Welding Tips and Tricks

I'm often asked for ways to practice welding tubing. This is one I do, especially if I've had a long stint of AC and I'm going back to DC or vice versa. It's good for getting my mind back in steel mode or aluminum mode or whatever. I take three 6" (15 cm) long pieces of tubing, cope a 60* on each end, and tack them up in an equilateral triangle. It's challenging to get in the acute angles. You can test your stickout/gas lens/flow rate for best results. I always save the sides for last because I like doing those the most.


Practice by Mike Zanconato, on Flickr

And here's what happens when you get sloppy and lose your gas coverage going around a corner on titanium.


arrrrrrrrgh by Mike Zanconato, on Flickr

Anyhoo, just wanted to share. Hope it helps somebody along the way.

Thanks for sharing Zank, I really appreciate it.

As a noob with a long, long way to go, the work posted by you and a couple of the other gun Tig welders on this forum always inspires me. On those days that I'm creating napalm metal disasters, pics like yours help me draw my breath, re-set and just aim for something, because I can see what is actually possible.

Keep the pics and tips coming!



Kym

Yeah, youre right about that titanium weld being absolutely awful

To be serious though, how many stops do you do going all around?

What do you think is a minimum angle between the tubes before it gets difficult?

I ve struggled a bit lately with 22 mm aluminium tubes with about 30 degrees between.

Wow

@zank

When actually welding a bike frame, and not just practicing and you whiff on the corner like that with Ti, what is the course of action? Do you just say "Well shit..." and polish it out or do you start over?

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Ti is still in the prototype phase, so I would ride it. But if it was a customer bike and it didn't meet my own QC, it would mean starting over.

Mike, sounds like good material for a video!! You should work something out with Jody.

Louie1961 wrote:Mike, sounds like good material for a video!! You should work something out with Jody.

Actually, Jodi did a proof of concept for a bike frame jig of his and some Dedtructive testing (if I remember correctly 2-3 years ago.

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I concur. Very few goodtitanium welding videos out there, compared to other metal types.

Keep up the good work Mike, Iv'e seen some of your custom frames you have done big thumbs up!!

pgk wrote:Keep up the good work Mike, Iv'e seen some of your custom frames you have done big thumbs up!!

Thank you!