Using mig wire to tig

[firemanmike69]

I have done it many times both single strand and doubled up, carbon steel and stainless, works like a charm

 

[muddstopper]

Seems aluminum mig wire is the same as tig rod too. I now wonder about a cost comparison between using mig wire or tig rod. And then I would wonder if the aggravation of having to straighten and twist multiple strands even makes the ideal worth pursuing.

 

[k0ua]

Seems aluminum mig wire is the same as tig rod too. I now wonder about a cost comparison between using mig wire or tig rod. And then I would wonder if the aggravation of having to straighten and twist multiple strands even makes the ideal worth pursuing.

I think it is more of a "if you run out" type of situation.. OK to use, but probably not your everyday go to rod.

 

[muddstopper]

Yea, kind of what I am thinking to. I have a small spool of aluminum and nothing to run it thru. I might try using it up with the tig. Right now i am just running practice beads to get the hang of tigging. My brother has a boat prop with a blade broke. He replaced it with a new prop, so I figure the old one would make a good practice piece

 

[CNC Dan]

I've done it. Three strands of .025 twisted together. Works fine. But not as stiff as a single piece of wire.
Comes in handy if you are welding something thin, and can't get tig wire that is thin enough.

 

[MossRoad]

Thread pruned. Please continue with original discussion.

 

[Furu]

I use ER70S6 for my Tig limited experience.
I read somewhere when I was first starting my Tig learning that s6 flowed better than s2 so I got it instead.

Tried using both RG45 and RG60 with Tig once.
Not happy with results compared to regular Tig filler such as ER70S6.
Could also be that my Tig skill are not up to snuff.

As can be seen I have an inconsistent travel rate.

 

[muddstopper]

Looks a lot better than the chicken doo I have been laying down. I was practicing on some thin extruded aluminum earlier today. Tried this with some 1/16 throiated tungsten because I didnt have any Ceriated in 1/16. gave up on that. Stuck in some 3/32 ceriated and it welded better, but I couldnt keep up with the travel speed and kept burning thru. Switched back to Thoriated 3/32 and grabbed some 3/16 angle. Laid down some decent beads. I was running at 150amps and trying to race across the metal. More of a laywire at those amps instead of a dip and dap. I could keep up with it only so so. I need to get me a tig finger. Things sure get hot in a hurry.

Anyway, this is all practice. One thing i think i need to do is work on welding thicker metal and leave the thin stuff alone until I can make a decent bead. Anything below 16ga carbon and I just burn it up. I have also burnt thru the 3/16, I already knew I had the heat turned up to high, but I had to try it.

 

[Furu]

Technique that I was given by my welding mentor (Shield Arc) is amps equal thickness in thousands (ignore the decimal point) ( I hope I quoted it correctly)
1/8 = .125 = 125 amps
1/16 = .062 = 62 amps
etc

I do not have HF so I am scratch Tig only and thus can not drop off amps/pedal as the piece heats up as you travel along; especially as you approach an edge.

Some day I will have a "real" Tig unit but my current one does just fine. It is me that needs to improve.

 

[k0ua]

Technique that I was given by my welding mentor (Shield Arc) is amps equal thickness in thousands (ignore the decimal point) ( I hope I quoted it correctly)
1/8 = .125 = 125 amps
1/16 = .062 = 62 amps
etc

I do not have HF so I am scratch Tig only and thus can not drop off amps/pedal as the piece heats up as you travel along; especially as you approach an edge.

Some day I will have a "real" Tig unit but my current one does just fine. It is me that needs to improve.

I am in the same place you are Furu, my scratch start does mostly what I need to do, and I also need to improve more before getting something else... do I lust after HF start and foot pedal? Well yeah, but I am not in it to make a living or I would already have one.