Welding Tips and Tricks

Has anybody tried these TM2000 gas lenses? https://www.tinmantech.com/html/tm2000.php
I'm wondering why they are so expensive? are they worth the money?

Absurdly expensive.

Use a full face shield in #5 shade. More room, airier, more face protection, glasses fit underneath, can flip up and out of the way, and far less cost.

A dual purpose shield is even made with a clear and a shaded face.

http://www.weldersupply.com/products.asp?id=72

That is pricey, but then the original Cobalt blue lenses sell like cocaine wrapped in platinum on E-Bay.

Since I am satisfied with the results I get from plain green-glass lenses on almost everything I do, I would have to try one myself to begin to justify the price.

I'll relay the question to another forum, and see if I get a bite.

Steve

I have been using a 2 X 4 Gold film lens for many years and it seems to work fine.
I recently found a 2 X 4 reading lens that I put inside my lens housing. I can see again.

Gas welding aluminum is really easy if you can actually see thru the yellow-orange flame.

Aluminum has an oxidation layer on the surface that protects it from oxidizing any further.
This surface layer requires a higher temperature to melt than the base aluminum.
As a result, you will see the surface suddenly skim and wrinkle when the base metal melts underneath.
This is when you have to push your filler metal in and start your weld.
Use the appropriate aluminum flux on your filler rod or you will have problems.
BTW - Not all aluminum is weldable, so make sure that you know what metal you have.

The other secret to gas welding aluminum is to lower your gas pressures.
If you need more heat, put on a larger tip but keep those pressures low.
This helps prevent the aluminum from getting blown out and creating a hole.

I've looked high and low for a youtube video on how to setup your gas pressures
but I haven't found what I was looking for, so here goes my explanation.

Typically, I would first select the tip that I was going to use on my gas torch.
Next, I would back off the regulators, so that no gas is coming out of the regulators.
Then, I would fully open both of the gas valves on the torch.

Next, adjust the acetylene regulator until you can detect gas coming out of the torch.
Light the torch with the proper ignitor and adjust the flame for no black smoke.

Adjust the oxygen regulator for the proper, just off the feather neutral flame.
Your gas torch is now setup for the proper pressure settings for that tip.
You are now ready to weld aluminum with the lowest proper pressure for that tip.

If you want less heat, adjust your torch knobs until you achieve the heat that you want.
If you want more heat, put on the next largest tip.

Note: If you are welding and you hear a pop and your flame goes out,
you must install the next largest tip as you are overheating the current tip
by holding it too close to the work piece. A larger tip will produce the desired heat
and allow you to keep the tip far enough away from the work as to not over heat the tip.