Need Some Help From the TIG Welders

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Hey guys Just wanna start out by saying that this forum has helped me immensely with getting started in learning the welding trade, I am currently a Senior in high school and attend my county's career center (vo-tech) for half of the day and am enrolled in the Precision Production Metals program, during  last summer I completed a 120 hour welding course that consisted mainly of SMAW and MIG operations, procedures Ect. The course was fantastic for me and I gained alot of valuable knowledge out of it as well as the ignition of a passion for welding. I don't know what it is about it but it's something i really enjoy doing. Anyways at the career center my shop is divided into two sections Precision Machining and welding. However  my teacher while being an extremely good machinist with 30 years+ of experience does not know much about TIG welding. and unfortunately I am unable to find any books at my library or at the career center on it that go into depth. I'm coming to my last few months in highschool and I would really like to have a good base to build off of come graduation. I've spent the last week or so browsing the forum for tips and such and have found some really good explanations on alot of the problems I've been facing. But I can't seem to find a good directory of knowledge that I can draw from basically going from the ground up. That's why I posted this new thread. For all of you guys that know what you're doing I'm going to be posting pictures and such in order to learn the right way. any help you guys can offer would be greatly appreciated. Basically what i'm trying to get out of this post is how I can structure my future threads for you guys to help me to the best of your ability and If any of you know of a good online source for learning this process a link would be great haha.With thanks,-Justen
Reply:If you are just getting started tig welding, check out Welding Tips and Tricks.com. There are alot of tig videos there. Search Welding Web and you will find tons of info on tig welding. Go start practicing and taking pictures of the welds to show us and I'm sure someone will explain what you are doing wrong/right and what else you could do. Be sure to list what amps/filler size/cup size/argon flow/metal thickness you used when welding so if you have problems we can be more likely to help.Airco Ac/Dc 300 HeliwelderMillerMatic 200 (stolen)Miller Maxstar 150STLMiller AEAD200LE (welding and generating power) Hobart MIG
Reply:I think www.millerwelds.com and www.weldingtipsandtricks.com are both good resources. This forum is great resource too. There are a lot of different people that have a lot of different experiences on here. And chances are that just about any question you might have has been asked and answered on here. Nothin beats good ol fashion hood time though. Good luck hope this helps,Rob
Reply:Originally Posted by SquirmyPugIf you are just getting started tig welding, check out Welding Tips and Tricks.com. There are alot of tig videos there. Search Welding Web and you will find tons of info on tig welding. Go start practicing and taking pictures of the welds to show us and I'm sure someone will explain what you are doing wrong/right and what else you could do. Be sure to list what amps/filler size/cup size/argon flow/metal thickness you used when welding so if you have problems we can be more likely to help.
Reply:Originally Posted by rgfab242I think www.millerwelds.com and www.weldingtipsandtricks.com are both good resources. This forum is great resource too. There are a lot of different people that have a lot of different experiences on here. And chances are that just about any question you might have has been asked and answered on here. Nothin beats good ol fashion hood time though. Good luck hope this helps,Rob
Reply:I personally think that 1/8th filler is to big for 1/8 material. On 1/8th material I would be using 3/32 or even 1/16th.  Of course I'm an old guy with old equipment so It may be different with new stuff.  Mac
Reply:Originally Posted by Tool MakerI personally think that 1/8th filler is to big for 1/8 material. On 1/8th material I would be using 3/32 or even 1/16th.  Of course I'm an old guy with old equipment so It may be different with new stuff.  Mac
Reply:Yep 3/32" or 1/16" will do better for you on 1/8" SS. Also 80 amps is a little low and that will cause the same problems. I usually set near 120 amps for 1/8" SS, a little higher for steel. 15 CFH is a little low for #8 cup but should work, you said your welds were gray so try 20-25CFH. A #6 at 15-20CFH is what I usually like. Be sure to keep your arc length short and adjust the CFH a little and you shouldn't get gray welds.Last edited by SquirmyPug; 02-19-2013 at 07:43 PM.Airco Ac/Dc 300 HeliwelderMillerMatic 200 (stolen)Miller Maxstar 150STLMiller AEAD200LE (welding and generating power) Hobart MIG
Reply:Originally Posted by SquirmyPugYep 3/32" or 1/16" will do better for you on 1/8" SS. Also 80 amps is a little low and that will cause the same problems. I usually set near 120 amps for 1/8" SS, a little higher for steel. 15 CFH is a little low for #8 cup but should work, you said your welds were gray so try 20-25CFH. A #6 at 15-20CFH is what I usually like. Be sure to keep your arc length short and adjust the CFH a little and you shouldn't get gray welds.
Reply:$0.02,Become a great walker, then start to jog.   I see guys all the time that have had a "practical eduation" that was little more than sitting at a bench and flailing around for a few hours a day.Just because you're in Voc doesn't mean you can't (shouldn't) learn the fundimentals of physics and chemistry.  Take the inititive and learn more than they teach.  There are tons of good resources for the basics of tungsten inert gas welding.  None of them are on internet forums. Know where the electrons are going and why.  Learn how your parent metals are effected by heat, and why.  Work to UNDERSTAND the process.    And for god sakes, don't think that you can learn to weld on an internet forum. And get away from SS and focus on mild steel.  It's cheaper and more forgiving. Torch angle, amperage, arc length, advance rate, filler...Syncrowave 300Maxtron 450, S-52E, 30A
Reply:Check your camera  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:Originally Posted by wendell$0.02,Become a great walker, then start to jog.   I see guys all the time that have had a "practical eduation" that was little more than sitting at a bench and flailing around for a few hours a day.Just because you're in Voc doesn't mean you can't (shouldn't) learn the fundimentals of physics and chemistry.  Take the inititive and learn more than they teach.  There are tons of good resources for the basics of tungsten inert gas welding.  None of them are on internet forums. Know where the electrons are going and why.  Learn how your parent metals are effected by heat, and why.  Work to UNDERSTAND the process.    And for god sakes, don't think that you can learn to weld on an internet forum. And get away from SS and focus on mild steel.  It's cheaper and more forgiving. Torch angle, amperage, arc length, advance rate, filler...
Reply:Originally Posted by B_CCheck your camera
Reply:Noone posted the miller tig handbook. its a free pdf file on millers site.
Reply:Originally Posted by Javath15tell you what If i was ever offered the opportunity to advance my education that far i'd take it in a heartbeat however being a high school student i'm limited to what i'm offered. currently taking advanced placement Chemistry and physics. so i have a general idea of the science behind it. always looking to learn more though. Still it kinda makes me laugh when people call me a "vo-tard" whatever though, it's highschool.
Reply:Originally Posted by smilexelectricNoone posted the miller tig handbook. its a free pdf file on millers site.
Reply:Originally Posted by Javath15tell you what If i was ever offered the opportunity to advance my education that far i'd take it in a heartbeat however being a high school student i'm limited to what i'm offered.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWNever, and I mean NEVER! accept that what you are being offered is the limit to what you can have or learn. What you are doing now is an example of what you can do to increase you knowledge beyond the limits others may have placed upon you. It's up to you and only you, to make the most of what is available and reach for more if need be. Never sit and wait for knowledge to simply fall into your lap. If nothing else position yourself to take the next step.Sounds like you are already on this path, but some times it takes someone pointing it out to make it recognizable.
Reply:Originally Posted by wendellIf you're taking AP Chem and Physics then no one in the United States can call you an anything-tard.  An AP biology class in '94 ignited my love of science and inspired me to pursue a career in biochemistry.  In parallel I continued to design/ build "stuff" while developing machining and welding skills (for fun). P.S You're not limited to what you're offered.
Reply:Originally Posted by OscarVery well said.  When I was in high school, I couldn't wait to learn Calculus.  So I taught myself one-year's worth of AP Calculus in the summer after the 11th grade.  Ace'd the AP exam and skipped Calc I & II in college.  It's all about how bad you want it.
Reply:I had a lot of trouble with calc until I took my structures classes and found an actual application for it. I wished I'd understood the practical applications sooner. Things might have made more sense to me rather than simply pushing numbers around..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWNever, and I mean NEVER! accept that what you are being offered is the limit to what you can have or learn. What you are doing now is an example of what you can do to increase you knowledge beyond the limits others may have placed upon you. It's up to you and only you, to make the most of what is available and reach for more if need be. Never sit and wait for knowledge to simply fall into your lap. If nothing else position yourself to take the next step.Sounds like you are already on this path, but some times it takes someone pointing it out to make it recognizable.
Reply:Originally Posted by Oscarhttp://www.millerwelds.com/resources/TIGhandbook/
Reply:Originally Posted by SquirmyPugYep 3/32" or 1/16" will do better for you on 1/8" SS. Also 80 amps is a little low and that will cause the same problems. I usually set near 120 amps for 1/8" SS, a little higher for steel. 15 CFH is a little low for #8 cup but should work, you said your welds were gray so try 20-25CFH. A #6 at 15-20CFH is what I usually like. Be sure to keep your arc length short and adjust the CFH a little and you shouldn't get gray welds.
Reply:Could changing my cup out for a gas lens also help with the discoloration? I did happen to read up of some of the reasons for the discoloration tonight and how using a gas lens can create more of a shielding effect. So basically should I learn how to do it the tougher way before I start spoiling myself with The things to make it easy? haha  my progress is being monitored weekly for potential scholarships and the schools's new principal dosen't know much about welding So i'm thinking the pretty colors could be a pretty big advantage.Originally Posted by Javath15 however I have a really hard time learning something I can't apply to an every day situation
Reply:Try pressing just part way down on your camera's shutter release button to allow it to focus before pressing all the way to take the photo.  Let's see more of those weld pictures.
Reply:A gas lens will help with shielding coverage, but it's possible to do the same thing with out one..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldordieTry pressing just part way down on your camera's shutter release button to allow it to focus before pressing all the way to take the photo.  .
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonI did not  know that!Thanks!
Reply:[QUOTE=Javath15;2303481... currently taking advanced placement Chemistry and physics. so i have a general idea of the science behind it. always looking to learn more though. Still it kinda makes me laugh when people call me a "vo-tard" whatever though, it's highschool.[/QUOTE]Don't sweat it.  My older boy came from a private school into a public high school.  I asked about AP classes and they said "sure", Which one?  I said "all of them".  I'm not sure if the guidance gal ever recovered, but he did just that.  (He did say AP Calculus "hurt".)  Anyway, when he went off to college for mechanical engineering, they just found him a scholarship.  We didn't even have to ask.  So keep it up on that end.The young one is a "vo-tard".  He's a good welder and machinist and has taken pretty well to G-code programming and MasterCAM.  Nothing "tard" about any of it. He learned to solder when he was little and his first welding course was O/A, so TIG just seemed to come naturally. All he had available in high school was wood shop, so you are ahead of the curve."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:Originally Posted by Oscardon't take it the wrong way, but that is the exact wrong attitude to take.  When my students complain about the same exact thing, I always say, that..."there are an infinite number of things you could apply them to---don't wait for me to tell you or show you 1 or 2 examples here and there, because that's all you'll get unless you're paying me to be your private tutor.  Go out there and find [in books/journals] a way to apply it--that is what true genius/ingenuity is about.  You think in college every little thing your professor explains is followed by a billion real-world examples tailored to your needs?  Hell no, it's up to you to figure it out how it affects your world."Always take the attitude of "Okay, after I learn this, whether it's tomorrow, next week, next month or next year, I will eventually find something on my own, that this can directly or indirectly apply to".  It may just help you out through the very abstract stuff that seems to have little relevance to the real world.  Sorry for the education lesson, lol.
Reply:Originally Posted by OldendumDon't sweat it.  My older boy came from a private school into a public high school.  I asked about AP classes and they said "sure", Which one?  I said "all of them".  I'm not sure if the guidance gal ever recovered, but he did just that.  (He did say AP Calculus "hurt".)  Anyway, when he went off to college for mechanical engineering, they just found him a scholarship.  We didn't even have to ask.  So keep it up on that end.The young one is a "vo-tard".  He's a good welder and machinist and has taken pretty well to G-code programming and MasterCAM.  Nothing "tard" about any of it. He learned to solder when he was little and his first welding course was O/A, so TIG just seemed to come naturally. All he had available in high school was wood shop, so you are ahead of the curve.
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldordieTry pressing just part way down on your camera's shutter release button to allow it to focus before pressing all the way to take the photo.  Let's see more of those weld pictures.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWGrey colored welds with stainless usually is an indication that the weld material was too hot when it lost shielding coverage. It seems counter intuitive, but often more amps and a faster travel speed will decrease the total heat input into the work.
Reply:Courious, if you plan to take the AP exams, ever think about heading over to Penn State when your done?  Huge demand for Mech Es with practical aptitude...  Make real money...Syncrowave 300Maxtron 450, S-52E, 30A
Reply:Originally Posted by wendellCourious, if you plan to take the AP exams, ever think about heading over to Penn State when your done?  Huge demand for Mech Es with practical aptitude...  Make real money...
Reply:Enjoy it more thansquinting and coughing till you're too old to cave out a wage?  My mentor once told me: everybody says they want to do what they love... but they'll never love it as much as not working.  I think about that every time I fish in the bahamas.Syncrowave 300Maxtron 450, S-52E, 30A