Welding Tips and Tricks

This is the first time I picked up a tig torch and ran a few beads and thought I'd ask for some input
This is some 1/4" stainless with a butt weld, I need to work on feeding filler, but all I had was some 3/32 mig wire so the slight curl didnt help im sure.
There is the undercut issue


A little better bead, I dont think its to bad for never doing it in my life


Now mind you mind you I do not have a fancy inverter, I am using a 1979 Hobart Cybertig transformer machine with a #18 water cooled torch and 3/32 1.5% lanth. tungsten and a #5 cup.

Feel free to flame away...

Welcome, thelbz,

No flaming here. Doesn't happen. We're not one of "those" sites full of posers and prima donnas.

That's actually outstanding for a first go. And don't beat yourself up for the undercut. With 3/32 filler, that'd be better off as a two-pass weld anyway, just for the heat control, and you've left clear edges to follow to put a cap on it.

We're all about helping each other out... Anything. From metallurgy and theory, right down to "I plugged it in, now what?"

Keep the pictures coming as you progress, and ask ANY question. If you see a question you can contribute to, please do.

Steve S

From things i have seen on this site flaming is not one of them.

For first run with tig I dont think it looks to bad. Looks like you had some oxdation that was brushed off. Stainless oxdizes and sugars easy was prolly a gas issue with using a 5/16 cup metal prolly still red when gas covarage has moved on.

Keep on welding

As I had mentioned on another forum,

The first thing is to be brutally honest with yourself and everyone here. By that I mean do not wire brush your beads. There are little details in un-wirebrushed beads that tell many truths about what is going on.

This is especially true for stainless because there is much "heat signature" in an un-brushed weld bead. Stainless discolors easily especially with a tiny #5 cup, so leaving it "as is" tells us much more than a cleanly brushed bead. For Stainless I would use no less than a #8 gas lens to help prevent oxidation.

I agree, the "unbrushed weld" is the "unvarnished truth", but don't sweat it for a first go with TIG. All the details will fall in line over time, and frankly, puddle control is one of the bigger issues for a newbie, and you seem to have a pretty good grip on that, regardless of what it looked like before you brushed it. Baby steps. No one masters it overnight (If ever! I doubt Jody will say he's mastered it.)

Patience, practice, and when those wear thin, have a cold beer, then more patience, more practice.

Steve S

Honestly before wire brushing there was little discoloration (the bead had a slight dull look) and no "soot" at all. The heat affected zone was acceptable and not saturating out well beyond the weld.

thelbz, since you know the terms, may I assume you're an experienced welder, who just happens to be taking a first stab at TIG? It would explain a lot....

Steve S

Outstanding for your first time!!

Otto Nobedder wrote:thelbz, since you know the terms, may I assume you're an experienced welder, who just happens to be taking a first stab at TIG? It would explain a lot....

Steve S

Sounds like it. My first time was a practice run on a 1f test, second was the test. Third was a 3f test...but I'd burned literally tons of rod and tons of wire before so knew what a puddle should look like, which is half the battle. Honestly it was pretty easy after welding for so long, which I assume is what our guy here is, an expire emceed welder just started tigging.

Otto Nobedder wrote:thelbz, since you know the terms, may I assume you're an experienced welder, who just happens to be taking a first stab at TIG? It would explain a lot....

Steve S

You are correct in me being experienced. I have been welding for 15 years and have never had any real guidance I just learned on the job by asking other welders what I should work on. I have a few certs so I know what a good weld is. But I don't know anyone who can tig so I resort to this forum in getting guidance.

I bought the machine to use at work because I get stuck welding a lot of stainless and aluminum using wire feed and the cosmetic appearance is a major factor and hard to get with wire feed

theblz,

You've found the right place, then. Between Jody's excellent videos, the knowledge here, and your previous experience, you'll round the learning curve on two wheels.

Steve S

If that's your first go,
Be proud, be very proud.
I been doing tig now at Tafe for bout a month and my stainless tig looks a out the same as yours.
Keep at it! Your doing very well.