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Why oh why did I bother???
aerosam - 30/3/09 at 12:06 PM

Why did I even bother with a TIG welder? This morning I have got the MIG welder that was given to me by Wyn (aka lsdweb) working again and had a go at welding on some spare tube.

MY GOODNESS HOW EASY IT WAS!!!

I've lost count of the number of chassis tubes I've had to cut out and re-make because my TIG welder blew a hole in them.

I'll definitely be using the MIG for the rest of the chassis. However I must say that I have noticed that the TIG welds are a quite a bit prettier.

Lesson learned.


lsdweb - 30/3/09 at 12:26 PM

I'm glad it works!


mark chandler - 30/3/09 at 12:29 PM

You blew the hole, not the TIG welder D:

Yes Mig is fast and efficient but TIG is so much cleaner, no little holes in clothes, except when you grind away.

If you are blowing holes with TIG it sounds like you are not moving the torch back and adding rod to the pool, also the rod cools the pool so maybe just going a little to slowly or to much heat in one spot.

TIG also like to be horizontal so you have to keep moving the chassis around, MIG is all directions even from underneath until you get a fizzler in you ear!!!

You need to persevere with TIG until you hit eureka, then it all starts falling into place..


Howlor - 30/3/09 at 12:36 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mark chandler
TIG also like to be horizontal so you have to keep moving the chassis around, MIG is all directions even from underneath until you get a fizzler in you ear!!!




All been there and suffered the above, others to include are:-

Top of shoe, through sock!

Top of head when a spark lands against the mask bar.

Steve


02GF74 - 30/3/09 at 12:50 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mark chandler
TIG also like to be horizontal so you have to keep moving the chassis around, MIG is all directions even from underneath until you get a fizzler in you ear!!!




tell me aqbout it!!! I was welding bracket to underside of land rover bumper and got a molten lump in the left ear!!! as ^^^ say, you cna hear it fizzling!!! really thought I had damaged my earing but seems ok.

now I owuld always put in a moisten wad of tissue before attempting something like that.

oh, and you can get good looking MIG welds, needs top quality equipment and loads of practise. I'm still on the learning curve.....

some good mig welds here


[Edited on 30/3/09 by 02GF74]


aerosam - 30/3/09 at 01:12 PM

quote:
Originally posted by lsdweb
I'm glad it works!


Yeah Wyn it's great - just needed a new liner and some fresh wire.

Thanks again!


deezee - 30/3/09 at 01:15 PM

I learnt TIG for my chassis, because I had access to the equipment. I've never blown a hole in steel with it. It takes around 1 second just to pool up nicely. What settings were you using? TIG is pretty awkward with its setting. Took me a while before I found the right mix of Argon, Amps and tip distance from ceramic.


Canada EH! - 30/3/09 at 03:14 PM

TIG is like oxy-acetelene, need lots of practice, but once you GET IT, it's the best for light work such as Locost parts.


aerosam - 30/3/09 at 03:47 PM

quote:
Originally posted by deezee
I learnt TIG for my chassis, because I had access to the equipment. I've never blown a hole in steel with it. It takes around 1 second just to pool up nicely. What settings were you using? TIG is pretty awkward with its setting. Took me a while before I found the right mix of Argon, Amps and tip distance from ceramic.


Most welds I'm fine with TIG, in fact, I'm damn proud of a lot of my TIG welding, but it's the awkward welds in corners when you can't get the torch angle right, cant get the filler rod in right etc where I have blown holes, this is where the MIG will shine i'm sure.

I'm using about 65A, biggest ceramic shroud i've got and 5 L/min flow of Argon. I have to turn the amps up slightly to weld in corners as I can't get penetration on one side of the joint, this is where I blow holes.

[Edited on 30/3/09 by aerosam]


Hellfire - 30/3/09 at 04:04 PM

Now as a total ignoramus re: TIG welding (or any other type for that matter!) 5L/min????

Dear god that's never right is it?

Steve


martyn_16v - 30/3/09 at 05:25 PM

5L/min is about half what you need. Whack the gas flow up to at least 8-10, and learn to accept that TIG costs you a fortune in gas


quinnj3 - 30/3/09 at 05:50 PM

I have used both types of welders and I have to say that Mig is p**s easy to use compared to Tig but there is no doubting that tig is so much better looking. As said before its much better for lighter work. Its also quite a bit slower, and there is less chance of getting that fizzler.


ashg - 30/3/09 at 07:22 PM

i have used the mig on my chassis for most of the fiddley bits and the tig for the other bits.

i tig on around 4-5lpm with a wp17 type torch. a good quality well designed tig torch is the trick to lo lpm

also think back and remember who told you that you need to run at 10lpm? (i bet it was your gas company or some nice person passing on the message)

trick is to keep lowering the gas flow until you get poor welds then up the gas a little.


Hugh Paterson - 4/4/09 at 06:23 PM

Power sounds about right try a smaller shroud for the tight spots, and change the tungsten for a worn out one and a smaller tungsten cover at the back of the torch, are you welding right handed? and in what direction forward or back??
Shug


NS Dev - 5/4/09 at 09:01 AM

another thing I have found, if talking the finer points of TIG use, is that a gas lens body works much better than a std collet body, and I'm pretty sure none of the chinese tig's come with gas lens bodies in their torches?