tig welding sheet metal settings and advice

[Marty Comstock]

I dont use a gas lens because I am not in an environment that would benefit from it, and the screen gets dirty fast because I often weld heavy stuff, which increases the chances of getting it all yucky, and prevents proper gas flow. My mileage varied greatly compared to others with a gas lens, so take it for what its worth.

Your tacking method would be called a hack by some, but it works for you, so roll with it.

I would STRONGLY suggest that you spend more time on fitup. A proper fitup part should take hardly any holding power and should fuse tack easily with a tig.

[John Buchtenkirch]

Originally Posted by tech69

so do a lot of you guys use a gas lens? I was checking them out today but they didn't have a 6 gas cup for it so I'll wait til next weekend when they restock.

Anywho, I'm working on the front of my tank and was having a really hard time fuse welding tacks while trying to hold the piece. Just a mess. Finally got one to fuse and then tack/filled the top area w/ my tig but the front area that curves around the front needs to be tacked and I find it easier to just bend it and hold it with my hand as I mig tack weld them, then I can planish it a lot better then I can tig it all around to complete the welding. Is this kind of hack? Should I be looking to avoid using the mig and should my planishing be perfect before tacking? I can get it close but when it's tacked in and laying right next to each other I find it easier but was thinking maybe in the back of my mind it's cheating or something. I dunno. Just want to learn it right and drop bad habits if that's what it is, but it does make it a lot easier.

You didn’t read my post #9 well enough. Forget about welding on your tank for now and also forget about welding 2 pieces together. If you can’t run a consistent bead say a foot long on the same gauge sheet as your tank you’re really not ready to butt weld 2 pieces together IMO. Run a bead, move over a couple of inches and run another and then another. Run some using rod and others without rod. After developing the needed hand, eye and foot coordination to run a consistent bead then and only then tackle welding 2 pieces together. Post photos of your progress, describing it is almost useless without photos . ~ John Buchtenkirch

[Marty Comstock]

Originally Posted by John Buchtenkirch

You didn’t read my post #9 well enough. Forget about welding on your tank for now and also forget about welding 2 pieces together. If you can’t run a consistent bead say a foot long on the same gauge sheet as your tank you’re really not ready to butt weld 2 pieces together IMO. Run a bead, move over a couple of inches and run another and then another. Run some using rod and others without rod. After developing the needed hand, eye and foot coordination to run a consistent bead then and only then tackle welding 2 pieces together. Post photos of your progress, describing it is almost useless without photos . ~ John Buchtenkirch

John here has a good point. I am working with someone now and they want to go straight to filling holes. Rusty ones. That takes what seems like to them in majik, but in reality is thousands of hours of practice.

Its hand eye coordination, dexterity, and practiced moment that you need to be able to make those on the fly decisions when you weld.

As soon as you get tired of running beads in a panel and think you are getting good at it, do it standing. On a knee. on your back. Then perhaps John will let you add filler rod


Marty

[tech69]

Originally Posted by Marty Comstock

I dont use a gas lens because I am not in an environment that would benefit from it, and the screen gets dirty fast because I often weld heavy stuff, which increases the chances of getting it all yucky, and prevents proper gas flow. My mileage varied greatly compared to others with a gas lens, so take it for what its worth.

Your tacking method would be called a hack by some, but it works for you, so roll with it.

I would STRONGLY suggest that you spend more time on fitup. A proper fitup part should take hardly any holding power and should fuse tack easily with a tig.

well when I did the sides to the top they were pretty even as soon as I put it on the buck but the front rounded radius is the issue but I think that's cause I don't have enough T dollys to do it perfectly. It did butt up pretty well though but I do have to planish it in a few areas and it does need to be tacked around and manipulated to pull into place.

I think John is right, I should practice more beads. I burned a little hole on an area but even now I knew better. Just kind of brain farted and didn't move it along fast enough. I'll just finish mig tacking it and planish it and get it ready for me to tig and then practice more beads. Thanks guys.

[John Buchtenkirch]

Originally Posted by Marty Comstock

John here has a good point. I am working with someone now and they want to go straight to filling holes. Rusty ones. That takes what seems like to them in majik, but in reality is thousands of hours of practice.

Its hand eye coordination, dexterity, and practiced moment that you need to be able to make those on the fly decisions when you weld.

As soon as you get tired of running beads in a panel and think you are getting good at it, do it standing. On a knee. on your back. Then perhaps John will let you add filler rod
Marty

Marty, for sure…….. new tig welding students tend to want to run immediately when they haven’t actually even mastered walking yet. It’s not out of arrogance, it’s because they got pretty good at mig welding in almost no time at all and now expect the same from their new expensive tig machine. Well guess what………………. many people have learned tig faster & better than me, but even those “gifted fast learners” will admit that tig welding has a much steeper learning curve when compared to mig welding. ~ John Buchtenkirch

[Marty Comstock]

Originally Posted by John Buchtenkirch

it’s because they got pretty good at mig welding in almost no time at all and now expect the same from their new expensive tig machine.

Actually, from hiring many "mig welders", MANY dont know how to weld either. I am talking downright puddle control. Real honest understanding of what is happening when you pull the trigger.

Took me almost 10 years to really get a grasp on mig welding, the whats whys and hows. A trigger puller does not a welder make.

Puddle control, learning that, in any position, drastically helps the learning curve for any process, be it gas, mig, arc, so on n so forth. Its like a soccer ball, if you cant tease it into doing what you want, there is no sense trying to get on the field. Ok, maybe that is a little over the top, but you see what I mean.

Practice. More. and do it again.

A good fitup makes welding tons easier. A poor fitup will get you to be a better welder in mny many hours because you are having to fight the battle to get it welded. I dont like practicing like that, but because I get lazy on my fitup, I get that practice

[tech69]

here's a pic of what I'm doing. It lines up pretty decent. When I got a tig I just swapped my old argon mix tank for a straight argon tank and so I'm running these mig tacks with a straight argon gas, which isn't ideal, but for now it will do til I get another tank for my mig.Not getting any penetration with this straight argon with mig but I also don't want to grind it off the back, it's just for holding it still. Up top is where I tig welded and I can't wait to grind it down to see what I get but I can also see where John is coming from. Other than having an inconsistent look due to not having my timing down to dip the rod while pushing it I'm guessing it leaves its mark on the back side, which may become an issue when I grind it down back there. We'll see but for now I'll take the advice and run some more beads. Just eager to jump on this tank I guess.

P1180073.jpg

[Marty Comstock]

Originally Posted by tech69

We'll see but for now I'll take the advice and run some more beads. Just eager to jump on this tank I guess.

And that there is the rub, you have projects to do, and we are all telling you to stop and run practice beads accomplishing nothing.

Try to balance out practice vs accomplishing a certain amount on your projects, that way you can steadily move forward. Also, date and keep your practice pieces, throw them under a bench. When you have enough scrap to buy a 12 pack, reflect on your past history of practice, and see how far you have come. You will enjoy that drink.

From here the fit looks good. Try not to add filler unless you HAVE to. You will save a ton of time grinding. Do not concern yourself with a row of dimes look, that is unnecessary for your tank, unless you want to leave the bead showing. Even then, I do not like that look, it creates a number of edges for things to crack.

Marty

[weldtoride]

Originally Posted by Mike Motage

I am still occasionaly having difficulty with what looks like air pockets in my weld puddles and end up as a void solidified. i have sharpened my tungsten correctly and sanded the materials being welded. I can tell before I start adding filler as I can hear a faint crackle sound. Any ideas? .....

A couple years ago, right after I acquired my sandblaster, I had similar problems, if I took a piece directly from the blast cabinet and welded on it. After I started blowing out all the dust from the pores, or wiping it down with acetone, it went away.

Even if you aren't sanding in a blast cabinet, try an acetone rag wipe-down and see what comes off your fresh sanded metal. Depending on your abrasive, that really fine dust may contain metal oxides, a major puddle contaminant.

[Mike Motage]

Thanks Weld, I'll use acetone to see if that helps. I sand with a 60grit 2" disc, but never wiped with acetone. My friend also told me that if, I dip the tungsten it might help to grind the tip down some and then resharpen. I've made a pact with myself to cleanup the tungsten regularly, even if I haven't dipped. Past couple of days have been some of my nicest welds in quite some time.