TIG Welding Q&A - Tig Welding Tips

Is it possible to have life after 50 and learn how to tig and mig? I’m interested in welding pipe in the 6G position and learning about tig welding because I think that it will benefit me and my family. I have never had an appropriate training program, I believe I will make somebody an excellent hand. I do have a lot of experience running .045 mig with tri mix and passed a structural test all position with 7018 1/8 and just recently passed a 3/4 plate vertical 3/4 plate 1/16 flux core(which I had never run) then back gouging then filling it and only passing a bend test. I have been out a job for 5 months. My point is I feel I have the ability to do anything! I’m looking for some advise on some free schooling or web sites that I can get any education I can on how to become the best welder I can and as quickly as I can. Thank you for your ear and time. Sincerely --------------------------

50 is the new 30. I am 51 myself and some days I feel 20 and like I can do anything. Other days I feel more like 60.If you can afford it, Hobart has a 2 week course in tig welding for around 800 bucks.You can see the course page here… http://www.welding.org/p-171-gas-tungsten-arc-welding.aspxIt covers mild steel, stainless, and aluminum. From what you have described, this would round you out as a welder fairly well. Then you would just need a little practice tig welding pipe. Some technical colleges will allow you to enroll in a certificate program and bypass all the crap you have to take with a degree program.Check into your local technical colleges as well as Hobart.

QUESTION Hi Jody.....I have a customer that wants his race car headers "helibrazed" on the outside of the flange the way Hooker Headers does it to their upper end race car headers. I already asked my 2 local welding shops with no answer available. Can you please help me find out if this product is available in Canada, and why is it so much better than straight tig welding with steel rod. I know you'll know the answer...you have never let me down with getting the right information. Please help me!! Thanks for being there.....

Helibrazed? That could mean any rod that melts lower than the base metal. Usually silicon bronze or aluminum bronze is used for the stuff you’re talking about. Silicon bronze is also called sil-bro . Everdur is an old brand name for a version of silicon bronze. It’s all basically the same, copper plus silicon or aluminum to lower the melting point and help it wet. The technique is to use the tig torch to just almost melt the base metal but not quite. The arc is directed on the filler rod and it wets out and makes the weld like flowing butter.Some header companies might also be using nickel rod. It melts a bit lower than steel too. ..And flows like butter. Nickel rods are more expensive than silicon bronze.Truthfully, some base metal melts too but keeping it to a minimum is key. A fillet weld on a header flange or the inside path of a flange might benefit from helibrazing from the standpoint of less warpage, a lot less …and not melting all the way thru a header wall will probably make it last longer.Pick up some silicon bronze from Airgas . It’s handy for all kinds of stuff.

QUESTIONJody, I followed your advice and got a bottle of 50% Argon/ 50% Helium to weld aluminum and the results are fantastic! Thanks! Just a couple questions about this, can I add another flowmeter and just buy the helium cylinder and turn it on (along with the argon) for aluminum and off when I weld steel? Do I have to worry about reversion into the tank with the least pressure or is there a 'check valve' type deal that I can purchase to prevent this? I imagine that I would have each flowmeter at 7.5, for a total of 15 for aluminum and then just turn up the argon and off the helium for everything else. Is my thinking on this flawed? It took over a month to get a mixed bottle and I'm just trying to come up with a better way to accomplish the same results. Thanks again and keep up the good work!

You are right about mixing your own argon and helium. I guess not every welding supply is as accommodating as mine. If it is hard to get premixed stuff, you can certainly just buy some fittings. You can use a gas Y with valves to mix your own gas. It is not exactly precise, but you will know when the mix is good enough. Yes you are best to use check valves. They are pretty cheap.I have known of some problems with backing up, when check valves are not used.

Inconel weld with a centerline crack? Yesterday we heat fit a cast nickel fan blade for a blast furnace on a stainless steel shaft. While it was still around 250 degrees I lay down an inconel bead with what I think was a 4.5 mm rod with a Miller Syncrowave DX set to 107 Amps. Immediately after it was wrapped in insulation and allowed to cool slowly. When we chipped the slag we noticed a centerline crack. Today we ground out the weld, preheated both the shaft and the fan blade to around 250 and I lay down the same bead, allowed it to cool slowly wrapped in insulation and.......yup......it cracked. So now burned once shame on you, burned twice time to turn to Jody Collier. I reviewed what you had previously written about inconel and it sounds like I probably had too much heat input. Is this correct? Should I have pre-heat the part at all?

Since there are bunches of different kinds of inconel, it’s hard to know. But typically , no preheat is needed. Several inconels like 718, x750, and 713c are hardenable by age hardening heat cycles. Since this is a furnace, I suspect what you had was inconel 600. Not sure , just a hunch. Often times on a tight fit like this, there is no give… and when you start your bead a tiny crack forms that continues thru the centerline of the bead. To avoid it, add a bunch more filler than you think you should at the beginning of the bead and add a little more than normal for the whole bead so you have a slightly convex bead. This usually helps a bunch in avoiding those centerline cracks.

Hey, I wanted to commend you on your website. I think it is great and I am recommending it to my college welding students. I am always looking for new materials to present to my TIG as well as multi-process class. You have it the nail on the head from certifications to much of the other stuff that goes on in the industry. Thanks and keep up the great work. Thanks Again,

Hey , I really appreciate the props. If I can help you in any way , let me know.

QUESTIONHello Again, I had to mention, that all of my students have to weld two soda cans and razor blades together to pass my advanced TIG class. They have fun at it, and it kicks their butt quite a bit. Later,

Soda cans and razor blades. What a test for an advanced tig class? Soda cans are free, and razor blades are cheap enough too.We need to come up with some more free training materials that are hard to weld. Any ideas? How about scrap brake rotors for padding beads and build up?

Hello, I’m trying to do an open root tig weld on 1/8 aluminum plate and it's just not working.How do you do this weld? I tig welded 1/8 plates together with full penetration but they were butted up tight and with not bevels on the plates. I got this weld tested and the only thing that did not pass was the tension test. I can't figure out why it didn’t pass. I welded 6061-T6 to 5052 using 5356 1/8 wire. could it be that I put too much heat into the material when I was welding it together? what's your take on the subject?

Tensile tests on aluminum almost always fail because of too much heat input.Here is the dilemma… too little heat input , and porosity can bite you . too much, and the tensile values go down. That’s always the struggle when qualifying aluminum welds.Pay close attention to interpass temperature. Let it cool to around 200 f before you add filler passes.If you are not having porosity issues, speed up your travel speed and the tensile values should go up.

is 2% cerium any better than 2% thoriated. why do they recommend the 2% cerium for miller dynasty 350 inverter?

Thoriated tungsten breaks down if you weld at the higher frequencies like 200hz. If you keep it below about 150 hz, thoriated is probably as good or better than anything you will find.But I have never really seen an aluminum tig welding application that needed more than 150 hz

Hi, I am going to be welding a small tank made from 1 mm stainless steel. My question :- What methods are available to purge the inside seam without wasting gas filling the tank? Thank you in advance

Waste the gas. If you use plenty of tape to seal all openings before you turn on the gas, it will not take much to purge it. The weld will go much better if its purge well.

If I use a 50/50 blend of Helium and Argon on a Miller 180 SD, will I need a torch cooler to Tig weld 1/4" aluminum. And will it Tig weld 1/4" aluminum if I use the Helium Argon blend.

http://www.millerwelds.com/om/o360j_mil.pdfin case you need it, I have included the link to your owners manual.. which lists the duty cycle at 40 % for 150 amps. And the range on the machine from 10-180.I think you might be able to weld ¼ inch aluminum with added helium, but not without.Its not going to help your torch getting hot. If you will only weld for a minute or two, you might get do ok. But my experience has led me to get a cooler for stuff that thick.I would try it first. It wont kill the torch unless you just don’t stop. You will know pretty quick when it gets too hot to hold that you need a cooler.I hope I am wrong.

Great website! I've been in the business for close to 30 years and I see alot of great info here that is new to me (ans some that I've long forgotten!). My question: Recently I was tigging on an aluminum trailer, repairing some cracked welds. Most of them I ground out to base metal and then rewelded. I came across one particular weld that just would not allow the filler to flow; just balled up. I ground further and tried it again, same story. I ground and brushed several times and still same results. I finally just tied in out past the edges of the groove and sort of 'bridged' the gap. Butt ugly, but at least it was connected. Have you ever come across this? I've seen this before but never really figured out what the problem was. There was no visual difference between the original weld and the others I repaired. Other info: Stainless brush, 4043 filler, straight argon, tried autobalance and max clean.

Either corrosion under the weld, or some other crap contaminating the weld like oil that has soaked in to the metal.I have heard this a lot from guys repair welding pontoons. Corrosion is usually the problem on pontoons.

QUESTIONHello. I just recently became interested in welding and have quickly gotten addicted. However - I'm starting to believe after reading thru. this site and seeing some of the articles and videos, that I may have bought the wrong welder. My uses thus far are for automotive work, and some projects here and there, but the biggest thing I'll be using welding for now is automotive work. I went out and got the Lincoln Electric SP135T. What's your opinion of that welder? - I can take the hard truth. Thanks!

No hard truth necessary. I just spent the last 20 minutes reading reviews on welding forums. Some welders are pretty adamant that yours is the best 115 v mig out there.Here is the pdf owners manual in case you don’t have it.http://content.lincolnelectric.com/pdfs/products/navigator/im/IM785.pdf

Hey Jody, I was wondering why is there preflow on tig welders? I understand postflow by surrounding the hot metal with argon, but preflow? if the base metal is cold, why put argon to it? Thanks, Vince

For some metals, titanium being the main one. A very large tig cup is used to shield a very large area so that the titanium is shielded until it cools below a critical temp. when titanium is tig welded with a big cup, the tungsten is extended . preflow allows the metal to be shielded when the arc initiates without risk of contaminating the metal . when your electrode is out there about an inch, it takes the argon like half a second to shield the arc. Its always good practice to preflow , but not always necessary.

Hi, Im interested in welding aluminum and have been offered a tig welder.It is an italian machine made by cea :model matrix ac/dc 250.(Any comments on this model or brand?)I have been checking it out and noticed that the squarewave frequency is 150 hz max..I have seen a lot of other machines that go up to 250 hz .Should I be concerned or is 150 hz enough for most applications? Thank you.

You will most likely never need to go above 150 hz. In fact 120 hz is a good all around setting. Other machine manufacturers advertise higher frequencies but they are hard pressed to prove the benefits.My only concern would be support. I have heard the Lincoln invertec v205t is made in Italy. Maybe even by the same folks. It’s a good machine. But I cannot vouch for support on it.If the deal you get is good enough , I would not be afraid to try it out.

BTW, Great Site! I'd like to hear your opinion on welding with a HF DC TIG welder within 10-20 feet of a natural gas line. Is the natural ground at the meter good enough or do I need to supplement this by cleaning a spot further down the pipe and adding an earth ground? The only other feedback I have is that you should zoom your camera in all the way to your work, focus it, then turn off the auto focus. This will keep your vids nice and sharp! :-)

Thanks for the video cam tip. HF near a gas line gives me the willies.You should Consult your safety guy. I am no expert on this topic.

Just a small correction. On your 4130 chromoly page you state that .30 percent is three one hundredths of a percent when in fact I know you mean three tenths of a percent. Small error but easily fixed. Anyways, I happened on your website when looking for a dynasty 200 DX. Ive never welded a day in my life but Ive been a world class motorcycle mechanic working for factory teams for years. I’ve since retired from that career and now build bikes as a side project and Ive found that much like painters, welders seem to be flakes. Seeing as this very reason is what made me go out and learn to paint, I have taken it upon myself to go learn to weld. The community college sucks, they want you to take everything before the tig class to take the tig class. I kind of think that if I can figure out TIG, the rest of is should become pretty easy. I have to say that I have found your site to be absolutely amusing with its colorful language and sense of real world explanations. Its like working with one of the guys. Can you recommend what all I need to effectively use the dynasty 200 DX? Im mostly really interested in its "portability" and that it can be plugged into anything from 110 to 440 and run...I do a lot of race track work and the tracks are generous when they give you 110 to jump. Id love to be able to bring my set up to the track and use it. Anyways, Im having a blast reading your page and hope to hear your recommendation.

Thanks for the heads up on my fubar. You are right. I corrected it .The Dynasty 200dx is great. To be honest, so is the Lincoln invertec v205t. both comparable in features and price. If you are going to be doing a lot of aluminum on 110v, the Lincoln is hard to beat. Both are portable and can run off multiple voltages as well as generator power.But alas, I still like miller . If most of your welding is steel, the miller is better.Both manufactures should be hamstrung for not including a dvd with the machine that explains controls.I teach welding so I don’t have an issue, but most people don’t care to dive in the manual and learn what makes the thing tick. There is an old saying “ nobody who ever bought a drill wanted a drill, what they wanted was a hole”…same goes for welding machines. Learning all the controls is a necessary evil for some people. Not a joy. Lincoln and miller didn’t get that one.

Please could you tell me what brand or who makes 2% lanthanated blue? Thank you for your help.

I get mine from airgas. Brands are different and are always changing. You should be able to order it from www.airgas.com

just wanted to say since i have found this site, i frequent it every day. i am a welder for weber-stephen. the weber grill company. i dont weld the grills (since that is all automated) but i do plant repairs, press repairs and so on. this site has definitely changed the technique that i have with all types of welding. i do have one question for you though... i can't afford a arc/tig welder from lincoln or miller, but i found this one called "GiantTech CT520D" was wondering if you ever heard of it. thanks!!

I have done a bit of pecking around on the forums and what I see is the same old Chinese welder debate. For every comment from someone who is tickled with their new welder, there is at least one person who received a machine that was defective in some way.I am not bashing Chinese machines. I just don’t have the time to deal with a non working machine and having to rely on phone support and FedEx to get me out of a jam. I have been tempted to try one of these things…but again, I would just rather wait for them to work out the bugs. If that ever happens.Here is a link to some forum posts… http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?p=225835

What is your take on engine driven type welders from miller, like the bobcats ? Do they do a good job at tig welding compared to the dynasty ? Thanks for your time

Engine type welders like the bobcat sometimes offer only scratch start tig. A trailblazer can be outfitted to do tig with high frequency and do it well. The dynasty is completely different. Not only do you not have to touch the electrode, but you have all kinds of arc shaping settings like pulse for DC steel, and high frequency arc shaping on ac for aluminum. Some of these settings are not necessary but nice to have anyway. For some jobs, a scratch start tig is all that is needed. Its all up to the welder to make the good weld.

Just came across your site and have a ball going through it. If my welding teacher all those years ago was half as good......... I was taught to weld as part of my apprenticship, stick and gas only, and since have basically taught my self mig and tig. My welding needs now are mostly as a hobby.....but occasionally I've had to do some commercial jobs.ss tube fabrication on boat rails and such. I enjoy fabricating and try to do the best I can with fit etc. My biggest problem is that i have a real hard time staying steady with my hands and laying down decent looking welds especially with tig. Any tips on how to develop a steady hand? keep up the great site, cheers, ANSWER…

Keeping a steady hand means propping your hand against the metal or something else. Use your head and figure out a way to rest your hand. Hold your torch free as if it were a gas torch, will not give you good results. If you are trying to use the tig torch like you would a gas welding torch,,, Forget about gas welding. Tig welding requires a tight arc. Or else you lose the benefits of pinpointed clean heat.Hold the torch like it is a big 3rd grade crayon and you are trying to stay within the lines.Propping with your palm will steady your hand just like it does when you color with a crayon.

Until the past couple of days I've never TIG brazed and I'm confused. Half of the info I read makes it sound like you don't melt the base metal (steel), the other half you do. I can't get Aluminum bronze A2 filler to flow if I don't melt the base metal like I'm welding. And, I get a kick butt joint that way. If I don't melt the base metal I get no flow to happen no matter how clean the base metal. What's the right method? Thank you for your time.

When I weld with aluminum bronze, I usually use AC current and just flow the metal forward with minimal heat. I do melt the base metal some too. But ac current helps me to minimize that.When I use ac I set my ac balance to max penetration on a syncrowave 250 or if using an inverter, I set the balance to about 90 percent. I use 2 percent thoriated with a point.Whats the harm in melting a little base metal? The idea is not to change the properties of the base metal but it is kind of unavoidable to melt some of it.

How do you weld, or braze, Nibral bronze? This material is used in some inboard boat propellers and in a unit called the "Wedge" made by Malibu boats. The wedge is a reverse hydrofoil that pulls the stern of a boat DOWN into the water more to create a larger wake. These are very expensive and most end up catching a stump under water and are bent or broken. If someone has the skill to weld these they could have a gold mine repairing them for people. Right now we don't know of anyone who provides this service.

this is the most informative site I have ever seen on welding propellers and such.They list the filler metal as A. UTP/A34N - 3/32" x 36, 1/8"" x 36"B. Ampcotrode #10 - 3/32" x 36, 1/8" x 36UTP/A34N also welds very well on large diameter manganese bronze props.Tig welding would go better with a 50/50 argon helium mix. You could also go much higher on the helium. AC or DC will work. Depends on the desired outcome. For build up, ac current wets out and leaves a shiny clean weld deposit. For penetration of grooved out cracks, dc may work better. Helium will make more difference than anything else.

QUESTIONHi, Great website keep up the good work. just a question. do you know of somewhere i can get a chart that shows the different frequency and pulse combinations for different jobs(eg electrode size and metal size). thanks

If you find one please let me know. The only recommendations I have seen are in applications articles on the miller site.Miller does have a weld calculator page that helps but it is useless for pulse settings or hz settings for their dynasty series inverters.

Seems kind of crazy to make a machine with all those capabilities and then leave it up to the users to figure out what works.

Hi ! I would like to ask your opinions on oxyacetylene welding particularly on something like a chopper frame (cold rolled steel D.O.M. 1.25" O.D.x.120 wall to be exact). would the welds be as strong as tig welds ( the same type of joint with the same filler rod, say 70s ) ? What about the heat affected zone ? would there be drawbacks to the larger heat affected zone caused by oxy-acetylene welding or should i be annealing my frames after i tig weld them anyways( i haven’t been)? my personal rule of thumb on failure is i would prefer any part that i built to bend before it breaks. i really enjoy gas welding i know alot of people dont mess with it any more, thats just one more reason for me to do it. thanks alot

That seems kind of thick to want to gas weld. I would tig weld it all day long as opposed to gas welding it. You are on to a good point thought about wanting things to bend before they break. But for cold rolled D.O.M. tubing, brittle welds should not be a problem. If fact , the weld should be softer whether tigged or gas welded. No stress relief required.Mig welding should be ok as well.If you are dead set on doing it, here is a good resource for you …http://tinmantech.com/

I am retiring from DuPont after 48 years. I am a millwright (our millwrights don't weld. WE have welders) As part of my retirement package. I have money to spend on education. I just want to learn to weld either Tig or mig. To work on my hotrod ,and other hobbies .But I only want to learn one or the other as I am only going to buy one welder. And at 67 I don't think I am going to enter the construction field. Any advice or Ideas how I shold go about this. By the way I really like your web page.

If you think you will only weld steel. Get a mig.If you would like to fart around with aluminum, stainless, chromoly, etc., go with a tig welder.I hear good things about the miller 211 with autoset and multivoltage.Also the miller Diversion 165 is a good beginners tig unit.

I'm fairly new at welding aluminum, and need some advice on a handrail project I'm working on. I'm trying to weld 1/2" aluminum square bar to 1 1/4" aluminum pipe, and I'm having quite a bit of trouble getting a nice looking weld, especially with such short beads. I would appreciate any suggestions on settings, techniques, etc. that would improve appearance (and quality). Thanks.

You need some helium mixed in to your argon. You can either buy premixed 50/50 or get a Y with valves , a tank of helium, another regulator/flowmeter.If that seems like too much trouble a little preheat with a torch will help.

my tig welder will not go from the scratch start to full-weld position ...what is the problem?

my names larry from michigan first off i love the site im 17 years old ive been mig tig arc welding for 3 years now in school and whatnot anyways i was wondering what type of tig welder u would suggest me buying for my first tig welder it has to be ac/dc high freq start foot pedal 5-185 amps or more, i like lincoln and miller no prefrence on brand as long as it is a good brand and im not looking to spend over 2000 please help i appreciate it thanks

Sounds like a miller syncrowave 200 is in your future. if you can find a used miller syncrowave 250 on craigslist, that is what i would do.

I am in search of a round bar tungsten 7 "length carbide, but I need tell me if has distributors in mexico. the bar the important thing for me the length. varies as may be 1/16 x 7 "length." Thank you I hope response.

ANSWER… Are you talking about tungsten electrodes? if so you can buy them online...here is just one supplier.

QUESTIONJody, I just bought my first few pieces of mild steel to practice TIG welding. What is the best way to clean this stuff with prior to welding? My hands are black just from carrying it from the car to the shop! Is Acetone the best? Thanks in advance,

If it is cold rolled, acetone is fine. If it is hot rolled, you will want to sand off the mill scale or you might think that you just suck at welding. Tig welding over mill scale is no fun.Use a 4 inch electric grinder or something like that to clean to shiny bright metal.

Ok, your love affair with tig has given me pause. So now it is up to you to clarify my confusion. I attended the Lincoln Electric mig welding school because I want to build aluminum boats. After talking with some engineers there, I settled on a pulse mig, inverter machine. I am well aware of the benefits of tig welding for aluminum, but the speed of bead laydown was the issue. So can a tig machine be used to build 30' aluminum boat? I was all set to get a Miller 304 cc/cv multi purpose on Ebay when I cam across your site. Those machines don't have both AC and DC tig. So give me some wisdom

For speed and production, the mig is probably your best bet.You may need a tig machine down the road for intricate handrails and smaller hardware.I welded a crapload of concrete cutting saws with tig and I was wishing I had a pulse mig for that.

Site is great! Loads of info and what a person can't find on here, you are willing to answer promptly. I love it! Quick question. Working on an aluminum project that eventually will be anodized. Is there a specific base metal and/or filler rod to use when welding pieces together that takes to anodizing better? I've heard you need a specific filler rod when welding aluminum that will be anodized, but can't remember what it was. Thanks again for the site!

Here is a very good chart for aluminum filler metals that also has anodizing issues explained…http://alcotec.com/us/en/support/upload/Aluminum_Filler_Alloy_Selection_Chart-2.pdf

I frequently repair stainless steel sinks and counters in restaurants. I am a self taught tig welder. I had to learn on the job on my own. I am looking for tips on seaming in counter tops that are typ 16ga 304ss. I recently had to weld a flat counter top and it warped badly. I had to admit defeat and my company had to call in a finishing company. What can i do to keep the pieces from warping?

If you can find some pieces of ¼ inch thick aluminum to use for chill bars, that will come in handy.I have used bars like this along with some real long c tong type vise grip clamps to draw heat out of stainless and at the same time not contaminate it with iron an cause rust problems later.I recommend a few pieces about 4 inches by 8 inches . It helps if it has a bevel on it too for easier weld access when you have to weld right next to the edge of the aluminum bar.

Can you TIG weld Aluminum with a DC inverted welder. I have a Thermal arc GMS its a DC power supply with TIG, ARC, MIG setting. The TIG setting is lift start. Also there is a inductive control and hot start controls there a switch for amp control remote or panel.

Not really. At least not effectively. If you have some uhp (ultra high purity ) helium, you can stick aluminum together, but unless it is perfectly clean, you wont be happy with the results. It is good for fixing a ding or something but not for general repair or fab.

QUESTIONHello I would like to upload some quality video on tig welding. How are these people getting such clear views of the weld pool, are they placing a autodarkening lens in front of the camera or are they using a special lens for their cameras.

I really wish I could talk to someone who knows how to film an arc. I only have limited success. I made a short video on tig welding aluminum where it came out ok and I used an autodark lens in front of the camera.If someone out there knows how to film a puddle and arc clearly, please contact me. I will pay you for your help.

Hi I am having problems welding 355 alum aerospace castings lately. Sometimes not all the time when I get a puddle there is what looks to be bubbles coming out of the base metal sometimes I can work the puddle around and the will disapear and the weld x-rays good other times it looks like all of the bubbles are gone but when it gets x-rayed they are still in there. This happens more with 355 than 356 or 357 alum. We sand cast our own parts. What are these bubbles and where do they come from and how do we get rid of them? I am using a Miller Dynasty300dx tig welder 1/8 lanthanated tungsten electrodes, max peak is set at 180, balance 65, frequency at 60, ultra pure argon is used at 20. Thanks

50/50 argon/helium will help some. Also setting you balance to 60 or maybe even 50 should help.Preheat is also helpful. Porosity is gas bubbles. Where they come from is another story. Could be inclusions, grit, oil, hydrogen, etc. slowing the cooling rate, increasing the cleaning action, and increasing the heat of the arc with helium , are all helpful in getting rid of porosity.

Hullo! I just read your article and saw the video of the Northern Industrial Solar-Powered Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet, and am wondering if you've used it for low-voltage tig yet, and how it responds? I have a cheapo $50 Harbor Freight auto-darken helmet, and it's great for the hobbying I do, but the damn thing doesn't trigger with low voltage tig -- drives me nuts cause I have to use a non-auto helmet for these applications. I forget what voltages I was working with, but seems to me it was down around 20 to 30v. Anyway, thanks for any input! If you think it'd be better than my HF auto darken, I'll buy one tonight, and pocket the $300 I was going to spend on a Miller!

I have used it with low amperage tig. Using a syncrowave 250 no problems, Using a dynasty inverter at low amperage , I got flashed once or twice.If you are going to be using low amperage tig or an inverter , I would go with the better helmet and spend the money.

I notice you have a love affair with tig weldng. I was going to get a pulse mig to build aluminum boats, but you have given me pause. So can tig work for thicker aluminum and weld in tight quarters?

Tig can work for thicker aluminum, but for speed, if you are going to be building boats, a good pulse mig like a miller 350 mp or comparable machine might be better.

Have a Tig Welding Question?

TIG welding to join stailess steel pipes of thickness 0.3mm
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i have some 2-1/4" aluminum to butt weld. my machine is a miller 350 syncrowave.i would be greatful for any help you can spare

thanks, mike c.

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you cant use the same ...

Hi-Frequency Generator info
I have an opportunity to trade for a Lincoln HFG 250 I believe.

I have dowmloaded the IM for it... it appears to be a "250" which means nothing to ...

position and angles for noobs?
im a noob to tig welding and so far i have fallen in love with it but its been giving me a lot of trouble.

i do not know much about angles does anyone ...

tips,tricks to weld inconel
i going to take test on 2"sch40 inconel.

i never welded inconel

i use stainles steel,carbon,duplex,copper nickle but no inconel.

so if you ...

Frequency Control with DC Tig welding machines
ive recently upgraded to a Cebora DC TIG set, the machine has frequency control from 0.16 - 250hz. It also has Base current and percentage of base current ...

Settings on TIG Welder
Just want to say thanks again for this great site!
I have learned a TON so far by just reading articles!
One question though, do you have an article ...

sugar guestion
Im working in a fab shop now welding stainless like 10 12 16 18 GA. Some is food grade I dont have a problem purging with argon. It is when I cant purge ...

having trouble where i didnt before
i am a self taught tig welder, and have had pretty good results in the past, but i am trying to build an intake manifold for a customer.
he has supplied ...

bubbles when im tig welding
why is it when im tig welding i get bubbles when im starting or in the middle of a run?

-------------------------------------------------

contamination ...

porosity in aluminum weld
porosity in aluminum weld,
This is on a tube with flanges and is being tested for leaks with helium. No visible porosity on the surface of the weld, none ...

mechanical & microhardness properties of AISI 316L.
SIR, i m doing my project on welding of ss 316L by tig. the joints obtained giving good mechanical properties on higher heat input i.e on 110 amp. as compare ...

stainless tig root problems
Hi, i'm welding stainless pipe and i'm having trouble making the root pass stand out. i'm getting alot of suck back and every once in a while i have a ...

Aluminum boat repair
Hi out there.

Got this Starcraft Alum boat cheap, a couple of pinholes in it so I figured try the HTS-2000 rod. It was about $80 bucks for 1 lb.

Read ...

Gianttech Combo Welder
Have you ever used the Gianttech combo units? I have one that I use as a plasma cutter but it also has a TIG torch. Different technology than what I am ...

tig welding end caps and joint on stainless steel foot rails
Are there any tricks or what is the technique for welding end caps and angle joints onto 1/2" Stainless steel foot rail tubs.

Erratic, Noisy arc when trying to TIG aluminum
Hi,

I am new to TIG welding and I seem to have a problem when it comes to starting and maintaining a proper arc on aluminum. The arc is VERY erratic ...

Welding end caps on a Aluminum pipe?
How would i weld end caps on a aluminum pipe? The pipe needs to be completely sealed. Everytime I get down to the last spot to weld, the weld will not ...

Canox 250 ac/dc wedler - is it possible to attach a tig?
Hello, my name is Glenn.

I have a Canox 250 AC/DC welder. I am looking to attach a tig to it.
Questions...

Can this even be done? Will I need ...

Heat exchanger pipe welding
Jody;

I am an experienced welder but recently ran onto a couple of new things to me.

A heat exchanger pipe from a local dive boat. I cleaned off ...

Tig welding brass
Hi Jody
Do you have any videos or tutorials on welding techniques for welding/brazing brass using the tig process.

-------------------------

Tony,...

how long do I backpurge a pipe to get 0 % oxygen in the pipe?
We are welding titanium and need to make sure the back purge gas has completely filled the vessel before we strike an arc. We have purchased an oxygen ...

tig cast iron with cast iron rod
Hi jody great site.

Im repairing front tractor hubs,wheel studs torn out bit of a mess.

I've had experience in industry with braising cast iron,but ...

Dynasty -power supply
Hi there.

I am a TIG welder by trade. Looking to start a small business ,and I thought I would get a truck rigged up for some portable welding as my ...

stainless tube and copper tube gauge 20 to be fused together.
can a stainless tubing be welded to copper tubing using a GTAW tig welding? what amperage? and what kind of filler to be use?what kind of tugsten to be ...

welding problems Not rated yet
i am welding steel pipe with 250 miller tig.

the weld is getting air bubbles in it i have adjusted my gas flow and it still does it ...whats my problem?...

do you always have to use filler rod Not rated yet
im welding some pilot heads for a burner with 1/16 tungsten and 1/16 filler and #6 cup. 3/32 stainless butt joints the beads are very small an filler makes ...

thin wall sockets to 6g... Not rated yet
At my last job i was a pipewelder apprentice (shipyard) and was taught how to stick fillet welds using low hydrogen and 309 stainless steel rods, and was ...

Of all your very helpfull info, I have yet to find ANYONES input on gas cup sizing, Im lost. Not rated yet
I have wanted a small tig for quite a while, was going with a Thermal Arc Dragster 85, but never had the cash, well its discontinued and replaced with ...

TIG welding Not rated yet
I have been TIG welding in the aerospace field for 23 years. I have always practiced holding the torch no more than 10 degrees back hand. With this walking ...

tig welding boiler tubes Not rated yet
I'm in welding school right now and when i get out i have a job lined out for welding boiler tubes.

First off have you ever welded on a boiler tube ...

forum Not rated yet
Jody: Thanks , I love the web site. You have a great way of conveying your ideas. I just bought a Everlast power tig 250 ex after watching your "show"
I ...

How to stop the arc? Not rated yet
I know this is maybe a foolish question, but I haven't been able to find an answer. I was trying TIG for the first time,
I was able to strike the arc ...

dirty weld mirror when heating aluminum no porosity Not rated yet
Im a student at york county shool of technology we are having problems with our tig welders.

we have multiple tigs welders set up on several bottles ...

Cover pass on 8"pipe Not rated yet
HI,I just started my tig welding at school.I am welding 8"pipe in the 1G rotated position.I just started last week and have caught on to walking the cup ...

Tig welding a cracked frame Not rated yet
We have a cement powder truck trailer with a cracked frame, 1/2" aluminum, about an 8" vertical crack through the frame. Can you give me any tips on preparing ...

what to use for cleaning aluminum?? Not rated yet
Hi, I work at a metal fab. shop and do alot of tigging aluminum. After it is sheared down to size and punched on a press at times they are very oily, and ...

TIG Root suck back... Not rated yet
Today in class I made my root of 3/32" on a 6" carbon steel pipe coupon. I don't have a long piece of pipe, nor do I have the luxury of purging my pipe ...

Welder settings (tig) Not rated yet
I have a Thermal Arc Pro Wave 185TSW Tig welder. I am currently welding stainless tubing 1.25 O.D. with .065 wall. What is a good setting for the welder....

Can`t decide syncrowave 250 dx or dynasty 200 dx Not rated yet
I`m a self employed marine engineer and I do all types of metal fab on the job and as a hobbiest using my millermatic 251.

I don`t have very much ...

proper arc. Not rated yet
I just got a chinese inverter 3 in 1 unit.

The first few welds on 4130 worked ok but,now my arc strays off to the side and wont puddle even at high ...

Cold Cracking on 304L Not rated yet
I am TIG welding 18g 304L stainless steel(butt weld, argon)with no filler, every time I tack or lay a pass down it cracks back open. A perfect line right ...

welding differing stainless alloys together?? Not rated yet
For years I thought 316L was the butter of stainless tig welding and was applicable to all stainless tigging.

Wrong! At least I think...

I have ...

Which gas for aluminium and s/ssteel Not rated yet
Hi,great site.
I like doing work on my boat and most of the work is s/s or alloy.

Is there a gas I can use to tig both metals.

I already have one ...

aluminium butt welds Not rated yet
any information on butt welding LM6 to 1200 aluminium in 8mm thick plate and LM6 to 1200 need to know weld prep ,rods, pre heat etc etc as im struggling ...

Scratch Start Tig Welding Not rated yet
I have a Muscle MIG welder made by Snap-On. I recently got the TIG attachments for it so I could give TIG welding a shot. Its a scratch start style. There ...

pits at edges of tig welds on carbon steel Not rated yet
When I tig on carbon steel I get little pits or arch marks at the edges of the welds. I am using a miller 250 dx and argon gas. What is the cause of this?...

Black scale on TIG weld bead...why??? Not rated yet
I am learning to TIG weld aluminum with a Miller 180 SD machine. The plate in the picture is 1/4 inch plate, rod is 4043 3/32, electrode is 100% tungsten ...

Tig welding question about miller syncrowave 180 settings Not rated yet
Hey Jody, thanks again for your emails with TIG tips, they are great.

Hope you don’t mind a question, since from your website it seems you are ...

4140 vs 4130 Not rated yet
I work on indy type race cars. Traditionally, the control arms are 4130 and they have to be heat treated when completed. I read an online page for guys ...

Tig welding with stick cables attached Not rated yet
I have a syncrowave 350 with about 40 feet of ground cable and 40 feet of stick cable hanging next to the welder. I also have the tig block hooked to the ...

When to use a gas lens? Not rated yet
Hi Jody, I have been reading and absorbing everything on your site and it is a great resource. I really like how you get straight to the point and cut ...

what is a "wet torch" tig welder Not rated yet
i am purchasing a lincoln idealarc (model number??) and they say it has a "Wet torch".

what does that mean ?

its a older machine with all the ...

over 60 and blind Not rated yet
Hey; I am over 60 and I have a hard time seeing my weld joint,
Is there anything that I can do that would help.
I have a 9/13 autodarking helment and ...

Miller Settings!!! Not rated yet
Hey Mr Jody

I enjoy your web site as I have learned a LOT!

My Question is I have a Syncrowave 200 Miller and the instruction manual does not cover ...

experience Not rated yet
what kind of experience do u need for chrome-moly welding???

-------------------------------------------------

Since most chrome moly welding is ...

Draw on stainless pipe Not rated yet
I am mig welding on 2.5 ss pipe scd 10 saddling a 2in nipple.

Question is how to keep it from drawing so much? How to build a jig to keep the 2.5 ss ...

tigging copper Not rated yet
I'm an electrician/welder, I've got some copper busbar 1/4"x4". I'm not sure of the amperage that will be put through the bus, its 480v bus. It wont exceed ...

Sugaring in a small Oxygen carrying vessel because I forgot to purge Not rated yet
Hello,

I wasn't thinking when I rushed into creating a small O2 vessel, but forgot to purge before TIGing it. This 3" x 12" container will be a reservoir ...

welding 8mm SS316L pipe Not rated yet
Hi, We want to close one end of a 8mm dia pipe, 1mm thick, SS316L to be inserted in car battery acid.

We plugged one end of pipe with a SS316L insert ...

90degree fillet welds in 3mm ally Not rated yet
I'm fairly new to welding ally. I'm using square wave AC, about 70% electrode negative, 1.5% Lanthiated 2.4mm electrode ground to a point with a small ...

50% Argon/ 50% Helium Not rated yet
Nice website!

Anything wrong about using this on anything other than aluminum?

--------------------------------------------------

good question....

Yet another stainless question Not rated yet
Ive already picked up a lot of good information from your site
but i still have two dilemmas... one is a paste flux adequate for shielding the back of ...

Cup Size Not rated yet
What factors generally determine the size of the cup to be used?

--------------------------------------------------

metal type--for example, titanium ...

Welding cert. Not rated yet
I am confused about all the different types of welding test.

I am 24 yrs old and I am a maintenance tech. I am really good at mig, tig, and arc and ...

tig welding aluminum with flux Not rated yet
Is it possible to use flux to break up the aluminum oxide when welding with DC
?

--------------------------------------------------

there has been ...

gas blast on start up tig Not rated yet
Hi, why is it the cheaper tig welders blast gas out at a higher rate when starting up after idle time but when stop starting there normal. Regulator is ...

304 weld repair Not rated yet
I just welded .065" 304 stainless tank. The purge wasn't complete and ended up with a little "sugar" in one section. Is there any way to repair the section?...

pipe welding monel, set/ up, tecniques, for a pipe test Not rated yet
hi got a tig test for a job start, am an experienced welder , but haven't welded monel , tig/stick cap , on2"pipe, 6g,any tips guys ???,

is it similar ...

Can I Tig w/ a Lincoln AC 225 Not rated yet
Can I Tig weld carbon Steel with a Lincoln Electric AC 225 welder and if so what Tig torch would I need?

-------------------------------------------------

you ...

Stainless steel pipe flange Not rated yet
I need to weld some 10" sch 10 304 pipe to some heavy flanges.
They will be welded on both sides of the flanges. I'm not sure what size tungsten to use,...

cleaning up the stainless steel weld Not rated yet
Howdy. I have the Miller 165 Diversion. I love it, also the inferno auto helmet. No this isn't a testimonial for miller just a little info on my skill ...

Stainless weld dirty/grey??? Not rated yet
Hello:

Have enjoyed looking at your web site very much.
Took lessons 5 - 6 years ago when I retired, then bought a used Syncrowave 300.
Haven't ...

Question about progression of travel while tig on pipe is in a fixed position. Not rated yet
Hi, I am teaching myself how to tig on pipe (both stainless and carbon steel) and want to know what the proper procedure is to make the weld when in the ...

welding 17-4 stainless to 17-4 stainless Not rated yet
I'm building a z-bar for my car, the arms are 1/4" thick and the tube is 1" od with a .125 wall thickness. I was wondering what rod I should use,(309,312,...

suck back on root pass of tig weld Not rated yet
what is the trick to crown the bottom of an open butt tig pipe weld? I have no problem getting an excellent root but flat is the best crown I can attain....

Tig welding with silicone bronze Not rated yet
I need to repair a English vintage race car chassis.It has been brazed together.I want to make the new welds look like the existing welds.Can I do it with ...

weldability of gold Not rated yet
what welding processes are use to weld gold?

---------------------------------------------

jody here from weldingtipsandtricks.com

pulse yag laser ...

solar flux? Not rated yet
I really love the site. Thanks for all the wonderful and helpful info. I have been welding for about 15 years and I am still learning new things all the ...

Tig welding in the 6G position pictures and help!! Not rated yet
Hello I'm trying to get ready for a G6 tig welding tset on 28mm dia pipe 5.5mm thickness and I'm really struggling I've not been shown how to really do ...

chrome moly welding Not rated yet
I was just curious if discoloration when welding chome moly is oxidation issues like when welding stainless or titanium?

-------------------------------------------------

jody ...

getting the cap run right Not rated yet
on carbon steel - how do you get the ripple effect? I tend to move side to side with a slight forwards motion with mixed results. I need to improve my ...

high frequency weak Not rated yet
I have an old miller 330Ab. The high freq. doesnt want to start well even if I turn it up. Anyone have ideas about whats wrong?

--------------------------------------------------

jody ...

Perplexing Problem Not rated yet
First, thanks for such a great site! I just purchased a Miller 165 and learning fast.

I was doing some practice welds on joining 2 - 1"x 3" x 1/16th ...

"Mild Steel to Chromoly" Not rated yet
Can you weld 4130 chromoly to Mild Steel ? If so will the strength be the same, or will it be different because of dissimilarity in the metal ?

I ...

how many amps? Not rated yet
if i am welding a piece of angle iron to a bit of 1/4' pipe how many amps do need every time i go to weld it its either too hot or too cold
cheers:)

-------------------------------------------------
jody ...

welder qualifications Not rated yet
If you are qualified to weld 2" sch. 80. what procedure do you need for socket weld sch. 160 stainless?

Inside corner welds Not rated yet
Jody,

Can you point me in the direction where I find info on how to properly perform inside welds on aluminum tube? For instance, I need to weld aluminum ...

safety on using tig welding devices Not rated yet
I'm just new in using tig. I want to know some healthy tips to avoid defects(physical) do's and don'ts after doing tig welding. Thank you and god speed....

Nuclear Plants Not rated yet
Jody,
My name is Al Lovins, I think I have worked with you at Plant Vogtle at which time I was an inspector with Pullman Power Products. Are you the same ...

duty cycle on an HTP invertig 201 Not rated yet
What is the effect on the duty cycle setting on the above tig?

The manual doesn't explain it, only how to set it.

--------------------------------------------

are ...

silicone bronze welding Not rated yet
good day Jody.my question to you is,when welding on electro galvanised material,1.0 or 1.2 and 1.6mm thick,with mig or tig weld applications,what gas is ...

Stainless 304 welding 16 ga Not rated yet
Hi Jody,
Have a borrowed a V205, owner is no help(he hasn't used it yet). Bought the Kobalt $130 helmet seems very good. The tank says Argon gas but ...

no filler rod Not rated yet
I'm currently doing some tig. welding on stainless steel using 1/8 and 3/16 in. thick sheets; basically small "boxes" on larger ones. Do you have any ...

miller diversion torch Not rated yet
why does my torch sometimes not stop arc when i lift my finger

---------------------------------

I am not really sure. A miller diversion you say?...

TIG Welding on a car Not rated yet
Most cars are quite electronic with a computer, etc.. I want to weld a hindge back on to the driver side door of a Jeep Cherokee. Do I need to disconnect ...

Your response to a general question concerning GiantTech’s CT520D Not rated yet
In you response to a question above concerning your thoughts on a GiantTech CT520D you did our company a great disservice by lumping us together with all ...

stainless Not rated yet
why is a larger orifice cup more beneficial for welding stainless steel?

Define cup walking?

Define high frequency start?

Define continuous high ...

numbers for welding Not rated yet
Q...what are the numbers designated for the horizontal and vertical positions?

A...2f is horizontal fillet, 2g is horizontal groove
3f is vertical ...

Setting up a tig Not rated yet
to weld mild steel or chrome moly do i use AC or DC.

---------------------------------------------------

answer...

DC electrode neg.

What Helmet Lens for Tig Welding Not rated yet
Hi Mr Welder

I am in Singapore on the other side of the globe and I love your website. Superb......!

My Question is what Lens should I be using ...

Enclosed Car Hauler Not rated yet
I thoroughly appreciate your web site. I have learned a great deal from you. I am considering building an enclosed car carrier (aluminum). What alloy or ...

tungsten length Not rated yet
why might you want to stick your tungsten out more for a fillet joint

------------------------------

Marcus,

For T joints, in order to penetrate ...

cool video Not rated yet

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