Tig welding tips, questions, equipment, applications, instructions, techniques, tig welding machines, troubleshooting tig welding process
I Think I Welded Something
Post Reply
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Dec 01, 2016 12:30 pm
  • Location:
    FL

Aluminum was driving me nuts, so I went back to steel. I thought the strain of dealing with aluminum might have improved my steel skills. Looks like that is true. I created sort of a weld today. I'm uploading a photo.

That is not a great weld, and it's still uglier than my MIG welds, but it's closer to success than what I have been producing lately.

I decided to start practicing with the machine off. It seems like TIG is a waltz: puddle, dip, move, puddle, dip, move. I do all the movements while counting it out. I haven't gotten it down yet, but it helps. Timing screwups are my biggest problem. After that I would have to go with pulling the tungsten away from the weld.

The lanthanated tungstens I bought seem a little friendlier than E3. I don't know if that's my imagination or what.
05 03 17 tig practice 125 thou iron lap small.jpg
05 03 17 tig practice 125 thou iron lap small.jpg (54.61 KiB) Viewed 1160 times
I was socially distant before it was cool.
Top
exnailpounder
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Dec 25, 2014 9:25 am
  • Location:
    near Chicago

You're getting there Chips. Much improved 8-)
Ifyoucantellmewhatthissaysiwillbuyyouabeer.
Top
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Sun Oct 27, 2013 10:57 pm
  • Location:
    Big Lake/Monticello MN, U.S.A.

You'll know you have it when you realize it's not all countable timing.

Watching what is happening will become second nature and you'll add a different amount of filler, pause longer, go faster, adjust angle, add/remove amps, etc. - but only as needed - not in a timed pattern.
Dave J.

Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~

Syncro 350
Invertec v250-s
Thermal Arc 161 and 300
MM210
Dialarc
Tried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Top
Farmwelding
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Mar 10, 2016 11:37 pm
  • Location:
    Wisconsin

MinnesotaDave wrote:You'll know you have it when you realize it's not all countable timing.

Watching what is happening will become second nature and you'll add a different amount of filler, pause longer, go faster, adjust angle, add/remove amps, etc. - but only as needed - not in a timed pattern.
Yep...it just takes awhile. Just remember you chose welding which is a lifelong learning experience.

As for the aluminum. Good choice-it helps-feedin rod especially.
A student now but really want to weld everyday. Want to learn everything about everything. Want to become a knower of all and master of none.
Instagram: @farmwelding
Nick
Top
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:40 pm
  • Location:
    Near New Orleans

Chips,

Find music you like in the tempo you want to count your movements in, and build a playlist to listen to while practicing. The natural tendency to follow the beat of a song is great muscle memory training for "advance, pause, dab". Or "advance, dab". I've been welding a lot of aluminum fillets and laps lately, and there's always a pause after the advance.

Steve
Top
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Sat Aug 01, 2015 8:38 am
  • Location:
    The Land Down Under

Otto Nobedder wrote:Chips,

Find music you like in the tempo you want to count your movements in, and build a playlist to listen to while practicing. The natural tendency to follow the beat of a song is great muscle memory training for "advance, pause, dab". Or "advance, dab". I've been welding a lot of aluminum fillets and laps lately, and there's always a pause after the advance.

Steve
I second the music tip. I've done some really decent beads to the sound of The Strokes 'You only live Once'.


K
Top
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Mon Feb 09, 2015 4:48 pm
  • Location:
    St. Johns, Michigan

Looking good man! Practice pays off.. :)
Pete



Esab SVI 300, Mig 4HD wire feeder, 30A spool gun, Miller Passport, Dynasty 300 DX, Coolmate 4, Spectrum 2050, C&K Cold Wire feeder WF-3, Black Gold Tungsten Sharperner, Prime Weld 225
Top
MarkL
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Wed Jun 15, 2016 7:09 pm
  • Location:
    Far west Chicago burbs

Chips O'Toole wrote: It seems like TIG is a waltz: puddle, dip, move, puddle, dip, move. I do all the movements while counting it out. I haven't gotten it down yet, but it helps. Timing screwups are my biggest problem.
I used the pulse setting on 1pps to help me develop a rhythm. It's a confidence builder to see those beads stacked like they were made by a robot.
Lincoln Square Wave 200
Lincoln 225 AC/DC
Harris Oxy/Acetylene torch
Top
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Mon May 01, 2017 1:48 am
  • Location:
    Thessaloniki Greece

Otto Nobedder wrote:Chips,

Find music you like in the tempo you want to count your movements in, and build a playlist to listen to while practicing. The natural tendency to follow the beat of a song is great muscle memory training for "advance, pause, dab". Or "advance, dab". I've been welding a lot of aluminum fillets and laps lately, and there's always a pause after the advance.

Steve
nice tip i have never heard of this. i will try it :D
failure is a great teacher
Top
mattharris
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Sat Apr 29, 2017 2:32 am
  • Location:
    Draper Utah

Hey Chips,

I'm not that far ahead of you in the process. You are very close to making some great looking welds.

The key piece I found, especially with aluminum is the wire feed hand. I wanted my welds to look better, so I finally broke down and started practicing all the time trying to get my wire feed to be completely muscle memory so that it requires no thought at all. My timing hang ups always seemed to be the fault of my wire feed. I'd either feed wire right into the tungsten, or not feed wire and just dip until my hand was in the fire and then try and catch up.

On steel it makes an ugly weld. On aluminum it makes an ugly hole. :-).

I had a piece of wire with me all the time. I would feed wire on a conference calls, and any other time that I could do it while doing something else.

Anyway once I started getting better on the feed, then I was able to focus more on keeping my arc length consistent and pointed exactly in the center of my joint which makes the weld straight and all of the sudden my welds started looking a ton better with no real changes accept the feeding of the wire. In fact I probably need to practice more during my calls. :-)

Anyway, you are doing great. Keep up the good work!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Top
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Dec 01, 2016 12:30 pm
  • Location:
    FL

Thanks for all the replies. I am definitely working on wire feeding.

Someone said I should try thicker aluminum because it's easier.

Is it okay for a steel weld to be that grey?
I was socially distant before it was cool.
Top
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Mon Feb 13, 2017 4:53 pm
  • Location:
    NW Fla

Otto Nobedder wrote:Chips,

Find music you like in the tempo you want to count your movements in, and build a playlist to listen to while practicing. The natural tendency to follow the beat of a song is great muscle memory training for "advance, pause, dab". Or "advance, dab". I've been welding a lot of aluminum fillets and laps lately, and there's always a pause after the advance.

Steve
lookin good there man, now I'm off to buy a boom box for the shop.

c
the heck with the duty cycle on the welder, tell me about the duty cycle on that grinder !!
Top
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Tue Dec 13, 2016 9:24 pm
  • Location:
    Clearwater Florida

I listen to music when I weld but never really tried following the beat or using it as a rhytm.

I listen to metal mostly... Which would get me some whack looking beads :lol:
if there's a welder, there's a way
Top
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:40 pm
  • Location:
    Near New Orleans

Olivero wrote:I listen to music when I weld but never really tried following the beat or using it as a rhytm.

I listen to metal mostly... Which would get me some whack looking beads :lol:
Yeah, that could get jacked up in a hurry (I think there's a pun in there with the hurry. Death metal in particular would work your skills...). Go back to '80s hair band music, or even some Pink Floyd for appropriate rhythms for different materials.

Hell, for aluminum, put on classical waltzes 8-) "one, two, three, one, two, three..."

Steve
Top
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Tue Dec 13, 2016 9:24 pm
  • Location:
    Clearwater Florida

Otto Nobedder wrote:
Olivero wrote:I listen to music when I weld but never really tried following the beat or using it as a rhytm.

I listen to metal mostly... Which would get me some whack looking beads :lol:
Yeah, that could get jacked up in a hurry (I think there's a pun in there with the hurry. Death metal in particular would work your skills...). Go back to '80s hair band music, or even some Pink Floyd for appropriate rhythms for different materials.

Hell, for aluminum, put on classical waltzes 8-) "one, two, three, one, two, three..."

Steve
Haha, I use it more to focus and eliminate the disctractions outside and just focus on welding with someone screaming in my ear...... Sounds funny now that I am saying it like that but helps me concentrate. Like All That Remains new album is pretty good, got some good kind of music getting you to move a bit faster than the slower stuff.
if there's a welder, there's a way
Top
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:59 pm
  • Location:
    Australia; Victoria

Acdc is the best music for tigging. Youll probably want to avoid Fear Factory. Beats per minute may be a tad high, lol
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding”