How to Weld - TIG Welding

TIG Welding is one type of welding amongst a few choices you have - MIG, Stick, Oxyacetylene, etc.

TIG can be used to weld copper, titanium, even two dissimilar metals, and is handy for making tricky welds (e.g. s-curves, or welds on round things)..

TIG generates heat via an arc of electricity jumping from a (tungsten metal) electrode to the metal surfaces you intend to weld - usually aluminum or steel.

TIG stands for Tungsten Inert Gas, after the tungsten electrode, and the sheath of inert gas (argon or an argon mixture) surrounding it.

Big thanks to Mose O'Griffin, who narrated, taught, and demonstrated.

Also, If you're interested in MIG welding, see this instructable:

Step 1 Choose the Electrode

Your TIG is likely to have the right electrode in it already.

For aluminum, the best choice is a pure tungsten rod.

You can alternately choose from any number of tungsten alloys (including thoriated tungsten - which is radioactive!) which are uniquely suited to welding particular alloys of metal.

For reference, this example uses the specific alloy 6061 Aluminum (the "steak and potatoes" or "normal" type of aluminum)

Comments

[pfred2]

3 hands is what I call being really handy!

[dla888]

I like this 'ible! I'd love to learn how to do TIG welding someday, but for now I'm learning Oxyacetylene welding.

[gwark]

I am new to TIG, but I saw a vid on sharpening the tungsten and they had the tip pointing UP, towards the grinder.
now, I am always a little scared of the tip catching on the wheel, and the rod flying out of my hands, but that hasnt happened yet. thank god.

point the rod up, towards the rotating wheel coming towards you.
that way, the rod is ground in the right direction ... something to do with current flow ;)

[pfred2]

You do not want to contaminate the tungsten so you grind wheel away, and don't use a grinding wheel you grind anything else on either. I have a dedicated grinder I just do my tungstens on.

[brandon_a_boyer]

You always feed the filler into the leading edge of the pool, otherwise you risk getting porosity or cold lap.

[CHEVY6998]

Dcep is for stick welding, yes you can use it to ball the tip. Always use the maximum cleaning setting for aluminum, since you will constantly fight the onset of Aluminum oxide (natural occurrence of heating Aluminum). Use the amperage to penetrate.

[brandon_a_boyer]

Incorrect sir, you want a setting of about 60/40 % DCEN/DCEP time. this gives you solid penetration and effective cleaning, If you are having issues with re-oxidation than your gas settings are incorrect and you have not properly cleaned your metal before welding.

[Derin]

my stick welder only has a 5 level power switch,it is AC only

[stasterisk]

intriguing! I've added it to the instructable.

[w0ot!]

Are there any smaller holders available?

[brandon_a_boyer]

Torch size depends on the cooling method and the rated cycle time.

Air-cooled torches are always bigger than equivalent capacity water-cooled torches.

[brandon_a_boyer]

Tungsten angle is an important thing to pay attention to, sharper tungstens are less penetrating and produce a wider, more shallow weld than a Tungsten with a more obtuse bevel.

[Mig Welder]

You don't necessarily have to invest a lot for a good fast AD helmet. I got mine for around $45 and it's great. It has infinite shade adjustment (9-14(or 13?)). You can also change the sensitivity so it doesn't turn on when you look at lights. Finally, you can also change the reaction time (in milliseconds I think) which is nice. . .

[snowluck2345]

look on craigslist before going to a store like harborfreight. I got a miller digital elite for $150 dollars on craigslist.

[Ragnarok-zero]

good auto dark tig helmets cost more than mig/mag/mma ones, most cheap helmets won't go to below 20amps many tigs do 5amps a lot of older ones do 10amps mine goes to 3 amps, not many if any cheap masks are suitable for the whole range of a tig welders amps, even a lot of more expensive ones will only go down to 5amp.

[2 stroke]

i have the flip type for stick welding at home ( its fitted with a shade 11) and my welder is a 70 amp cheap is the shade enough i dont know btw is there gasless tig like gasless mig

[Mig Welder]

Is the arc really that incredibly bright at such low amperage?

[Ragnarok-zero]

no the oposite, it's that it's not very bright compared to higher amps the mask doesn't detect the arc and so the mask stays in the light mode does not darken to the proper welding shade, you will see a spec called "minimum tig detection" on some helmets, so for low amps you need one that detects low amps, and they cost a lot more than masks with a higher minimum amp detection that work fine with mig and arc but not the bottom of tig.

[anvil_man]

RE: the table, My guess it is a Bluco fixturing table NICE but cost.....

[Lucas011986]

Gwark, no need to be nervous grinding tungsten... just make sure you have water near by... you're more likely to burn your fingers than lose the tungsten... And yes, the method of grinding in the video is wrong, and VERY unsafe. Its pretty hard to tig weld if the tungsten catches on the wheel and spears your hand!

Always point the tungsten up. You can also hold the tungsten horizontal to the wheel to speed up grinding, but you MUST finish in the vertical position. Like you said, horizontal lines on a tungsten with play with the current flow.

[piniongear]

Going back to the beginning of this......... Huh? I did not think you could Tig weld with a mixed gas, i.e., CO2 and argon, as you would use for Mig? Helium and argon yeah, or straight argon, but not with CO2 in there? pg

[jack8559]

It all depends on the material that you are welding as to which gas mixture to use. Pure argon is for aluminum if you want good results.

[LetsExplodeSomething]

 no straight argon is the choice of nearly every tig welder i know

[pfred2]

I've tried all the mixes I use pure argon for everything myself.

[lagwagonqc]

azote is used to purge high pressure pipe welding...but mainly yeah argon is used to do everything for TIG welding...

[brandon_a_boyer]

Agreed, for the home user 100 Argon is the only way to gas tungsten arc weld, Never use an Argon/CO2 mix with a GTAW.

You can also use Helium and nitrogen, however they are both more expensive than Argon, and the average home user will not need the benefits they provide.

[Obertass]

Are you wearing welding mits when you actually weld?

[Ragnarok-zero]

those gloves must be imposable to feed the filler accurately in, get some proper thin tig gloves you don't need those huge things for tig.

[iMakeItHappen]

is it possible to TIG weld w/o the gas? because i know in MIG welding you can use a flux core, and i wanted to know if the same applied here....

[Ragnarok-zero]

you need pure argon or argon helium mix to tig weld the tungsten needs shielding as well as the weld pool.

[snowluck2345]

I've been wondering this too, but I dont think you can because the tungsten electrode needs a shielding gas to prevent it from being contaminated, and thre wouldn't be enogh shielding without gas.

[jack8559]

You are absoluutely correct, you must have a shielding media (gas in this case) for any welding.... Arc welding uses the flux on the rod. The exception goes to oxy-acetylene welding which many people call brazing, but a powdered flux is certainly an advantage then but not absolutely required to do the job.

[M4industries]

Is that Tim? Or someone else at Instructables.

[paranoid56]

This is wrong, you should never grind the tip that way. you should always grind with the tip up so you dont contaminate the tip. (just flip it from what hes doing) just thought you should know :D

[memainman4]

Not with tungsten. the sparks actually fly onto your hand and are 'abosorbed' i guess by the skin. poisoning you. you could wear a glove but as im sure everybody knows, wearing a glove while using a bench grinder isnt the smartest thing to do.

[woodpecker]

grinding on the top of the wheel is riskier. sparks fly into your face, and if the material catches - it flies into your face.

[pfred2]

Turn the grinder around so the sparks fly away. I have a dedicated grinder for sharpening my tungstens so they don't get contaminated.

[skaar]

when i'd do points on things, i'd swap out the rest for something slimmer, and the rods would point almost vertical, solves the problems you address i think.

[TBC06]

 agreed as well, use the top of the wheel and have your 1-3 slope for the tip (about 20 degrees on a 1/8 electrode) and only use the stone for tungsten only so it does not pick up contaminants, or better yet use a diamond stone on a tungsten sharpener :)

[w0ot!]

Couldn't one turn the rod horizontally (perpendicular to the wheel)  and spin it against the stone?