Since somebody brought it up...........

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Other/Weldin...G0010123-M.jpg

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Other/Weldin...G0010124-M.jpg

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Other/Weldin...G0010125-M.jpg

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Other/Weldin...G0010126-M.jpg

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Other/Weldin...G0010127-M.jpg

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Other/Weldin...G0010128-M.jpg

Taken with the GoPro in time lapse mode, image every 10 seconds.

The results.......
Butt weld, no filler rod, 1/16" mild steel, 1/16 tungsten, max amps set at 80, gas at 13 CFH.

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Other/Weldin...IMAG3624-M.jpg

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Other/Weldin...IMAG3625-M.jpg

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Other/Weldin...IMAG3626-M.jpg

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Other/Weldin...IMAG3627-M.jpg

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Other/Weldin...IMAG3628-M.jpg

I'm a total rookie at welding, don't hesitate to criticize, that's how I learn and my skin is relatively thick. :sieg:

I know two dogs that love it! :action-smiley-027:

Someone needs to call Hair Club for men???.... Okay so what! I'm old!







http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...GasTank005.jpg








That reflection IS the Mirror polished stainless steel......







http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...k/IMG_0956.jpg









http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...k/IMG_0957.jpg









http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...k/IMG_0958.jpg

Solar panel for a Love Machine. :D

PS - That's expensive scrap you practice with.........keep trying, you'll get the hang of it. :thumbsup:

#1 -- SS is EASY to weld....


#2 -- OUTSIDE corners are easy to weld...


#3 -- Try doing that and not warping it... look at that big flat expanse and you won't see much warpage.... NOW THAT'S TALENT!!! :welder: :trophy-1302:

/\/\/\/\/\
Very Nice Work Guys!!


Half of it I learned from reading your replies to my grumbling.... Just sayin' !!

Lateral-G has been awsome for feedback on working through my learning curve on TIG. I'm glad to see so much positive feedback and experience being shared by the more experienced members on this site for guys wanting to expand their skills. Even though I'm a "professional," I've been expanding into areas that I've never personally done. I've always been at shops with guys that handled specialties like TIG when i needed it. Now that I'm solo I either learn it myself or am stuck subleting it which can be :bang:

Anyway... my ramble is to say thanks to everyone. I'll post up pics of some current TIG work from today... still not perfect but waaaayyy better.

Revved,

So when you first thought about TIG did this thought cross your mind?
"I mean really, how difficult can it be"

:D

My handicap package arrived today.

http://sieg.smugmug.com/Other/Weldin...IMAG3630-L.jpg

:unibrow:

I had heard stories but I knew it was a necessity. Looking back it shouldn't have been that difficult but trying to learn it on my own without someone in person saying "do this... don't do that" definately made the learning curve much steeper than it needed to be. My biggest frustration was that one minute everything would lay nice and then I would pick up the torch 20 minutes later and I would lay out a pile of crap. Not being able to figure out what was causing the contamination was mind bending.

I was pretty good with a MIG but with all of the intercooler tubing I was doing I knew I had to learn TIG. Fortunately the intercooler tubing on most of my projects get the black texture treatment which gave me plenty of time for what I knew would eventually come... and did. The owner of the Chevelle I'm finishing up right now wanted all the intercooler tubing polished. Fortunately I finally got things pretty well figured out by the time I did the tubing on that one! (pic is end of fab- before everything got polished)

http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/v...psd3013ec9.jpg

Here are some pics from this afternoon. Closing off the cowl vents on the bottom of a 67 Mustang cowl. My helper got a bit overzealous when I told him to clean away the ECoat around the opening but I'm not complaining because his round patch panel was perfect. I didn't even use filler for most of the TIG welding.

http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps5de7c9d6.jpg

http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/v...psd0a88803.jpg

Now I want to get in and give my .02

its ok to weld ( fusion) with tig without using any filler but you have to understand that by doing that the metal get poor and thats why you can get those little craters and holes. More better material, more it will happen.

Like it doesnt matter much with normal sheet metal but does matter a lot with aluminium ,stainless or titanium.

By using even mig wire now and then when you weld, you can see that it will restore the metal and it will produse cleaner weld. This is something that you have to practice to get good at it.

For purge you can do as has been told here before or you also can use back purge paste witch is also really good thing to have. or if you can, you can also use a ceramic back support, witch you have get out after welding. They are commonly used in industrial cos they are reuseadle and can be used in small area inside large tanks and so on. And they are way cheapper than gaas flow.

It has been sad about cleaness but also it important to weld with correct size and color tungsten and amp level.

If you have a good a machine, you can paly with pulse, so you can set the welding amp, time and weld/rest ratio.

I'll give an exsample:

I made an overflow tank to Atlas Copco diesel power twin screw air compressor from 0.8mm/0.03" stainless and didnt need to purge it at all. I just search the right settings from my machine amps and pulses wice and it welded it nicelly. It did melt them through but pulce upamps stopped just before it get to sugared. Weld it in inch here, another there all way around and it game out nice. Have to get the pictures out of my shop camera.

Definitly agree that the weld is not as strong. When I was playing around with aluminum tubing scraps figuring this out I had some of the welds I had fusion welded fracture when I was "destruction testing" them to see how they strong they were.

Another thing to consider is that when you fusion weld is that the weld sinks in. If you are trying to grind the weld flush after the fact you will have a valley from the weld. Especially when TIG'ing aluminum intercooler tubing that you are going to flush for paint it is better to fill above the level of the material.

Another thing to add to this cool discussion. If you are getting porosity in your weld and everything is clean and the gas is flowing, you may be boiling the weld puddle. If you are welding too slowly you can cause a "boiled" weld puddle.
I typically weld with ER70S-6 filler rod for my mild steel welds. I buy 36" lengths of 1/16" and .045" filler rod. 1/16" is for thicker metals 16 gauge and up to 1/8" thick. I use the .045" for 18 gauge steel. Sometimes when I weld thinner metals I will weld with .035". All ER70S-6. ER70S-6 has more de-oxidizers in it than the ER70S-2. :thumbsup:

:sieg: Guilty!

SuperB70 and GriffithMetal - Thanks for the experienced insight. :thumbsup:

Funny that you mention this as I've just started having this problem.... and interestingly enough I'm welding faster than I used to. Only thing that I've changed is that with steel I've noticed it puddles better when I'm pushing the weld rather than pulling the weld like I do with aluminum so I thought that might have something to do with it.

I'm using 3/16 red stripe (can't remember if that is ceriated or thoriated) tungsten with 1/16 rod as most of what I'm doing is lighter gauge stuff. I did try 1/8" tungsten when I was experienting with the intercooler tubing but with the .065 aluminum tubing I was melting down the tungsten just trying to puddle the weld.

WTF?!?!?!



TIG WELDING IS ALWAYS A PUSH..... MIG you can push or pull.

Greg is right, always push the TIG torch. What's the torch angle? What thickness material are you welding? Thick and thin metals have different welding parameters when TIG welding. Was the 1/8" tungsten green stripe "pure"? You can google the amperage rating for different thickness tungsten and type. Are you welding the aluminum on AC or DC+? Are you using a transformer style TIG or an Inverter style?
I can weld .063" 3003 aluminum with 3/32 red stripe 2% Thoriated without a problem. I use 1/8" green stripe pure tungsten when welding something critical in thin aluminum. I am using a 110amp setting and probably welding at 80 amps or so with a transformer based TIG.
TIG welding is complex at times.

Be nice Greg or your SS exhaust system will crack from welding Karma....

I'll have to try it... probably picked up bad habits teaching myself. Pulling works pretty well for me with the aluminum now that I've got the contamination issue figured out :D

Torch angle around 45*ish. I use Vibrant aluminum tubing to fabricate my intercooler tubing and that is .065. It welds nicely with the 3/32 red stripe and 1/16 rod now that I figured out my contamination problem. My machine is pretty basic...Miller Diversion 165. I'm brain dead right now at 1am but I know the machine is marked which way for aluminum and the other way for steel. I don't remember the details on the 1/8" tungsten right now either... I'll check on my cart I think I bought a pack of them. I know I tried several things on the advice of the welding shop trying to figure out my contamination issue.

well how do you like it? know you have to have at least 1/2 hour on it by now.

Remember to turn your gas down. The first time I ran mine I blew right through it at 15 CFM.

I wasn't being mean! I was just surprised... as in... OMG! NO!


I think the polished food grade SS exhaust on the '32 cracks while I'm sleeping!

It's hard to tell from this pic.... So I'm going to ask just to make sure <devil is in the details!> I ASSume that you're grinding your tungsten the correct way?? This is a question for ANYONE that is TIG welding and grinding their tungsten. There is a right way and a wrong way. Rather than me try to explain it here --- it's far faster to watch this video.


Most people hand hold the tungsten and roll it between their fingers ---- but try chucking it up in a drill motor.... and run the drill motor while pressing gently against the wheel... rolls it nice!

Don't have half an hour on a traditional weld yet......

First attempt was tacking stainless 1/8" rod lengthwise to 1/16" sheet w/ gas at 13CFH......I was having trouble finding a torch angle that wouldn't over-cook the rod. When tacking the ends it worked great.

I do like the added visibility. Hopefully I'll get some time in the next couple days to practice on more traditional welds. Everyone knows I need a LOT of practice. :sieg:

Well I have been playing a bit and I think I am getting close.
Next I will try with back purging.

Greg

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Weld looks great Greg!


Yes - back purge will take away that sugaring and make for a clean inside the tube.


Nicely done!

Thanks Greg,

I'm still playing, I have a set of headers to make and I want to leave the welds untouched, I like the fabricated look.

Greg

Well done Greg. :thumbsup:

Looking forward to the back purge results.

Thanks Sieg,

I will let you know how it works out.

Greg

New addition to the welding bench............
http://sieg.smugmug.com/Other/Weldin...IMAG3633-L.jpg

I'm looking for all the handicap I can get!

Nice....


And -- just because I see the Sharpie there... that reminds me! Don't try to mark something up with a Sharpie and TIG around it --- pencil either!

In other words -- if you've made a line on a part - clean it off before you weld.

If you do need a guide line a scrib is nice. Greg how does tig react to soap stone? I never used with TIG, just curious.

Care to explain the block tig master sieg?

Good question Vince --- I only use soapstone when I'm plasma cutting... so haven't TIG'd around it. The Sharpie pulls the arc offline as does a pencil mark.... I would think that the burning soapstone might just contaminate the weld. Best to just not have ANYTHING around a TIG weld I think.

The block is for a heat-sync......2.5lbs .75" thick at $3.10 per lb. = cheap tool. :)

I saw Mr TIG using it on his workbench and figured it couldn't hurt.
https://www.youtube.com/user/Welddotcom/videos


The Sharpie was for scale only. I'm so paranoid of contaminating TIG welds that I'm going to start holding my breath.

If I get a chance in between kids b-ball games and lodging in-laws I'll experiment with soapstone.

I just scored 15 pcs. of perfectly clean scrap 14 ga. cold-roll 3.75" x 38" for practice purposes so I soap a piece and test.

Just seeing the Sharpie reminded me to "say something" regarding their use.

It's the old "devil in the details".... and there's SO MUCH more to welding than just sticking two pieces of metal together.... But having done something for years -- and learning the Do's and Don'ts doesn't mean that we can all remember to tell somebody everything they've learned!


It took me awhile to learn that it's okay to use a hammer and tap the gap tight as I tack... because the gap opens just a little every time you put another tack in... and if you remember to tap the gaps tight - it makes for a LOT easier piece to weld and have it look good too!

:welder: :D

OK I tried with back purge today, I'm pretty happy, I think I need a touch more penetration.
I made up a tool to hold the pipes in alignment ready for tacking and that really helped.

Greg

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Looks good Greg --- nice color -- not much if any sugaring..... You suck as a photographer though! :mock:

Nice, thanks Greg, It's a reasonable camera, but I have no idea how to work it.

I am running 20 on the back purge, do you think thats enough? Mr :welder:

Greg

Nah --- way too much ---- chop it down to about 5 CFH....

If you want to -- you can juice it up just to push the air out but then cut it way back down. Doesn't take much. It's really more about removing or displacing the oxygen (air).

I just had to poke fun at your blurry photo.... Dude! I want to see those stacks of dimes you're laying down!

Thanks Greg, I will give it a try.

Greg