beginning tig 101

Go to your local steel supplier/fabricator and buy some steel rems.

Get the instruction book.

Weld.

Weld.

Weld.

When the light bulbs start coming on, go get some SS rems. You can do them with the same equipment as regular steel.

When you are ready, and if your machine will do it, go get some aluminum rems.

It's all practice and following directions.

If you know a welder who can coach you, that is a good thing. If you have a community college in your area, they usually have some good programs that are cost efficient in helping you learn.

Your local welding supply store is usually full of ex welders, too who can help you pick out the right supplies and the right settings.

Steve

That and get the set of welding calculators (slide charts) from Miller for the $5 or so (you can find and order them on the Miller site). Great for finding a starting point for any given weld.

Pete C.

This may help:

"I'm not grown up enough to be so old!"

On Tue, 21 Feb 2006 14:25:02 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, "Pete C." quickly quoth:

I prefer 34B. Less than a handful, not much more than a mouthful. Juuuuuuuuust right!

Also, go to

Lincoln has knowledge articles there, too.

Now stop by

I'm at this early re-learning stage, too, with a little tigger from Harbor Fright.

--snip of more good suggestions--

I just got those and they're only $4 _delivered_! Great deal.

How is that $200 Tig working out for you? I sure was tempted for the bucks.

Don W.

On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 00:15:35 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, Don W quickly quoth:

Real well, though I haven't done much with it yet. Now that the temps are climbing a bit, I'll have a chance to get out there a bit more. The flu took 1.5 weeks away from me, and I've been reviving a dead computer this week, then the pipes burst to my landscaping plumbing last week. I still haven't repaired those or done my taxes yet.

So many projects, so little time...

Go to google groups and look in this news group for messages from Ernie. Every once in a while he posts his list of links and also his recommendations on tig tungstens and current to use for various thicknesses of metal.

I would start with 1/8 inch steel. Thick enough to not have problems with holes and thin enough to not require lots of heat.

Dan a6016 wrote:

metal thickness need about 30/35Amp x mm for steel, 25/30Amp x mm for stainles, 40Amp x Aluminum. tungsten type Red type for steel and stainles(DC) green type for aluminum( AC). tungsten diameter Red tipe diameter 1,6mm = 50 - 150Amp, 2,4mm = 120-240Amp Green type 1,6mm = 30 - 80Amp, 2,4mm = 60-120Amp 3,2 = 90 - 160Amp cup size Internal diameter = 4 - 6 time the diameter of electrode volume of gas flow

Tell me about it

Don W.

Hiya Larry, Like you, I have a million projects going. One is to learn how to MIG weld without classes (none in the area that work for my schedule). Anyway, I'm also interested in learning TIG so give us a short review of this unit when you have a chance to "kick the tires" so to speak if you don't mind. Cheers, cc