Can COPPER be tigged?

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- Max Krippler
  
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posted
17 years ago

Sat, Jan 13, 2007 5:20 PM

Hi, I'm starting a weathervane project that will be a gift for my Dad, and I'll need to join some thin (.040") sheet to a thicker edge (.062") along a lengthy curved seam. I've tig welded a lot of thin steel, but never copper. I guess my question is whether tig welding copper is more difficult than steel or if I should just solder the seam together? I know that copper can also be brazed but I've never brazed anything before. If brazing is the answer, what equipment would I need? Does brazing require a lot of technique? The problem is I don't have a lot of scrap copper to waste figuring this out...

Thanks,

--Max

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- Wally
  
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posted
17 years ago

Sun, Jan 14, 2007 1:27 AM

Yes it can. Getting the amperage down low enough to keep from burning through the copper takes a pretty sophisticated tig machine, though. I used pure argon and just plain #12 copper wire for the filler rod. Seems like I was running at around 5 amps. You'd be better off asking this in sci.engr.joining.welding, I'd be interested in the responses, also. Good luck.

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- digitalmaster
  
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posted
17 years ago

Sun, Jan 28, 2007 1:40 PM

we used to make "backup boxes" out of copper with the tig.We usually just fused the edges together without filler wire. fyi: a backup box is to apply inert gas to the back side of a weld joint for atmosphere control.