[silentneko]

Hey guys, after years of wanting one I finally broke down and got a welder. I bought the Everlast PowerTig 185. Seems like a cool little machine and it came with the foot pedal.

So I've been playing with it after watching some youtube vids. I started with stick welding and think I got decent penetration and beads using 6013 sticks. Problem is I'm stuck to 110v for now so anything over 70 amps blows the breaker.

After getting my argon tank I started playing with the TIG. Again I'm limited to 70-75amps for now. I'm using 3/32" 2% red tungsten with a flow rate of about 15lpm on a #17 torch with a #5 cup. My control is crap, lol.

The main reason I got it is I need to weld some washers/spacers on my trailer next week. The frame is about 1/8" thick, and the washers are maybe 1/16". So my questions are:

Can I do this with just 70 amps?
Is TIG the way, or should i stick with stick on this one?
What shade do you recommend for a helmet? I'm using 9 now.
Any suggestions when welding 2 different thicknesses?

Here's some picks of me trying it out for the first time.

Stick (1/16" 6013 @ 70 amps)

20200118_163901.jpg (66.49 KiB) Viewed 1202 times

TIG (70 amps) right is early to the left is after playing a bit. Ignore the washer, I was just seeing what would happen.

20200118_163909.jpg (64.71 KiB) Viewed 1202 times

[tweake]

Hey guys, after years of wanting one I finally broke down and got a welder. I bought the Everlast PowerTig 185. Seems like a cool little machine and it came with the foot pedal.

So I've been playing with it after watching some youtube vids. I started with stick welding and think I got decent penetration and beads using 6013 sticks. Problem is I'm stuck to 110v for now so anything over 70 amps blows the breaker.

After getting my argon tank I started playing with the TIG. Again I'm limited to 70-75amps for now. I'm using 3/32" 2% red tungsten with a flow rate of about 15lpm on a #17 torch with a #5 cup. My control is crap, lol.

The main reason I got it is I need to weld some washers/spacers on my trailer next week. The frame is about 1/8" thick, and the washers are maybe 1/16". So my questions are:

Can I do this with just 70 amps?
Is TIG the way, or should i stick with stick on this one?
What shade do you recommend for a helmet? I'm using 9 now.
Any suggestions when welding 2 different thicknesses?

70 amps sounds way to high for a 1/16" 6013. i would keep practising the stick.

#5 cup is to small for tig. try a #7 or #8.
70 amps might not be enough with the tig. with different thicknesses i usually run hotter than the small material needs, focus on the thicker material and wash the puddle over. how much kinda depends on how much heat the thicker material will take out of it.
the other issue is can you get the trailer part clean enough for tig. golden rule for tig is clean clean and clean. is the trailer galv? has the metal had oil soaked into it?

stick will work just fine and will tolerate a bit of crap so its a good choice for things like trailers that are a bit dirty.

helmet use what settings you are comfortable with. everyone is different.

[cj737]

A REALLY important thing to know when welding, especially those zinc/galvanized washers: grind the coating off entirely. Welding galvanized material creates phosgene gas and its lethal. Like really lethal.

To TIG, grind the trailer to bare, clean shinny metal too. Those "craters" at the end of the bead, that's from snapping out of the puddle with the arc. Try to add a bit more filler towards the end, swirl the torch as you taper the heat. If your machine is Lift Arc only, dab filler and kill the arc, but leave the filler rod in the puddle. When it cools, simply wiggle the filler wire around until it breaks off. No crater

You're doing fine, keep after it, and you'll be welding a rainbow to a fart in a hurricane before you know it

[silentneko]

Thanks guys.

Slight correction, the 6013 sticks were 3/32" @ 70amps. The 1/16" 6013 I have I was using around 40amps.

The trailer is galvanized, but I will grind it down before welding, then treat it with cold galvanizing spray later on. I did not know about the phosgene gas and the galvanized material, thanks. I'll try to be careful.

The biggest cup my kit came with is #6, so I'll give it a try and see if it helps. My machine has high frequency start, and that's what I've been using.

Thanks guys, I'll keep practicing, I'll probably go with stick on the trailer, but I really want to get good at TIG for other projects I have in mind. Some aluminum boat stuff, SS art, steel furniture bases....

[Oscar]

Welding galvanized material creates phosgene gas and its lethal. Like really lethal.

I don't think that's accurate. Chlorinated cleaners/degreasers are known for playing a part in creating phosgene gas. The Zinc in galvanized plating is what turns into zinc-oxide and those white particles that float out into the air is what causes metal fume fever.

https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_ ... fumes.html

it's still not something you want to be exposed to even if it's not phosgene gas. The few times I welded galvanized I wore a respirator, and I could still smell a little bit of the ZnO₂, so I used a rag within my respirator and it helped out a lot. In fact, now I always use a rag over my nose/mouth under the 3M respirator.

[tweake]

Thanks guys.

Slight correction, the 6013 sticks were 3/32" @ 70amps. The 1/16" 6013 I have I was using around 40amps.

that sounds more like it. a 1/16 rod might work well. i recommend shortening it so it doesn't whip so much.

The trailer is galvanized, but I will grind it down before welding, then treat it with cold galvanizing spray later on. I did not know about the phosgene gas and the galvanized material, thanks. I'll try to be careful.

its not phosgene. thats made when you weld over chlorinated substances. its made up of carbon, oxygen and chlorine.
as mentioned zinc gives metal fume fever. mask and ventilation helps.
trouble is you have to grind it hard to get the zinc out. better just to give it a light grind (to get the bulk off) then let the arc and flux deal with whats left.

The biggest cup my kit came with is #6, so I'll give it a try and see if it helps. My machine has high frequency start, and that's what I've been using.

Thanks guys, I'll keep practicing, I'll probably go with stick on the trailer, but I really want to get good at TIG for other projects I have in mind. Some aluminum boat stuff, SS art, steel furniture bases....

keep at it your doing pretty good.

[Bill Beauregard]

#6 is big enough. I'm not clear about LPM I work in CFH, don't know how to cross. 3/32 Thoriated , 70 might be enough. Very short arc.

[silentneko]

Thanks again guys. I'm playing more and more with it when I have time. I'm trying different positions and hands. I'm actually thinking I have way more control with the tig so i might try to go that route in the end. Here are some more I did tonight. Just playing with speed, flow, filler.... ignore the bottom one.

20200118_202111.jpg (41.38 KiB) Viewed 1160 times

[Oscar]

TIG does give you good control, once you get the dexterity and muscle memory down, and once you get used to spending 3x as long to weld something because you have to get it surgically clean. Stick welding gives you more "punch" for the amperage however, and you can get it down a heck of a lot faster with a rod like a 3/32" E6011 on 50-70A. It will punch through almost any surface contaminants with it's digging, forceful, almost violent arc.