Welding Tips and Tricks

I decided to do something about it.
Built a steady-rest that can be placed anywhere on a Certiflat table, rotates in 360 degrees and can reach heights of 24" off of the table. It reaches out 20" for those long welds.
Now, I can keep that proper distance without dipping the tungsten.

thats nice

Looks nice, when do they become available commercially?

Looks good to me.

Thanks guys!

A prop is a nice tool to have, BUT, you also need to learn to weld with your cup resting or walking against the material. There will be times (round, circular, tubular) when material shape requires out of position welding and you need the skill.

I like a rest for straight, tall pieces when I can't lay my wrist or forearm on my table. But I find that it promotes "air welding" (cup not in contact with material) and I do try to avoid that as much as I can. As long as you position your rig in tight and keep honing your skills, any tool is a good tool in my book. And yours looks nicely executed

cj737 wrote:A prop is a nice tool to have, BUT, you also need to learn to weld with your cup resting or walking against the material. There will be times (round, circular, tubular) when material shape requires out of position welding and you need the skill.

I like a rest for straight, tall pieces when I can't lay my wrist or forearm on my table. But I find that it promotes "air welding" (cup not in contact with material) and I do try to avoid that as much as I can. As long as you position your rig in tight and keep honing your skills, any tool is a good tool in my book. And yours looks nicely executed

Thanks for your coaching. I rarely rest my cup on the work. Sounds like I should. I still practice weekly. This week I'm going to work on narrowing my beads and edge welding on 1/8" plate. Using Bob Moffat's recent video as a challenge.
I have a hard time sliding my hand, during a weld, on a table full of holes. I still haven't use my pulse settings because I want to learn the basics without any help. Would rather develop the use of my foot pedal for more heat control.

Also read, you shouldn't let your inverter type welders sit without using them so I will practice with them too.
Again thanks CJ!

Getting your arm/hand to slide is probably due to too much tension in your hand on your torch. Its easy to say, but difficult to do, but you need to relax your entire arm, shoulder, and wrist. Stop gripping that thing likes its your best friend Hold it like you would if it were the hand of your newborn child; delicate, and under control. And rehearse moving your arm and torch before you strike up. This helps you notice the tension in your body.

cj737 wrote:Getting your arm/hand to slide is probably due to too much tension in your hand on your torch. Its easy to say, but difficult to do, but you need to relax your entire arm, shoulder, and wrist. Stop gripping that thing likes its your best friend Hold it like you would if it were the hand of your newborn child; delicate, and under control. And rehearse moving your arm and torch before you strike up. This helps you notice the tension in your body.

cj,

I'm trying to make myself a tungsten dipper, I am I am I am...this is useful advice, I put it to work last night and will be having more time today.

I sometimes find it easy to slide along, and then other times I get jerky, too fast, or even too slow....starting to go too fast for me ends up with bead crapplettes left rather than weld, areas of no penetration, etc...going too slow was noticeable on the back where it was almost burning through the steel.

Was using about 120 amps, 3/32" electrode, 1/16" filler rod. Some type of cold rolled type finish, some scrap I bought. I am getting where I can get a nice smooth looking fuse with no filler, and when I'm patient and take my time it comes out better.

I wanna sit at the big boys table with you tig guys, man can not eat with sticks alone...(but don't try to tell that to the Asians ). I will say that tig is sure mesmerizing...so much more than having $#!T popping and splattering all over...that's not my idea of fun...and with that said, I see mig as being yet another process with arcing type popping and splattering of slag and metal around the work piece. I wanna wear those big boy tig pants...like you and the tungsten dipper...

Alan

I built this "helper" since February, and I can not believe how much use it's gotten! Don't know how I'd do without it.

tungstendipper wrote:I built this "helper" since February, and I can not believe how much use it's gotten! Don't know how I'd do without it.

Is that a fume extractor? Would like to see more if it is, and how you built that...Oh and that's a nice arm support!

Nice job, can you tell me what kind of welding positioner you have?

Metal Manipulator wrote:Nice job, can you tell me what kind of welding positioner you have?

See HERE

Richard,
Have you bought a positioner yet?

BTW... The Extractor inlet (which I'm embarrassed for anyone to see the welds) seen in the pics, is made up of a stainless, light gauge, kitchen funnel "tacked" on a 1/8" thick stainless tube to fit the hose. It attaches to the weld table via a 3 dollar Harbor Freight magnet and a lamp goose neck. All of the above, is connected to a Lincoln fume extractor.

tungstendipper wrote:Richard,
Have you bought a positioner yet?

Actually I made one about a year ago, it's not as compact but it works! I recent started on a smaller one that uses a 4" lathe chuck