I have just bought my first TIG welder and I am completing my accessories. I hope to enjoy TIGging as much as I like working with my MIG machine. Some questions:
1. There are two types of flow meters. One with two gauges and one with a gauge and a glass tube. Which one is a better, more precise design?
2. It's obvious to me that I cannot use a mild steel brush because it will leave rust everywhere. But can I use one brush for stainless and aluminum? It would be really odd to buy a separate set of brushes, sanding discs, sanding paper, rotating brushes etc... for every metal I am planning to weld...
Thanks in advance for the warm welcome and some answers
As for the regulating of your gas, You will get a more precise reading with the tube flowmeter. As for your wire brushes and sanding & grinding, Keep EVERYTHING separate.
Mild Steel, Stainless Steel, and Aluminum. The extra cost is not that much and believe me, it will save you time and headaches down the road. It is not just an opinion, it is from experience.
Jim
Pipefitter/Weldor out of Local 396
Millermatic 252
Dynasty 200DX
Maxstar 150 STL
Spoolmate 100
Hypertherm Powermax 85
Miller Digital Elite
JD2 Model 32 Bender
Emerson 7120 Horizontal/Vertical Bandsaw
Oxy-Gas Torch outfit
Generac XP8000E Generator
One thing I was taught too, not only do you need seperate brushes/electrodes for aluminum, you also need seperate gloves. You actually need seperate -everything- for aluminum.
I also have a question about the TIG handle. Can you recommend a handle that's got a flexible cable and doesn't necessarily cost a lot. The one that came with my Chinese TIG is just awful. The total weight of the cable is almost as much as the weight of the machine and the cable is stiff like hell. I can hardly flex it a few degrees to go around a tube so I have to make a break every inch. Awful. My handle has the gas tube and the wire all in one thick cable. Maybe I could separate them for better flexibility. For example use a flexible silicon hose for the gas and a good, flexible wire for electricity?
You would be happy with a CK Worldwide TIG torch. I got a TL-210 (trimline 210) decked out with superflex cable, and flexible head, from the local welding supply, special ordered for about $110 after sales tax. It's the most maneuverable "high amp" (rated 200 amps @ 100% duty cycle) aircooled torch on the market. I feel it is a perfect fit for my 200 amp @ 60% duty cycle machine.
They make smaller lighter torches with lesser power rating, that would be even lighter weight and more manueuverable. The key is get the superflex one-piece cable option. Don't look at 2-piece cables, the 1-piece will be more flexible and less bulky because the gas surrounds the conductor inside the hose and helps cool it, so the conductor doesn't need to be as large.
There are other brands that offer similar highly flexible cables you could look at also. (The key is they are made out of silicone rubber, with the reinforcing fibers covering the cable on the outside.)
I couldn't wait and just re-fabbed my own TIG torch. I just disassembled the one I had and got rid of the big handle. I connected a flexible rubber hose and cut a piece of stick welding cable which came together with my TIG machine (I don't do stick welding). As a result my torch is small, light and flexible. What a difference.
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By the way, what do you think about my beads on 304 SS? It's my third time with my machine so I'm still a complete beginner. Any advice welcome
My beads looked the same when I started welding stainless- Good and rippled, even, but flat. You cant add rod like you do with mild steel, you gotta kinda tap tap tap it in there. You cant just leave the rod in the puddle like you normally would for steel or aluminum cause one of the alloying elements in the stainless makes it sticky (I believe its the chromium) so you just gotta add rod more frequently, and be quick about it. Thatll give you the bead profile you want.
I am also worried about the color of the welds. No matter what I use, the welds are grey. Once brushed, they just look like the surrounding metal, but I understand that what we want is a straw or rainbow color right after welding. I just can't achieve it. The tubing is only 1.5mm thick (a bit less than 1/16") so when I go too slow with the bead, I build up heat and pop a hole. When I lower my amperge to compensate, I get beads which are too tall. When I go fast and have good penetration, the welds are grey becaus I just move too fast to let the shielding gas cover the cooling metal. I use gas lens 8. Should I get a bigger one? Or maybe I should't worry at all? These welds are for my car's exhaust and they will be grinded.
