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  #21  
Old 03-13-2010, 08:55 PM
robtg robtg is offline
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http://alzheimers.org.uk/factsheet/406
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  #22  
Old 03-13-2010, 11:53 PM
ShawnMarsh ShawnMarsh is offline
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Originally Posted by David Gardiner View Post
Hi Don, does this mean you have given up on learning to gas weld Ally?.
tig welding is easy enough if you are working at a bench but when working on a car gas is far less cumbersome.

For many the cost of an AC/DC tig would be prohibative.
This is where I am coming from as well. I use a TIG at work, but want to get better at gas welding because it's the only thing I can afford for home, and with 25ft hoses I can weld just about anywhere in the garage, in any position, without much trouble.

And I have to agree, the hardest part to master is getting the fitup just right. Any gaps will make the welding much more difficult, and I am constantly surprised at how bad I can be sometimes at scribing a line then cutting right to it. I have gotten a lot better, but still end up with gaps sometimes. If I end up with no gaps, TIG welding sheet metal becomes a breeze and can be done quite quickly.
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  #23  
Old 03-14-2010, 07:34 PM
Dyce Dyce is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ShawnMarsh View Post
This is where I am coming from as well. I use a TIG at work, but want to get better at gas welding because it's the only thing I can afford for home, and with 25ft hoses I can weld just about anywhere in the garage, in any position, without much trouble.

And I have to agree, the hardest part to master is getting the fitup just right. Any gaps will make the welding much more difficult, and I am constantly surprised at how bad I can be sometimes at scribing a line then cutting right to it. I have gotten a lot better, but still end up with gaps sometimes. If I end up with no gaps, TIG welding sheet metal becomes a breeze and can be done quite quickly.
Shawn
Most of us are just as bad following lines. I use my belt sander, files, or a 4 1/2" grinder to get the final fit. And as far as getting the fit perfect? It is way more important on aluminum I think because I've found heat transfer by contact of the panels keeps you from blowing holes. On steel I have no problem dabbing the rod in to fill a 1/8 inch gap if I screw up on the fit.
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  #24  
Old 03-19-2010, 06:46 PM
Crew Chief Crew Chief is offline
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Originally Posted by ShawnMarsh View Post
This is where I am coming from as well. I use a TIG at work, but want to get better at gas welding because it's the only thing I can afford for home, and with 25ft hoses I can weld just about anywhere in the garage, in any position, without much trouble.

And I have to agree, the hardest part to master is getting the fitup just right. Any gaps will make the welding much more difficult, and I am constantly surprised at how bad I can be sometimes at scribing a line then cutting right to it. I have gotten a lot better, but still end up with gaps sometimes. If I end up with no gaps, TIG welding sheet metal becomes a breeze and can be done quite quickly.
Shawn - One way to get around small gaps when tig welding is to use a copper backer. It will help you fill the gap. Take a short piece of 1" or so copper pipe and flatten it then secure it behind the weld seam and go to it. Start your puddle outside the gap, and move into it. Stop, let it cool, and repeat. That's the way I've saved a few projects. Naturally, this isn't for large gaps.
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  #25  
Old 03-19-2010, 10:02 PM
Richard1 Richard1 is offline
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Default Tig or gas

I have found that if you start welding aluminum or steel with a gas tourch , a dillon or a j40 . you will develope great control and you will not have any trouble with tig welding . Your hand to eye movements will improve quickly. That will allow you to do it all.
Richard Nigro
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  #26  
Old 03-19-2010, 10:10 PM
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Kerry Pinkerton Kerry Pinkerton is offline
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Welcome Richard. You are in the same neck of the woods as Jim Spradley (pelion). Jim is THE Henrob guy and a great friend of the metalshaping community.
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  #27  
Old 03-19-2010, 10:12 PM
ShawnMarsh ShawnMarsh is offline
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Originally Posted by Crew Chief View Post
Shawn - One way to get around small gaps when tig welding is to use a copper backer. It will help you fill the gap. Take a short piece of 1" or so copper pipe and flatten it then secure it behind the weld seam and go to it. Start your puddle outside the gap, and move into it. Stop, let it cool, and repeat. That's the way I've saved a few projects. Naturally, this isn't for large gaps.
Thanks for the tip. I don't have too much trouble welding up my gaps as they're never THAT big, but just the fact that I sometimes end up with them tells me I'm doing something wrong. I actually made 2 patch panels yesterday for a dashboard (made 1, welded it in, then the customer said they wanted to remove the glovebox too so I had to make another right next to the first) and 6 of the 7 sides to be welded were SUPER tight. I was proud of how well those gaps were. I welded it all with no rod (except for the 1 side that ended up with a huge 1/16+ gap somehow) but I have to say, I kind of didn't like the result. It seemed to undercut quite a bit in places and I think I should have added just a little bit of rod.

Anyway, the point is that I am definitely getting better at my gaps and my TIG welding...maybe the 2 go hand in hand. Huh, who'd have thunk it. But I'll definitely keep the copper trick in mind. Does that work with gas welding too, or does the heat just melt the copper?
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