Tig welding

[Yellow73SB]

We recently got a TIG and today I finally got around to trying it out on some steel.

I actually bonded two metal together and it looked good with good penetration using no filler. I also did a decent bead with filler.

I have a few questions, what kind of tungsten should I be using? How big of a tip for what sized steel?

Isn't the filler rod supposed to be about half the thickness of the steel?

Also it seems really hard to get the arc going initially. I'm not sure what kind of tip I was using but it was 3/32".

It's just a basic tig with no pedal. It was an attachment to a mig welder. I also have a spool gun.




And here is what I want my weld to look like

 

[Stpman]

Check out the Miller or Lincoln web sites, they have calculators that will give you all that.

 

[weez58]

I tend to be lazy. For mild steel I use 3/32" tungsten for everything from .035" thru 1/4". For mild steel use the 2% Thoriated tungsten. Some people like to use pure tungsten for aluminum. I don't bother anymore.

I wouldn't get my hopes up for having your welds look like the picture without a foot pedal. I'm not saying it can't be done.....

 

[Belgian1979vette]

As far as I know,not much difference in between welding rod materials.

Sharpening the tip for iron welding helps, for the rest it is a lot of practise, finding the right angle to tilt the handle etc...

 

[snakeater]

couple of questions.......is it a strike arc tig? Do you have to touch the metal with the tung. to get an arc or is it just a finger control on the handle of the tig torch. Finger control is the same as a foot pedal to regulate amperage( heat), strike arc is a glorified arc welder. How are you regulating shielding gas? Argon or mixture? Tig welding is easier to learn that most people think. A good way to practice for cheap is to go to a dollar store and buy a large bulk of utility razor blades. Get a small magnet and form an angle with the blades stuck together. Ground the table these are sitting on. Practice fusing them together without filler. It will seam impossible at first, then a little easier, then easy as pie. I still set my torch up this way before welding thin sheetmetal. I have a beer can around here somewhere that we cut in half and fused back together. get the hang of steel before aluminum, also you won't be able to do a weld like that without a square wave or high frequency tig (really good machines) the better the machine, the better it will weld. Cheaper machines can do a good job, but it takes alot of practice to get the stacked dimes look on your welds. Keep at it, you'll get it. snakeater

 

[MYBAD79]

And here is what I want my weld to look like

I want my welds to look like that too :lol::lol::lol: