Tungsten sharpening

[deereman75]

Well, I have gotten started at tig welding. I only let myself use my auto dark hood for the first 3 strikes, just to figure out how to scratch start. I am forcing myself to learn all the rest with an old school flip dowm helmet.
I seem to have figured out the scratch start fairly well in the 10 minutes I have played with it. I can comfortably start and stop the arc with a flip down helmet now.
I just stopped to resharpen the tungstens. That 120 grit blue zirconia belt sure works well.
Time to go try some beads.

My logic for starting with a old school helmet is that if I only learn with an auto dark, I will be screwed if I ever have to tig without one.... Most people in my shop classes cant even mig weld without an auto dark..... LOL

 

[deereman75]

Well, I have gotten started at tig welding. I only let myself use my auto dark hood for the first 3 strikes, just to figure out how to scratch start. I am forcing myself to learn all the rest with an old school flip dowm helmet.
I seem to have figured out the scratch start fairly well in the 10 minutes I have played with it. I can comfortably start and stop the arc with a flip down helmet now.
I just stopped to resharpen the tungstens. That 120 grit blue zirconia belt sure works well.
Time to go try some beads.

My logic for starting with a old school helmet is that if I only learn with an auto dark, I will be screwed if I ever have to tig without one.... Most people in my shop classes cant even mig weld without an auto dark..... LOL

 

[Shield Arc]

I have an auto lens in an old school hood. I still can't break the habit of lifting it up every time I finish a weld.

If you plan on welding for a living, you'll want to get real good with that Tig rig! Soon as you're ready get some pipe and cut some coupons. You'll want to learn how to put a root and hot pass in with Tig, and 6010. Then work on Tig all the way out, and 7018 all the way out in the 6-G position. Just about everybody has switched to testing weldors on pipe. First thing it does is separate the men from the boys. And it's cheaper on the company, rather than all the plate tests it takes to do the same thing.

 

[deereman75]

I have gotten ok at starting and stopping, but I am having a real hard time running a bead.
Both the tungsten and the (horriffic) bead are black. Its the color you get with a gas weld.
Does this mean I am not using enough argon? I am using 7l/m (15 cfh).
I can put up some pictures if you want.
It doesnt help that I am having to switch tungstens every bead.....
I am sure I will be able to get it.

I am going to watch some weldingtipsandtricks videos, and see if that will help me.
I might also try changing my posisition to let me prop better. It seems right at the edge of the bench isnt the best....

 

[Shield Arc]

You are cleaning all the mill scale off, aren't you? You're better off to have it bright and shinny. I like to use 36-grit sanding disc on a 4 / 5-inch grinder.

 

[CNC Dan]

100% Argon? not C25?
No wind or breeze, AC vents?
Super clean metal? No flux and no AC mean no cleaning action.
Using TIG filler and not gas rod?

 

[deereman75]

Well, I ground and sanded the metal until it was shiny, and wiped it down with lacquer thinner. I have painted stuff dirtier than it was.... I would eat off it.
Anyways, I got everything (plate, rod, tungsten) 100% clean, made sure the torch was put together correctly, checked all of the connections from the tank to the torch for leaks (there were none), and set the flow to 15cfh.
It welded a bit better, but the tungsten still turned black. The bottle says 100% argon on it, and the rods are labled as tig rods. (they were from our version of harbor freight, so I can't be sure) I have some blueshield brand er70s2 tig rods I can try as well. I doubt it is the rods though, as the tungsten turns black just starting the arc.
I have heard you can get a bad bottle of argon? It would be normal for my luck..... LOL
I am using a #9 tig cup.
No fan, indoors on my bench.
Anything else I could be missing?


I am also having a hard time seeing the puddle well. The old school helmet seems slightly better than the auto dark. Any tips for that? I can see where it is, but it seems really fuzzy. Could just be my helmet needs cleaning.....
I am thinking of trying one of those good, gold plated glass filters. (the $20 german made ones, not the $3 chinese ones)

 

[deereman75]

Oh, here is a picture of how the tungsten look.

 

[Shield Arc]

Just for fun turn your gas up to 20-CFH.
I have trouble with my eyes, what I do for Tig welding, use all glass lenses, no plastic at all!

I have used the gold lenses from Phillips Safety, they are really clear.:thumbsup:

 

[CNC Dan]

How old are you? I'm at the age that I need 1.5 cheeter lense for tig but not for mig or stick. That's because I get a lot closer to the work for tig. How close are your eyes to the work when doing TIG?
It also helps to have a light on the other side of the work so you can see some reflection in the puddle.

 

[Shield Arc]

Here is an old picture of me Tig welding at Miller's testing facility in northwest Chicago. I just started wearing reading glasses for welding.

Boy I sure have gotten gray headed since this picture!:shocked:

 

[deereman75]

I'm still in school, and I have never had trouble with vision.

Anyways, I think I have figured it out. I turned the gas up to 20cfh, and found that if I was really careful on the startup, I could make a bead, and have the tungsten still shiny.
I think I am starting to get the hang of it. Now I just need to work on welding in a straight line.... LOL
I found that I kept roasting my little finger on my torch hand. I can see where those tig finger things come in. I just lopped the thumb off an old welding glove, and I am going to try that.


Should I keep laying beads on a plate for a while, or should I get onto joints soon? I think joints might help me go in a straight line..... LOL

 

[Shield Arc]

Yeah Jody's Tig fingers can be very helpful!
It's hard for anybody to weld on a flat plate. Jump right into lap joints, and fillet welds. Anyway how many times are you going to run beads on flat plate for money?:laughing:

 

[deereman75]

Okay, here is my first ever tig weld. I need to figure out a better way to get pictures.... It looks Far, FAR worse on the picture than in person. In person, it isn't too bad. I went back over half of it to wash it into the toes better. The part nearest the end of the plate is as welded. Tomorrow I am cleaning my shop, then I will be trying to do some daily welding practice.

 

[DaveOmak]

For vision..... I use reading glasses..... put on several strengths until you can see clearly 12-15 inches away... About the dark tungsten.... what size opening on the cup..... they make small opening cups for using small diameter rods and low flow.... Also, the rods do have a maximum amperage.... the tip looks like it got pretty hot... Never touch the tip to the metal or the puddle.... TIG welding does not use scratch start.... Hold the tip 1/8" or so from the metal and turn on the power..... the flame should jump to the metal.... adjust the amperage with your foot pedal or slide on the tip holder.....

" I only let myself use my auto dark hood for the first 3 strikes, just to figure out how to scratch start."

My error.... I did not realize deereman did not have a high frequency machine.... thanks Shield Arc for clarifying that very important detail.... Dave

 

[Shield Arc]

The as welded part doesn't look to bad. Being as it is the very end of the weld, and you don't have a foot pedal, I'd say you need to turn the amps up a little bit.

This is the bottom, (overhead) of a 6-G Tig weld I made sometime ago. See how the weld flows into the side walls more so than your weld?
Remember now when Tig welding 6-G pipe, you have to know how to weld with both hands!

 

[deereman75]

I think I was at about 80-85 amps, and it was 1/8 steel.

The one thing I am having a hard time with is feeding rod while welding. I can dip fine, but once it gets short, I can't seem to get my self to feed more out while the arc is going.... I know how to do it, I just can't get my self to do it..... LOL
I am sure I will get it before long.

 

[deereman75]

The as welded part doesn't look to bad. Being as it is the very end of the weld, and you don't have a foot pedal, I'd say you need to turn the amps up a little bit.

This is the bottom, (overhead) of a 6-G Tig weld I made sometime ago. See how the weld flows into the side walls more so than your weld?
Remember now when Tig welding 6-G pipe, you have to know how to weld with both hands!

The picture really did make it look a lot different. On the picture it looks like it sticks way up, and didn't touch the corners. In person, it is concave most of the way, and has some undercut along most of it. The corners are mostly rounded over. I think my main issue is in feeding the rod. I think I need to work on moving the torch as well.
I have to say, being decient at stick welding made this a lot easier to get going at.

 

[Shield Arc]

Take a full filler rod, don't cut it in half. When you're watching TV, ridding in a car or anything that will allow to practice, practice feeding the rod through your fingers. Do it with both hands! You will have to learn how to weld with both hands! Trust me!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CNC Dan]

every thing shield arc said +
Try swapping hands. You may find it works better. I find the filler is the delicate part, the torch has a lot more leeway.