Welding Tips and Tricks

Well I went and did it. I ordered a tig welder from AHP. The new 2016 with improved pules Hz. Won't be here for a month, that gives me time to wire up a receptacle and make room in my shed for it. I already got an inexpensive Jackson safety helmet, big bottle of argon and tungsten's. Now have to get filler rod and gloves, then should be somewhat set to contaminate some tungsten . I will post some pic's when I get it and of first welds. Wish me luck.

Welcome to the forum! What kind of projects do you have in mind?

Welcome quadrod.

And congratulations on the new rig. Like Artie said...what you gonna be welding?




Kym

I am restoring a Lotus Europa and have water tubes and pedals to build. Then what ever comes my way. First I have to relearn how to weld. I had a miller dial arc hf 250 twenty years ago. Hopefully it comes back to me fast.

Well I finally got my AHP Alphatig 200x. Only played with it a couple of nights now but it is doing good. I want to get a stubby gas lens kit but see prices all over the board. Is there a difference between manufactures? This is for the wp-17 torch that came with the machine. Thanks.

quadrod wrote:Well I finally got my AHP Alphatig 200x. Only played with it a couple of nights now but it is doing good. I want to get a stubby gas lens kit but see prices all over the board. Is there a difference between manufactures? This is for the wp-17 torch that came with the machine. Thanks.

The kit from www.weldmongerstore.com http://weldmongerstore.com/collections/ ... ccessories is a good choice as is www.usaweld.com http://www.usaweld.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=stubby

quadrod wrote:Well I went and did it. I ordered a tig welder from AHP. The new 2016 with improved pules Hz. Won't be here for a month, that gives me time to wire up a receptacle and make room in my shed for it. I already got an inexpensive Jackson safety helmet, big bottle of argon and tungsten's. Now have to get filler rod and gloves, then should be somewhat set to contaminate some tungsten . I will post some pic's when I get it and of first welds. Wish me luck.

Welcome to the forum AND a new obsession! Warning: welding leads to all sorts of hoarding and collecting of gun parts, filler rods you most likely will never use and a sizeable tungsten collection, among other neurosis'.

quadrod wrote:Well I finally got my AHP Alphatig 200x. Only played with it a couple of nights now but it is doing good. I want to get a stubby gas lens kit but see prices all over the board. Is there a difference between manufactures? This is for the wp-17 torch that came with the machine. Thanks.

I have a 2015 200x. I got the stubby gas lens kit from Jody's Weldmonger Store. Good price and great quality.\

Larry

The hording is even worse than you think. I have a mill and lathe too

I just received my ahp this week. I like the machine but am struggling with the mild steel. I think that will come with seat time, I can run a decent aluminum bead though. I'm used to stick and mig so this is a new animal to me.

I have been practicing on a 4' tube of 1.25 x .035" wall thickness aluminum that I sectioned up in the lathe. The hard part for me is getting the first tac on the seam. They are not the prettiest welds but functional. Also getting practice filling in holes, . I ordered some smaller tungsten today to see if will help hold the ark at such low amps on this thin tubing.

quadrod wrote:I have been practicing on a 4' tube of 1.25 x .035" wall thickness aluminum that I sectioned up in the lathe. The hard part for me is getting the first tac on the seam. They are not the prettiest welds but functional. Also getting practice filling in holes, . I ordered some smaller tungsten today to see if will help hold the ark at such low amps on this thin tubing.

Since you have used the lathe then I presume the ends are square and flat, and deburred. This should allow the pieces to butt together without any gap, if there were a gap it would make it more difficult to get the tack to "jump" across the seam. Having a sharp clean tungsten is important, the only other thing to do would be to purge, on .035" wall this would be a big help not only for tacking but also welding.