How hard is TIG to learn

dragoneggs · May 31, 2016

Shield Arc said:
Oh it's not me! My Miller Dynasty 300 gets all the credit. I just turn it on, and get welds like that!

And only about two weeks of practice

IslandTractor · Jun 1, 2016

Shield Arc said:
Once the copper gets heated up, you have to start backing off the power. Another reason for a foot pedal. Same with Tig welding aluminum.

Nice....but why use TIG for copper? Wouldn't oxy/acetylene or ???propane do just as well?? No fancy schmanzy equipment or gas either.

Edit: after a bit of Googling....copper welds with oxyfuel tend to be brittle due to oxidation.

k0ua · Jun 1, 2016

IslandTractor said:
Nice....but why use TIG for copper? Wouldn't oxy/acetylene or ???propane do just as well?? No fancy schmanzy equipment or gas either.

Edit: after a bit of Googling....copper welds with oxyfuel tend to be brittle due to oxidation.

The TIG torch is also quite a bit cheaper to run, and the HAZ is much more precise.

IslandTractor · Jun 1, 2016

k0ua said:
The TIG torch is also quite a bit cheaper to run, and the HAZ is much more precise.

Is HAZ much of an issue with copper???

I love the precision of TIG but oxyfuel with the right torch can be pretty precise too. And, copper is so soft that solder and ?brazing would be just about as good as welding. (Not sure if you can braze copper but if so then it would be just about as strong as a copper weld).

nikerret · Jun 1, 2016

I recently took an introductory welding class, at the local tech college. You can read about my experience, here:
Welding class starts, tomorrow! - The Garage Journal Board

bigdeano · Jun 1, 2016

Silver soldering works great on copper. Easier than welding because it flows around the whole joint by itself.

k0ua · Jun 1, 2016

bigdeano said:
Silver soldering works great on copper. Easier than welding because it flows around the whole joint by itself.

Sure, but you saw that brass fitting that Shield Arc Tigg'ed up... ya gotta admit, that was a work of art!. Silver solder can't hold a candle to that!

dragoneggs · Jun 2, 2016

k0ua said:
Sure, but you saw that brass fitting that Shield Arc Tigg'ed up... ya gotta admit, that was a work of art!. Silver solder can't hold a candle to that!

But, but you can hold a candle to the silver solder! Ha.

Morning Wood · Jun 2, 2016

If you want to do thicker metal than get a larger 240 volt mig welder. A tig machine and torch that will run over 200 amps is going to get pricey and you'll also need a water cooled torch. IMO you will still need multiple passes with a tig if you are doing thick enough metal. Plus, a tig requires better setup for me because you need to comfortably run the torch and feed the rod into the puddle. I love tig, but it can be time consuming with the wrong workspace.

IslandTractor · Jun 2, 2016

I have limited TIG experience but I'd be concerned about torch heat when TIG welding thick metal. There's a reason most TIG welding is done on sheet rather than plate. I don't doubt there are industrial setups that manage the heat well (water cooled torch to start with) but most of us only have air cooled torches and they can get uncomfortably hot even when TIG welding relatively thin (12 gauge) material for a while. I think of TIG for precision work. I'd rather figure out a way to use MIG spray transfer for thicker metal. Looks almost as nice as TIG.