Welding Tips and Tricks

well I just picked up a large sized gas lens for my 17 torch, and it came with a 6 cup. I asked that they order me a 5,7 and a 10 cup for future use. I think those would be the most versatile selection. Primary uses would be Mild steel, aluminum tubing and 1/8-1/4 plate, SS, and food grade SS, sheet and tubing.

I also got myself some 1/16 and 3/32 2% Lanthanated electrodes. Now is my thinking correct that the larger the cup the more stick-out i can have for my electrode? cause it is very difficult to see when I am doing aluminum and tight spaces on steel.

I use a regular size gas lens on a 17size torch ( mostly with a #7 or #8 cup ) & have used quite long tungsten stick outs on difficult tube joints like headers without problem so long as the weld area is draft free - I've seen these large diameter gas lenses but never really seen the need for them ( maybe I'm missing something ) in most average situations - you can get a #10 ceramic on the regular size lens which I find adequate - I thought the only application for the very large ones are for welding of materials where shielding of a much larger area of the heat affected zone was required - apart from that they just look bulky & limit visibility & access - the large stubby pyrex ones that Mr Tig likes on the small 9series torch look interesting - but I've never tried one - I don't know if he favors them from a welding stand point or because it's easier to film close up arc shots more easily.

I find, when walking the cup, the larger the cup the less motion required and the larger steps I can take. I also like a larger cup on SS for better trailing gas coverage. I can put more heat in and go faster without worrying about dark welds.

That said, these days my welds are mostly in awkward places, with a -9 water-cooled and cups #4-7.

On the -9, I've had the tungsten out as much as 1.25" on a #4 cup, in calm air.

Steve S

1.25" that's huge. if using low cfh on aluminum would it still over cool my puddle? should I have different sizes of lenses for different applications? this was shop money and an experiment on my part but was only $30 for the lens, and $2.60 per cup.

I was using up 10x more argon TIGing once a month than I have been MIGing 3x a week. I figured start large and the cup i use can always change size. I still have my old setup with 5,6,7,8 and 10 cups and a 10 worked great for me when i was doing SS T joints.

I have no scientific proof to this, but I figure that the only real advantage to using a extra large gas lense and then necking down to say a #6 orfice would be that it cools the tungsten down. This would in a sense raise the amperage capacity of a given torch. But at the same time I think it would cause your flow to go from a laminar flow to a turbulent one.If your using the extra large because you need more gas coverage and are using a #19 cup or larger then it makes sense to me.

I personally like to use the stubby gas lense (CK 4 Series) and the #2 series cups on a 17 torch if I'm not at the upper limits of the torch. Using the stubby has the oppisite effect on the capacity of the torch causing it to heat up way more (they say about 30%). But the convienence of having the smaller head for tight places out weighs this lost in capacity most times. In the shop I can use a #20 torch with the water cooler and I have an #18SC if I need to go big.

As to using 10 times as much argon Tig welding, it's all in the math. If you set your flow meter to 15-20 cfh on a tig outfit and weld one hour, guess what, you use 15-20 cubic feet of gas. Most small Mig welders are set to an average of 18-22 cfh and up to as high as 50+ cfh on large ones.. Now granted you can weld quite a few more inches per minute with a Mig than you can with a Tig, but an hour's worth of welding is going to use more argon.

Len

My initial plan was to order a CK flex-lock and the stubby kit. But my supplier hasn't heard of CK before, and didn't think he could get it if he had.

I run my MIG setup at 20-30 CFH as I am in a barn and it gets hot as hell in there so i need all my doors open and a fan keeping the circulation going. I practice TIG at night and begrudgingly close all my doors during the day if I have to do a job at around 10-20 cfh.

when I started we had a LE squarewave 175 with a 9 torch and a 4 cup with a small lens, the turbulence i found was noticeable. but when i'd ask about getting a larger one like a 6 or 7 the people at my suppliers said no such thing as that was supposed to cup size for that torch and rig according to their parts list in their catalog. So now I have to go there and just pick stuff off the shelf and not answer them when they say "why do you need it" or "what are you doing"

Weldcraft also makes a stubby gas lense, but I don't know their numbering system to tell you which ones to look for. You might be better off buying the kit that comes with everything.

I order almost all my consumables online. For one they're usually way cheaper and I don't have to deal with the guy who's never welded before trying to look them up in a book from 1992. CK Worldwide has been around for many years. I think they make a lot of the Weldmark brand stuff also. I use Mississippi Welding Supply alot and they also own the Weldfabulous web site but it is usually higher priced for some unknown reason. I think Arczone has the stubby kits also.

I love the Flex-loc, I have a water cooled one at home and an air cooled one at work with the superflex cable (the one with the stubby) and probably will never buy anything else for work. My one at home has both heads with it and I bought it on Ebay.

Len

Arczone has them both and the Weldcraft numbers are 17GL116, 17GL332 etc. Didn't look at their insulator number though, sorry. If your local supplier hasn't heard of weldcraft, you might not actually be in a welding store, look around for canned goods.

Len

BTW I see a chipping hammer in the picture with your Tig torch, if you need that when you're Tig welding, you might be doing it wrong.

Len

Lol yea, no i use the hammer to get spatter off my table, and as of recently my table is a 4x8' sheet of 10ga on a simple metal frame sitting on saw horses. its my everything table so everything is on there. yea my store might as well sell canned goods as the employees need to check their catalog for even general information on their own branded equipment, unless its the HOT item that week, and even then that cant tell you anything else about their other products to even compare. I order through them because we have an account. And if i buy through a website, its like pulling teeth to get reimbursed if i submit receipts.

Ahh, so your local welding supply is kind-of like my nearest auto-parts house....

You ask the pimply-faced kid for ten pounds of 3/32 309, and he has to look it up?



Steve S

yea that's pretty much it, that and 99% of the stuff in the store doesnt have a listed price so its a pain when i am trying to decide what i can get some stuff could be a $1.50 a kg or $40.00 a kg big pain in the butt.