[Brent1321]

No filler rod, just trying to run along staying close and not touching, did get lots of Tungsten sharpening practice. Let me know, complete dog crap, or good first night. After watching 100’s of YouTube videos, I believe this is the first correct step in learning this process, just running with no filler? Can’t imagine coordinating a filler rod just yet. I started the night on the upper right corner, moving down. Then the left side bottom and moved up. What a gas, get wait to really get this process moving! I have a free 4 hour class in July, part of buying the machine from a local General Air, so looking forward to the class.

This is a 1/4” plate, ground of all scale and wiped with Acetone. Looking at the plate, it looks like the beads are slightly raised, but touch it, and they are pretty much the level of the plate. Guess with no filler rod, they can’t build up at all.

Awe, the picture flipped on me. Upper left is where I started, if it matters.

[DavidR8]

That’s pretty much exactly what my first beads looked like.



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[BugHunter]

Get some filler rod and start working with that. Everything is going to be overheated if all you are doing is putting in heat.

Keep in mind that once the surface of the Steel has been overheated and oxidized you've got a contamination for the next bead. Don't be afraid to quench the part or grab a different part and let that one cool down. Time is money, dunk it in a bucket of water and keep going.

[Oscar]

You're doing the right thing by experimenting and getting used to how the arc behaves. Right now there is 'nothing to look at', as your practice runs can't really show any deliberate TIG welding attempts because they're just not that, yet.

Like Bughunter said, you can't keep practicing on the same overheated piece because you need to be aware that overheated steel will form millscale very quickly. Yes, the same millscale that you worked so dearly to get rid of, will form rather fast when steel is hot; that's just what happens to metals at elevated temperatures---they have an affinity for [combining with] oxygen, nitrogen, and other atmospheric contaminants. Cut up 10 or 20 different pieces/coupons, and experiment/run beads with those to let them cool. The metal is cool enough to weld again when you can touch it with your hand continuously and not get burned.

[Brent1321]

Thank you all! Tonight I did say the hell with it, and grabbed a filler rod. I once again got plenty of Tungsten grinding practice. I was able to run several beads, and they looked alright, but nowhere close to straight. I will take your advice on getting several pieces to practice on and let them cool between runs. That one piece of plate I was hammering away on got hotter that I have ever seen. So hot it was very uncomfortable to weld on, radiating heat caused me to have to stop. Anyone who can TIG weld remotely well has all my respect!

[BugHunter]

If you are having trouble seeing, you won't be able to go in a straight line. I find that lots of folks have helmets that are plenty 'safe', but they can't see in em worth beans. I don't think it can be stressed enough how important it is to have good visibility, and unfortunately, those helmets are either very expensive, or they are passive (not auto-dimming), (or both... expensive and non-dimming, lol). I choose the latter and will never be flashed again by a chintsy helmet with dead batteries or faulty sensors. Ymmv.

Draw a line on a part with a soapstone if you have one (don't use sharpie, welds don't like that ink AT ALL). If you can't see that line while you're welding, then the fault lies with the helmet. That's not to say rush out and spend a fortune on another, but understand you're welding while handicapped by a helmet that doesn't allow you to see as well as you really need to.

Another thing I tell people is to practice handwriting (Penmanship). If you're penmanship looks like chicken scratch, your welds will look the same. The same motor skills are used for both. This is why women generally make excellent welders. Just think about the art of writing like Jacob Shallus, and you'll see Jake would have been a world class welder.

[Brent1321]

This is so dang hard! I must have taken a swim with the Tungsten 6 or 7 times, and back to the grinder. Twice I flat out stuck it in the puddle and had to remove from torch. I have a ten pack of Tungsten, so tonight I will sharpen all ten, have them ready to roll. That way I can just swap out and focus on welding, not sharpening Tungsten What is my focus tonight, not dipping the Tungsten, and keeping the bead straight! For God’s sake, looks like I was drunk!!!! And a consistent travel speed. And a consistent grip on the torch, still playing with different holds.

[BugHunter]

Your'e picking up some porosity from gunk in the weld, on the tungsten, or lack of gas, but that's looking pretty good. If you're expecting instagram level welds on day one, that's unrealistic. Also, when welding on a plate, at least put a scrib-line on the thing so you have a guide to keep you going straight. Even just that will make it look a lot better. (you're concerned about straight lines way more than anyone here). When there's nothing you can see to guide you, you can't expect you'll make pretty straight lines.

[Oscar]

Welcome to the constant struggle that is TIG welding!

[Brent1321]

Night two is done. I suppose it was a little better. Only soiled the Tungsten twice. What I learned, a fresh ground Tungsten is remarkably better. When I dab the rod, too often it sticks to the base metal slightly. When I apparently dab correctly, there is no stick, and there is the satisfying sound of the puddle seeming to suck in the molten rod. I did some experimenting because I see lots of videos, and no one seems to move like the other guy. Some I see constantly moving forward and dabbing. Other I see move, stop, dab, and move, stop, dab. And I swear I see Jody moving forward, and then stopping and moving slightly back and then dabs the rod. Am I wrong?

[Brent1321]

Think this one was my best of the night, and have really no idea what I did different. Tried to be more methodical tonight, scribed lines to follow, let things cool down, and didn’t worry about lots of beads, but rather quality beads. I was wondering why my beads have no height, flipped over the plate and saw that nearly every one burned completely thru. That was an 1/8” plate. I was running 125 amps. I think my travel speed is just way to slow as I am too concerned about the filler and not dipping the Tungsten. How do I get a taller bead, and how to I avoid getting the filler rod momentarily stuck?

[BugHunter]

Dipping the tungsten is bad, or course, but not even close to as bad as touching the filler rod to the torch. That's where you get the thing all balled up with metal. You can sometimes dip and not get the tungsten dirty, but it has to be very slight. Once there's steel on the tungsten, you're done and you have to snap and regrind (or at least grind the hell outa the thing).

The steel must be really mild if you're burning through that easily, especially on 125A. Put something heavy and flat under the part so it can pull heat away from the part some. Even if it's just sitting on top of another piece, use something. It also helps to keep air away from the back-side. Nothing like a back-purge, but better than sitting out in mid air.

If you're getting the filler stuck, you're dwelling with it in the puddle too long and it's freezing the puddle. Dabs have to be dabs, not long-term feeds. Yours might be too slow and too long.

[Brent1321]

Well, decided enough practice running a bead, time to try and build something. Making some salt and pepper shakers using TIG.

[TraditionalToolworks]

Brent,

Bead looks good, but my only comment is when you run them on a piece like that, try to wrap around the corner, and try to start on the side of the corner, so that you cover the entire edge and corners. That way when you move on to the next side, you'll have it all in place. So many times I leave myself short in that regard and sometimes need to patch it later.

All in all, I would say the bead looks clean and the weld looks like it fused properly.

Good to learn that type of piece, putting a plate for adjustable feet on tube, a very common task. Good to practice some miters also. I was finishing up a section for my cart last night, but couldn't find a punch to drill for the rear wheels.

[Brent1321]

Thank you for the advice on the corners, makes good sense! Here are some more pictures, I am loving this TIG welding. My MIG machine may not get much use.....

[DavidR8]

Dang! That looks decent man!

[Oscar]

Mild steel salt/pepper shakers?

My MIG machine may not get much use.....

Depeding on what kind of stuff you make, cleaning everything surgically clean can start to get old quick.

[TraditionalToolworks]

Thank you for the advice on the corners, makes good sense! Here are some more pictures, I am loving this TIG welding. My MIG machine may not get much use.....

I think those look pretty good.

When I started to transition into projects after running beads I tried to focus on 3 main areas.

Miters - I like to use them when possible, although a bit harder to prep, they look the nicest IMO.

T-joints - or what would be fillets, where you have a piece butted up against another at 90 degrees.

Caps - as you have done here, because in many cases you need to cover an open end with a cap of some type.

Of course this is not the entire gamete of joins used in welding, but those 3 areas can cover a wide variety of projects.

The other point I will mention, and this really depends on the type of projects you do, but it's often easier to do something at the welding table in horizontal than it is on an actual project itself. For me that's been more the case when I stick weld, as getting up under a truck where you're welding vertical up/down or overhead is quite different than welding beads in the horizontal on the table. This is not to mention that with stick all types of slag and metal are snap crackle popping all over you, a good leather jacket and apron can help greatly. That said, much of the tig work I do is at the table and I can often position the work so I do get a horizontal bead, just good to practice in different positions so when you do need to you can feel comfortable with it. This does help on inside corners of a miter or t-joint so you don't need to reposition and can still weld it comfortably either vertical up/down. As I gain more experience I get more comfortable with these out of position welds.