Hard. Because you're already doing it wrong. Your first question should be something along the lines of: "Here's a pic of my first TIG beads, how can I improve"? Don't set yourself up for failure by being mired in doubt before you have even struck an arc with a TIG torch. Get your hood dow...

Nice table. I believe that Weld Sale bought out the rights from Acorn when they went under. So they're just making those classic Acorn tables. Once saw half of an entire highbay made up of those Acorn tables linked together in an old shipyard. I think they used that rig for pinning down huge props f...

Are you also doing the plating for the tubing and other parts yourself?? If not, I'd be concerned that what was advertised as "nickel plating" on those parts may actually just be mystery metal junk, and that would provide you with a bad day when trying to weld over it. Just something to co...

When you drill into your vice twice in a row.

Faaaark I hate that. Like little permanent badges of incompetence.

I was submarine crew for many years. It was all HY-80 and Hy-100 steel back then, and I believe that nearly all welding processes were stick, with the exception of TIG for some of the internal systems. I wasn't a welder, that's just my recollection, but it was those welders that first taught me to w...

EMP is a very energetic electromagnetic pulse that is radiated, not something that is conducted. There is a huge difference between Pulse TIG or HF start, and EMP. EMP is a very broad term and can originate from many sources and at many levels. It simply means an electromagnetic pulse. There is als...

It is EMP. Just at a relatively low intensity, and series of pulses instead of just one big pulse. Basically, it is electromagnetic radiation which can induce voltage into sensitive electronic components such as ICs if not properly shielded. When such components get voltage added to parts of them un...

Goal: My goal is to have welds that dont take away from the anti-corrosion characteristics of 304. I am after straw colored welds....but I cant even get blue! A lot of good advice in the responses above. And just FYI, if straw color only is your goal for SS welds, then you'll be chasing your tail f...

There's no need to cut off the contaminated end. Just grind the tip to remove the contamination and resharpen. If you have aluminum or steel that has wicked up the side of the tungsten, take it off with sandpaper. Cutting off the contaminated end is really just a waste of waste tungsten and money. ...

I just use a standard cutoff wheel on an angle grinder. I hold the tungsten firmly in one hand with a beefy pair of pliers, and just zip through it. A 1/8" tungsten probably takes only 3-5 seconds for me to cut through it with that method.

Hi guy I'm new to welding and so far I have found the hardest part is finding affordable cylinders and refills so I have been using facebook market place and I was able to buy a 330cf cylinder for $180 filled from a gentlemen. It had a smooth neck and but I did find what could be a name stamped in ...

I don't want to be discouraging, but building a trailer that obviously needs to be road-worthy to protect you and all the drivers behind you, is a terrible project for a beginner. Really, a welder should be nearing the expert level and have at least a couple years of welding experience under their b...

Thanks friends, but how much is the duty cycle I mean if it is 10 minutes is it a 100% cycle the same as the machine or is it 1 minute? Try to provide some more information if you want helpful answers. Your question is extremely vague. Helpful information would include: What specific make/model of ...

Keen makes several models that are the "sneaker" type and have the option to have either composite or aluminum toes instead of steel. Very comfortable when having to wear them all day and they are my go-to for light-duty, indoor work. Great option if your situation allows the use of those ...

I am reconsidering ceramic tiles as an option since pouring 30 tons of concrete on what is essentially another person's workshop's roof is perhaps not the best of ideas. Would that work fine or will it burn? Ceramic is typically well-suited for high temps, so I can't see it being a burn risk unless...

If you're goal is to have the "best looking" wire for your projects as you mentioned, then I'd think the best choice would be stock from a proper jeweler supply or something similar...would also probably come pre-polished in some cases. But of course you'll pay up for that either way. If y...

Don't overthink it too much. So long as you are using the high-quality brands, you can overdrive them quite a bit for short periods. Just plan to use them within spec "most" of the time, and you'll be fine

Yeah, that seems a little sketchy to me. Almost like they are just putting both there for marketing purposes as VA-Sawyer mentioned, but alloy designations shouldn't be used like that, IMO. That should only list what alloy it actually is. The comparison should have just been a separate footnote on t...

You should only see that issue on a Viking 3350 if the sensitivity is set too low as mentioned, or if the sensors have some muck smeared on top of them not allowing the light to properly get through. Since you mention it is a new helmet, it is likely the sensitivity knob setting. I keep my sensitivi...

Love my Viking 3350. Actually have two of them. Those also seem to go on sale several times a year and Lincoln also offers rebates on them occasionally. I got my first one for around $180, and probably similar for the second one but I don't recall. May be worth waiting a bit if you are not in urgent...

BillE.Dee wrote:They got their poop in a group.

I had to think about that for half a second! I'm going to use that one.

Are you asking for recommendations on a water cooled torch?? Your post was a bit confusing to me. If so, the CK20 flex head with the superflex hoses is my favorite. And do yourself a favor and pay the bit extra to get the 25 ft leads. It's nice to have the extra length when needed (that's what she s...

I would think the valve on the HP side is not seating or actuating properly. Many things could cause this. Take a wrench and lightly tap several times around the sides of the body of the HP side in the middle of the reg. It's a shot in the dark, but that can sometimes help to re-seat a catawampus co...

If you need to weld on a wooden bench, at least try to get some scrap metal underneath the part. Otherwise, you'll be charring and smoking the wood before you know it. Keep a tight arc with AL. This will greatly help to prevent the rod from melting away. When you think it is as tight as it can get, ...

Most TIG and MIG welding systems operate at voltage levels that are low enough to not be a major concern when it comes to electrocution hazards...at least in my opinion, other's opinions may vary. Sometimes you may feel a little tingle when running high freq. if you get some skin on the table or the...