Welding Tips and Tricks

Ok everyone.... like a lot of people here I'm trying to improve and have been practicing as much as possible. I started tig welding about 4 months ago but I'm only able to get 4-5 hours in a week, wish it could be a lot more but that's how life is. As you can guess this is a hobby but I still love to spend time in the shop and since I decided to tackle tig I absolutely can't get enough.......... I've also got to add that after joining this forum and reading many many posts/replies I'm in awe of how helpful and willing this whole community is to share their expertise and experience with people just starting or with those who have been welding for years. You all are amazing!!!!!

Alright enough with the blah blah blah ....... I've attached a couple photos of some practice pieces for your comments and advice. Some fillet welds and my attempt at a butt joint. Be gentle Thank you!!

3/16 cold rolled steel
3/32 2% ceriated
1/16 filler
The Miller was set to 175 and I just controlled the amps with the pedal.

Looks like things are going pretty smooth for you. Keep up the regular practice. This is probably the point you would benefit from doing a cut and etch or a bend test. Once you feel comfortable then it's time to start on things like thick material to thin joints. Or changing up position.IE vertical up or overhead many some pipe with an open butt joint or a bit of SS.

Looks great to me! Nice work!

Thanks for the advice and comment .... I'll give some different materials and positions a try for sure, should be interesting

I agree with everything I've read. You seem to have a solid grasp of the basics of melting metal in a productive way.

I think the idea of a "cut and etch" is great. This tells you exactly how you're penetrating the root of a joint, and how broad your "dilution" (the mixing of your filler with the base metal) is. There can be too much, as well as too little, and this varies with what you're welding.

I agree, too, you're ready to experiment with more positions, like the vertical up, or horizontal groove.

Nice work, especially for the time you have invested.

Steve S

Looks real good, now challenge yourself , try to weld a piece of 22 gauge disk to a piece of 14 gauge tube, with the tube passing through the 22 gauge. I am saying this is hard , because I just had to do it 48 times, and I didn't get really good at it until the end.

Nice work mate , now try some thin wall tube pipe for practice or maybe move on to some aluminium ?

Well, looks pretty good.

Considering the time you had under the hood it looks really good. Etching is a good idea. But if I were you, I wouldn't hurry to weld many different materials right away. Stay with carbon steel, change positions, change joint types. You don't even have to weld any joints; practice welding beads on a plate. Just stack dimes and try to be as consistent as you can. Experiment with variables like torch angle, amperage, wire diameter, speed and see what you get. Once you get good at that, that's the skill you can apply to almost any joint.

Then you should maybe try welding SS and apply everything you learned from carbon steel. It's also good to know how to weld pipes. Again, start with carbon. I don't know how much time you spend on the forum, but use it. Ask questions, post more welding photos. Good luck.

Everyone,
Thanks for all the comments/suggestions.....I'm going to just keep plugging away, taking your advice and slowly adding new positions and material. In the next few weeks I'll test some pieces to see what's up. I look through the forums on a regular basis, it's incredible the amount of quality information that comes through. The members here are great!!!!!

Thanks again