I am a welding novice. I have tried TIG and just made a mess but I have heard using a MIG welder is easy. In my machine shop I use mainly aluminum but I wanted to start using more steel. I would also like to try and weld some iron fencing. Should I bite the bullet with the higher price of a TIG now or should I get used to MIG then move to a TIG later?
A MIG will be much easier to learn. It is a normal progression to start with Stick or MIG welding and move to TIG later as your skill and confidence improve.
what were you TIG'ing ??
hehheee...... you are on the right track !!! for mild steel I think the best process is MIG, (There are exeptions to that so don't flame me, example huge piepes or farm or others where you are outthere in the middle of nothing and all you have is a generator and a bunch of stick rods. )
since I am in a shop for me stick is the last choice....why? it producess lots of smoke, lots of slag, lots of spatter, need lost of clean up and pointing /controling a foot long stick holding it at the very end. people who do this all day long becomes good at it. for me also much harder to do out of position.
MIG s in the middle of the pack, easy to learn, easy to control, stop and resart easily. clean process, a MIG which is set up right, producess almost zero spatter. point that wire right on where you want to weld get your angle right and pull that trigger. in my mind a MIG is a successor of the stick, if you are in the shop or garage a MIG is a must.
TIG I reserve for those "other fancy metals" stainless, aluminum. it is a precise welding method, you can sit down, no slag , no sparks flying no smoke lots of control.......but you have get good, (pactice a lot) otherwise you will be gringing lots of tungsten, I did ... and still do , but not as much. one thing I have about TIG...can't do galvanized steel.
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Hello,
firsttime MIG seems to be better for you. It`s easier to use, and you can get it for small price. TIG is more than a little bit expensive, and if you interested to work with aluminium, you must normally use a AC/ DC-Inverter, because you must welding Aluminium by AC, to eliminate the Oxid-Layer. With TIG you can become the best Results(optical), when you have a lot of practice. But MIG is the easier way to become a good Result for the most Welding- exercises.
Best Regards from Germany,
Thomas Moos
If you're going to get a GMAW set-up, you may as well go FCAW-G. It's a stronger weld.
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