Advice for a TIG beginner?

[CincyFlyer]

One other thing that I've done with TIG is to weld extensions onto broken off studs and bolts, even if they are threaded into aluminum. Besides giving you something to grip, the heat appears to break the bond between the threads, allowing easier extraction. And if it doesn't work, you can still drill the darned thing out (but I don't recall that happening.)

 

[California]

K0ua shows alot of stuff that can be done with a tig, that is very hard if not impossible to do by other processes.

The precision and control of TIG is unparalleled. One of my favorite processes.

Have you ever had to weld a nut to something? Or weld on a bolt? I have many times for "farm type" repairs.

Thats no problem at all with a tig. Need to weld a new 1/4-20 backer nut to a piece of sheetmetal for a fender or something? Tig makes it childs play compared to stick.

Or welding up cracks in something.....tig is my go-to. Because you can control how much filler you are cramming in there. You can take the time to melt and re-weld the metal all the way to the bottom of the crack.

And

weld extensions onto broken off studs and bolts

Now everyone's convincing me I need to get set up properly for TIG! Those are all applications I could use.


Aside from the bedframe/tray chassis described above, here are typical past projects:

Fabricated a drawbar from junk materials for a spike harrow. Ground through most of the rust then used the big ac stick welder.

The completed drawbar project including a 3-point lifter built from exercise machine parts.

Detail. I welded 'ears' on the lifter mast to pin it to the Qhitch. This was the last thing I used the AC HF-90 flux welder on before I replaced it with a DC 110v welder.

... And a trailer hitch welded to front bucket using the DC 110v Century-135 welder that replaced the AC-only HF-90. The Century did much nicer work. I recently sold the Century for what I had paid for it. (The HF Mig-180 duplicated it and also does more).

 

[LD1]

I wasn't going to post again, but you've tossed out some bad info that needs to be corrected.

Perhaps you need to read again and you will see that there was NO bad info in my post.

Straight Argon IS used for welding Aluminum. It's the most common gas for welding Aluminum.

Agree and agree. I never said otherwise.

But perhaps in your haste, you overlooked (AGAIN) that this is a DC only machine.

As I said.....Lacking AC on the welder, you cannot weld aluminum with straight argon. Where is the bad info in that?

 

[dfkrug]

The first man that can weld up some copper crush washers out of some No. 10 copper wire with his 230 amp AC stick welder gets my undying admiration. Or for that matter can do any of the projects I featured in the above post.

Those are some good TIG examples, James.

Note that the cheap Chinese TIG machines from the likes of HarborFright are DC-only, and intended for steel.
HF has just started selling a whole new line of welders by Vulcan now, and still no AC TIG. DC MIG with Argon does
work OK in my experience on Al, even without a spool gun.

As for using a 230Amp AC buzz box for scratch TIG, I have tried that with Al and Argon, but was never
able to start an arc. DC on the same arc welder worked well with stainless, however. Not so well with
carbon steel. I wonder: do you think TIG welding copper without high freq start is possible? Or
will it be like Al.

 

[k0ua]

Those are some good TIG examples, James.

Note that the cheap Chinese TIG machines from the likes of HarborFright are DC-only, and intended for steel.
HF has just started selling a whole new line of welders by Vulcan now, and still no AC TIG. DC MIG with Argon does
work OK in my experience on Al, even without a spool gun.

As for using a 230Amp AC buzz box for scratch TIG, I have tried that with Al and Argon, but was never
able to start an arc. DC on the same arc welder worked well with stainless, however. Not so well with
carbon steel. I wonder: do you think TIG welding copper without high freq start is possible? Or
will it be like Al.

I welded those washers up with a scratch start DC only stick machine. My Everlast PA160. With a 17V tig torch from ebay and a $26 regulator and a bottle of argon. I used some 24 gauge copper telephone wire I stripped and twisted two pieces together for filler. No HF start anywhere in sight. I am sorry to say.

 

[k0ua]

I tried to weld some aluminum with my DC only Argon only scratch start TIG rig. I knew better, but thought, "lets see what happens". What a mess. It didn't work at all. And since it is not supposed to work, I didn't spend any time with it.

 

[woodlandfarms]

My wife bought me a scratch start kit wit argon for my everlast stick 200. It is way cool process. But my problem is that the everlast runs hot. Thin stuff is not possible in my setup so I am going to call mark for a real tig setup. Not sure if I need a cooler or not but it all has to clear with sfo anyway.

 

[Fallon]

My wife bought me a scratch start kit wit argon for my everlast stick 200. It is way cool process. But my problem is that the everlast runs hot. Thin stuff is not possible in my setup so I am going to call mark for a real tig setup. Not sure if I need a cooler or not but it all has to clear with sfo anyway.

You need a cooler when your torch & cable get to got to hold. Happens a bit with my Miller Maxstar 200dx when I'm running over 100@ for more than 10ish minutes pretty much straight. I just stop & let things cool down. Depending on how much fitting you need to do it may or may not be an issue.

 

[sd455dan]

Those are some good TIG examples, James.

Note that the cheap Chinese TIG machines from the likes of HarborFright are DC-only, and intended for steel.
HF has just started selling a whole new line of welders by Vulcan now, and still no AC TIG. DC MIG with Argon does
work OK in my experience on Al, even without a spool gun.

As for using a 230Amp AC buzz box for scratch TIG, I have tried that with Al and Argon, but was never
able to start an arc. DC on the same arc welder worked well with stainless, however. Not so well with
carbon steel. I wonder: do you think TIG welding copper without high freq start is possible? Or
will it be like Al.

HF has just started selling a whole new line of welders by Vulcan now, and still no AC TIG.


Au Contraire

The Vulcan Pro Tig 200 AC/DC does in fact have A/C welding capability

Harbor Freight even advertises that the welder has Outstanding Tig Aluminum welding Performance

What it does not have is A/C stick welding ability- but any old buzz box can take care of that if needed

 

[LD1]

Why would anyone want to stick weld on AC I'd a DC machine is available