TIG Welding Carbon Steel Settings and How to TIG Weld Videos

Watch this quick video for Simple Settings for TIG welding carbon steel

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All TIG welding machines are configured slightly differently but...

Here are the Basics of TIG welding carbon steel settings...

Make sure the polarity is set to DC electrode negative (DCEN). This starts with making sure the TIG torch is plugged in to the correct port (almost always the negative port but read the machines instructions).

After you are sure the torch is plugged in correctly, set the polarity to DC. On older machines, you might have a polarity selector with 3 settings...DCEN (electrode negative), DCEP (electrode positive), and AC. 

You need DCEN for tig welding carbon steel.

How do you know how much amperage you need for tig welding carbon steel?

What about amperage?

There is a simple rule of thumb that helps for getting started.

There is a one amp per one thousandths rule of thumb that means Carbon steel requires approximately one amp per one thousandths of thickness being welded.

Even though this only works for .125" and under, it is still a helpful rule of thumb.

Assuming you will be using a foot pedal or torch mounted amperage control, it is usually a good practice to set the main amperage on the machine to about 20% more than you think you will need.

A little extra amperage is useful for welding over tack welds or for getting a weld started quickly.

pre flow is not really needed but if your machine is equipped with it, set it to around .5 seconds.

Post flow setting will depend on several factors but 7 seconds is a good starting point.

3/32" 2% lanthanated tungsten is a good all purpose size and type and also work well on aluminum. IF you want to simplify and have only one type of tungsten for all your tig welding, 2% lanthanated is a good choice.

3/32" diameter will handle any carbon steel job from thin razor blades up to 3/8" thickness at 200 amps.  

No matter what type of tungsten you use, make sure to keep it clean and sharp.

Other tungsten types that work well for tig welding carbon steel are:

2% thoriated (red)  

E3 (purple)

LaYZr from CK worldwide (chartreuse)

2% Ceriated ( usually gray)

A good cup size for tig welding carbon steel is a #8 with 20-25-cfh argon flow rate.

What is the best cup size for tig welding carbon steel?

If you are still using the standard TIG cups and hardware that came with your machine or TIG torch, I can just about guarantee you will get better results if you upgrade to a weldmonger® stubby gas lens kit.