Welding Tips and Tricks

I am on the hunt for my next tig welder. My current Lincoln Precision Tig 225 has been very good and has been very solid and reliable for a long time. However, it’s showing it’s age and I know I’ll need to invest in another tig welder in the very near future. The problem I am running into is 1- the lack of people out there that are doing a lot of aerospace welding to get some honest feedback and 2, getting feedback from people that aren’t so brand loyal that they cannot give an unbiased option. I know what I have and I could go back to another 225 but I want to have some better capabilities being that I am about to dump a bunch of money into a new rig. The brand is not important but I’d like my next set up to give me a decent service life with a company that will stand behind the product with good customer service. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Kinda a side-track, but I don't think brand-loyalty = biased opinion. Now if someone worked for a particular welder company then I would consider the opinion of that person to be biased and show an unfair prejudice. I love Ford Trucks, and that's all I'll ever buy, but that doesn't make it "biased" just because that's what I prefer. I am brand-loyal to Ford trucks (and HTP welders) because it's a personal preference. In that sense, brand-loyalty is more like an opinion. An opinion can't be wrong.

That being said, are you looking for a new TIG for yourself as owner/operator of your own business, or for your workplace/employer? If the latter, have you already looked into any limitations/requirements for the new welder?

Oscar wrote:Kinda a side-track, but I don't think brand-loyalty = biased opinion. Now if someone worked for a particular welder company then I would consider the opinion of that person to be biased and show an unfair prejudice. I love Ford Trucks, and that's all I'll ever buy, but that doesn't make it "biased" just because that's what I prefer. I am brand-loyal to Ford trucks (and HTP welders) because it's a personal preference. In that sense, brand-loyalty is more like an opinion. An opinion can't be wrong.

That being said, are you looking for a new TIG for yourself as owner/operator of your own business, or for your workplace/employer? If the latter, have you already looked into any limitations/requirements for the new welder?

Well stated!

I don't think there are too many secrets.
Meaning your probably not going to find out about an awesome machine you never heard of.
Check out
Htp, miller, esab
Ilike my dynasty 210dx
I like to check the used market as well

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

There's not many top end units to choose from, it doesn't matter if you're doing aerospace or high pressure pipe, what you're looking for is a high quality TIG unit. I think of Dynasty's, Fronius, and whatever the model is for top end Lincoln and ESAB, oh and HTP.

Any of these will get you as far as your skills will take you, I started a side business a few years back and choose the Dynasty 210DX, one reason is I have a LWS that is Miller certified repair center, so if I need help they are there.

From a "features" perspective, I think the Dynasty with the software expansion option is the unit to beat. The optional waveforms with independent AC simultaneously is a very, very nice feature for lightweight alloy welding. Great warranty and service options. You will pay for the product and brand.

Next, I'd rate the HTP a quality second option. HTP has a great reputation for Service and functions. (I think it's a Stel beneath the covers). Then probably Fronius/Lincoln would be a tie. Fronius might be lower in terms of domestic warranty service options (I don't personally know their program here), but their TIG units are top shelf. Not as fully featured as the Dynasty, but certainly VERY capable of producing the weld parameters 98% of welders require.

If you were asking about MIG, the list would change with HTP and Fronius on top.

I agree, that on this side of the pond, Miller Dynasty's are the units to beat when they are fully-loaded with all available options. They do come with a hefty $$$$ tag since they are a large company with service centers all over the US. The HTP stuff could be even better if HTP had more a say-so with regards to how Stel programs them. When I asked about that, they said as an importer, they only have so much say-so, since the initial programming is worked out by Stel and only Stel. Case in point, that's why their synergic MIG welders have "funky" WFS/V points on the pre-programmed curves- they come from the metric equivalents that Stel used in their initial programming and didn't bother to converter/interpolate into more typical US-based Imperial thicknesses that are common here. I told HTP I would do the programming for free, but no dice, Stel doesn't care, lol.

I've heard that aerospace has a requirement for low amperage starts on tig, however I don't have a lot to quantify that with. I have heard that's a requirement of NASA who does a fair amount of work in my area, but I'm not a professional, just weld as a hobby.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:I've heard that aerospace has a requirement for low amperage starts on tig, however I don't have a lot to quantify that with. I have heard that's a requirement of NASA who does a fair amount of work in my area, but I'm not a professional, just weld as a hobby.

And that is not a problem with a Dynasty, HTP, Fronius or better Lincoln units.

On the Dynasty, you can get as low as 5 amps I believe, maybe a touch lower, but then that's really unimportant (the difference between 2 and 5 amps for arc start).

Here is what I found and/or know with regards to minimum TIG amperages:

Dynasty 210dx: 1A DC/2A AC
Dynasty 280dx: 1A DC/2A AC
Dynasty 400: 3A DC/3A AC
HTP Inverig 221: 4A DC/10A AC
HTP Invertig 400: 4A DC/4A AC

Oscar wrote:Here is what I found and/or know with regards to minimum TIG amperages:

Dynasty 210dx: 1A DC/2A AC
Dynasty 280dx: 1A DC/2A AC
Dynasty 400: 3A DC/3A AC
HTP Inverig 221: 4A DC/10A AC
HTP Invertig 400: 4A DC/4A AC

And I dare say you couldn't weld the difference between the machines for 99% of its tasks.

The independent AC feature to my mind, is what is possibly the most advantageous feature of these units for the aerospace industry. Where I think Miller has the edge with regard to that is allowing different curves on each side as well as amperage. Triangular is pretty amazing for thin ally. Quick punch, then out. You can drive some high amps for full penetration but generate much heat and distortion. Then revert to soft square for cleaning. I think Zanc had a lengthy post about that exactly some time ago. He was doing some crazy amps with a 1/16" tungsten with it. That dude is freaky good.

Whom am I kidding, he could out-weld me with a road flare and a can of diesel anyway...

The Dynasty 210dx goes down to 5 amps with a 3/32 Tungsten if you want to do the 1 amps you have to go into the menu and change it to I believe .040 tungsten

I admire kid Kane and I believe in the podcast with Jody he said he uses a syncrowave 250. That's amazing for some of the surgically small welds he does.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Simclardy wrote:The Dynasty 210dx goes down to 5 amps with a 3/32 Tungsten if you want to do the 1 amps you have to go into the menu and change it to I believe .040 tungsten

Not bad, my Invertig 400 can hold a 4A DC arc on a 5/32" tungsten with a sharp-tipped 55-60° taper.

So BJames, what did you end up getting?

BJames? No comment after all the discussion? How rude!

Oscar wrote:BJames? No comment after all the discussion? How rude!

the op was a dbp?





(drive by post)

LtBadd wrote:

Oscar wrote:BJames? No comment after all the discussion? How rude!

the op was a dbp?





(drive by post)

Yup, another askhole, lol.

maybe a drive by, BUT there has been a lot of info presented for someone to learn from...which is ok by me. Every day IS a learning experience. Stay safe and keep that info/experience coming. I will be a brittanica before this trip around is over. Just can't learn about face creams and barley pops...
gramps

I was just wonder why the obsession with aerospace welding if the guy is a hobbyist? I really believe that 99% of such questions are guys chasing features they will never need or even know how to use. Seems like lots of wasted time and money to me.

Louie1961 wrote:I was just wonder why the obsession with aerospace welding if the guy is a hobbyist? I really believe that 99% of such questions are guys chasing features they will never need or even know how to use. Seems like lots of wasted time and money to me.

I was thinking the same thing, but didn't want to say it

But who knows, maybe that guy was already a pro in other markets and just looking to break into the aerospace welding market. Unlikely scenario...but you never know.

Louie1961 wrote:I was just wonder why the obsession with aerospace welding if the guy is a hobbyist? I really believe that 99% of such questions are guys chasing features they will never need or even know how to use. Seems like lots of wasted time and money to me.

Lots of people build their own lightweight planes as a hobby. I wouldn’t presume to dismiss his interest out of hand.