Learning to TIG weld

Shield Arc · Sep 6, 2012

Walking the cup video.

Walking the Cup Technique for Tig Welding - YouTube

LD1 · Sep 6, 2012

Excellent video:thumbsup:

IMO, it is most important to learn to have a steady hand FREE-HANDING. Once you get good at that, if you want to walk the cup, by all means whatever works for you. But as the video points out, there are times when that just isnt possible.

So learn to have a steady hand FIRST and FOREMOST.

Chain Bender · Sep 6, 2012

I would be "trying" t buil a complete new hull. No since in tearing up a perfectly good boat just to try to fix it!

I haven't even price the material yet. No idea what a marine grade sheet of .125" stuff goes for. I've seen some really nice ones and some really nice work tunnel hulls. That's what I'm wanting to build, a work boat to hunt and fish out off.

FredH · Sep 7, 2012

Like You , Been many years since I oxy / acet welded in high school . Never really got the hang of it then , so really doubt I would have the patience to try tig , Even though I watched my Dad weld a complete rear quarter panel on a '59 ford using nothing but a torch and 3 foot pieces of old bailing wire that I had to straighten and cut to length for him .

Here is a picture of the type boat we use to have . All Aluminum , Seen the damage one took when it hit a boulder running 40+ mph in the Rogue River here in Southern Oregon . Never broke through the hull , just a dent the size of a grapefruit which then tapered down to a 3+ foot long scratch . Bottom thickness on ours was .190 , while sides were .125 . , So , depending on what water you would be in , may consider a thicker size ??

This is the company , Fishrite Boats | Custom Aluminum Fishing Boats , ( pretty cool place , although there are several boats always being built at one time , only one welder ever works on your boat . If they are sick for a few days , ( ours was ) , your boat sits . They take a lot of pride in their workmanship as the actual serial number / Vin number includes the welder's initials ) . Sold it when my Father-in-law past away as both the better half and myself just could not get into using it anymore .

Fred H.

cqaigy2 · Sep 7, 2012

FredH said:
Like You , Been many years since I oxy / acet welded in high school . Never really got the hang of it then , so really doubt I would have the patience to try tig , Even though I watched my Dad weld a complete rear quarter panel on a '59 ford using nothing but a torch and 3 foot pieces of old bailing wire that I had to straighten and cut to length for him .

Here is a picture of the type boat we use to have . All Aluminum , Seen the damage one took when it hit a boulder running 40+ mph in the Rogue River here in Southern Oregon . Never broke through the hull , just a dent the size of a grapefruit which then tapered down to a 3+ foot long scratch . Bottom thickness on ours was .190 , while sides were .125 . , So , depending on what water you would be in , may consider a thicker size ??

This is the company , Fishrite Boats | Custom Aluminum Fishing Boats , ( pretty cool place , although there are several boats always being built at one time , only one welder ever works on your boat . If they are sick for a few days , ( ours was ) , your boat sits . They take a lot of pride in their workmanship as the actual serial number / Vin number includes the welder's initials ) . Sold it when my Father-in-law past away as both the better half and myself just could not get into using it anymore .

Fred H.

I've had some yummy salmon out of the Rouge, sushi grade

I learn to weld oxy acetylene, because that's all that was available, and found similar skill set with Tig.

FosterDake · Sep 9, 2012

Chain Bender said:
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

TIG is a good skill to learn. Just got my tig welding certification last august and I'm practicing constantly with a lot of scrap metals. It's really hard to master you need to practice, practice practice.

jwmorris · Sep 21, 2012

I would get the best machine you can afford. If you get a good deal on an old Miller syncrowave ($1000-1500) on craigslist and it turns out you don't like the process resell it, won't loose a dime. Buy new cheap China junk and you won't like the process and can't get rid of it.

As you stick and mig already I'll assume you want it for aluminum and/or precision work. You don't want scratch start for either.

Once you have your machine gather up some cans and start welding. Welding thicker metal is always easy and you really learn how to control your heat.

Rock knocker · Sep 21, 2012

jwmorris said:

So much for the root, now get to work on the hot

undercut · Sep 21, 2012

I've learned a bunch from this web site. He's pretty down to earth and has a lot of useful, pragmatic tips for the TIG welder:

Tig Welding Machine

He's got a video webpage too. Can learn a lot from watching his technique too.

Tig - welding-tv.com | welding-tv.com

Cheers!