I've been trying to keep the amps low to reduce heat to the point of not having much puddle to dab into thus sticking the rod at the front of the puddle (oh crap) so I'd add a couple amps to the max range. Incorrect torch angle could come into play, tungsten grind, amp/speed/peddle/dab angle/vision, or, or, or.........:getout:

what are your amps ? I did a test piece of 16 ga and the amps ranged 27-34amps. Keep it up.:thumbsup:

All of the above!!! :lol: :lol:


If you're rod is sticking into the puddle --- you might need smaller filler rod...


You know too --- and I write this for everyone --- not just Sieg.... Torch size has a lot to do with TIG welding.... of course - like most things - when you get good - you can weld with anything and just make adjustments.... but if you're welding on small thin gauge stuff.... then you need a small torch to go with that work. Like using a huge crescent wrench on a 1/4" nut.... if you think of it that way. Small = thin = delicate = pieces you have to use the small thin delicate torch / tungsten / fill rod.


Note that the CK site rates torches in amperage max....


http://www.ckworldwide.com/master.htm



My torches are all flex head... I like to be able to bend the head around to suit my work angle - which sometimes are just two pieces laying flat on a table! :thumbsup:

On the 16 ga stainless my machine was set at 32-34 max amperage. 1/16 tungsten, 1/4" stick out, pyrex gas lens, flow 11-12 CFH........... not sure about my grip pressure, heart rate, breathing pattern, and bio-rhythms. :sieg:

I'll mention that to the wife. :thankyou:

You need to make sure your wallet is in the same pocket as the hand you hold the torch with! Thus is key! :poke:

Great point....

She'll tell you, "you need more rod"....


That's a given.



Adding fill isn't sex -- you don't need to try to hit bottom. Hitting the bottom of the puddle will cause the rod to stick... but you already knew that. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

More Rod?

How much money in the wallet before this has an effect?

I think the proper amounts are as follows:
Carbon Steel - $20
Aluminum - $50
Stainless Steel -$Have Greg Do It$ :G-Dub:

Good video...


Note that at the end he used magnetic clamps.... but I will tell you what you didn't see was that he didn't weld near them. He would have positioned the clamps so that he could make a quick tack... removed them and finished.


The other thing that's really evident in the video is the CLAMPING... this is not only done to hold the parts - but also to help to control warpage. When I've had friends build things - then come over to figure out "what happened" when their part was out of square or warped beyond use.... They never clamped anything. The other thing you'll find "newbs" do is that they don't tack... We here on Lat G are exposed to lots of tack welding... but many people aren't shown that part and just start welding 'er up. <<buzzer>>

One amp per thousandth - check. 30ish pulses per second - check.

I'll be fabbing a set of pipes like this in no time. :sieg:

https://fbcdn-photos-c-a.akamaihd.ne...38633653_n.jpg

An amp per 1/1000 has been the rule for 10,000 years.... :lol:



I hope your welding is better than on that set of pipes...



Does your TIG have pulse? I only use pulse when doing Aluminum.... but then again - we we're building cars not bikes and don't normally do super thin tubing...

When you start laying stacks like this.......








http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...ING/file-5.jpg









I'll send you this (held by my son Alex - as this arrived yesterday)......'cause by that time this will be ready to drink! LOL









http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...ING/file-6.jpg

Guess that's why you forgot to tell me. Just like a calculating lawyer withholding fundamental information.

I'm better than that, that pinhead couldn't even put a hole in that tubing. :D

Yes, I have a pulsating tigger.

Regarding the bottle of grape juice..........:smiley_smack:

I've got a 6.0 Liter too -- if the Balthazar is too big for ya.... Go big! Or go Home! :D

Thanks everybody, keep the info going. Seig your welds are certainly improving.

Greg

That's what it looks like to me too!


I'd better keep my mouth shut or he'll wind up with that bottle!!


:D

I'm going to stage a victory. I know a guy that can really TIG and he's my size, I'll give him my jacket gloves and helmet and photograph him at my bench with the GoPro and submit the evidence for the victory! :trophy-1302:

I may spend $300 on argon and rod to obtain that bottle - it's simply a matter of principle - even if it was Gallo jug wine. :rules:

On a side note I just burnt the crap out of the ring finger tip pad .5" x .75". I was sanding a piece of stainless on the 8" disk sander, took my gloves off to quick reply to a text and forgot to put them back on :confused59: ..........already blistered.........ouchie. :sieg:

My bet is -- we could start a thread all about how many times, and how many weird places, Lat G members have burned themselves doing this thing we call a hobby. It would be 200 pages in no time! :lol:


Probably be another 200 page thread on "how I ripped open my (fill in the blank)" with a jagged piece of metal. We could separate with a sub threads with RUSTED vs DIRTY GREASY vs CLEAN AND SHARP AS A RAZOR BLADE.


Personally - I've learned not to weld ANYTHING with tennis shoes on... seems something red hot always finds it's way between my toes.

Can anyone beat this tungsten trick?

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-P...-P3T5mM7-M.jpg

:sieg:

A hot-rod friend saw this book and had to buy it for me.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-P...-PTDRrB4-L.jpg

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-C...-CN3FGr3-L.jpg

It's the second version of the 1942 original published in 1947 and in immaculate condition. Has all the basic weld techniques, certification and testing requirements. Great resource!

Nice book!


When I was in high school I worked in at body shop (Gateway Body and Fender - which is still in business to this day!) -- and we used to Braze fenders etc on - and I learned to weld with Oxy/Ace torch. Those skills were easily transferred when I started to TIG - because it's a similar hand action. The major difference is with the gas torch - you made a circular motion. But moving the puddle - torch angles - fill feed - those are directly similar.

Back then (45 years ago!) we Stick welded... and that's very similar to MIG welding - you could push or drag the stick.. You learned to bury it in the puddle if you needed the penetration - and how to pick up both sides of an inside corner - or the weave needed for a vertical joint etc. I like not having to chip the slag... :lol:

The oldest trick in the book dude! :disgusted:

Backside contamination on 1/2" od 1/16 wall sq tubing. I was just tigging along and POP!......crater in one of the better beads I've put down. Happened three more times and I said "F it" enough of this cutesey crap this bracket needs to be done and fired up the MIG. :unibrow:

If your weld is popping ---- it's DIRTY!

Or you're welding on junk tube. Tough to TIG Galvanized water pipe... Which I doubt you're doing. In fact -- don't TIG galvanized anything.

Tubes tend to build up heat inside and draw oily smoke into the weld...


And - if you're trying to close up the tube ... and it's a short piece... I punch a 1/8" hole at the end for a heat escape - otherwise the pressure build up of the expanding heated air inside can blow thru right where you're welding as you're trying to close it up.

Didn't consider the pressure build up, it was fully closed but the small volume probably added to POP. Contamination most likely the culprit, new stock tubing properly prepped externally but I didn't take a bore cleaning brush and solvent to the inside. It was a fast and dirty project............and another learn by experience event. Regrinding tungsten is similar punishment to writing something a 100 times on a chalkboard.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-N...-NWGZX93-M.jpg

It's a steep learning curve.... but check another "don't" or "do" off the list.


Yes --- you had HEAT and Fumes (think machine oil from the tube process) blowing out molten metal.

Do you ever wonder - how I can figure these things out BEFORE you post pics of what you were working on?? :lol:

I buy NON Chlorinated brake clean by the CASE ($1.99 a can if you catch it on sale) to shoot down inside stuff like this BEFORE welding. And either you can drill a small escape hole -- or leave the last tiny bit open - let it all cool down and go back and touch it up.


:thumbsup: :popcorn2:

You read a lot? :sieg:

BTW -- I see some nice dime stacks going on there!


Good for you!!


Another thing you'll learn - as well as anyone else reading this thread - is that small projects like this can teach you A LOT.... and a lot of it is about the heat build up in the total of the part. You'd be amazed at how hot stuff can get - and this WILL affect your welding.

Lots of small convenience stuff.......
http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-R...-RrJmgk3-L.jpg http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-J...-JhfM2T6-L.jpg

These dime stacks turn me on..........as does the part itself
http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3ede4844.jpg

So Sieg and I were texting back and forth.... regarding TIG welding.

#1 -- Please trust me when I tell you I'm no expert welder. Actually - I'm no expert anything.... but I weld once in awhile. Sometimes it's TIG - maybe it's stainless steel - maybe it's aluminum.... sometimes I MIG.... But HOME SHOP GUYS just don't weld very often. And when we do -- it's rarely the same thing twice!

I say this because what people need to understand is that you're never going to lay down perfect little unwavering beads --- like a pro does --- that welds bicycle frames all day long for a living. We just don't get behind the wheel that often -- but that's not to say you can't develop decent welding skills - and like riding a bicycle - you should be able to go for periods of time - without forgetting what you've learned.

Experts know all the little tips and tricks. Me? I have to remember to plug the GD machine into the wall!!

So back to the reason for the post. Sieg sent me some decent stacks via text. Then I decided - since I've been telling him to REDUCE his amperage and slow his travel speed down while he's trying to get the move / dab / move / dap hand dance down. So with this in mind I thought --- OKAY BIG MOUTH --- head out to the shed and see if I can replicate what I'm seeing in Siegs beads and do this myself! WTF -- It's raining today... I got nothing better to do - and it'll be interesting.


First I cut a bunch of 5" long 1" square .50 wall tubing.... deburred it -- cleaned it with NON chlorinated brake cleaner - and scuffed it quickly with a 3" roloc disc.


The rule of thumb is ONE amp per ONE THOUSANDTH material thickness.... and since I'd been telling Sieggy the weld master to cut his amperage I figured I'd stick to that rule - so 50 amps it is....

Well.... I could hardly get a puddle going - and by the time I could get puddle and try to move it along and dab --- #1 my auto darkening helmet kept lighting up! Which blinds you momentarily - and trying to weld at this low amperage was just so SLOW.... and not a good puddle at all! It was like REALLY DUDE! YOU SUCK!!






http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...NG/file-16.jpg








Now -- the MILLER weld calculator I have on the phone says the range for 1/16th butt welded steel should be 50 to 80 amps...

I have not TIG welded ANYTHING for probably 4 or 5 months!

I'm using a 1/16th 2% Thoriated (red end) tungsten - 11 CFH argon gas - 1/16th fill rod - gas lens #7 cup.

Both ends tacked --- I started at one end and laid down the whole 5" piece... and this was what I got:

My point is that --- with too low of amperage (heat) I couldn't weld for shizzle! Using the top end of the "range" I could walk the puddle and dab (one dab per little stack here) and weld at a speed that I'm used to.










http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...NG/file-11.jpg

Now on to just plain old BS....


I use a tungsten sharpener.... I don't think this makes any difference at all in your welding -- but when it really counts -- I know I can shape a tungsten and it's not contaminated etc....





http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...ING/file-8.jpg







And it does it fast and the same every time!








http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...ING/file-9.jpg










But the one tool (I made from a cam gear / and old wrench / and the ends I cut off of a couple Mark Williams axles) that I think really helps is a PROPER torch rest!!! :snapout:









http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...NG/file-15.jpg

Nice tool!

You just sparked an idea for mine, thanks.

:idea: :hairpullout: :idea: :lol: :lol:

I love following a build but sometimes its the cool homemade stuff that really showcases true imagination. Love the torch stand

:D :D Glad you like it!


So much time.... so little to do.....

I found the same issue with amperage. I thought I was doing something wrong since all published stuff I saw said 1 amp per thou. So, on .50 sheet metal I set the machine at 65 amps and went to town. I had my Dad watch the readout on the welder as I was welding. Turns out that I used about 62 amps to create the puddle and as I moved along, I was down around 48-52. I guess once some heat soaks into the material it acts as a pre-heat and then allows you to back off on the current. Just a guess.

Now I need to make a torch stand, quit posting that stuff. I have enough to do! :action-smiley-027:

Makes sense to me Chad.

Being a rookie I was having a tough time getting a puddle due to low amps. Once I used a more aggressive max amp setting it allowed me to hit it quick and hot, similar to a tack weld, to get the puddle started then back it down.

Miller's phone app notes to add 10% to the amperage setting for mild steel vs. stainless.

Your post got me thinking......if it was a CNC process the machine would probably monitor material temp ahead of the bead and the amperage would gradually be stepped down from start to finish as heat builds.

I thinking about videoing my machine readout while practicing to better understand the process. Similar to a Dyno chart or GPS track log for an event.