Welding Tips and Tricks

Well I got it. Have y’all ever had an argon bottle start out dirty and then clean up? Seems like after I tried it again the more I went the cleaner it got. I don’t know. I put my old bottle back on and it was all good so I put the new bottle back on it cleaned up after a while. Crazy.

This is what gives us gray hair, and makes our day interesting.

True. Nice user name. Should’ve used that one myself. Haha

jroark wrote:True. Nice user name. Should’ve used that one myself. Haha

Unfortunately, It's true!

That makes the two of us. Do you feel like you get consistent results Tig Welding? Especially aluminum? Seems like every job I take I always run into a snag that I have to figure out before I can finish the job. Inexperience? Maybe. I’ve got more in my head than in my hands I guess.

That why I love to weld aluminum! It makes you fine tune all the little stuff (snags). Consistent results? Haven't tig welded long enough. I am getting better. I'm still wondering what's the big deal about the "stack of dimes" look (tho it's fun to try). A solid weld is more important. This week I'm going to practice on thin metals; stainless and aluminum. Also, outside corners.
All said, I really haven't had to many snags; just my bad eyes not seeing enough. Tri-focals for everyday use, then I had safety glasses made as computer glasses, then added a bi-focal, with a 2.5 cheater lens in my helmet. Now, if I keep my head at the same distance from the arc I can see perfectly!

I only wish I had learned tig welding from the start. It's really the best of all worlds, as long as you don't need speed.

Yeah it’s hard to do a job when you’re on a time crunch. I put my helmet on a 9 shade the other day so I could see the puddle better. It helped but my eyes could tell it. I prefer a 10 or 11 but if I wear safety glasses on a 9 it helps to cut the glare and I can see better.