Tig Iron Fence

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I've heard of all the wonders of TIG,about how it looks better and is even stronger than stick welding.I'm thinking about trying TIG on my iron fence jobs,but I hear TIG is much slower.Any advice???
Reply:Mig indoors,6013 outside
Reply:Tig is way to slow for that. Also the strength issue wont apply here.Yes I can tack it for you.    I know that won't hold but that is what you asked me to do.  Millermatic 350P XR Aluma-Pro push/pullMillermatic 185/spool gunMiller Dialarc 250 HF Water cooledThermal Dynamics Plasma
Reply:Tig is mainly used now-a-days for precision work with aluminum and other more exotic metals.  Other folks use the process for roll cages and frame building for race cars and the like and let's not forget pipeline work were gas or liquid containment is absolutely essential, but even there, tig is used only where other processes are absolutely inadequate.  A fence would be the last thing I think you would want to tig together.  Tigging an iron fence would be like hand looming beige wall-to-wall carpet.  It might be beautiful and you might have some interesting details, but no one will ever look that carefully and notice.  You might also sink a lot of money in a very limited welder.  Use another method that is quicker to learn and cheaper to get started.  Generally, tig welding simply frustrates beginners.  Unless you already have gotten a mig machine, I'd say stick (6013) indoor or out to begin with.  An ac/dc stick welder is still probably the most versatile and least expensive alternative with as few moving parts as possible, though mig is getting cheaper.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:I gotta agree with smithboy and the others - TIG is beautiful (I'm a TIG lover myself - use mine whenever I get the chance) but for a fence you'd do a lot better to stick it or MIG it.  TIG also requires two hands in most situations (especially out of position) whereas MIG and stick can be done one-handed with great success.If you already have a machine or access to one, you might want to use it for the more visible portions (e.g. welds on the top rail of the fence, corners, etc.) where people MAY notice the beauty of the weld.  But otherwise, a single uniform stick weld will be just as good as a stacked-dime TIG.And on another note, if anyone stoops down to call you on stick welding the bottom, he'll be in a good position to kick his ***.  MR
Reply:It really depends on how much you are getting paid, how high quality the fence is, and what your finish is. We often Tig stuff because there is no cleanup afterwards, unlike stick or mig. If you are doing high end work, that is going to be powdercoated, Tig might be worth it. I, and the two guys who work for me, are pretty quick at Tig welding, and we hate scraping dingleballs off from mig welds. So we often Tig stuff. Of course, we have a LOT of practice. We run two tig welders pretty much all day every day.We always Tig inside- much less chance of setting buildings on fire, or burning holes in rugs or wooden floors. We have installed railings in completely finished Libraries before, where the super dooper smoke alarm is on, without even setting it off. Try that with a Mig. We tig weld when we are up in 80 foot manlifts on office buildings- mig or stick have an unpleasant way of ruining 3000$ mirrored office building windows. One of those can ruin your whole day. We tigged this entire fence- 3 panels, for a total of about 45 linear feet, 6 feet tall. Of course, it was stainless, but I have stick welded stainless, and mig welded it too, and neither ends up being any faster than Tig by the time you factor in cleanup.
Reply:Given Ries' post, I guess I overstated my opinion and was light on facts.  I have seen high-end things (gates, fences, railings, etc.) that were obviously tigged, now that I think of it.  I suppose I was assuming that Novis was talking about the less expensive mass produced decorative stuff that you just order out of a catalog, assemble and weld.  But, that ain't necessarily what he was talking about, and even if it is, he might be using this as a learning opportunity.  Far be it from me to discourage that.  Of course, the process chosen depends on a lot of things, and I assumed a lot that may not have applied to the situation.Novice,If you are interested in learning to tig and you are using this as an excuse/first project, it would probably be a very good place to start.  Ries makes some very good points about cleanup and welding environmental concerns, and if time is not an issue (i.e., this is more for educational purposes) you will get hours of practice. The welds are probably going to be pretty simple and errors are also likely to be easily corrected, and the end result could be very nice.Thanks Ries for your input, if for no other reason than it made me re-think some projects I have been planning. Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.