god damn quit welding on pipe now.
your technique on both is all wrong, your hands are too unsteady, there is surely tungsten inclusions (along with uncleaned base material & filler rods) everywhere. you rod angles are both wrong your electrode angles are all wrong, your travel speed is turtle slow along with your amperage being way too high which is why you've burned that stainless steel into something else.
looks worse than stick welding.
look what you need to do is spend about a month welding up 3/16" mild steel T joints until you can do something more complicated.

Drop the amperage on your TIG to 30-50amps. You do not have Michael Schumacher's 300 million dollar throttle foot. By leaving it at higher settings you're starting off with very poor resolution (too sensative) and it only gets worse as heat builds up and less amperage & more travelspeed are needed to compensate. Not to mention holding a tig pedal insessantly around 20-25% of the way down is for shitholes, while anyone slightly smarter will simply learn to set it where floored will do just a bit more than you need.
Turn your gas coverage down to 15cfh. You've no need for 20cfh.
Buy a gas lens and set it to 7.5-10cfh depending on what you're welding. (If you go weld T joints you'll be okay for what you're doing at 10cfh or slightly less on a regular descent size cup.)

Dude... Seriously... Quit welding on pipe 'cause you're jumping in a deep end that will take 500x longer to get out of by starting on pipe instead of being able to atleast run a straight bead.

And don't say you can stick metal together arc welding. Im not master arc welder but even I know how to get 7018 rods to weld themselves together by proping the stinger and wrapping the cables so don't sound like an uneducated african american. We're trying to reduce that population.




AFA the contamination, visually anytime you see the arc color change. Anytime you get the electrode too close (without touching) to anything else you'll get tungsten migration across the arc even if you don't see it. Even if you're not walking the cup. There is nothing stopping you from resting the edge of the gas lens to the workpiece to steady your hand; provided your work and travel angles are still correct.
You can also see the tungsten erroding away. You should be using a sharp tungsten with a trunctuated point. At the amperages you'll need the tungsten should not round over. (it will, but only the small trunctuated portion) It will round over, become lopsided and or fuzzy looking. Not only are you contaminating the weld, but you loose control of the arc as it starts to wander and become odd-shaped.
http://www.millerwelds.com/education...s/tungprep.jpg
When using a tungsten on ferrous materials do not grind it on anything that has ground non ferrous materials like aluminum. Tungstens are like throwing sticks in a campfire. Once it's done, it's done. Don't use it on something else b/c you're simply continuing to cross contaminate.

Re: First try at TIG
 

Thanks for the advice. I've been too busy tearin apart my 94 Si to have any free time to play with the welder anymore. But hopefully I can improve some. Once new years rolls by I want to see if there is any metal suppliers in my area I can get some steel from to practice on, because frankly all I have is sch. 40 ss pipe for manifolds and some flanges.\

I knew about the cross contamination for the grinder, so I bought a cheap Craftsman grinder, and I have dedicated the finer grit wheel to only tungsten. But can you grind different kinds (colors) of tungsten on the same wheel and not worry about contamination? I don't have a gas lense, but since everyone either 'loves theirs' or recomends it I guess I'll be making a call to Arcet or Airgas soon. Anyone know of a good place online I might find some?

Thanks,
Blake

Re: First try at TIG
 

A cheap gas lens and afew cups will cost less than $20, and atleast half your shielding gas consumption. So they basically pay for themselves in one tank or less.
http://store.weldingdepot.com/cgi/we...ml?id=b9c5vwft
You can grind all the tungstens, but don't grind one that's welded on aluminum on something else.




https://www.homemadeturbo.com/forum/...?topic=80885.0
read that thread. pretty much the same boat as he was on.

Re: First try at TIG
 

A gas lens can be nice, but I'd wait till your welding gets a bit better. Otherwise, you'll be contaminating gas lenses and then it will make crap welds until you go buy a new one.

Re: First try at TIG
 

Youd be amazed what you can do with a quality wire feed welder with some skill and patience...

Re: First try at TIG
 

practice man O0

Re: First try at TIG
 

i have seen worse weld for a first timer, but your heat was too hot and you needed to be adding more filler metal

Re: First try at TIG
 

Been there done that, except I was wearing goggles so I had raccoon face for a week. I must've had my mouth open a little bit, too, because the tip of my tongue stung for a while. :1

Colin