Wanting to learn tig

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I've done mig and stick for 7 yrs but I really like the nice welds the tig machine puts out and would like to learn it.  Is this something where I could get a tig machine and a book and learn or would I have to take a course?
Reply:WeldingTipsAndTricks.com is and excellent site.Other than that forums like this is a good resource pool. Just don't let the bullies scare you away.I have installed some Miller Diversion180s and by far are the simplest tigs you can buy. The are designed for the new tigger.You set the metal and the rest is done for you with programmed parameters.  Late summer Miller is coming out with the basic Dynasty280(formerly called the 280EZ in beta) and I was asked to demo for Miller. You set the metal, and the rest is done for you. There will be an interface port to install more programs when they become available from Miller.Good luck, it is a lot of fun when things go right.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Don't overlook Youtube as a resource.  There are countless How-to videos there including TIG.  Watch as many as you can as you will find there are any number of techniques and styles so you canpick and choose what works for you.
Reply:Agree agree! Read, watch, try, repeat. A class would be great but you can be a home study student too. Love my diversionMiller diversion 165Miller mig 211Hypertherm pm 30Milwaukee 6230 14 inch chop sawMd 45 mag drill (RIP; fell on its head)New MD 45! Thanks to the esposa!Finally got an O/A setup
Reply:I've learned two things thus far:- Thick skin - ignore the bullies as another guy mentioned and use the forum as its meant to be used - ask questions and discuss- Mess around.  Mess around with any machine you can find.  I picked up a Diversion 180 and love it but have also used some lower end, more "lame" machines.  Having gone between the two over a couple years has taught me different things.  I realize now that yes, the welder makes the welds, but having a machine that is half decent is important too!
Reply:Thanks for the tips guys, I think I'm going to see if the local community college has a tig course and I'm going to see if I can snag a good used Diversion.  It's no surprise all of you are recommending a Miller machine to me.  Miller welders are my favorite.
Reply:Can you learn tig on your own? Yes, but it's not as easy to do it that way compared to say mig.A class is the easy way to do this. There's a lot of things all going on at once with tig. You have a foot pedal to control your amps, travel speed, arc length and how much and when you add filler. Then there's always any torch motions... That's an awful lot of stuff to try and convey even in a video, let alone a book. It's much easier to have someone who knows what they are doing watch and instruct you, spotting the problems you are having and helping you correct these issues.If you can find a class at a local tech school, or CC, it will be well worth the money spent in the long run.As far a "bullies", I think what these people post are referring to are those members here who have a lot of tig skill, but are tired of hearing the same questions asked over and over again weekly. They tend to be a bit blunt about things when the poster has asked the same old question or  is simply not even bothering to try the advise that's been given repeatedly. Tig is not an easy process to learn in general, and it's even harder to do it without help, not that it can't be done. Don't expect to simply buy a machine, plug it in and move right on to complicated projects after an afternoon of fooling around with it. At the tech school I help out at, good students who are dedicated, can get usually get thru all the joints, in all the positions, in the 40 some hours of class time with mig and walk out with basic skills. It usually takes them at least twice as long to do this with stick. Tig most students are lucky to get thru all the joints in the flat position in the 40 hrs, let alone, horizontal, vertical and overhead. That's all on simple 1/8" steel. Stainless takes about 1 1/2 to 2 times as long for them to get down, and alum usually takes at least 2 to 3 times as long, even if they start out with basic tig skills. It take a lot longer if they try to do alum with zero skills at first.... Add in materials thinner than 1/8" and/or round pipe, and things are even harder....   Note those guys coming out of class aren't ready to land a job doing these things, they simply have the basic skill set to build on. There's still a lot more they need to learn.I see way too many guys here who buy a tig and jump right in and want to do complicated tig projects. They want to immediately do alum, or round thin stainless tube joints, and they can't run simple consistent beads on flat steel plate in basic positions. Add in the fact that most of these guys who rush into these projects usually don't take the time to prep the joints well or get decent fit up either... That only makes things 10 times harder on them. Then they get pissy when guys with more experience tell them they need to go back and learn the basics.... There's a good reason why kids graduating from the tech school that get placed in mig jobs start out at $11/ hr vs the ones who can pass the tig tests who get placed at $20-25 / hr to start....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 DSWThere's a good reason why kids graduating from the tech school that get placed in mig jobs start out at $11/ hr vs the ones who can pass the tig tests who get placed at $20-25 / hr to start...
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonWeldingTipsAndTricks.com
Reply:I'm new to the Tig process also so I took a class at the local community college and it's probably the best thing that I think I could've done, not only having access to somebody that knows what they're doing to show you what you need to do to make your work better but also the access to all the different materials and the gas that is needed. I've tried to read as much as I can and watch as many good videos as I can find in between classes and I think that hais definitely helped me have a better understanding while in the class.
Reply:Originally Posted by HokoThanks for the tips guys, I think I'm going to see if the local community college has a tig course and I'm going to see if I can snag a good used Diversion.  It's no surprise all of you are recommending a Miller machine to me.  Miller welders are my favorite.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWCan you learn tig on your own? Yes, but it's not as easy to do it that way compared to say mig....At the tech school I help out at, good students who are dedicated, can get usually get thru all the joints, in all the positions, in the 40 some hours of class time with mig and walk out with basic skills. It usually takes them at least twice as long to do this with stick. Tig most students are lucky to get thru all the joints in the flat position in the 40 hrs, let alone, horizontal, vertical and overhead.
Reply:I am self taught, although working with really good welders hasn't hurt me at all.....  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock