Learning TIG welding

[1 2many]

Hi guys .I scored myself an ac/dc 200 amp tig welder now i have to learn how to drive it, they say it is an aquired skill and takes lots of practice to master a good weld. Any way was wondering if anyone had some good links on tutorials and or videos that could help my cause .Cheers :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Sam.]

Surely youtube would have the goods they got tutes on everything :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[1 2many]

I know about the YouTube vids but didn't want to sit through the whole lot I thought maybe someone might have a good
Link .cheers ;-)

[Sam.]

I know about the YouTube vids but didn't want to sit through the whole lot I thought maybe someone might have a good
Link .cheers ;-)

I'm sure there are guys here that can give you some insight, but may be one of things that it would be a monster post or maybe it all about practice.

Don't really know as I can't weld for shit 8-}

[1 2many]

yeh your probably write .Looks like a demon i will have to conquer my self .Getting a job has just made things more difficult lol.as far as learning on this awesome site.I will just have to do the hard yards .Thanks for input :smile: :smile:

[Sam.]

yeh your probably write .Looks like a demon i will have to conquer my self .Getting a job has just made things more difficult lol.as far as learning on this awesome site.I will just have to do the hard yards .Thanks for input :smile: :smile:

No probs mate, sorry I can't really help.

Someone might still jump in with some pearls of wisdom for you :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Probably good to know how well you can weld with stick or MIG?

[emptyglass]

What sort of starting technique does your new box use?
The common ones are scratch, lift (lift tig), or high frequency (HF start)
Do you have to strike the tip across the work to get an arc? (scratch)
What happens if you jab the tip on the job and gently lift it to get an arc? (lift tig)
Does it have a button on the hand peice? (probably HF start)

You wont get an arc without gas on some machines, others will just fry the tip away with no gas. You need straight argon, typically. Try and get a flow meter and fixed pressure reg (I've seen some guy here use a flow meter for a boka take off valve), they are better than adjustable regs.
You need thoriated electrodes (red tip) for stainless, but ceriated (off white) seem to work ok as general purpose.
Sharpen your tip on a griding wheel from a centre puch shape to a scriber shape, depending on the job at hand.

Other than that, if you can flame weld (not solder,weld) then you already know the technique, if you've done a bit of stick welding your not far, and if you can mig weld you got a leg up.
Melt, dab, melt, dab and repeat.

All the best.

[1 2many]

Mate its a cheap chinese model attempted to read the instruction manual as i am a nerd and always do but i will be f#cked
if you can make any sense out of it.It does have a switch on the torch and well i will give you pic might give you more info

ACDC tig.jpg

Does that help you EG.Cheers :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[emptyglass]

Cant really see much, the flash has drowned out the details, but suffice to say its a well featured unit.
You have got more things there than you'll know what to do with.
You might have things like up-slope, pulse frequency, pulse current, down slope. Try and make sense of the manwel, and try and turn all the feature off or down. You can experiment with them in time.

Its an AC capable welder, so you will have a hot start button on the handpeice. This starts the weld and turns it off. There will probably be a setting for 2T and 4T or similar. This means you press and release the button, weld starts, press and release and weld stops (4T) or press and hold for weld start and release for weld stop (2T).
With HF start or hot start, you put the tip where you want it, and squeeze the button.

You might even have pre and post flow, that just turns the gas solenoid on or off before or after the weld (long duration post flow is good for thin stuff)

AC is used for aluminium welding with a zirconated tip ground to a ball shape, but thats down the track.

Most of the crap on the panel looks like its pictorial. Good luck translating them and the manual. Get a better/clearer pic up and we might be able to make some sense of it. While your there, take one of the handpeice, it might have remote amp control. Also the rear.

[1 2many]

Thanks eg i think your on the money as far as controls go i will get another couple of pics tomoro as for yea instuc shett will give you a sample of that two WAFJ .Cheers mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[emptyglass]

Just to clarify, I meant the rear of the unit, not your rear.
I don't want the picture I have in my mind spoit just yet.

Since you scored a $1200 to $1500 unit for nicks, I think a joke at your rears expense is called for. :teasing-tease:

[DrunkASAskunk]

Hi 1 2many I think the best way and probly the most ezy way would be to fined someone that can give you some of there time and show you how to tig. It is one of those things that will be alot ezyer to be shown. Its a art of its own but once you have been shown how to tig you wont stop. Ow and also get your self a good welding helmet as tig is very bright. Much brighter than normal welding. You will need to nomber 10 glass for your helmet if you got the old type.

[googe]

Good score mate!!! :handgestures-thumbupleft: . You mean this one empty?. Some guy :crying-blue: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2211 :teasing-neener:

[1 2many]

Gday DrunkASAskunk if only i did know some one that would tig it would be a bonus. :handgestures-thumbdown:

WineGlass Here are a few more pics of the machine including the rear end shot lol

tig machine (Copy).jpg

rear end (Copy).jpg

tig torch (Copy).jpg

:D :D

[1 2many]

forgot to mention i have a solar auto mask that works well with the ark infact i can't see a bloody thing out of it ,it
has all the adjustments trim pots but from being outside and welding in the sun soon as the arc starts i can't see shit so i think i will be coveredin this area.
I will need to get some tungston rods ,sexy gloves , an argon tank and a regulator witch brings me to my question
i have an idea how regs work but i see some with a glass tube does that measure the ltr p/m ? Can you use a co2 reg i already have one from kegging beer, and is there any cheap ones that can be recomended.Cheers :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[DrunkASAskunk]

i was just looking at inverter welders on ebay and saw this mate
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Argon-Gas-Re ... 1c30b0fe76

When im out in the shed later i will check mine to see if it is the same. That price is prity good

[1 2many]

Cheers DrunkASAskunk thats given me the heads up on type of reg thanks i was kind of expecting to pay $60 -120 but i can live with that :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[emptyglass]

You read the panel from left to right, thats how the weld goes.
Arc force. Leave it set in the middle untill you want to play with it.
Pre flow will purge the area of atmosphere. About 1/2 to 1 secs is enough. When you hit the trigger, gas will start before the current starts, by how much you set.
Pulse freq. The oscillation speed of the pulse.
Peak current is just that. Thats the max current through the weld process.
Pulse duty is how long the oscilation of the pulse takes
Base current is the lowest current the pulse will reach before ramping up again.
Clean area, not sure. Might use some arc to help clean the weld?
Down slope is a gradual taper down of power after you take your finger off the trigger.

To start off, leave things set where they are pictured, except for the peak current. Set that according to the job.
From there, start playing with the foot pedal, you might need to muck with the settings to get it working.
Pulse is fantastic once you get it set right for the job, it ramps the current up and down, giving the metal a chance to solidify before the next puddle forms. Also gives a clean weld.
You can get a longer back cap for the torch, this save having to snap the tungstens in half.
You will also need a ceramic gas diffuser, they screw on the front of the torch.

You got a pretty good machine there mate. Hot start and self darkening sheild, the bloody thing will do the welding for you! I can't comment on how it would go in a workshop with rough guys throwing it around, but it should serve you well on the bench.
Oh yeah, your rear is pretty plain. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[1 2many]

Thanks WineGlass that has helped me heaps :handgestures-thumbupleft: Still above me but i will try to figure it out i
appreciate your time thanks :-D
By the way it does have that long tail fitting for longer rods, and what sort of a gas consumption do these things take
thats what scares me $$$$

[emptyglass]

The stubby back cap is good for tight places.
You'll figure out what matters. It will get clearer each time you look.
If you plan on doing a bit, get a good reg and flowmeter (maybe $200 clams?), you will save gas. Might get one on ebay, or the dude that you got the machine from.
There is a good reason for being as economical as you can with gas, now we can move on to different jokes about your rear, and how sore it will be when you come home with that fancy bottle of gas. Careful on what rental deal you do.
There was a thread about some new gas company not long ago, they might be worth investigating.

You can use as little as 3 litres a min, but if you are outside, using high amps, you might need to screw it up to 15L/M.
Either way, you wont join metal for nothing. You'll also need filler material to suit the job.