Welding Tips and Tricks

need advice on my tig work sorry the pic is big didn't know how to crop it

Smc, Maybe if you can share some more information? Tung, gas flow, filler wire, ect. Looks as though you need more practice to get better bead consistency with travel speed and arc length and amp setting. Will be happy to help not bashing just critiquing from my opinion.

2% Thoriated Tungsten red tip 75% argon 25% CO2 between 20 and 30 cfh and the ER70S-6 filler wire and it's been awhile since I used tig I was in my second term in school when I used it I am in my last term and I have a lot of tig projects this time so I should see improvement soon the last bead I did half way to me came out good I think so just have to get my heat which I think I was using 120 with a foot pedal and I need to learn how add filler wire but the more advice and tips the better thanks

Hey mate,

You need pure argon for tig. 75/25 is for mig only. Everything else looks good though.

Mick

you know I need to check again when I go to school today

smc1118 wrote: ...and the ER70S-6 filler wire...

Are you sure you are not welding Aluminum? I would promise you that looks like Aluminum.
-Jonathan

no it is mild steel

Wow I must be loosing it

Hello,

For a beginner Tig welder nothing wrong with that. Just need more time under the hood to get the feel of feeds and speeds. Make sure your tungsten is always clean! If you dip it, change it! Also, are you using a gas lens or a standard cup? If you're using just a standard cup try to put some scotch bright in it to help defuse the gas. You notice better coverage and be able to say Hey Guys Check this out! Ha ha! Little trick of the trade. Should post some photos that haven't been wire brushed, so we can see the full story, ha ha! As Power said we're not here to bash you, just to help as many have helped us along the way.

One big thing I always tell anyone that is starting to Tig. Take a piece of wire home and practice feeding through your hand!! This is very important! Just sit in front of the tv and feed it. Figure out what works for You! Check out a few videos online. Jody has a few I'm sure.

Keep Blazing

thanks really appreciate all the advice was wondering if anyone can tell me other ways to clean the weld besides wire brushing it

There's nothing wrong with cleaning your welds with a wire wheel, the comment was to leave the welds as welded and post your pictures so we can get a better read on your process. The heat affected zone will tell a story that is not evident after you've wire brushed it along with how many times you had your torch angle wrong, things like that.

If your question is a genuine interest in how to clean metal, that would depend on what type of metal and has many answers. You'll get better answers with a less general question.

Len

Hello everyone was wondering if you can give me some advice and tips on left hand welding I am righty and I know one day I'm have to use my left hand I tried but it didn't come out well anyway any suggestion thank you all

smc1118 wrote:Hello everyone was wondering if you can give me some advice and tips on left hand welding I am righty and I know one day I'm have to use my left hand I tried but it didn't come out well anyway any suggestion thank you all

Simple man - practice left handed. If you don't practice lefty you won't get any better at it.

smc1118 wrote:Hello everyone was wondering if you can give me some advice and tips on left hand welding I am righty and I know one day I'm have to use my left hand I tried but it didn't come out well anyway any suggestion thank you all

I have the same problem, except that I'm a righty, but can't TIG all that well with my right hand. It comes more naturally with my left hand from 23 years of playing guitar.

Get your left side used to other things you do as a righty...

If you like to shoot pool, teach yourself to do it left. The other benefit is your right-hand game will improve from re-learning the fundamental..

I'm a righty, and I can shoot pool as well with my left, and I can even throw a decent game of darts left-handed.

Write with your left hand. Sure, it'll look like Kindergarten all over again, but that's how your other hand did then, and you improved (or became a pharmacist... )

Hell, I can even drive a nail left-handed. Just make your left side practice the things your right is used to, and it will all slowly improve.

Steve S

Myself as well as most left handed people have had to learn to do quite a few things right handed because we're the minority and most things are made with right handed people in mind. Not whining just stating a fact. I still have a hard time doing some things right handed and Tig welding is one of them. You would think it would be controlling the torch that would be hard but it's actually feeding the rod left handed that sucks, weird.

Welding like a lot of sports depend on muscle memory and this can only be developed with the repetitive motion that comes from practice. If you learn to weld with both hands from the beginning you'll be way ahead of the curve.

We had to from time to time weld in a mirror at work and I actually do this better if I weld with my right hand.

Len

thanks I have improved some as soon as I get a camera I will be posting also any tips for tig in the overhead position t-joint and a v-groove also pipe to plate

I think Breahill said it best. This whole welding game is all about muscle memory. I'm a righty but i can bat lefty, play pool and darts as Otto said and i can half ass bowl lefty. I didn't get there overnight, it took a lot of practice. I can stick weld almost as good lefty as i can righty and free hand tig the same. I haven't got walking the cup lefty down yet but haven't had much time to practice. Do it off hand when you can and it will learn.

hello everyone im having an issue with free hand I can walk the cup but free hand is giving me an issue now this is only when I do pipe to plate an tips on how to position myself for this 3"1/2 x 3"1/2 plate 3" wide pipe position 1f,2f,4f,5f,6f