Welding Tips and Tricks

And what a week it has been...

I've got a fair amount of experience MIG welding and gas welding and gas brazing from an autobody background. Tig should be easy...

Got a funny then I'll post some pics. Like a lotta folks I'm trying to learn to TIG aluminum. And, like a lotta folks I turn to the internet for information. And... like a lotta folks I get some good intel and some BAD intel.

I get my new machine HTP Invertig 221. Got me a welding cart, some filler rod, a few electrodes and some argon. I are a welder now! Ok... so I haven't turned it on yet. Get everything connected and start making sparks n' melting stuff! In real short order I "consumed" the 2 - 3/32" electrodes that came with the welder. I've been watching tig videos until my eyes bleed. But I need electrodes. I remember this guy hollering. "Electrodes - With the new inverter machines IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT COLOR!!! Pick one you like and use it. I like the purple one!" Armed with that intelligence I head to the local welding supply to get 3/32" electrode - any color.

So I get to the supply house find the wall location that has TIG electrodes. They didn't have many and not much selection but they had plenty of "RED" 3/32" electrodes. "IT DOESN"T MATTER!" So I get a pack of 10 RED electrodes and head back to the shop happy knowing I gotta lot of electrodes - should last awhile.....(little did I know...)

So I sharpen the RED electrodes... plug one in and get to welding... arcing... or something. I'm getting the stuff to stick together but the tip of the electrode looks like it's splitting. Sometimes I figure it's my fault for dipping.... This goes on for 3 days!!! Then I happen to talk to my son, whose in California, and we discuss TIG welding. He's been tig welding for probably 10 years now. So I tell him of my problems.... Got around to telling him about the guy on the internet saying "IT DON"T MATTER...." then mentioning that I'm having trouble with the RED electrode splitting. That's when he said "Dad.... "RED" is a DC only electrode.... Hahahahah..... Ok got that problem solved now E3/purple is working fine.

Note.... I tried importing flickr pics but they were pretty screwed up... Gotta figure out what the problem is then post later.

This is a chart from Miller that they include with their Dynasty machines, maybe others IDK

Most of us here concur that 2% lanthanated is best, that's not to say if you have one of the tri-mixed it isn't good, they are. I prefer to just buy one "alloy" and not spend money on different mixes, YMMV

DougW wrote:So I get to the supply house find the wall location that has TIG electrodes.

Should've just ordered them with HTP when you ordered your machine. That was your first mistake I jest. But really, Any electrode with work with an inverter tig on the correct polarity/current type!

Thanks for the input on tungsten. I just bought 20 E3/Purple 3/32" and I'm still working with the first 10! Got a whole package of ten in reserve. This time last week that might of been enough to last 2-3 days...

DougW wrote:Thanks for the input on tungsten. I just bought 20 E3/Purple 3/32" and I'm still working with the first 10! Got a whole package of ten in reserve. This time last week that might of been enough to last 2-3 days...

I think Justin at The Fabrication Series is definitely worth watching, but I heed Jody Collier's advice first and foremost at WeldingTipsAndTricks on YouTube, and coincidentally, here on the WeldingTipsAndTricks.com forum.

As Richard, I also use 2% Lanthanated Tungsten as that is what Jody recommends.

You have plenty of tungsten, use what you have and don't buy anymore.

I’m primarily a thoriated guy, with a bit of lanthanated mixed in.

Here's a good resource on Jody's site:

http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/tig-welding.html

This one specific for tungsten he did about 6 years ago.

DzEuV83UGMY

Just to be fair, here's another video that Justin did which you may have not seen, but may help.

g4_iBmK8mhc

Justin did horrible on that dedicated tungsten grinder! I can grind tungsten better with AlO2/CSi wheels on bench grinders! I think that would play a part with arc-starts and stability, IMO.

I exclusively used 2% Ceriated as that what I was taught on at school for both AC and DC welding with good results (the college supplied it). After watching Jody's video and his recommendation of 2% Lanthanated as the "if you only had one electrode" I decided to pick up a pack of 10 to try when my Primeweld gets here. I still bought a 10 pack of Ceriated just in case because I know it will work fine. 2% Lanthanated did seem to do the best in the test Jody did so I have high hopes it will become my go to. Although, I doubt much AC welding will happen on my machine, the only aluminum anything we have on the farm is a featherlite cattle trailer.

Oscar wrote:Justin did horrible on that dedicated tungsten grinder! I can grind tungsten better with AlO2/CSi wheels on bench grinders! I think that would play a part with arc-starts and stability, IMO.

I thought the same thing, some of the tapers looked off center where one side was longer. He also had the 2% Lanthanated as coming out ahead on a couple of the tests.

I prefer the way Jody explains things, but don't want to criticize Justin.

The 2% lanthanted has become my go-to tungsten for most processes. Still have some thoriated, but it just sits in the tool box. The only time I grab other than 2% lanthanted is for DC welding on very thin material. I use .040" Layzr tungsten from CK for that. Provides a noticeably crisper/cleaner arc start at lower amperage, at least on my machines, and that seems to help quite a bit when welding near thin edges.

on a regular plain ol' 6" AlO2 $45 skil grinder from Lowes

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

DougW wrote:Thanks for the input on tungsten. I just bought 20 E3/Purple 3/32" and I'm still working with the first 10! Got a whole package of ten in reserve. This time last week that might of been enough to last 2-3 days...

I think Justin at The Fabrication Series is definitely worth watching, but I heed Jody Collier's advice first and foremost at WeldingTipsAndTricks on YouTube, and coincidentally, here on the WeldingTipsAndTricks.com forum.

As Richard, I also use 2% Lanthanated Tungsten as that is what Jody recommends.

You have plenty of tungsten, use what you have and don't buy anymore.

Yes... I agree I've learned a lot watching Justin in the fabrication series. I only mentioned the line "Use any electrode..." just to show how little I know and how Murphy's law works and not as a jab at Justin. Of all the electrodes I could of picked... That's why I didn't mention who said it. I subscribe to the same theory Justin promotes. Keep it simple, learn to weld with standard consumables before branching off into specialty items/techniques.

Thanks to all for the input it is much appreciated!

Oscar wrote:on a regular plain ol' 6" AlO2 $45 skil grinder from Lowes

Oscar,,,,, Your photo's are getting better. You are almost ready to snap some shots for 'girly' magazines... (Just kidding)

How do you consume tungstens?? I have the same package of 2% lanthanted tungstens that I bought 10 years ago. I dress them up and re-use them. Granted they are getting a little short now, but something seems wrong if you are "consuming' them. They are really not considered a consumable in the same way filler rod or gas are considered consumable. They should be lasting a while.

Burning Filler Rod wrote: Oscar,,,,, Your photo's are getting better. You are almost ready to snap some shots for 'girly' magazines... (Just kidding)

That pic was from years and years ago, like 6 yrs old, lol.

Louie1961 wrote:How do you consume tungstens?? I have the same package of 2% lanthanted tungstens that I bought 10 years ago. I dress them up and re-use them. Granted they are getting a little short now, but something seems wrong if you are "consuming' them. They are really not considered a consumable in the same way filler rod or gas are considered consumable. They should be lasting a while.

I agree, unless he is dipping the tungsten so bad (and so often) that the blob of molten steel wicks up like 1/4", and does this quite often. Chopping off 1/4" each time he dips and perhaps this is the consumption.

Names are withheld to protected the guilty... This is some - but by no means all ov'em. Some/most of these are the "RED" electrodes but there is 1-grey and 1-yellow mixed in there as well. The ones you see that could be sharpened and resused are the RED electrodes. Since I got the E3/purple I've started getting a bit more mileage out of my tungsten. I'm trying to learn feeding the filler with one had - that eats a lot ov'em. Trying to weld fillets with 3/16"(or less) stick-out w/#5 Alumina cup - that eats some of them. If I'm just welding outside corners, butt welds, lap welds, and straight practice runs I could probably go days w/o using a second tungsten but - I don't.

Oh yeah... and some of them I set the Balance to 20en to ball the electrode then forget and throw 180 amps at it trying to weld. I can tell you that little action will lite up a tungsten electrode like a fuse on a blackcat firecracker!!!

20200514_132020 by Doug Wei, on Flickr

DougW wrote:Names are withheld to protected the guilty... This is some - but by no means all ov'em. Some/most of these are the "RED" electrodes but there is 1-grey and 1-yellow mixed in there as well. The ones you see that could be sharpened and resused are the RED electrodes. Since I got the E3/purple I've started getting a bit more mileage out of my tungsten. I'm trying to learn feeding the filler with one had - that eats a lot ov'em. Trying to weld fillets with 3/16"(or less) stick-out w/#5 Alumina cup - that eats some of them. If I'm just welding outside corners, butt welds, lap welds, and straight practice runs I could probably go days w/o using a second tungsten but - I don't.

Oh yeah... and some of them I set the Balance to 20en to ball the electrode then forget and throw 180 amps at it trying to weld. I can tell you that little action will lite up a tungsten electrode like a fuse on a blackcat firecracker!!!

20200514_132020 by Doug Wei, on Flickr

You can save yourself from having to trim 1/2"+ off of the electrodes after an aluminum dunk if you stop welding right away (basically immediately) and resharpen. It's when you keep welding with it, even for a few seconds, that allows that big blob of what I believe is aluminum oxide to form, grow, and migrate up the electrode causing the need to trim.

Thanks! That tip will save some bucks! At times I have quit as soon as I detect a dip or other manner of contamination. I pull the electrode and it actually looks "ok" but I've been knocking the tip off and regrinding anyway. Wasn't sure if I just sharpened one like that if it would still contaminate the tungsten or not. Sooooo erring on the side of "I know this works...". In the future if there's no bump on the tungsten or other visible signs of contamination it's ok just go re-sharpen them huh?

DougW wrote:Thanks! That tip will save some bucks! At times I have quit as soon as I detect a dip or other manner of contamination. I pull the electrode and it actually looks "ok" but I've been knocking the tip off and regrinding anyway. Wasn't sure if I just sharpened one like that if it would still contaminate the tungsten or not. Sooooo erring on the side of "I know this works...". In the future if there's no bump on the tungsten or other visible signs of contamination it's ok just go re-sharpen them huh?

Yup. You see that tungsten get hit, and boom, kill the arc immediately and you shouldn't need to trim. Just knock of any aluminum blob that may be on the very tip of the tungsten, and then sharpen like normal. Back step a dab or two on the restart if the quick arc kill left a crater in the weld bead.

"Oscar,,,,, Your photo's are getting better. You are almost ready to snap some shots for 'girly' magazines... (Just kidding)"

If I saw Oscar in a girly magazine I'd become very sad.

I haven't heard one mention of what gas you're using, if you're using gas, and what your flow rate is, Unless You're at 200+ amps full pedal, you shouldn't be ruining any 3/32 tunsten unless you dip it. I got my bosses eastwood tig 200, I can plat around with flat lining it at 200 amps and seeing if I can vaporize a 3/32 thorinated , but I doubt It would happen before I noticed it was getting unstable.

What it looks, and sounds like, is what I get when I forget to turn my gas on, or in lab someone turns it off, and I go to strike an arc and immediately a good quarter of my tungsten if vaporized.

Oscar wrote:

DougW wrote:So I get to the supply house find the wall location that has TIG electrodes.

Should've just ordered them with HTP when you ordered your machine. That was your first mistake I jest. But really, Any electrode with work with an inverter tig

sbaker56 wrote:I haven't heard one mention of what gas you're using, if you're using gas, and what your flow rate is, Unless You're at 200+ amps full pedal, you shouldn't be ruining any 3/32 tunsten unless you dip it. I got my bosses eastwood tig 200, I can plat around with flat lining it at 200 amps and seeing if I can vaporize a 3/32 thorinated , but I doubt It would happen before I noticed it was getting unstable.

What it looks, and sounds like, is what I get when I forget to turn my gas on, or in lab someone turns it off, and I go to strike an arc and immediately a good quarter of my tungsten if vaporized.

sbaker56 wrote:on the correct polarity/current type!

on the correct polarity/current type!

Just noticed this post... Funny how just much a little missing information can change the meaning of a statement!

If I dip a tungsten, I am not so worries about stopping INSTANTLY, but I do stop. To clean them up I chuck them in a cordless drill and wrap sandpaper around the tungsten and let her rip until the sides are clean, then I sharpen it on a belt sander until I have a clean point. I have never snapped off a tungsten because I dipped it. Not sure if I am just lucky or what, but I have never seen anyone advise snapping them off before resharpening.