Rate my tig welds

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This is my second day welding with TIG and trying to learn as much as I can.  Gas is set to 15cfh pure argon. 1/16 thoriated tungsten red. 3/32 308l filler rod.  304l SS square tubing with 1/8" thick walls.
Reply:looking good, try to control your heat a little better to get a more uniform bead.  Try to keep the puddle size consistent but just keep practicing and you will be able to do it without even thinking about it.
Reply:yup looks good keep welding
Reply:You need to sit down with a seasoned TIG Welder and learn the tricks so you stop guessing your weld quality.
Reply:I looked REEEEEEEEEEEALY hard at the picture with my tig weldor's x-ray glasses (available from ACME ) on, and it looks pretty nice...a very good start, i'd say.  Keep practicing and work a bit on timing and travel speed.  Everytime I say that, Lawrence Welk comes to mind...."a one'a and a two'a and a"....but, dipping the filler and moving the torch can easily be compared to the meter (I think that's the right term?!) in music.I don't do much (i.e., any) stainless, but the heat affected zone does seem a bit large, but this might be just a characteristic of stainless, but it also may be that you are moving a bit slow.  Maybe someone else more knowledgeable has something to say about that.MetalSculptor,I have a suggestion for your posts.  The point here is to provide useful information about what can be seen in the picture above.  Saying to seek professional help is sometimes useful if we (the folks trying to provide advise, which now includes you) do not know what the problem is.  Granted, visual examination of a weld does not reveal all the potential problems that might exist, but it does provide some information about technique, problems with settings, etc.  We understand that you have suggested sitting down with a "seasoned tig weldor" to learn all the "secrets" of tig welding as a response to several threads.  Could you share a secret or two here that might make the weld above a little bit better or help the weldor improve in some way?  Furthermore, if you plan to participate in the discussion over the long term, advertising is not the best way to earn trust among members who are often here trying to sort out the truth to claims in advertising.  Just a thought.Respectfully,Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:Less pedal, and more consistency.  Also, is it just me, or does it look a little dry?
Reply:weld is dark in color , try lowering your amps , you want a gold tint to it when welding is cmpleted . beads could be more uniform , try dipping your wire on the 1,2,3 Smithboy told you , if your using a foot pedal give heat when dipping back off heat when traveling to next puddle .you'll have to get foot , hand and eye control in sink.
Reply:Originally Posted by MetalSculptorYou need to sit down with a seasoned TIG Welder and learn the tricks so you stop guessing your weld quality.
Reply:Please don't be offened by my statements about learning the TIG process from a seasoned TIG Welder.  I teach the science and application of welding and have yet to see anyone pick up a TIG torch and weld by only reading a manual.  It's like the first time you drove a car/truck/tractor.  Did someone show you how to drive the car/truck/tractor or did you just jump in and drive?TIG welding is a Science and Art and needs to be show to the end user.  I read to many "Maybes, not sure, go faster, go slower, up the amps, lower the amps, not sure of quality, Is the Argon flow correct, what Gas Lens should I use, why is my tungsten black, why is there sugar on the other side of stainless, water cooled or air cooled, what tungsten 2% or pure, way to much guessing in regards to TIG questions.  Please do yourself a favor and get help from the TIG Welder that can show you exactly what to do with that great tool you purchased to minimize frustrations.My TIG Welded Artworks are permanently displayed in the main lobbies of huge corporations worldwide and the TIG welds are done correctly.Last edited by MetalSculptor; 12-08-2005 at 12:14 AM.
Reply:Just because it isn't probable to learn something without help, doesn't mean it isn't possible.Owner of Welding Wiki,The free wiki based resource for weldor's around the world.http://www.weldingwiki.comWe have cookies!
Reply:well then please show us some pic's of your tig weldschuck
Reply:Me? or Him?Owner of Welding Wiki,The free wiki based resource for weldor's around the world.http://www.weldingwiki.comWe have cookies!
Reply:I've reading these forums for sometime now , and finally come to the conclusion that metalsculpor is as wide between the eyes as an earthworm ,
Reply:I am glad to see MetalSculptor finally open up, if only just a bit.  You make a good point, but you make it a bit too often.  Welding is both an art and a science, so is cooking, so is farming, so is duck hunting, so is lots of other stuff, but the amount art versus science differs depending on the person doing it.  There are many self-taught drivers, farmers, cooks, duck hunters, artists and weldors out there doing very well.  But, many aspiring weldors out there are not in a position to acquire the type of training you suggest.  Some folks on this site are located in states, countries or solar systems that are either sparsely populated or where vocational education is underfunded, so, what about these folks?  Is the answer, "well, I guess even though you have a welder, you should tie the two pieces of metal together with goat skin leather, because you cannot get a certificate from an accredited welding school."  Although you obviously don't say this, simply cutting folks off because they can't get the best instruction money can buy sounds a bit drastic.  In the words of Jesus, "O.K., so who else here is perfect at EVERYTHING?"  I think that quote is in an appendix somewhere in the New Testament, but I could be wrong.Have you ever made a cheese sandwich?  Did you get training for that cheese sandwich making gig?  I bet you did not get training from a chef, did you?  You probably learned it from your mom or someone like that, who also did not get any special training, except from their mom.  How did you figure out how to make coffee?  From a course?  I am a professional university economist.  I have a doctorate in the field...Education is my business also, but, this does not give me any special privileges when it comes to being a businessman.  I can tell you what is necessary to assure supply equals demand in a particular market, but,you don't have to know how to derive a demand function from a utility maximization process to be very successful in business. You just have to be very smart or very dedicated or some combination of the two.  I bet Bill Gates has never even heard of any of this economics stuff when he made his first million (maybe even his first billion).  A couple of things I can say are 1) that you will have a hard time staying in business if no one thinks you have anything to offer them, and 2) information has a way of getting out no matter how hard you try to keep it bottled up.  Ask folks in the government about that one.Finally, based on your post above, you must know something, and to address one of your comments...everything is just a guess.  It's just that some guesses are "educated" while others are not.  Science is just a way of testing guesses and organizing a bunch of educated guesses into a system that makes sense and can be used to explain stuff.  Everything you talk about in your post above has an explanation.  WELL, EXPLAIN!!!  Is the English language insufficient to explain why there is sugar on the back of a stainless weld?  What would you do or say differently if you had that guy, with sugar on the back of his stainless weld, right next to you?  The AWS welding journal is published in English.  Lots of weldors and academics in engineering get this journal.  Is this journal useless for increasing knowlegde in the field of welding if no weldor is present to read it to you and sit beside you while the info sinks in?  A weldor might not have to read a word, but if it is a science, like you say, he will not be a very good weldor or a weldor capable of extending his knowledge once "the master" has left the room.  Books, writing and language are how we store and pass on information, otherwise, we have to relearn everything every generation.  There are many things that I learned without hands-on instruction from manuals.  People even buy sex manuals (In that case, I completely agree with you, hands on training has no substitute...although the pictures can be, ahemmm! informative).  The largest, most profitable market in the printed media is computer manuals.  Who would have thunk that?!  My intention here is not to be confrontational.  The above is meant to be persuasive.  The way you produce a weldor is to combine instruction with reading with practice, and there are tradeoffs as there are with everything.All those maybe's got you concerned?  Well, certainty is a crutch for people who want life to be simple in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.  Life's answers are not always obvious.  Obvious answers are not always correct.  Correct answers are not always well received.  Received answers are not always read.  But, SPAM-answers are always despised.  So, in conclusion, if you have taken the time to read all this, I will at least know you aren't posting more redundant or mostly useless information, if only for a short time.Last edited by smithboy; 12-08-2005 at 01:02 PM.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:again, Smithboy ROCKS!!!!
Reply:oh sry him chuck
Reply:well said smithboychuck
Reply:MetalSculptor may also want to take into account that the welder was an invention that didn't exist at some point, so the first person to use one had to figure it out without assistance.  We also all know that one person did not teach all of the people after that to use a welder and so on and so forth.  This tends to lead toward the hypothesis that a good percentage of welders throughout the history of welding learned to weld very well all on their own.  I would seriously consider your tact going forward in life as a teacher if you don't believe that someone can learn something without being educated by someone who already knows it.  Maybe you need to change jobs to something that requires less educational skills and more self aggrandizing.
Reply:Dr. Smith i presume?  OMG Ive been addressing you as smith all this time when Ive could have been addressing you as DR Smith!   I think thats the coolest thing.  It brings new meaning when I read a post where you liked what I said.  I havent known many dr's.  Well except them medical ones.  I knew in HS and had a history prof that was one.  But never really knew em.  Thats really awesome.  Best part here is how hmble you are.  You may not be a career weldor like some, but you definately have been doing it awhile.  Your  a freakin officer and a gentleman.  Maybe not a military officer, but just as polished as any I had ever served under.  Yes, though I agree with what y'all are saying.  I believe that mister vulture is a troll.  he may have his education in welding, he may know a lot, but I am sorry if you really had teaching in your heart you could teach wituout sitting down. Sure there are things that I commonly say, dang it I wish I could sit you down.  Like the fella who said, I need to pass a Mig Vert up test for my job.  If I cant I may be looking for a new job.  I said shesh I wish I could sit down with you but I cant.  Well, I gave him some advice.  Told him to try it.  He did, and omg he figured it out on his own. My advice did help. It was like using a Calculator do to algebra.  Sure he prlly could have figure it out on his own.  And he couldnt just plug the numbers in and automatcially get the results. He did have to use his own noggin, but it did make a differnce.  The help I gave him combined with what he knew he recently passed his cert test.  I am happy to know I was ablet o help a friend.  No seasoned mig welder sat down with him and showed him. He took wat he knew, what I told him, and put the thigns together.  He had to make modifications, and he dint get it the first time he sat down with it.  But he got it.  If its possible to pass a cert test like this why cant someone who is looking to weld learn this same way?  If they are wanting to make art, there no reason the welds have to be X-ray quality.  And for those who arent aware.  The major welding codes, well there nothing more than a history book of disasters.  People finding if I weld this way, the building falls.  If I build it this way, the building only falls if this happens.  And if I build it that way the buildiong wll stand up to anything we can predict to date.  This happened with the twin towers.  Sure it wasnt natural, and there was a show which dint air till after the towers fell, but was documented before. The before 9/11 parts had an engineer or something who died in the attack, he claimed that jet liners could crash into the building and it still wouldnt knock these towers down!  Yet we found out they can.  There are countless other examples,  FEMA for instance after the north ridge quake had a hayday wiht updating and revising its codes.  Why, because when something doesnt work, even though everyone was taught this is right, they have to learn a new way to make it better.  This means trial and error.  Those who learn to do this early on its easier and they are trained monkeys.  They think for themselves.  I am proud of my friends on this and the other forums who think forthemselves and dont need someone to "teach" them everything.IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:well now i will thank TxRedneck in this post im the one he helped  i've been a payed weldor for the last 12 years mostly spray transfer mig work some tig and stick work ,till now i have never had to weld vert up .wen i was 9 my dad showed my how to oxy weld wen i was 12 we got hour miller buzbox and he showed me how to stick weld ,it was years latter before i was getting payed to weld ,and all because the weldors were i was working at couldnot tig weld and the job was on the line , never haveing tig welded before but hearing that tig was kinda like oxy welding i told them to let me try thay did theunit tested good the firs time and shiped ,i was then asked to weld full time,i had never run a mig before so i watched the other weldors checked there settings run my test passed and have been welding full time ever cence so you can learn on your owne i did read some books ask for some help and burn some steel till you get it right not everone who wants to learn will havea school to go to this dose not mean that should not trychuck
Reply:Well Chuck thanks, but you dint have to do all of that.  Still I agree with what youre saying.  I personally went ot school. College.  Finishing up last two classes.  Associates degree.  But does school teach you everything, hell no. Does it teach you a lot, yeah but much of it doesnt have anything to do with being a good welder.  You can learn what you need to soley on the job.  However, the school will teach you things you cant get on the job, and it will give you these magic pieces of paper that some bosses and HR people automatically assume you know everything and witnout them know nothig so they give you more money for having them  whoohoo!lolNow im made my rant.  And to boot, Ive got both school training, on the job training, and Ive learned from the ole pipeliners, oil field rig welders, shipfitters, and others who know any number of things.  They all do their jobs, but some knew their stuff a lot better than others.  Some thought they knew, otehrs did.  Many more knew some and otehr thigns they dint.  So it really is hard to say learn from someone with experience.  Two experienced guys can tell you completely diffenrt strategies...its very difficult...best thing is to learn it from all angle possible and then just find what suits you best.IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Doctor SmithboyWould you like to wager $500.00 on a bet that I can train one of these Wanabe TIG Welders and place them in a higher paying TIG Welding job than you can ?Are we on ?
Reply:metal, I think this song fits Well I was drivin' down I-95 the other night.Somebody nearly cut me right off the road.I decided it wasn't gonna do any good to get mad.So I wrote a song about him instead.It goes like this...Were you born an @sshole?Or did you work at it your whole life?Either way it worked out fine'cause you're an @sshole tonight.Yes you're an A S S H O L E...And don't you try to blame it on me.You deserve all the credit.You're an @sshole tonight.You were an @sshole yesterday.You're an @sshole tonight.And I've got a feelin'you'll be an @sshole the rest of your life.And I was talkin' to your motherjust the other night.I told her I thought you were an @sshole.She said, "Yes. I think you're right."And all your friends are @ssholes'cause you've known them your whole life.And somebody told meyou've got an @sshole for a wife.Were you born an @sshole?Or did you work at it your whole life?Either way it worked out fine'cause you're an aaaass...hole tonight.IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:I gotta tell y'all these danged trolls are sure getting on my hind leg.  I wish they would all go away.  Man comes in here and unless were willing to pay him he wont give nobody help.    If he dont want to learn, or to help someone learn whats he doing here?  Obviously hes a wanna be himself and he just comes here to discredit everyone and make himself feel good.   I myself, well I dont worry none bout it.. I know what I can do and what I cant.  I dont worry much more cause when a feller calls me up and asks for services rendered I do it.  I dont need to worry if I consulted a deep fried weldor or not.  I just get in and get out.  And when it comes to givin out helpful advice, I must admit I learnt this from my pop just today...when it comes to givin out helpful advice I dont play hide the weiner...I just give it!   But you know I know where I stand, and I know where Dr. Smith stands and quite frankly Im proud to call him a friend and that $500 dollar bet is pretty damn sorry.  I think you should be ashamed of yourself.  Why did you pick $500 dollars anyway, is that how much you charge a new welder to learn your seasoning secrets??   Damn trolls will never learnIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Doctor Smithboys says"Man, Dont get me started. I am an inventor at heart, but I keep inventing things that are either useless, incredibly dangerous, or that someone else thought of 30 years ago and ditched for some obvious reason that I havent thought of yet"Safety issues ?????metal vulture, smith may have safety issues...thts between him and his maker....you got ego issues...dammit boy you got a head the size of Texas!IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:I love a good on-line spat.There's an IT guy I employ. He's about 20 (as they all are). When I asked him things, he used to explain them in that condescending and incomprehensible way all IT guys do.  I sat him down a month ago and told him that I could find another IT guy with his knowledge in about five minutes - they're a dime a dozen. I pointed to a nerdy looking guy blinking in the sunlight across the road and said: 'Should I go and ask him if he wants a job?'I explained to my guy that getting knowledge is the easy bit. Being able to impart it with good grace and patience to is much harder.If I could find a seasoned welder who was willing to sit down and shoot the breeze with me, I'd be chuffed. If I could find a welding course I could do, that would be great - I originally found this forum when I was looking for a welding course. On Monday I had to pick up something from a fabricator. I tried to ask him a few questions, but I could tell he was busy trying to run a business, not a school.In lieu of a seasoned welder, a course, or a shop owner with time on his hands, I've got this board. I reckon I've learnt a fair bit over the last few months from Dr Smith and numerous others. I thank them for their patience and good humour.Metal Sculptor, would you be a better welder than Dr Smith? Perhaps. But he'd be a far better teacher because he has humility - the best teachers inspire people to be better than themsleves.And after class, I know who I'd rather sit down and have a beer with, which is what it's all about.Scott
Reply:I bet they're pretty lame sculptures, too.
Reply:LMAO   now now scott lol IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Originally Posted by TxRedneckDr. Smith i presume?  OMG Ive been addressing you as smith all this time when Ive could have been addressing you as DR Smith!   I think thats the coolest thing.  It brings new meaning when I read a post where you liked what I said.  I havent known many dr's.  Well except them medical ones.  I knew in HS and had a history prof that was one.  But never really knew em.  Thats really awesome.  Best part here is how hmble you are.  You may not be a career weldor like some, but you definately have been doing it awhile.  Your  a freakin officer and a gentleman.  Maybe not a military officer, but just as polished as any I had ever served under.  Yes, though I agree with what y'all are saying.  I believe that mister vulture is a troll.  he may have his education in welding, he may know a lot, but I am sorry if you really had teaching in your heart you could teach wituout sitting down. Sure there are things that I commonly say, dang it I wish I could sit you down.  Like the fella who said, I need to pass a Mig Vert up test for my job.  If I cant I may be looking for a new job.  I said shesh I wish I could sit down with you but I cant.  Well, I gave him some advice.  Told him to try it.  He did, and omg he figured it out on his own. My advice did help. It was like using a Calculator do to algebra.  Sure he prlly could have figure it out on his own.  And he couldnt just plug the numbers in and automatcially get the results. He did have to use his own noggin, but it did make a differnce.  The help I gave him combined with what he knew he recently passed his cert test.  I am happy to know I was ablet o help a friend.  No seasoned mig welder sat down with him and showed him. He took wat he knew, what I told him, and put the thigns together.  He had to make modifications, and he dint get it the first time he sat down with it.  But he got it.  If its possible to pass a cert test like this why cant someone who is looking to weld learn this same way?  If they are wanting to make art, there no reason the welds have to be X-ray quality.  And for those who arent aware.  The major welding codes, well there nothing more than a history book of disasters.  People finding if I weld this way, the building falls.  If I build it this way, the building only falls if this happens.  And if I build it that way the buildiong wll stand up to anything we can predict to date.  This happened with the twin towers.  Sure it wasnt natural, and there was a show which dint air till after the towers fell, but was documented before. The before 9/11 parts had an engineer or something who died in the attack, he claimed that jet liners could crash into the building and it still wouldnt knock these towers down!  Yet we found out they can.  There are countless other examples,  FEMA for instance after the north ridge quake had a hayday wiht updating and revising its codes.  Why, because when something doesnt work, even though everyone was taught this is right, they have to learn a new way to make it better.  This means trial and error.  Those who learn to do this early on its easier and they are trained monkeys.  They think for themselves.  I am proud of my friends on this and the other forums who think forthemselves and dont need someone to "teach" them everything.
Reply:well you know if I scuba dived...and I dont but if I did I would make darn sure if dr seuce was diving next to me thered be no helpins of green eggs and ham IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Originally Posted by TxRedneckwell you know if I scuba dived...and I dont but if I did I would make darn sure if dr seuce was diving next to me thered be no helpins of green eggs and ham
Reply:No need to use the Dr....Truthfully, the words Dr. Smith always reminds me of lost in space, and I never like that character.  When I am on this site I am no different than any other weldor and when I am everywhere else...well, same applies.  My dad keeps reminding me that I now know about half what he does, and most times I tend to agree.  I don't even care for the distinction when I am in class.  I was called smithboy (short for Sam Smith's boy) pretty much all my life and I still go by it among my friends.MetalSculptor,I will bet you that you CAN teach anybody to weld better than I can.  I never claimed any special knowledge or teaching ability, to you or to anyone on this board.  I just love research and teaching and welding.  I am not a FANTASTIC weldor, I just enjoy doing it and am always thrilled when others love it to.  This back-and-forth between you and practically everyone you have posted near is not related to your skills.  I BET you are a skilled weldor, but you are not very skilled in discussion board manners nor in net etiquette. And, as far as advertising your services are concerned, I'd venture a guess that most folks here are not on board with you yet.  In that area, I bet I could help you a bit, if only to point you in the right direction.I am not trying to slap you in the face with a glove or throw down any gauntlet.  I want you to participate here, now, and in the future.  You are welcome here, as far as I am concerned, as long as you are here in the same spirit as the rest of us, learning and teaching THROUGH THIS MEDIUM.  Folks are welcome to drop by carrollton, ga to hang out and make some yard art (subject to spousal approval  ), but that is not a requirement.  I am not asking for money for my advise and at the same time I am not asking a weldor to reveal his trade secrets to me for nothing.  Halbritt, another member here, often gives very good advice like "you need to read more on this thing before you try it".  This might sound similar to your advice, but it really isn't.  It shows quite a bit more concern and specifics in the recomendation.  It's not always the amount that counts.  You can't cover everything, but you can cover SOMETHING.  If this were an economics discussion board and someone wanted advice on how to do something related to economics, I'd handle it pretty much the same way.  My advice is not concealing and generally free.  I tell the person what needs to be done.  If they want to hire me to do it, I charge.  If they can do it themselves, they do it.  I don't charge a client if I just tell them, "oh, you are looking at simple regression for that answer.  You can do that in Excel."  If they don't have a clue, that's where I generally come in, but that's starts looking more like work and less like just conversation.Good weldors are not in short supply on this site.  I rank probably around average, maybe below average in welding skill here, but I am always learning.  I do stick and tig welding mostly, and mostly for my dad and for my friends.  Nothing fancy, nothing really creative, and nothing for money (mostly for conversation and beer).The reason I started welding was not to make a million dollars or to make a name for myself, but was to help my father on his farm.  I welded for a relatively short time  professionally (maybe three or four years total), but as I have mentioned to some others here, near-death experiences have a way of causing sudden carrer changes in my life.  My father is getting older (he is in his late 60s) and he is often not able to pay for the work he needs done on his farm equipment.  He is not an agri-buisness.  He is a one-30-year-old-tractor, two-25-year-old-truck, 1-unknown-age-front end loader, 20 pieces of agri-junk farmer, with 50 head of cattle on 80 acres of land, and he breaks stuff often.  He is not the type of person that would take money from his son, or even a new tractor as a present.  That aint him.  So, I do what I can do for him, so he can be what he wants to be.The reason I am here is that I AM SURE, there are others here with similar motivations.  I am not unique.You make the point in another post (a pretty good post, I might add) that you do make GOOD money from your welding and that you have lots toys, in fact, "your cup runneth over."  If you are a top notch "seasoned" weldor, I would hope you could make a good living from your skill.  I would also hope you would be confident enough to share a bit of your success story with people here that are doing their best to raise a family, doing a crap job, and trying to make their lives a bit better by learning a skill that might move them an inch further up the ladder...without traveling to California for a sit-down with you.  If you are as good as you say, and probably are, you should not fear the competition or the lost student chair time one bit.I DO have a bet for you, though.  I bet you a six-pack of nice beer that you CAN add something valuable to this site and make us all the better for it.  It's just that up until now, you have posted more than 50 times and yet provide more that 2 pieces of useful advice (just a quick estimate).  I was always taught that Jesus saw greatness even in a tax man and a prostitute.  I am not making any comparisons here...I am just stating a philosophy I try to hold to for everyone I meet.  I BET you have it in you to be one of the best among us.  If you do decide to become a full fledged participant here, I will send you the money (shipping alcohol across state lines is still illegal, I think) for the beer of your choice, to drink while you relax with us and have a good time.  If you decide not to, you don't owe me anything.  (It's a no-lose bet for you.)Oh, I guess I need to add, that this beer thing is just for metalsculptor.  I can see the rest of you career weldors thinking, "hey, free beer!  Smithboy is giving out free beer!"      I know I would!!!Last edited by smithboy; 12-09-2005 at 11:13 AM.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:Amen smithboy I'll throw in a six pack to , that way he could really relax and enjoy.
Reply:Well, I'm in California, so I can handle the beer acquisition.  I tried a new Belgian-style trippel last night from the New Belgium Brewing Company.  They're the folks that do Fat Tire.  The point is that Belgian-style triple-fermented ales are generally very expensive, running about $9 for a four-pack.  This stuff was about $8 for a six-pack and it was almost up there with the good stuff (7.8% alcohol by volume).  Given the high alcohol content and my questionable TIG welding skill, things didn't go quite as well as I would have liked.  This data is going to have to cause me to re-evaluate my approach to my research project.  I might have to collect data for each process individually and for each class of beer.  There are cheap domestics that run 4-5% ABV, the microbrews and the imports that run 5-6% and then single, double, and triple-fermented ales that run about 7%, 8%, and 9-10% ABV.  This could be a long project and I may need research assistants.  I suspect I'll need funding as well, so I should get started on that grant proposal.-Heath
Reply:I'll get on top of the application process right now.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:O! O!   Pick Me   Pick Mee!!!!
Reply:It would take ole smith to convert a welding pissing match into a tailgate party lolIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:smithboy, that was a really cool post. Nicely done.  As I see it, helping others, even with my meager skills or experiance, is the right thing to do. Sorta keeping the brotherhood goin', or something like that. I really hope MetalSculptor can find it in himself to participate in this forum in a positive manner. There are many here among us who are sure that he can help them, myself included.
Reply:when i grow up I want to be a real welder like an SA 200 IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Well, Here is an example test bead that I just did.  I have had no instruction, other then seeing it on tv, and reading 'welder's handbook'.  I have been TIGing for about a month.  This was done on 1/8" stainless Steel, 3/32" Tungsten, 70-85 amps, no filler rod.Owner of Welding Wiki,The free wiki based resource for weldor's around the world.http://www.weldingwiki.comWe have cookies!
Reply:First 1/2 of weld looks great nice gold tint , very tight beads , I like tight beads with tig, second 1/2 looks good also ,but amps to high , can tell from heat effected zone, and discolor of weld , much better job , keep up the good work you'll have it down in no time.
Reply:Ctardi,Thank you for sharing your weld with all of us, I assume you would like some constructive feedback, so here is what comes to mind.First thing, I don't understand the weld shown in the photo.  It appears to be a convex fillet weld.  Since your description says " 1/8" stainless Steel, 3/32" Tungsten, 70-85 amps, no filler rod ", I wonder how this weld can possibly have a convex surface profile?  In my experience, a TIG weld made without adding any filler (autogeneous) would have to be concave to some degree.  There does not appear to be any undercut at the weld toes, so where did the metal come from to make the weld convex?The other thing, the discoloration of the weld is excessive, which is a clear indication of inadequate inert gas shielding.  This weld is probably fine for any non critical application, but simply the lack of shielding would reject it form an application such as food, beer, chemical, or pharmaceutical applications.Some things to think about that could improve your shielding:1.  Minimize the distance that the tungsten protrudes beyond the gas cup.2.  Minimize the arc gap (tungsten to work distance), keep the arc as tight as possible without touching.  A machine weld on this joint might use a gap of 0.040 to 0.060", I think around 1/16" is reasonable for manual welding.3.  Maintain a consistent torch position, ranging from a straight-in 90 deg., to a slight push angle of maybe 20 deg. max.4.  Experiment with your flow rate, more is not better.  For this weld, you may only need 5 to 10 cubic feet per hour (cfh).  Higher flow rates can cause turbulence which mixes the surrounding air into the arc.5.  Use a gas lens, they improve shielding by providing a laminar gas flow, and they are not expensive.  I don't know why anybody would bother with a standard collet body, but some maybe some others here could tell us why.6.  Use 100% Argon gas.  I have seen several posts here, where people simply do not know, to no fault of their own, that mixed gas for MIG such as Argon-Oxygen or Argon-CO2 cannot be used for TIG.7.  For critical welds, an extra shielding gas nozzle or "trailing shield" may be used.  See http://www.arc-zone.com8.  For full penetration welds on tubing, pipe, whatever, the backside (inside) must be purged/shielded with Argon.Thanks again for your photo
Reply:That is a concave bead, although it looks quite convex, and I am using 100% argon.  i will keep those in mind and do up some more test peices soon!Owner of Welding Wiki,The free wiki based resource for weldor's around the world.http://www.weldingwiki.comWe have cookies!
Reply:Thanks for clarifying that the weld is concave.This is one of those trick photos, or my eyes are going buggy, cause I could have swore it was the other way around.  So much for photos used in expert witness testemony.It looks like you have a steady hand.I look forward to seeing what you come up with on the shielding.
Reply:Originally Posted by pulserThanks for clarifying that the weld is concave.This is one of those trick photos, or my eyes are going buggy, cause I could have swore it was the other way around.  So much for photos used in expert witness testemony.It looks like you have a steady hand.I look forward to seeing what you come up with on the shielding.
Reply:It looked convex to me as well.-Heath
Reply:Originally Posted by MetalSculptorPlease don't be offened by my statements about learning the TIG process from a seasoned TIG Welder.  I teach the science and application of welding and have yet to see anyone pick up a TIG torch and weld by only reading a manual.  It's like the first time you drove a car/truck/tractor.  Did someone show you how to drive the car/truck/tractor or did you just jump in and drive?TIG welding is a Science and Art and needs to be show to the end user.  I read to many "Maybes, not sure, go faster, go slower, up the amps, lower the amps, not sure of quality, Is the Argon flow correct, what Gas Lens should I use, why is my tungsten black, why is there sugar on the other side of stainless, water cooled or air cooled, what tungsten 2% or pure, way to much guessing in regards to TIG questions.  Please do yourself a favor and get help from the TIG Welder that can show you exactly what to do with that great tool you purchased to minimize frustrations.My TIG Welded Artworks are permanently displayed in the main lobbies of huge corporations worldwide and the TIG welds are done correctly.
Reply:you need to start out easy, get that puddle going, hold the pedal at a consistant heat, go steady, If you look at the beginning of your weld, you can see that you misformed the material by using too much heat, each one of the ripples in that weld is a dab from your filler rod, now look at the inconsistancy of your dabs, Use more finesse, gtaw welding takes a midas touch.  How long have you been tig welding?
Reply:Originally Posted by hardwireyou need to start out easy, get that puddle going, hold the pedal at a consistant heat, go steady, If you look at the beginning of your weld, you can see that you misformed the material by using too much heat, each one of the ripples in that weld is a dab from your filler rod, now look at the inconsistancy of your dabs, Use more finesse, gtaw welding takes a midas touch.  How long have you been tig welding?