Tig Tips

[Camaro Zach]

if you have any tips or questions post up and maybe we can help eachother out or Matt can show us all up lol..


Matt - i figured out why my previous 2 attempts were poor, the tungsten was not sticking far enough out of the cup. I had it about 3/16" and it should be about 3/8" (for this cup, yes its massive) Also found some 3/32 filler.

I think i had it a bit too hot and again the weld is too large. And i was experimenting with some different hand positions so some are a bit wavy ~~~

Does it look like i should be doing anything drastically different? or just fine tune from where i am at.

[68protouring454]

looks good, i am no matt, but i may be able to help.
what thickness metal is that?? filler looks too large, it looks like you got the handle on it so i would go down to 1/16th filler, also use 1/16th tungsten, red stripe top, is 2 % thoriated, and 3/8 is way too much tungsten sticking out, usually maybe 1/4 at most, what is your gas flowing at?? around 15-20 is good for steel, also get a gas lens collet body as it dispearses the gas so much nicer and is a huge difference, you will need some gas lens collet bodys also, gas lens's are like 3-4 bucks, but well worth it. also get some super clean metal as tig is very sensative to rust, grinding disk left on metal and so on, maye get some 1/8 plate thats new and just wipe down and weld no griniding.
nice work

[Camaro Zach]

Day 3.
That metal was 1/8" and yea the filler is too large but it is all we have at the moment. I dont remember the diameter of the tungsten but it is the Red. and 3/8-1/4 is not too much for this specific torch if its shorter there is no way you could weld a t-joint. The gas is about 20 and im pretty sure the torch im using has a gas lens collet body on it, ill take a pic tomorrow when i assemble it. The new 1/8 plate we have is all hot forged so it requires grinding anyways.
here is my 2nd bead today (first one was dialing in the machine) but i think again the weld is too large and too concave but my instructor was impressed and jealous haha. 3/16" plate and 1/8" filler (because thats all i could find today)

[68protouring454]

i have talked with matt in great lengths about al of this for a few years.
he never recomends having more than 1/4 of tungsten stiking out no matter what gun, you want the collet body about 1/8th off work so you get good gas coverage, this is why it is so important to be in a very comfortable position when welding, as you want torch about straight up, maybe at most a 15 degree angle, but goodluck, looks good
jake

[Matt@RFR]

Jake, meet Zach. Zach, meet Jake. Two good friends of mine, via the internet.

Zach, looks DAMN DAMN good bro. I don't have much time right now, but we'll talk after SEMA for sure. Keep at it. And yes, you are using a gas lens right now.

Jake, he's using a big ass cup on the torch, so the tungsten stick out is required to get it into the throat of a fillet.

[68protouring454]

i like deep throats

[Travis B]

i like deep throats

I thought they were a necessity....lol

[Camaro Zach]

hahaha

thanks matt, have fun at Sema

[Camaro Zach]

pretty much havent tigged since my last post since i was recruited in class to teach the 2nd year students how to mig weld

but found a piece of 1/8" stainless plate in the scrap bin so i decided to try out tigging it. sorry do not know the alloy**
think i should go a bit faster and space my swoops or (((( out farther, what do you think? slowed down at the end and got a bit hot too

[Matt@RFR]

...recruited in class to teach the 2nd year students how to mig weld .

Did that come with a pay raise?

think i should go a bit faster and space my swoops or (((( out farther, what do you think?

No, and no. Aside from a very slight lack of consistency in bead width, I would hire you tommorow. Size and coloring (heat, arc length and gas coverage) are spot on dude.

Your challenge for next time: With the same settings and smaller filler, run a weld half that size.

[Mean 69]

We could use a really good fabricator at our place. The one we have is "pretty" good, but everytime someone tells him his welds look good, he gets all googly-eyed, and he needs a torch stuck up his booty to bring him back down to earth. Worst of all, I am not allowed to do ANY welding in my own damn shop anymore, it just doesn't seem fair.

So. Cal. isn't as bad as outsiders make it seem, you know.
Mark

[Matt@RFR]

Get back to work.