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How to Weld - TIG Welding

by stasterisk on July 3, 2007 Table of Contents License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro: How to Weld - TIG Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 1: Choose the Electrode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 2: Grind the Electrode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 3: Insert the Electrode Into Its Collet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 4: Choose the Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 5: Turn on the Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 6: Prepare Metal and Welding Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 7: Get Dressed Up! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 8: One Last Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 9: Weld! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 10: Draw a Bead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 11: Types of Welds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 2 3 3 4 5 5 6 7 7 9 9

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/

License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa) Intro: How to Weld - TIG Welding
TIG Welding is one type of welding amongst a few choices you have - MIG, Stick, Oxyacetylene, etc. TIG can be used to weld copper, titanium, even two dissimilar metals, and is handy for making tricky welds (e.g. s-curves, or welds on round things).. TIG generates heat via an arc of electricity jumping from a (tungsten metal) electrode to the metal surfaces you intend to weld - usually aluminum or steel. TIG stands for Tungsten Inert Gas, after the tungsten electrode, and the sheath of inert gas (argon or an argon mixture) surrounding it. Big thanks to Mose O'Griffin, who narrated, taught, and demonstrated. Also, If you're interested in MIG welding, see this instructable :

step 1: Choose the Electrode

Your TIG is likely to have the right electrode in it already. For aluminum, the best choice is a pure tungsten rod. You can alternately choose from any number of tungsten alloys (including thoriated tungsten - which is radioactive!) which are uniquely suited to welding particular alloys of metal. For reference, this example uses the specific alloy 6061 Aluminum (the "steak and potatoes" or "normal" type of aluminum)

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/

step 2: Grind the Electrode

Grind the tungsten rod to a point. Do this, especially if the rod is a brand-new cylinder and doesn't have a pointed or rounded tip yet. The tip will become rounded due to heat as you weld. Lincoln recommends a balled tip for AC welding, and a pointed tip for DC welding. The pointed tip will give a smaller, more directed arc. The arc will tend to dance around, when from a rounded tip.

step 3: Insert the Electrode Into Its Collet

Unscrew the back of the electrode holder, insert the rod, replace back. The tip of the electrode should be about 1/4" away from the protective sheath, but not much more. Skip this if you already have your electrode ready. Shown below are two different types of electrode holders.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/

Image Notes 1. "Gas Lens" electrode gun - purportedly creates nicer gas flow over your work 2. standard electrode gun

step 4: Choose the Settings

The typical TIG rig will have three main electricity options - AC, DCEP, and DCEN. AC is for aluminum - choose "AC". Set the "Cleaning/Penetrating" setting to the more "Penetrating" side - around 7 on a scale from 1 to 10. Set the "Air on" to about 5 seconds, if you have the option to do so. This is the amount of time the gas stays on after the arc stops, to keep your weld from oxidizing/rusting. Set the "Max Amps" pretty high - perhaps around 250. For specific settings, check out Miller's settings calculator. For the curious: Cleaning/Penetrating is a modification to the positive/negative ratio of the AC that changes the depth of your weld (cleaning is more shallow). DCEP means "DC, Electrode Postive". This setting is used for balling the tungsten tip, or stick welding. DCEN means "DC, Electrode Negative", and is for welding steel. The difference between the two DC settings is the direction the electricity flows - to the metal from the electrode, or to the electrode from the metal. This makes a big difference in the amount of heat the metal absorbs, and the width and depth of the weld.

Image Notes 1. High quality welder settings - sets the pulse to high frequency for welding aluminum. 2. High quality welder settings - sends an initial high frequency pulse to start the weld pool, when welding steel. 3. AC - Aluminum 4. DCEN - Steel setting 5. DC, Electrode Positive 6. Air post-flow time

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/

7. Amperage - the current setting 8. Cleaning/Penetrating

step 5: Turn on the Gas

For aluminum, use pure argon. For steel, you would use an argon/carbon dioxide mixture. The gas is important to keep the weld from becoming corroded, as metal will rust (or in the case of aluminum, oxidize) ridiculously quickly at the high temperatures the metal reaches.

step 6: Prepare Metal and Welding Table

Some kind of large metallic area is necessary to let electricity flow through your metal. We're using a welding table, purchased for the purpose. Otherwise, a large piece of sheet metal will do perfectly well (just make sure it's flat). Beauty Tip: Use a wire brush to scrub the surfaces of the metal. It's good practice to keep a dedicated aluminum brush (separate from what you use to clean steel). If you want really nice-looking welds, you can also wipe down the welding rods with acetone. If you don't care about the way the welds look when finished, don't bother and you'll be fine. However, your welds will be a little weaker and not as pretty. Clamp your metals so they'll stay where you want them when you weld. And, if you have the stuff, spray down your welding table with anti-spatter (so if any metal leaks off, it doesn't stick where it lands, which is important if you're trying to keep your surface flat).

Image Notes 1. Make a good ground clamp contact on the metal weld table

Image Notes 1. Anti-spatter spray 2. pieces of aluminum to weld 3. welding rod 4. welding helmets 5. welding table

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/

Image Notes 1. Tip: Use dedicated aluminum brush to prevent specks of other metals from contaminating the final product.

Image Notes 1. notice the difference between brushed and oxidized aluminum.

step 7: Get Dressed Up!

TIG will give you sunburns. TIG will make you see stars (or go blind). TIG will burn your hands. Use thick leather welding gloves, and a welding helmet, and closed-toe shoes. To avoid sunburn, wear a long-sleeved shirt or jacket, or a welding coat. Clean your helmet - the better you can see what you're doing, the better you can weld. Some people like auto-darkening welding helmets. Others don't like relying on the device's reaction time - you have to invest a lot, to get a good-quality, fast one. We're using always-dark helmets. You might use a bright flashlight, if you want to see what you are doing without lifting your helmet.

Image Notes 1. leather welding jacket

Image Notes 1. jacket, gloves 2. welding mask

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/

Image Notes 1. disclaimer!

step 8: One Last Check

Hold the electrode in your dominant hand. Make sure it can move freely (untangled, unhampered cord).

Image Notes 1. Plenty of freedom to move with extra cable

step 9: Weld!
Hold the electrode about an inch away from the metal. Never touch the metal with the electrode. If you do, molten aluminum will leap onto the electrode. If this happens, stop, turn off the welder, remove the tungsten rod, and grind it down. Jam down on the foot-pedal to quickly dump a bunch of current and heat into the metal. The idea is to very quickly heat the metal and start the weld pool. You'll know it when you see it - the metal becomes fluid. Start on an edge. When the pool has formed, touch the rod in. If you heat the metal for too long, it will warp. The longer the metal is heated, the more it will warp. This is a "tack" weld, to hold the metal piece in place, so you can take off the clamps and do big long bead welds.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/

Once you have a weld pool started, you can ease off the pedal a little, to control the amount of heat and current being applied to the metal. Welds shrink as they cool, so you can alternate sides to keep the welds even, and to keep one side of metal from getting too hot and warping. Hot metal can warp a great deal, and if you don't change sides, you might find yourself even 1/4" off of where the metal ought to be.

Image Notes 1. foot pedal

Image Notes 1. hand pedal - alternative arc regulation to the foot pedal.

Image Notes 1. This means you've used too much current, or have a lead foot.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/

step 10: Draw a Bead

After tacking, remove any clamps. Start a weld pool by jamming down the pedal fast to form a weld pool. Then lighten up on the pedal, to regulate the current. If the metal starts to burn/melt away, too much current is being dumped in, back off the foot pedal. If the metal gets a flaky, but not liquid look to it, put more power in (step on the pedal harder). To weld aluminum, move the electrode towards the rod, while feeding rod into the pool. The rod should be to the side of the electrode that the weld will form or grow towards. This is known as "leading" the electrode. To weld steel, the electrode travels first down the weld line, and the rod chases after, "following" the heat.

step 11: Types of Welds

Getting the knack of TIG welding is mostly in getting the weld pool to form, at the same time, on both pieces of metal. The easiest type of weld is the "fillet", two metals jointed at right angles. (The one shown in this instructable). The next is the "lap" weld, which is two metals resting flat against each other. Trickier is the "butt" weld, where two metals touch along the edges - it is difficult to keep the electrode traveling in a straight line along the joint, and tough to keep the weld pool going well on both. Corners require some skill, as the heat is not dissipated evenly. You can create "cosmetic" or "strength" welds. Cosmetic welds tend to look more even over long lengths. Create them by making a weld pool, dipping in the rod, and then moving to the next point. Use them on highly visible joints, like on bicycles. Strength welds are a lot stronger - use them for things that aren't designed to be seen, or are designed for strength rather than beauty. Anything that needs to bear a load (e.g., a gas cannister or propane tank) will have a strength weld. These are the welds where you simply draw the weld pool along continuously, while constantly feeding rod in.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/

Image Notes 1. Cosmetic weld 2. Strength weld

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Third, fourth, and possibly fifth, hand by schip666

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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 122 comments

Mig Welder says:

Jul 27, 2010. 6:52 AM REPLY You don't necessarily have to invest a lot for a good fast AD helmet. I got mine for around $45 and it's great. It has infinite shade adjustment (9-14(or 13?)). You can also change the sensitivity so it doesn't turn on when you look at lights. Finally, you can also change the reaction time (in milliseconds I think) which is nice. . .

Ragnarok-zero says:

Sep 17, 2010. 6:02 PM REPLY good auto dark tig helmets cost more than mig/mag/mma ones, most cheap helmets won't go to below 20amps many tigs do 5amps a lot of older ones do 10amps mine goes to 3 amps, not many if any cheap masks are suitable for the whole range of a tig welders amps, even a lot of more expensive ones will only go down to 5amp.

Mig Welder says:

Is the arc really that incredibly bright at such low amperage?

Sep 17, 2010. 8:23 PM REPLY

Ragnarok-zero says:

Sep 18, 2010. 12:59 PM REPLY no the oposite, it's that it's not very bright compared to higher amps the mask doesn't detect the arc and so the mask stays in the light mode does not darken to the proper welding shade, you will see a spec called "minimum tig detection" on some helmets, so for low amps you need one that detects low amps, and they cost a lot more than masks with a higher minimum amp detection that work fine with mig and arc but not the bottom of tig.

Ragnarok-zero says:

Sep 17, 2010. 6:11 PM REPLY those gloves must be imposable to feed the filler accurately in, get some proper thin tig gloves you don't need those huge things for tig.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/

iMakeItHappen says:

Jun 19, 2010. 1:04 PM REPLY is it possible to TIG weld w/o the gas? because i know in MIG welding you can use a flux core, and i wanted to know if the same applied here....

Ragnarok-zero says:
you need pure argon or argon helium mix to tig weld the tungsten needs shielding as well as the weld pool.

Sep 17, 2010. 5:53 PM REPLY

snowluck2345 says:

Jul 15, 2010. 6:01 PM REPLY I've been wondering this too, but I dont think you can because the tungsten electrode needs a shielding gas to prevent it from being contaminated, and thre wouldn't be enogh shielding without gas.

M4industries says:
Is that Tim? Or someone else at Instructables.

Jun 24, 2010. 7:17 PM REPLY

paranoid56 says:

Jul 30, 2007. 5:06 PM REPLY This is wrong, you should never grind the tip that way. you should always grind with the tip up so you dont contaminate the tip. (just flip it from what hes doing) just thought you should know :D

memainman4 says:

Jun 21, 2010. 6:58 PM REPLY Not with tungsten. the sparks actually fly onto your hand and are 'abosorbed' i guess by the skin. poisoning you. you could wear a glove but as im sure everybody knows, wearing a glove while using a bench grinder isnt the smartest thing to do.

woodpecker says:
grinding on the top of the wheel is riskier. sparks fly into your face, and if the material catches - it flies into your face.

Sep 21, 2007. 4:16 PM REPLY

pfred2 says:

Jun 29, 2009. 9:00 PM REPLY Turn the grinder around so the sparks fly away. I have a dedicated grinder for sharpening my tungstens so they don't get contaminated.

skaar says:

Jun 13, 2009. 7:50 AM REPLY when i'd do points on things, i'd swap out the rest for something slimmer, and the rods would point almost vertical, solves the problems you address i think.

TBC06 says:

Jan 20, 2010. 3:11 PM REPLY agreed as well, use the top of the wheel and have your 1-3 slope for the tip (about 20 degrees on a 1/8 electrode) and only use the stone for tungsten only so it does not pick up contaminants, or better yet use a diamond stone on a tungsten sharpener :)

piniongear says:

Aug 6, 2009. 5:18 PM REPLY Going back to the beginning of this......... Huh? I did not think you could Tig weld with a mixed gas, i.e., CO2 and argon, as you would use for Mig? Helium and argon yeah, or straight argon, but not with CO2 in there? pg

LetsExplodeSomething says:
no straight argon is the choice of nearly every tig welder i know

May 1, 2010. 6:58 PM REPLY

w0ot! says:
Couldn't one turn the rod horizontally (perpendicular to the wheel) and spin it against the stone?

Feb 8, 2010. 8:38 PM REPLY

LetsExplodeSomething says:
no then you create a grain in the rod going against the flow of the arc

May 1, 2010. 6:52 PM REPLY

windhook says:

Mar 12, 2009. 4:40 PM REPLY Maybe the best advice to ANYONE would be to take a class, learn from a professional welding instructor. There is some good, correct information in this forum and unfortunately a lot of incorrect misinformation. If Welding was so simple, so easy to learn, your Mother would be a professional welder, as well as everyone else on your street. There are some skills that are easy to master, but many trade procedures take time,training and practice to become proficient at. I'm a Journeyman Weldor and a Welding Instructor, with just under 40 years experience. Today, at a trade show, it was a blast to learn some new tricks and to learn from technicians that really know their equipment inside out. Start with your local Community College, you'll learn more and faster too.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/

jonwwelding says:

Apr 6, 2010. 1:48 PM REPLY I completely agree with windhook. Welding is not only complicated, but it can also be dangerous. It is best to learn the proper techniques before entering this industry. I went to Tulsa Welding School in Jacksonville and have had a successful career so far. Here's more info: www.weldingschool.com. Good luck!

w0ot! says:
Are there any smaller holders available?

Feb 8, 2010. 8:40 PM REPLY

jack8559 says:

Feb 7, 2010. 7:43 PM REPLY I was taught to "push the puddle" towards the rod when welding steel OR aluminum. I'm not saying your way is wrong, it's just how I was taught.

holland67 says:
some one tell me what is2.3.4g welding positins are

Dec 11, 2009. 6:23 PM REPLY

mstar says:

Feb 7, 2010. 3:28 PM REPLY A 2g welding position is one where the groove of the weld joint is horizontal in relation to the welder; 3g would be vertical and 4g would be overhead and is the exact opposite of 1g which is flat. 5g is the normal testing angle for high pressure pipe. A 5g position is where the groove of the weld is maintained at a 45 degree angle. NAVSHIPS structural certification tests are normally given in 2g, 3g, and 4g positions whereas AWS structural certification tests are usually given in in 3g and 4g positions. The "g" signifies "groove" and an "f" would be for a fillet weld.

CHEVY6998 says:

Jan 2, 2008. 10:01 AM REPLY While pure Tungsten is a good choice and has been for many years, 2% ceriated is a better choice. 2% Thoriated Tungsten is the prime choice for steel alloys, and yes while Thorium is considered "radioactive" and does have a relatively long half life you exposure through weld use is negligible. A most recent study tested over 1200 career welders, all of which used EWTH-2 tungsten primarily and only one person had a carcinegenic illness, which was found to be hereditary.

mstar says:

Nov 17, 2009. 10:46 AM REPLY I'm surprised this thread is still going but since it is I should add that what I originally wrote was not merely based on my own experience. Studies done by the American Welding Society have established that 2% thoriated tungsten is the prefered choice for all welds where quality is the primary concern. Furthermore, I remember reading somewhere that pure tungsten should only be used when quality is not an issue. My personal preference is to do the job in the best possible manner which is why I have always stuck with 2%. If you have the time and the inclination to explore the difference between the ball end and the blunt end you can easily see for yourself with a 1/16" section of each type tungsten. Estabish an arc on a scrap of aluminum at eye level so you can see what happens clearly. With the machine on AC the ball eventually begins to grow larger, it starts to wobble and gyrate around the end of the tungsten and eventually it will detach itself and fly across the arc into the weld puddle. The resistence to the flow of electricity is greater at the top of the ball than it is in the tungten rod above it. That resistance erodes the tungsten above the ball (which is why it grows larger) and when it gets to the point that it is too thin to support the ball the end flys off and your weld is contaminated. A blunted point will eventually turn into a balled point and do the same thing when you are running AC, but with 2% it takes longer for the end to go bad so you can get more good quality welding done before you have to stop and change electrodes or head back to the grinder so you can re-shape the thing. Producing good quality welds is not that difficult but you have to know what you are looking at while you are welding. Playing around with scrap pieces at eye level allows you to see what is going on with the electrode and the weld puddle and it is something that I would encourage anyone to do if they are just starting out. The books cover the basics but the knowledge necessary to perform at a higher level can't be found in a book. Vitually anyone can stick two pieces of metal together with a welding machine but to do it right is an art and that requires practice and talent.

sephirothx666 says:

Feb 7, 2010. 9:45 AM REPLY It's always nice to read these kinds of things once in a while to gain so knowledge. I agree with the very last section 100%. I was in a welding class last year and everyone could finish the projects but very few could finish without holes or impurities. Even if i don't go into welding as a career i would still weld.

mstar says:

Feb 7, 2010. 3:16 PM REPLY Once you acquire the basic knowledge regarding how to operate the equipment safely and the procedure for making an effective weld, the rest is merely a matter of practice, the proper attitude and talent. Welding is a skill of artistic expression and it is very similar to learning to play a guitar or learning how to draw. Not everyone who plays a guitar can play well, and few can play good enough to make a living at it, but everyone can learn a chord or two and make noise.

BreeBait says:
they still stick you with the hazardous material fee, at least in California. I noticed that on my reciept the other day.

Nov 16, 2009. 11:24 PM REPLY

mstar says:

Dec 31, 2008. 1:58 PM REPLY Got to agree with CHEVY6998 on using 2% thoriated tungsten for everything including aluminum. With more than 30 years experience in all phases of welding I have found that the only good thing that pure tungsten electrodes are good for is making scribers. For aluminum I don't point the electrode sharply but leave a flat on the end and lightly pre-heat the work so you can keep the amperage down and still puddle quickly.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/

BreeBait says:
I do a slight ball at my end, but I want to try what you wrote.

Nov 16, 2009. 11:25 PM REPLY

Jon Wilks says:

mstar is very correct

Sep 1, 2009. 8:33 AM REPLY

mstar says:

Aug 13, 2010. 8:52 AM REPLY Its one thing if you are just sticking stuff together in your garage and spent your money on pure tungsten electrodes because that is what you read in some book, but if you are a journeyman, and you are welding aluminum as part of your job, it is expected that everything you turn out be the epitome of perfection. The cost of time, electrodes, scrap aluminum, gas, and electricity if far less than the cost of turning out an inferior piece of work that looks bad and will probably be filled with the thin slivers of tungsten cast off by the disintegrating electrode you used to do the work. If you want to perform excellent work every time then I suggest you take the time to perform the brief experiment I suggested in my initial posting. On one piece of scrap use the balled end of a pure tungsten electrode and put your face right down in front of the weld so you can see what happens. It wont take more than a few seconds before the ball becomes a lump. That lump is formed by the addition of tungsten as the current melts off the thinner section above it, the alternation of the AC fluctuation will become evident in the gyrating lump. The popping noise you will hear is the result of that gyrating lump blowing off the end of the electrode as it travels the line of the current straight into the weld puddle beneath it. If you note the end of the electrode right after that pop you will see that your ball is gone and as you continue, another ball quickly begins to form and the entire process repeats itself. The higher the amperage the faster this happens. Each pop represents a miniature shotgun blast of tungsten particles into your weld. If you x-rayed the piece, the multitude of small inclusions would appear like a star field through a telescope. Every inclusion is a weak spot in your work. If the piece is subject to internal pressure or mechanical stress from constant movement small hairline cracks will begin to grow from each inclusion; eventually these small crack connect from one inclusion to the next and the thing breaks off right through the weld. From the standpoint of a journeyman, this is unacceptable. The higher amperage that is recommended when welding aluminum is to overcome the added resistance of the ball. If youre electrode is 3/32 in diameter and the diameter of the ball is 1/8 you must increase the amperage to what you would normally use for a 1/8 electrode. Since aluminum melts at a lower temperature than steel the amperage necessary should be lower not higher. Consider it logically, you are compensating for the size of the ball by increasing the amperage. If you preheat the work and use the blunted point on a 2% electrode, the puddle forms quicker and at lower amperage setting. Because you are running AC the blunted point will still begin to erode and you will have to stop to reshape your electrode more often. To save time it is better to have a number of electrodes prepared and nearby. Brush the oxide layer off with a stainless steel brush and continue from where you left off. The difference between a journeyman and a dabbler is attitude and experience. Excellent work demands patience, self-discipline and knowledge gained by experience. Pure tungsten electrodes make great scribers if placed in a spare pin vise; they also make good darts for blow guns when pushed through a foam rubber earplug, but they are not made for high quality welding.

themotorman says:

Feb 22, 2009. 1:51 PM REPLY I weld have a pacemaker and also am an EE. Sure, if you have a defibrillator in your body NO WELDING!! But if you have a pacemaker then, and depending your reason for a pacemaker, you should be OK. The reason for concern is that if you have to have a functioning pacemaker to stay alive minute to minute then a failure of the pacemaker will mean you die! Most pacemaker users rely on the pacemaker only occasionally and if it failed their own heart would be OK for most of the time.. It is a risk but reasonable.. the number of deaths or injuries due to using a welding system must be very very small as I cannot find any reported. If you are going to weld.. keep the wires away from the pacemaker and do not wrap it around your body...this sounds a bit stupid even if you don't have a pacemaker to me. If you are worried get a pacer monitor and see how your heart functions while you're welding.

Judy L Durrant says:

Sep 8, 2009. 12:16 PM REPLY My dad has welded his whole life, he does it as his business. He just had to have a pacemaker and defibulator put in. He was told that he couldn't weld any more, I need to know if there is a way that he can still weld. It's his love, and I worry about him if he can't get back to normal. Please help if you know of any way that he can weld. thanks, Judy

themotorman says:

Sep 8, 2009. 1:26 PM REPLY I am so sorry about your dad . If he has a pacemaker AND a defib then there is a small risk that the defib will be initiated by the electrical energy from the welder. As the risk is not known both as to whether the welding will affect his defib or not and also even if it did affect the defib if the defib going off would be really bad for your dad. It is not a pleasant experience. It would be perfectly safe to use a torch, oxy/acetylene, for welding. There is even some risk with this as if he became unconscious when welding he could burn something down. Again unknown risks. The bottom line is that your dad should decide himself what he wants to do with the rest of his life, without my pacemaker I would have died , probably in a car accident maybe killing others too. You will find that the doctors opinion is too not do anything but then life without risks isn't worth the living. Only your Dad knows what is best for him I have said this already but it is so, so true. Best wishes. ron themotorman.

rayfalcon says:

Feb 22, 2009. 8:00 PM REPLY ok what if the user(s) are pacing at 62% then what also with my mom she tried mowing last year using a 22 hp wide body murray lt and she claimes that the pacer was lighting her up.....is this possible themotorman says: I weld have a pacemaker and also am an EE. Sure, if you have a defibrillator in your body NO WELDING!! But if you have a pacemaker then, and depending your reason for a pacemaker, you should be OK. The reason for concern is that if you have to have a functioning pacemaker to stay alive minute to minute then a failure of the pacemaker will mean you die! Most pacemaker users rely on the pacemaker only occasionally and if it failed their own heart would be OK for most of the time.. It is a risk but reasonable.. the number of deaths or injuries due to using a welding system must be very very small as I cannot find any reported. If you are going to weld.. keep the wires away from the pacemaker and do not wrap it around your body...this sounds a bit stupid even if you don't have a pacemaker to me. If you are worried get a pacer monitor and see how your heart functions while you're welding.

themotorman says:

Feb 22, 2009. 9:35 PM REPLY It is possible but most unlikely. The only way that a pacemaker would malfunction, apart form normal electronic part failures, is for the lead wires to pick up a signal and it gets interpreted as coming from the heart. The pacemaker has a built in computer that looks at the input and can sort out "noise" fairly well. If by a strange chance the noise was about the same as the normal heart beat then there might be some confusion, this would lead the pacemaker to pace the heart a little differently. Most of us without pacemakers have anomalous heart beats all the time and we don't notice. When I got my pacemaker my wife was so afraid that I called the pacemaker company and got them to re-assure her that I wouldn't die when I used the welder! One final word on this is if it bothers you don't do it.. that applies to everything in life and there is risk in everything around you. BTW I am not a medical doctor and any advice is just my opinion, nothing more..

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/

TFTD says:

Sep 5, 2009. 6:24 PM REPLY If you have access to a large belt sander(even a disk) I put my tung into a cordless drill and shape accordingly. Just make sure the everything is being discharged away from you. Works great.

Johnathon Duchesne says:

it's much easier to follow your rod then going the opposite way around.

Aug 14, 2009. 8:48 AM REPLY

Jon Wilks says:

if you can see your rod than you are going to go blind

Sep 1, 2009. 8:32 AM REPLY

cheordinario says:
cool GREAT INSTRUCTABLE can you made an instructable to weld steel with TIG?

Mar 10, 2009. 3:30 PM REPLY

appsman says:

Jun 7, 2009. 11:15 PM REPLY If you can TIG aluminum, steel should be a piece of cake. I can do OK steel TIG welds, but aluminum is much less consistent for me. Getting the puddle to bridge two work pieces is easier with steel. The only thing that might be a bit worse with steel is warping.

magickaldan says:

Jun 3, 2009. 7:03 AM REPLY Practice Practice Practice. And experiment with some wrist movement, Try like a small side to side or figure eight movement. And try to keep a constant speed to keep your weld pools a constant size shape and distance. Jun 3, 2009. 6:58 AM REPLY You weld steel the same way by leading the electrode. And you need some better technique if all your doing is holding the gun steady and going in a straight line. I was taught to move your wrist in sorta in a figure eight style while chasing the rod. It's hard to get a hang of but will give strong beautiful welds. I was showed by a friend who's been doing it forever, and has to have almost all his welds x-rayed, and has never failed. Jun 3, 2009. 6:18 AM REPLY I haven't ever heard follow your tungsten with rod when welding steel either. That wasn't how I was taught to weld. This instructable seems to have some interesting approaches... May 10, 2009. 8:21 PM REPLY I noticed it said to follow your tungsten with the rod when welding steel. I have been tig welding a very long time and never heard of this practice. I have never seen anyone do that. Can anyone comment on this practice?

magickaldan says:

johnhutchison says:

shawnfont says:

Yerboogieman says:
That's probably the best weld i've seen since the old welding teacher at my school.

Mar 21, 2009. 9:20 PM REPLY

kiyoshi says:
those are pretty good welds! nice fusion at the toes and consistently convex (very slightly).

Mar 16, 2009. 4:11 AM REPLY

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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/