General Tig questions (looking for tips and tricks)

admin

First off i will say that i am new to tig welding, but have been welding a bit for a couple years.  I started out with a O/A torch and bought all kinds of tips for it to practice welding.  I made my welding table and some other crap with the torch.  Then i bought a millermatic 180 mig.  I am still learning with it, but have gotten pretty decent and its much faster and WAY easier for tacking stuff.  I just picked up an old miller dialarc 250 HF AC/DC watercooled tig.  I searched this site for tips and tricks but did not find anything.  It would be nice to have a sticky for general tig tips and tricks on this forum.  I have only about 30 min of tig experience so far. Here are some of my questions.1. Sound and arc shape.  Sometimes it crackles a little like the mig, but sometimes it goes nearly silent.  I am using a 1/16" red electrode and a cup with about a 5/8" opening and 1/8 to 1/4" stick out.  I'm welding on mild steel cleaned with a flap disk with the Ar at about 20-25CFH, and 40-160A depending on the pedal input (probably about 100-160), standard polarity DC. When the arc goes quiet it seems to "spray" out of the tip.  The arc is about 3/8" in diameter when it hits the steel when about 1/8" away from the electrode.  Seems to come out in a narrow cone shape, is that normal?  I know the electrode is too small, but that's all i have, and all the parts i bought don't fit my torch.  Any tips on what the arc should look and sound like would be helpful.2. Dipping.  I know that you are supposed to keep the rod (not RG45, but the stuff made for tig) at a 10-15* angle with the work, in the line the weld will travel.  Is it best to back the torch back down the weld when you dip, or slightly raise the torch?  I seem to "tap" the puddle, but have heard that some people slide the rod into the puddle?  Is one way better than the other?  Does anybody ever dip with the rod nearly perpendicular to the weld?          3. Getting shocked  I seem to get a slight shock when i touch the grounded table even when the torch is not hot.  When i'm welding the shock is slightly more, but not bad (a 110V shock would be bad).  Is this normal, or is there some sort of grounding issue with the welder wiring? 4. High Frequency I use the HF for starting, and know that you need it for AC on Al on continuous, but is there an advantage to welding steel with HF on continuous?  I can't really tell a difference.  5. Holding the torch Do most people hold the base of the torch (like for O/A welding), or grab very close to the tip?  6. Torch movement I was making small circles with the torch like i did with O/A.  Is that the best method?  I played around with not moving the torch in circles, just holding for a second or so, then moving down the line.  Both methods seemed to work ok. I'm sure i will have more questions, but any info on the above questions will be very helpful!Thanks,JoeI love the smell of burning metal!! Started with a O/A torch, got a millermatic 180, then a old miller dialarc 250 HF watercooled tig.  This is not a cheap hobby!!
Reply:1) In DC polarity the arc should be pretty much silent. I don't know what might be causing you crackling sound. When it crackles, is it a constant crackle or is it more of an occasional pop? Also, I would recommend a 3/32" tungsten as soon as you can.2) I don't do either. When doing regular stringers I simply move the torch in a straight line at a constant speed at a constant arc length. When adding filler, I sort of half-tap half-slide the filler on.into the front edge of the puddle (not the middle of the puddle). The heat from the puddle will melt of and pull in the filler. If the filler sticks, you might be running too low of amperage for that size filler. When access to the weld requires, it is sometimes necessary to add filler from the sides or even back of the puddle.3) You should not be getting shocked at all. Ensure that you are wearing dry, non-conductive, non-meltable clothing from head to toe. Also make sure there is no exposed metal (such as screws) on the torch, except for the tungsten itself. If you still get shocked you have a electrical problem.4) There is no advantage to continuous HF on DC. In some cases, depending on type of tungsten used, it can even cause the electrode to erode faster.5) How I hold the torch depends on what amperage I am running and how I can best get to the joint. When I would to pipe welding at school I would hold the torch by the handle as we were running ~120 amps on air-cooled torches. When I do thin stainless stuff at work (counter tops, etc.), I will hold the torch partly by the cup because we use low amperage (~40 amps) so the torch stays cool and I can still drag a finger of two next to the weld to keep steady.6) This depends a lot on the weld you are making. Like I said in #2, I prefer a straight steady movement for most welds. However if I want a wider, single pass, weld I will do more of a zig-zag motion rather than circles. Keep in mind that making circles might cause you to overheat the puddle. Personal preference plays a large part as well.Keep the questions coming.Visit Tensaiteki.com
Reply:Thanks bro!! That helps a lot!  So i guess i was getting shocked because i was welding in shorts, sandals, and a backwards kevlar jacket thing with no shirt on under it.... while sweating! I don't think my mig ever shocked me, even holding the metal with bare hands while tacking stuff.  I just picked up some more steel, SS, and Al to play with.  I have larger sizes of tungsten, but all the collets and adapters i got do not fit my torch.  I have another thread asking about getting parts for my torch here. http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=23763I love the smell of burning metal!! Started with a O/A torch, got a millermatic 180, then a old miller dialarc 250 HF watercooled tig.  This is not a cheap hobby!!