Welding Tips and Tricks

I feel like I should go ahead and expose the quality of my first weld attempt. I had no problem using the electrode to draw a puddle down a flat piece of steel, but when I tried a simple fillet weld, things did not go so well. I would describe my effort as resembling a string of poops left behind by a very sick mouse. I was kind of surprised to learn that little bits were actually welded.

I assume I should have started with a butt or lap weld? Getting into that corner is totally different from making a puddle on flat steel. Every time I thought about where the arc was hitting, I stopped thinking about the pedal, and the amps went so low I just tickled the metal. Then I cranked up the amps, forgot where the electrode was, and jammed the filler rod into it.

I decided to give up after fifteen minutes or so, to give my body a day to manifest any damage that might develop due to mistakes with my helmet and other protective gear. I don't think I did anything wrong, but I figured moderate injuries were better than severe ones.

I learned a whole lot about grinding tungsten. Three new tips so far. I would say I have the whole tungsten-grinding thing conquered, thanks to my total inability to weld correctly.

I feel like I should get some steel that's more suitable. This old angle iron is so pitted, lumpy, and scaly, you have to grind the living crap out of it to get it ready.

Maybe I'm deluded, but I really think I could do a butt or lap weld.

If there is some sort of prize available for worst first weld, I would like to enter this.

We all started somewhere.

You've proven to yourself that you don't have enough puddle/filler/pedal control to join pieces yet.

Make a very pretty flat pad where all the welds half overlap the previous weld and are very consistent in width and height.

Then you're ready to try a lap weld.

MinnesotaDave wrote:You've proven to yourself that you don't have enough puddle/filler/pedal control to join pieces yet.

Make a very pretty flat pad where all the welds half overlap the previous weld and are very consistent in width and height.

Then you're ready to try a lap weld.

Sounds like a plan!

Come on...you'll get it and then you'll be back here showing off weld porn. No one was born with the ability to weld. Thats' why they don't provide diapers on the pipelines (mental attitudes aside) and they have schools for welding. You'll be fine...see what happens in a few months.

I could be wrong, but I think I'm seeing a common "first attempt" mistake. It looks to me like you're trying to melt the rod into the metal.
You need to melt the metal, then add the rod.
It's really easy to focus on the arc instead of the puddle, which is the biggest problem I find with people making their early attempts.
Patience. It will come.

Steve S

And make it MUCH easier on yourself! Start to TIG weld by setting your machine up in Scratch start or Lift start, whichever yours has. Learn to work the arc and filler, then when you have your torch fundamentals down, swap to a pedal. You're trying to learn so many things at once and focus on too many things. Make it simple so you can make it easy.

The weld is what it is, but you sense of humor is rock solid! That makes it easier going forward. In a couple months, they'll be even.

I did a little more "work" today. I already have the fillet weld setup in place, so I figured I might as well use it until it's completely wiped out. I read somewhere that a beginner should do fillet welds with no filler, so that's what I tried.

Things went a lot better, but it looks like 140 is way too high. I blew through the metal and made a real mess in one place. I'm not coordinated enough to use that much heat. It's still not that easy to see where the arc is hitting; that's most of my problem right now. I kept missing the joint just badly enough to avoid melting the vertical bit of steel.

I was kind of surprised how much heat TIG throws off once you get cranking. I felt my chest getting hot, and I wondered if UV was frying me through my shirts. It was just the radiant heat from the metal I was working on.

Once this setup is destroyed, I'll start using flat steel. I'm not doing much because I don't have a real welding jacket yet. I keep quitting after a short time to see if I've roasted myself.

You didn't mention the macHine you are using,or your tungsten and filler! When I first tried tig,I got all kinds of weired looking welds,but yes nice clean,clean ,clean,clean,did I mention clean metal,will help alot,but hey your doing it,in a week you will move ahead leaps and bounds,I can't weld without music playing in the backround, not loud just there enough to sooth the soul!

You can use that fillet piece for running some flat welds. Just use the flat surface closest to you.

Postion your head slightly in front of the cup, tilt the cup slightly "back" so the tungsten points towards your head. (If you're right handed, head on left side of cup, tungsten pointing to left). This way you can see the puddle/arc. Move your head down as far as needed to see clearly, keeping it in front of your travel direction.

Strike the arc, get your puddle established, then slide the cup along gently with a rhythm, no filler. Travel about 2" and stop. Examine the puddle. You can scribe lines in the metal every 1" to help you see your speed, or lines along your intended travel direction to help guide you like traffic stripes.

As for heat control, ease into the peddle, and once you see it start to puddle, relax your leg and travel. If you are doing this standing up, it will make foot control more difficult until you gain the coordination. Try being seated so you're not fighting your balance, and have your arms resting and supported. Smooth movements with your forearm, not fingers helps keep things easy.

Things went better today. I picked up a Harbor Freight welding table so I would be able to sit in a normal position and weld like an intelligent person, and it helped a lot. I apologize if I didn't take everyone's tips. I have a lot of input coming at me, and I'm lucky if I remember to use a fifth of it.

I had an old piece of steel from a treadmill frame, and I took the paint or powder coat (whatever) off with a knot wheel. I decided to try to lay flat beads on it. I put a couple of short beads down, but I had so much trouble seeing where they were on the steel, I decided to weld another piece of metal to it to provide a reference. They just wandered around. I found a chunk of angle iron which I cleaned up and used. I didn't want to play around all day, so I ground it clean with an angle grinder. Really tore it up, but at least the scale was gone.

I put the angle iron on the treadmill piece and managed to tack it down. It went on top of one of the original beads. I was set at 100 amps, and I used the pedal. I started out with a 1/16" rod.

Things didn't go too badly. I never dipped the tungsten, which was a nice change. I gradually got better at figuring out where I was. Then I the 1/16" rod got too short to deal with. I thought I grabbed another 1/16" rod, but I made a mistake and picked up 3/32". I decided to go with it.

Feeding the 1/16" was not too bad, but I had a hard time with the heavier 3/32". I had to stop and practice and start up again. I more or less stayed in the area where the two pieces of metal met. You can see there is a lot more filler toward the left, where the 3/32" started.

I then put another flat bead on the steel, but the torch was getting so hot I decided to quit. I hit the welds with the knot wheel and took these photos. Seems like the welds are always grey. Is that normal? Also, the side of the nozzle facing the steel turned black.

I had a couple of interesting moments when plastic or rubber parts I did not know were attached to the steel started to flame up. I should have made sure nothing was inside the treadmill tube.

I think I need gloves one size smaller, and I need to see the weld better so I can where I am. Nonetheless, these pieces ARE welded together, which is a big step up from my last session, in which I merely decorated the steel with blobs resembling turds.

You'll get there! I know you get lots of input on how to tig and it gets confusing but nothing beats trial and error and ass time in the chair. Just do a small puddle, dip in a little rod, then do another and another. Just keep stacking those little sucess' together and you'll be welding in no time.

try welding on a flat clean piece of steel without filler and watch the puddle
and keep the arc distance very close. that way you only need to learn half
of the equation.
craig
that is the first thing i do with a new type of material to get base
settings.

PeteM wrote:The weld is what it is, but you sense of humor is rock solid! That makes it easier going forward. In a couple months, they'll be even.

I see this thread is slightly aged but I am with Pete on this one, I cant offer advice because I am in the same boat your in but I will tell you your humility and ability to keep things in perspective are going to serve you well.

most of my trade years were spent running refrigeration, chill water, hydraulic and boiler water piping, 80% of it was done with O/A. when I first started I was blowing holes in everything I touched but once it came it was second nature and the same will happen for you if you put in the time. I have no need to tig weld for work and could easily live without it at home but it is a skill I want to learn because I love just about anything to do with manual welding.

one question, what the hell does this mean ??? Bon vivant ????

keep your head up.

creek

Granddaddy wrote: one question, what the hell does this mean ??? Bon vivant ????
creek

Its a French term for a privileged person, or someone who lives with/enjoys life's luxuries.

thanks CJ, in other words my polar opposite

Your second set of welds look much better than the first, Seat time, practise, practise, practise I started tig welding back in the early 90's and I'm still learning as I go!! LOL Have fun with it, you'll get it.

Pete

I now have gas lenses and a torch holder, so life keeps getting more exciting. I'm just positive I'll be great at this once I've bought enough crap.

Chips O'Toole wrote:I now have gas lenses and a torch holder, so life keeps getting more exciting. I'm just positive I'll be great at this once I've bought enough crap.

I can make a solid argument for that crap you just said.

The more crap we buy, the more time we spend under the hood trying to make that crap work. Every moment of that is experience. This does not mean A leads to B leads to C. It's not the crap we buy, it's the seat time/hood time invested.

You're not going to buy a magic bullet tomorrow that will make you a great welder, but the more effort you put in with everything you're trying, you're learning things you don't realize you're learning, and you will get better (almost) every time you practice.

Steve S

Chips O'Toole wrote:I now have gas lenses and a torch holder, so life keeps getting more exciting. I'm just positive I'll be great at this once I've bought enough crap.

Now you are going to shove a lot of time into it to make it worth the money.

Today I am still laying flat beads on 1/8" steel. I decided to try a #5 gas lens with a 1/16" tungsten, a 3/32" rod, and about 5/16" of stickout. I don't know if that's an appropriate amount, but the web seems to say it is.

I went to a 1/16" tungsten because an online calculator told me to. The 3/32" seems easier to control, but maybe that's just because I've used it more.

I had lots of trouble at first. The weld kept spattering. The farther I went, the worse it got. I thought I was supposed to have the gas at around 12 CFM for a gas lens, so I tried to set it there, but it seemed to slide down to 10 all by itself. I believe that caused the porosity and spatter. I put the straight nozzle back on and got everything working again, and then I went back to the lens, and things worked out. I am now using the lens at {what the Chinese gauge says is} 15, and it looks like it's working.

The magnetic holder is great. I am also getting better at keeping the TIG finger off the garage floor.

Time to order more filler. I can see where this is going.

I use 3/32" on 1/8" all the time-in fact it's all I use. As for filler on 1/8"... Use 1/16". 3/32" is too big. It will work, but not as well. It is all I use as well and I hate it. I just watched Jodys video on it last night and he said 1/16" is probably the best on 1/8" steel

Man, no one agrees on anything! And I just ordered 10 pounds of 3/32 rod.

Maybe I won't cancel the order. I'll need it eventually. The little 1-pound tubes are really tiny.

I can't believe how MIG has carried over to screw up TIG. First I tried to pull the puddle instead of pushing it, and then I held the torch at too big an angle. When I reduced the angle, I stopped melting the rod on the way to the puddle, and I quit roasting my left hand.

That is the thing with welding... Some things can have multiple sides to it. That's why the forums exist-show ideas on how to do something and provide different perspectives