Using a filler from the base metal as you are doing is the way to go for color and compatibility. Try Oxy /Acet brazing instead of GTAW on the thin stuff with a copper chill bar for backup and heat sink. Piece of cake.

Rick and Ultralow are spot on, get the SMAW first.

Make them demo the machines and show you what they can do. Sales staff need to step up show the machine, not talk about it! The machine that can lay the root in at the 6 o'clock is the machine to go with.

Old style Porter Cable variable speed band saw w/ 10/14t for carbon and 24-28t for stainless bimetal blades only, the saw is very light and does not fall off of any place you set it. My Milwaukee must have roller bearings! Metabo or Bosch variable 5" for general use. I find a 5" machine gi...

Martin, a few techniques come to mind. 1. Perform a manual pulse by cycling the arc on and off, say in 1 second intervals. This will cool the puddle just as if you were pulse arc welding. 2. Drive the wire back into the puddle by dropping he gun down flatter so you are not pushing down through the w...

Keep up the good work! Don't worry, good welders like where you are heading get work.

Its called a "pancake" hood. Down hand welders use them. The welder stands with the pipe he is welding to his left side and welds down with his right hand. Sparks only hit the left side of his "hood". They are very lightweight, a wood framed fixed lense holder with front and side...

The manufacturer of your torch has charts for type of tip and their proper pressures. Contact them or go online for their charts.

Gashmore, that 2" length of tube is going to heat up very quickly which will add to your woes. Try clamping a heat sink on to the short length of practice tube or insert a longer length into the base plate material and trim it off after you weld.

Try to get a 2in1 flapper for your grinder. I use these with great results. Heavy on the pressure and they cut, lighten up and they buff up nicely. The wheel resembles a regular flapper but has strips of the 3M style pads between each of the sanding flaps. They also come in a rotary drum style for c...

You can use a dry torch and weld stainless and carbon.

Glad to hear you got it!

Benny, How did you test out? That 3/32 root down sounds strange to me. Why don't they TIG it? Is that a company test?