Struck my first TIG arc today. Wow, that's fun!!

[winchman]

I finally got off my butt and signed up for the TIG welding class at the local techincal college. They had an open house after a completely remodelling and upgrading their welding facility. Saw it, liked it, and I just couldn't pass up a chance to try it out.

Since I'm auditing the class, I can come and go as I please whenever they're open, and practice as much as I want to. I even have my own assigned welding booth with a nearly new Miller Syncrowave 250. The instructor is easy-going and VERY good. And, it's only five minutes from my house.

Here's a pic of my first passes with the TIG torch on mild steel plate:


The good news is that they are in the process of adding a machine shop, so I'll probably have to try that out, too. Life is good.

Roger

[Joel]

Looks like you are off to a good start. TIG is fun, isn't it!

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

Were you drinking?

Seriously, If those are your first beads, you're well on your way! I was making junk the first few nights then I started to get the hang of it but it was not easy at all. In fact, I didn't even get to touch a TIG machine until I learned how to O/A weld.

Congrats! Keep at it and it will be very rewarding in return.

-Adrian

[Swarf&Sparks]

TIG is not fun, it is WUNNERFUL! You will love demonstrating your skills, in your dinnersuit (ok, tuxedo) at the dining table. And you won't burn holes in the carpet.
I wish you joy with it friend, wish I'd done it years before I did
Rgds, Lin

[Swarf&Sparks]

Looks like we crossed replies Adrian. Yeah, TIG has a lot more in common with gas welding and brazing than any kind of electric welding I'd ever come across. I LOVE IT!
Watch that UV though. No flux, slag, smoke. It WILL burn you big time if you don't button up your overalls or shirt.

[hoffman]

Yep, TIG is cool. It's neat to know that you can weld ANY METAL ON EARTH with it
Well, if you know how that is...

Sounds like the class is cool. I checked into auditing my local class and they don't offer it

Oh yea, beads look swell !

[This message has been edited by hoffman (edited 01-11-2006).]

[Swarf&Sparks]

Hey Hoffman, go easy mate. You gonna start welding plutonium or uranium? That's gotta be worth an extra $5 an hour!

[BillH]

Your first try and you got the coin pattern, yeh I'd say your well on your way.

[hoffman]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Swarf&Sparks:
Hey Hoffman, go easy mate. You gonna start welding plutonium or uranium? That's gotta be worth an extra $5 an hour!</font>

It's all I can do to weld aluminum

[Alistair Hosie]

I have a mig welder I can weld with it but not prettilly, is a tig easier or harder to use?Alistair

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Alistair Hosie:
I have a mig welder I can weld with it but not prettilly, is a tig easier or harder to use?Alistair</font>

MIG is definitely easier, but I had a hard time learning MIG after learning TIG because I thought all of my MIG welds looked like crap. I finally found a technique that gives me acceptable MIG results but I'm still a better TIG welder than a MIG welder. I would never want to TIG weld large items (Like snow plows) though.. That's definitely a MIG or Stick job. I like to TIG weld small items like suspension components, brackets, etc. Anything over 1/4" I'd would rather use MIG than TIG.

-Adrian

[Your Old Dog]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Alistair Hosie:
I have a mig welder I can weld with it but not prettilly, is a tig easier or harder to use?Alistair</font>

Good question Alistair. I know TIG's the best thing since sliced bread but don't know why. I enjoy my MIG a lot but have often wondered what I'm missing. I've heard it's much slower process then MIG. I also like that I can hold the parts with one hand while I mig with the other.

[Swarf&Sparks]

Hah! you amateurs should try disgustium-trifilth-plated obnoxide!

If you can't find a bit of that, try welding the neighbours' powder-coated overnight fold-out couch. "Shouldn't take 5 minutes, eh?"

[hoffman]

Part of it is it's the latest buzz word like billet but it is pretty cool.

It's kind of like an electric torch. With the pedal you can crank it up to form a puddle and then back off on the heat and just hold it without burning holes in the material.

I'm not very skilled with it but I can see how a good weldor could do miracles

I weld everything steel with the mig. Just "ZAP" and it's stuck together.

[Wirecutter]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Swarf&Sparks:
Hah! you amateurs should try disgustium-trifilth-plated obnoxide!
</font>

Huh! Who here is man enough to TIG weld billet?

Seriously, though - I haven't had more than an hour on a TIG machine, and only recently learned OA, a little. I have a MIG, and yeah, it's hard to get welds that look nice, but the stuff does stick together. But I'm not building bridges or nuclear (sorry GW - NOO kew lure) reactors.

TIG does kinda impress me as sort of like OA welding, only with a throttle pedal. I'm on the lookout for more welding classes to get some TIG exposure. When I get the bug as bad as 3Phase, I'll probably be ready to mortgage the house for a nice TIG machine.

Yeah, envy.

-M