Hello, For a beginner Tig welder nothing wrong with that. Just need more time under the hood to get the feel of feeds and speeds. Make sure your tungsten is always clean! If you dip it, change it! Also, are you using a gas lens or a standard cup? If you're using just a standard cup try to put some s...

Jason, If you have dipped your tungsten in a weld that needs to pass x-ray... In my experience its best to get a pencil grinder and grind out that little spot and reweld it. You don't have to dip your tungsten to get inclusion though. While you're welding the tungsten can spit small pieces into the ...

Judy, I'm glad to see that this posting has gone around a lot with pushing 6,000 views! I know a lot of weldors out there still disagree but that's inevitable and that's okay. It's a handy tool to have in the toolbox. Glad it worked for you as it has for me many times. As for the Helium I've been us...

Hey Pete, Are you cleaning the steel before welding? By cleaning I mean grinding off the black carbon down to raw shinny steel. If not, that can cause undercut and a lot of headaches. It can pop and spit right onto your tungsten too. If possible, I like to grind off a good 3/4 of a inch back from th...

DC root pass on .750 to .750 beveled butt weld on good old 6061 Aluminum. After wire brushed and acetone wipe for cover passFull length root pass.

What kind of penetration are you getting now on it? If you can upload some photos it would help with suggestions.

Welcome! I haven't done much gas welding but the little I did do I remember it being a somewhat slow process. With Tig welding stainless if you linger around too much it goes bad Really Fast! Have to get in and get out. Other things to keep in mind is holding a tight arc. The tungsten needs to be ri...

As usual I agree with Steve. The only reason I use a longer cup like a #5 Extra Long would be for getting into a tight narrow spot like a heel of a pipe joint or something along those lines. They are handy to have one or two around but rarely will use them. I've never walked the cup so no idea there...

Telling yeah it works great if the settings and the hands are there. Plus, it's nice and quiet, ha ha! Thanks for sharing Brent.

Happy New Year to all my fellow Weldors! Ever come across those really hard to reach spots that you just can't get into? Here's a handy trick to keep in the back of your mind and in your Tig Kit. Having a few bent tungstens with different angles and lengths can be really great. I can't thank my old ...

Steve is right on the money with what's going on with the scotchbrite. It does do the same thing as a gas lens but it comes in handy when a lens cup wont fit in the space needed to be welded. I also agree with Steve about using stainless wool for higher amps. One thing to watch out for with the wool...

I agree with Steve. Welding is like your own personal handwriting. Whatever works best for you is the best way to go! Me personally, I've never been a big fan of pulsing. It was how I learned to weld aluminum but over the years have got away from it. Nothing wrong with it as TamJeff shows in the pho...

A lot of things come into play when welding tubing in any material. Torch and rod angles has a lot to do with it. You have to keep in mind while moving around the tube to twist your wrist to keep the same angle at all times. Try to keep the same angle you would on a flat just projected on a round pi...

Hi, Not sure if this is what you're looking for but I've found a bunch of hard to find things on Arc-Zone site. The link is to the Flex-lock page for either the 230 or 250 amp torch. The replacement parts (collets, lens', and such) for each are seen after selecting a torch size. Might have a look ar...

I worked with a guy that welding a lot of cast iron parts and used Vermiculite as a post welding heat treating. It slows the cooling down drastically. He had said that you'd put the part in the Vermiculite and leave for the night, come in the next morning and the part was still too hot to handle. I'...

Thanks for the extra information Bryce! I had posted this a while back and just noticed that there were more comments, ha ha! Not sure if Bryce has answered your questions yet Steve but ask away!

I agree with the other guys. As side if the only thing changed was the gas... good chance its the gas. Just wanted to add something to watch out for when welding aluminum. Watch out for rod that is contaminated or has frosty spots on it. You want it to be nice and clean right out of the box. Can't t...

Could you use Silicon Bronze? I've welded Copper to Mild Steel with it. Not a very strong weld but might be a cheaper alternative. I'd also say you should pre heat the copper pieces.

Glad to hear that things started to click! The biggest thing about TIG welding, or welding in general, is finding what works for you. Like me I'm left handed but weld right handed... Why? Cause it works. Now that you're getting the swing of it don't let it get to you if you have a few days that thin...

Sounds like to me that you need to stick your tungsten out a little further and point it higher onto the top part of the fillet until it's joined. Also, you might have to sharpen your tungsten more. Sometimes you can get a ball or a burr on the side of it which will make the arc do funny things. Onc...

From your photo it looks like one problem might be a gas issue. When you press down the peddle are you hearing a good gas hiss or putting it up near your cheek feeling the flow? If your tungsten is turning black and burning up, gas is the problem. Could be that your tank is getting low and the regul...

Steve, I'm sure everyone here will have a different answer for you but I'd have to say get the biggest, easiest rolling, all swiveling, with locks casters you can find/afford. If you're going to be moving it around your garage shop a lot you'll want the larger casters that wont hang up on small shav...

I'd try going down to a .035 wire. If the wire is too thick you have to wait around a bit longer than needed just to melt the wire. Also, might want to turn your amps up a bit so you can weld a little faster with the extra heat. Want to get in and get out as fast as you can. That has always helped m...

Glad the photos could help set your mix. I've ran 30 cfh HE to 10 cfh AR while welding .625 thick aluminum and welded like butter. But, on the other side welding .020 aluminum I'll barely crack the HE regulator just to help stabilize the arc a bit. Really, just keep tinkering with the settings and y...

Sorry to hear about your bad purchase!! If you don't mind me asking what brand of Import did you buy? Would be nice to spread the news to this welding community not to deal with that company, unless you call directly, so this doesn't happen again. Did the company at least send you the case and leads...