Learning to TIG weld

[Chain Bender]

I've always been intrigued by TIG welding and wanted to try/learn it. I am fairly proficient with a stick or mig, but I don't think those skills will carry over much into TIG welding. Am I right and how hard is it to learn....proficiently. What would be a good machine for a rookie starting out?

tks in advance,
C. Bender

 

[Shield Arc]

Why not start out with a scratch start Tig rig? That way if you don't like it, you're not out all that much money. Few things about Tig welding. You need a good flexible glove on your torch hand, because you always seem to slide the torch hand on the material being welded. And when your hand is burning it is very hard to stay still! Think out of the box, just because you're right handed, don't think there is any rules saying you have to use the right hand to hold the torch! It takes more skill to feed the rod than to hold a torch still, especially if you're sliding the torch along with your hand resting on the material. Get a piece of Tig rod right now, while setting watching TV or just plain doing nothing, practice feeding rod with both hands! This is the hardest thing to learn about Tig welding.

 

[k0ua]

I am doing scratch start TIG with my Everlast PA160, and it works well. After a while you get to hankering for a pedal and HF start and the ability to taper off. Just like everything else you always want more after you get into a process. I am thinking about upgrading to this newer model with HF and the pedal.. If I could only find the money...Here is a video of a complete project using the PA160sth. It is pretty impressive for a small inexpensive unit in my opinion.

weldingtipsandtricks - YouTube

James K0UA

 

[LD1]

What are you wanting to be able to tig? If you want one just for stainless or mild steel, then you can get by pretty in-expensively. But If you want to do aluminum, that requires an AC machine and the cost goes up.

Tig welding is an artform. And it is difficult to learn. You need to start by doing ALOT of reading and watching videos. That will give you the "concept" of what needs to happen. After you understand the concepts (when to dip rod, when to advance, etc) its all about practice. If you have a set of O/A torches, throw a welding tip on and practice gas welding. Its the same principal and closest to tig welding in technique. But mig and stick isnt really a good comparison. Those are easy forms to weld, and dont require both hands. You also need a really good helmet. Cause with Tig, it is all about puddle control. You have to be able to see what it is doing.

 

[nybirdman]

The very best tig welders walk the cup not drag your hand across hot metal.There is a learning curve.With tig;what you see is what you get unlike stick welding.

 

[yomax4]

If you don't have a tig welder yet but you do have oxy/acet. You can practice torch welding to get the idea. Good Torch Welders make good Tig Welders.

 

[brain55]

I'd say check your local community college. I took two semesters of tig welding. It changed everything about my welding. I really learned about puddle control which made me a better welder in the other processes too.

 

[Chain Bender]

Thanks for your responses. I do have a set of O/A tanks and cut fairly well. I haven't done any welding or brazing with a torch since high school and that was a long long time ago. We always used a coat hanger and a can of flux. I'm sure there is a better stick wot O/A weld with though.

I've got a notion to build me a 17' tunnel hull aluminum boat for the river. I feel like I could do an adequate job with a mig and aluminum wire. Just surveying my choices.

tks,
CB

 

[Shield Arc]

I've got a notion to build me a 17' tunnel hull aluminum boat for the river. I feel like I could do an adequate job with a mig and aluminum wire. Just surveying my choices.

tks,
CB

Like LD1 says, if you plan on getting into aluminum Tig welding, dust off your wallet, and take a few aspirin because this is gonna hurt!

The very best tig welders walk the cup not drag your hand across hot metal.

You need to do a little more reading about Tig welding. In the county I live in there are three major Navy facilities. A Trident submarine base, and a ship yard. The weldors in these Navy yards are never allowed to touch the cup to the base material! And that is even when welding pipe, walking the cup is strictly forbidden!

 

[AGRIMAN]

My brother is a certified welder and has been doing millwright work for the last 25 years. He welds just about every day on something and welds both stick and TIG. The majority of the TIG welding is done on stainless and he loves it.

I have a project going on in my shop that requires some stainless so I added a TIG rig. Nothing fancy, just a scratch unit that hooks to my stick welder. He says you are not a TIG welder unless you can “walk the cup”. He has been teaching me how to do it and he sure makes it look easy. He says the most important thing is learning to relax your arm and don’t force it.

+1 on the Tunnel Hull, they are nice! I’m guessing you have priced a new hull too huh? I have also thought about it, are thinking about building a complete hull or just modifying one?