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Hello All, Been a dry spell for tig for me for 15+ years. Sold all my gear when I got hitchedIn '98, and am now getting back into it. I have a 13yr son that is very proficent in stick and oxy/ acet welding that wants to gobble up info to. What's the best tungsten size, amperage, flow rate, etc for 1/8"-1/4" carbon steel??
Reply:Welcome back.  Broad question, so I'll give you a broad answer.  I'm assuming you'll be using a scratch start setup off of and arc welder that is Constant Current.  See Tozzi's sticky thread at the top of this forum.  It shows the setup.  http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...-Welder-PeopleYou'll need a tig torch with a valve to control gas flow. Hook the torch up to the Negative (-) of your arc welder.  The work clamp to the Positive (+) terminal.   This will give you DCEN (Direct Current Electrode Negative) polarity.  100% Argon at 15-20 CFH.Amperage based on metal thickness, ROT is 1 amp per 1000th.  So 1/8" steel would be roughly 125 amps.  Tungsten choice is also another issue.  Size should be 3/32 to 1/8" for 1/8-1/4" steel.  Most agree that 2% Thoriated is the best for steel (red band). That's my broad answer.  If you post your setup, with pics if possible, we can fine tune you.  Many here willing to help.  Happy Tigging.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:I use the same system as your link, I don't have a lot of call to weld tig so buying a HF machine would not be viable, but the scratch works fine.