Noods
Member
- Messages
- 979
- Location
- Ipswich
As a recipient of more ecouragement and help than most of late, I thought it only just to write to anyone out there who currently is or perhaps have been struggling to get to grips with learning tig welding.. Up until a few months ago I just could not produce a consistent decent weld at all really.. After so much advice and encouragement I eventually went and met a fabulous welder who spent a few hours just sitting out my failings and also in finding ways for me to adapt in a way for it to work for me.. I have a couple of health issues one of which is I'm close to being blind in one eye..
So I've an led cycle lamp attached to the top of my welders helmet to help me..
A few months ago all my ceramics were burnt and I had holes to patch up all the time plus I was using enormous amounts of argon..
Now I'm regularly running beads like this open root on mild steel..
I've still an enormous amount to learn but now I've some foundation to work upwards from.. So my advice is.. Don't be frightened to ask, even if it makes you feel foolish .. 99% of those on this forum have one objective, to help others.. It means so much to them to see you improve, they don't get paid for it, they just get enormous satisfaction from helping others interested in their craft..
A couple of big tips to offer if my own...
1/ with poor eyesight I've always struggled to follow the line, always running off..
I've since made a huge discovery for me.. I used to have as much light thrown at the subject as possible, not now.. I've found that by getting everything set up first and ready to go and then switching off all the lights and even putting a blind up on the window, it's made a huge difference .. I just have my cycle light on now and I can see 100 times better..
2/ I've also found that but getting the stick out correct I can now run my ceramic ( most of the time ) along the workpiece, eg sliding it along which gives me a consistent tight arc..
3/ with the gas gauze lens too it's helped tremendously, saving a lot of gas and giving me so much better gas coverage and therefore better beads..
Last piece of advice is... Don't give up.. Giving up is just way to easy and there's absolutely no need too.. I was very close, very very close.. You need to be brave and ask for help, like most things in life taking that step is huge, but once done, your on your way..
It's, really nice for me to now be able to feel that I can give a little back to the place that's helped me in more ways than just welding.. I know how lonely it can feel when your struggling.. So don't..
Trust me, and believe me, it's worth the effort, and before long like me you will be enjoying Tigging..
X NØõDs..
So I've an led cycle lamp attached to the top of my welders helmet to help me..
A few months ago all my ceramics were burnt and I had holes to patch up all the time plus I was using enormous amounts of argon..
Now I'm regularly running beads like this open root on mild steel..
I've still an enormous amount to learn but now I've some foundation to work upwards from.. So my advice is.. Don't be frightened to ask, even if it makes you feel foolish .. 99% of those on this forum have one objective, to help others.. It means so much to them to see you improve, they don't get paid for it, they just get enormous satisfaction from helping others interested in their craft..
A couple of big tips to offer if my own...
1/ with poor eyesight I've always struggled to follow the line, always running off..
I've since made a huge discovery for me.. I used to have as much light thrown at the subject as possible, not now.. I've found that by getting everything set up first and ready to go and then switching off all the lights and even putting a blind up on the window, it's made a huge difference .. I just have my cycle light on now and I can see 100 times better..
2/ I've also found that but getting the stick out correct I can now run my ceramic ( most of the time ) along the workpiece, eg sliding it along which gives me a consistent tight arc..
3/ with the gas gauze lens too it's helped tremendously, saving a lot of gas and giving me so much better gas coverage and therefore better beads..
Last piece of advice is... Don't give up.. Giving up is just way to easy and there's absolutely no need too.. I was very close, very very close.. You need to be brave and ask for help, like most things in life taking that step is huge, but once done, your on your way..
It's, really nice for me to now be able to feel that I can give a little back to the place that's helped me in more ways than just welding.. I know how lonely it can feel when your struggling.. So don't..
Trust me, and believe me, it's worth the effort, and before long like me you will be enjoying Tigging..
X NØõDs..