Welding Tips and Tricks

Posted: **Sat Jul 12, 2014 3:54 pm**

Is it just me or do most TIG welders and TIG hobbyist find themselves accumulating torch parts. Perhaps it is in my compulsive nature to have tools for every job that comes in. I find myself collecting little TIG parts and organizing them.

Don't get me wrong I enjoy it and love all the little parts that I might only need once a year

was just wondering if others have the TIG collection bug too.

Posted: **Sat Jul 12, 2014 4:20 pm**

Hi, my name is Matt and I am a tig partaholic. I don't know the last time I turned down a part.

I read this and my wife was reading too and just looked at me. I guess I collect a few.... handfuls.

You never know what you may need.

Posted: **Sat Jul 12, 2014 4:28 pm**

Yep, seems tig is the only one that caused this compulsion for me - stick and mig don't do anything like this.

Well, to be fair, welding in general is an addiction so I guess I shouldn't be surprised

Posted: **Sat Jul 12, 2014 4:45 pm**

Yep, I'm in need of a 12 step program myself. Dave's right too about it just being Tig and not stick or Mig. I've had my Mig welder for a couple years and couldn't tell you what kind of gun is on it or what tips it takes. I have stick rods that are older than most of our membership and my chipping hammer outdates me by a few years. If I only stick welded I would still only own one helmet and one kind of gloves instead of six different kinds of each.

I got three large fishing tackle organizers full of collets and pilots and gas lens and cups for thee different sized torches. A toolbox drawer full of different tungsten, a dedicated bench grinder for sharpening them.

Saying you have a problem is the first step, "I'm Len and I too am a Tig Partsaholic."

Len

Posted: **Sat Jul 12, 2014 4:50 pm**

Braehill wrote:Yep, I'm in need of a 12 step program myself. Dave's right too about it just being Tig and not stick or Mig. I've had my Mig welder for a couple years and couldn't tell you what kind of gun is on it or what tips it takes. I have stick rods that are older than most of our membership and my chipping hammer outdates me by a few years. If I only stick welded I would still only own one helmet and one kind of gloves instead of six different kinds of each.

I got three large fishing tackle organizers full of collets and pilots and gas lens and cups for thee different sized torches. A toolbox drawer full of different tungsten, a dedicated bench grinder for sharpening them.

Saying you have a problem is the first step, "I',m Len and I too am a Tig Partsaholic."

Len

Good point, I forgot about the extra gloves and helmets!

Used the same lid for 15-20 years and just any pair of gloves laying around - now I have gloves just for tig aluminum and just for steel - about 5 different lids - 9,17,26 torches - and now have a pump/motor so I can make a tig water cooler!

.....this is a long dark bumpy road...

Posted: **Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:05 pm**

It is a strange thing, I am new to TIG welding but I already feel like a part hoarder. If I can get it, I'll take it.

Posted: **Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:08 pm**

We also forgot to mention now you have to own not one but two different size Tig fingers. I acually have three, ones made from the Autozone spark plug protectors.

Len

Posted: **Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:18 pm**

The worst part is, I'm sitting here invisioning the movie 'Coboys Vs. Alliens" with all us Tig welders staring at the light and handing out our credit card while we're in a transe. I think we're getting brainwashed from watching the puddle by CK and Weldcraft.

Len

Posted: **Sat Jul 12, 2014 6:13 pm**

mcoe wrote:Hi, my name is Matt and I am a tig partaholic. I don't know the last time I turned down a part. I read this and my wife was reading too and just looked at me. I guess I collect a few.... handfuls. You never know what you may need.

I like the TIG partaholic that's great.

The worst part about this is after I started this thread I was browsing for some other TIG toys which of course I ordered

after all I added another plastic box to my welding rig the other day and of course there is an empty hole that is just begging to be filled

I agree that mig and stick doesn't have the appeal to collect stuff. I had my mig forever and only ever got tips when I needed them never had any fancy cool toys to add to like TIG.

Posted: **Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:00 pm**

I use to just drape my mig gun over the corner of my welding table when I was done and never cared about having something to hold the gun. Now that I have the tig welder the first thing I did was make my own magnetic tig torch holder so I didn't have to drape the torch over something and take the chance of it falling and breaking the back cap. I have all kinds of cool toys for my tig machine.

Posted: **Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:57 pm**

yup tell me about it. Have tons of collets/collet bodies,cups in normal, stubby, pyrex, even one with custom made screens, lol. Have about 10 tig torches--standard, flex long neck, micro, roto-head, three sets of CK water cooled cables, etc

Posted: **Sat Jul 12, 2014 8:58 pm**

Fellow TIG partaholics watch out for pictures posted by Oscar they can lead to drooling and opening ones wallet to gather more valuable and important parts we need.

Just joking he posted some cool items that worked out great. Thanks Oscar Happy Collecting

Posted: **Sat Jul 12, 2014 9:12 pm**

i been welding a while but kinda new to tig. i've been a pack rat long before i ever thought of taking up heli-arc and just found some long forgotten sylvania tungsten. so i guess i got the collecting bug as well.

Posted: **Sun Jul 13, 2014 1:34 am**

I still use the basics as prescribed by The Hobart School of Welding. That's all that is in my personal parts drawer.

Posted: **Sat Feb 14, 2015 4:45 pm**

sad day for collecting parts. I live in a rural area so LWS doesn't have much on shelves, however they are branch of a very very large supplier. I was going to town where the headquarters is. The warehouse area is huge large tanks outside rows and rows of tanks being filled semi trucks being loaded with tanks and fillers plus a store front

. . . . .

thought they would have a decent storefront with machines, regulators ,TIG parts, helmets,. . . . . nope storefront wasn't much bigger than my local one and didn't have much on display. As for TIG parts they have to order them from CK also don't stock much.

Posted: **Sat Feb 14, 2015 6:07 pm**

I am addicted to weldingcity.com because they are cheap and good parts. I had to replace my torch head on my 26 torch so I changed it from rigid to flex head.

Posted: **Sat Mar 14, 2015 11:07 pm**

Hi. I'm RocketSurgeon and I'm a TIG partsaholic. It's been 3 days since I bought/ordered parts.

(60+ parts for my 26 torch.)

Posted: **Sun Mar 15, 2015 11:59 am**

mcoe wrote:I am addicted to weldingcity.com because they are cheap and good parts. I had to replace my torch head on my 26 torch so I changed it from rigid to flex head.

The teflon insulator is on the wrong end of your torch head (or so it seems)

Posted: **Sun Mar 15, 2015 3:50 pm**

RocketSurgeon wrote:Hi. I'm RocketSurgeon and I'm a TIG partsaholic. It's been 3 days since I bought/ordered parts.

(60+ parts for my 26 torch.)

Holy Cow! LWS is lickin their chops when they see you pull in the lot

Posted: **Sun Mar 15, 2015 8:15 pm**

"Say, man. You got any tugsten? Help a welder out, brother. What about a cup, dig? I'll even take a collet."

Posted: **Sun Mar 15, 2015 10:04 pm**

Rocketsurgeon let us know how riverweld stuff is. I have been tempted to buy a couple of there sets cause price is so cheap. I however worry about them not being up to my standards. I keep CK stuff on hand and buy a lot of stuff from HTP, the stuff I have gotten from them is CK except for stubby lens. Those are not marked.

Posted: **Sun Mar 15, 2015 10:12 pm**

I will. A parts fiend is never alone in their addiction.

Posted: **Mon Mar 16, 2015 12:35 am**

I bought some river weld gas lenses. Then promptly stopped using the tig.

I should get back into it soon.

Posted: **Mon Mar 16, 2015 4:08 am**

I've been using River weld for a while now, but only with my 9 torch.

Collets are very soft, and they split them in three slots. After re-tightening they have bulged so much the argon wouldnt flow.
Gas cups, ok havent melted or cracked any.

Gas lenses, no issues.
Took a picture of the first weld I did with their lens, cant complain on coverage. Hot galved water pipe.

: IMG166.jpg (38.41 KiB) Viewed 1642 times

Posted: **Mon Mar 16, 2015 6:45 am**

AndersK,

I see you have a TIG finger. A well used one at that.

A TIG partsaholic gets their "fix" any way they can.

Welding Tips and Tricks

Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

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Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts

Re: Caution Tig Welding leads to collecting parts