Tig welding tips, questions, equipment, applications, instructions, techniques, tig welding machines, troubleshooting tig welding process
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Hello Gentlemen,

I am interested in your opinions regarding the differences of welding Mig or Tig for Stainless Socket Welds on 2" pipe.

I appreciate your opinions and consideration. :idea:
Don55
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that would depend on what was running through that 2" pipe. are you running straight co2 shielded mig or flux-cored spray or short circuit? play it safe, you can't go wrong with tig.
Mike
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Your first post so welcome to the forum.
M J Mauer Andover, Ohio

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Mick
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I'd go with tig. It's the easy choise. You already have your argon set up, and get a nice quality weld.
For mig, (at least in my case) you'd have to switch gas, wire and perhaps other wear-parts. And then I find it harder to get as nice a weld, as I can with the tig. I might even choose stick before I go for the mig-setup, unless we're talking about 200 welds.
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Mick wrote:I'd go with tig. It's the easy choise. You already have your argon set up, and get a nice quality weld.
For mig, (at least in my case) you'd have to switch gas, wire and perhaps other wear-parts. And then I find it harder to get as nice a weld, as I can with the tig. I might even choose stick before I go for the mig-setup, unless we're talking about 200 welds.
Thanks Mick,

I'm thinking in business terms where, If I can make these 200 stainless socket welds 25% faster with mig than tig, then I can make/sell 25% more products, give my welders a 10% raise, my customers a 5% discount and increase profits by 10%. All provided the welds can be done with the same visual quality using mig as tig. Do you think this can be done in your opinion?

I Appreciate your opinion Mick,

Don55
Don55
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Well, then you just make sure, that the parts has a nice fit, and the welder is fairly skilled, so he can re-position fast with a mig-gun. Changing wire, gas etc. is nothing, when you talk mass production.

If you can do some of the work in a welding-lathe, you might get it done faster, and it takes less skill.

I can't say anything about economy, there's too many variables, but mig was created to get more welds done ;)
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Mick wrote:Well, then you just make sure, that the parts has a nice fit, and the welder is fairly skilled, so he can re-position fast with a mig-gun. Changing wire, gas etc. is nothing, when you talk mass production.

If you can do some of the work in a welding-lathe, you might get it done faster, and it takes less skill.

I can't say anything about economy, there's too many variables, but mig was created to get more welds done ;)
Thanks Mick :idea:
Don55
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Socket weld can be done as quickly with TIG as MIG on very small pipe, say under one inch.

Larger sizes, MIG will out-pace it by a rate proportional to the size.

However, I'd suggest developing a WPS for a MIG socket weld. A sheet that says "here's how we've found to do it that works" that applies to all your workers, with destructive- and non-destructive-tests of several welds done that way to prove it works. There's no economy in 30% of the welds failing to do what you need them to do, no matter hhow fast you finished.

A general reminder to all who would do socket welds, regardless of the process: Do NOT bottom the pipe in the socket like when sweating copper. Pull it back 1/16" to 1/8" to allow for the shrinkage of the weld, or you will have the occasional cracked weld failure.

Steve S
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Otto Nobedder wrote:Socket weld can be done as quickly with TIG as MIG on very small pipe, say under one inch.

Larger sizes, MIG will out-pace it by a rate proportional to the size.

However, I'd suggest developing a WPS for a MIG socket weld. A sheet that says "here's how we've found to do it that works" that applies to all your workers, with destructive- and non-destructive-tests of several welds done that way to prove it works. There's no economy in 30% of the welds failing to do what you need them to do, no matter hhow fast you finished.

A general reminder to all who would do socket welds, regardless of the process: Do NOT bottom the pipe in the socket like when sweating copper. Pull it back 1/16" to 1/8" to allow for the shrinkage of the weld, or you will have the occasional cracked weld failure.

Steve S
Great advise Steve. It will be implemented.
I appreciate it.
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Don55 :idea:
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Otto Nobedder wrote: However, I'd suggest developing a WPS for a MIG socket weld.

Steve S
You are absolutely right. A WPS can save a lot of wasted time and failures. As a welder/fabricator I like to try different settings and procedures. It's just more fun. But you can't argue with a tried an tested WPS, that just gets people working right away.
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