Welding Tips and Tricks

i have about 5 months total welding experience, id say that my welding skills have gotten really good, really fast...im going to stick to this for making a living now...





some tricky aluminum welding... -4 AN weld fitting to a -6 AN aluminum fuel tube piece







and finally some 308 stainless sch40 pipe, 3/32 tungsten, runners are 56amp single pass with 1/32 filler on the runners and collectors, 6 beads at a time

then on the flange its 2 passes at 200 amps, 6 beads at a time. now my cup size is huge, i use the ck gas saver with clear lense...they break easy but damn its such a nice cup to have, low profile and very very wide...lots of coverage to get the deep colors

I would say you found your calling. I know 20 year vets that cant do that.

thanks for posting,

jody

thanks!! thats very very good to hear for me!

id say for everyone reading this...the best tips i can give from my own experiences (keep in mind i have only been doing this for about 5 months, ive used 6 big bottles of argon)

1) cleanliness!!! use acetone or denatured alcohol and a new paper towel to clean everything you are about to weld. i personally dont clean my filler rod, i havent noticed a difference....

2) prep your metal, and what i mean by this is gaps...this is esp true in aluminum welding, keep your gaps as small as you can, 1/16" or smaller....if you can do this and clean the metal before you weld it...you will instantly see a difference in your welding!!! a good difference! also deburr what you are welding before you weld it, if you use grinders...make sure its a dedicated grinder for whatever metal type you are using..ie done use a grinder/sander you use for steel on aluminum

3) learn to sharpen your tungsten effeciently and sharpen it the correct way the first time. literally buy a small grinder with a sturdy tool post. use this only for your tungsten and you wont get a weird arc anymore

4) torch angle!!! anyone with even the smallest experience in tig welding will know that torch angle plays a huge part in how your welds come out... with aluminum i find it best to be nearly straight up and down or pointed directly into a crack. gives you the most heat where you want it

5) above all else...take your time!!! i know we all wanna rush and get shit done oh so fast since time is money..but if you want quality..you will take your time. like my stainless steel welding for example...i weld 6 beads and stop, yet you cant even tell where i start and stop! same with the aluminum tank above. more time you take to prep the metal, clean it, and finally welding it...the better it comes out...always

guess if anyone has any questions hit me up im no pro but i will be very soon!!
and i mean there are a bunch more things you have to know but once you get more seat time you will learn how to change the small things quickly and not get so frustrated

I have got to admit some NICE WELDS there. Better than I have ever been able to get to on project. I have migged on and off for a few years then got into TIG in Febuary of this year , mostly aluminum, Now working with a bigger welde ( I started with a Miller Diversion) but some of the stuff I was doing needed a lot more amps than that one would put out. So I opted for the Everlast 256 combo unit now and just getting used to all of the extra control I have over the welds is just so much better than the Diversion , it was a set it and forget it machine 2 knobs one for amps and one for AC or DC. So no balance, pulse. freq or any control . I still have not even tried the plasm funtion or stick. Which not sure when I will even use the stick but I do have a railer that I might use it on to repair later on..
Sorry got off topic.
Great welds there Gurew. And 5 months at that..Unbeleivably great what seat time and good work can do..
Gary

cleanliness and seat time are the main things to focus on i cant wait to see how im doing in about a year from now