Shocking TIG

[Sparkey]

Hello peeps, i made my first steps in TIG welding at work (very difficult for a mig monkey like myself but more about that later ) and i have an annoying problem... every once and awhile when i'm welding those parts on the jig i get electric shocks...How on earth does that happen?? What do i do wrong? I'll get back here tomorrow with more details about the kit etc..... (ffs i'm getting old i can't remember the brand name of it!!! And i used it today!!! )
Hugs,
Sparks

 

[eSCHEn]

Whilst you're running the bead or just at the start of the arc?

 

[Sparkey]

Whilst you're running the bead or just at the start of the arc?

Hmmm....i think mostly at the start.....quite unpleasant...why?

 

[eSCHEn]

That's when the high frequency (HF) part of the weld cycle jumps the gap from the tungsten to the metal. If your return isn't great and your gloves are worn very thin or are damp then it can give you a little tickle for love.

Edit: another one is if your rod touches the return whilst live or starting.

 

[Sparkey]

Tickle eh...doesn't feel like it! What do you mean by return?

 

[BrokenBiker]

That's when the high frequency (HF) part of the weld cycle jumps the gap from the tungsten to the metal. If your return isn't great and your gloves are worn very thin or are damp then it can give you a little tickle for love.

Edit: another one is if your rod touches the return whilst live or starting.

i was going to suggest the rod touching but you got there first...when i was learning i never used to wear a glove on my rod hand until i got a few buzz's fro it touching...

 

[BrokenBiker]

Tickle eh...doesn't feel like it! What do you mean by return?

earth clamp is technically called a return lead as it doesnt go to earth

 

[eSCHEn]

Return - what you MIG monkeys would call the "earth" :P

 

[Sparkey]

Could it be that i touch the return with my foot or something (i'm sat down while i'm welding)?

 

[BrokenBiker]

Could it be that i touch the return with my foot or something (i'm sat down while i'm welding)?

do you not wear shoes when welding?

its more likely to be the HF giving you a buzz. just for fun try starting the arc with your spare hand away from the table

 

[Richard.]

It's simple really with tig you manually feed a filler rod into a pool. If you or your arm etc create the easiest or shortest path to join the circuit you'll get a bat off it.
Damp bench or poor/indirect earthing will do it as will driving the filler into the tungsten.
Sparky it's a lovely welding process you'll get the hang of it quickly I'm sure. Sort that return out.

 

[Sparkey]

It's simple really with tig you manually feed a filler rod into a pool. If you or your arm etc create the easiest or shortest path to join the circuit you'll get a bat off it.
Damp bench or poor/indirect earthing will do it as will driving the filler into the tungsten.
Sparky it's a lovely welding process you'll get the hang of it quickly I'm sure. Sort that return out.

Thanks for all the replies lads i sure hope i'll get the hang of it soon i really like the process but for now it"s a pain to learn...the parts i'm welding are like cigarette paper....before you know it you've made a big hole... it's the inside tubes of a manifold and it's a flat joint with no overlap at all...driving me nuts

 

[norlander]

I've found two fun things to do when TIG welding.

1 is not having the job "earthed" -ie forgetting to fix the return- the HF lightnin bolt can jump on to the filler rod and light your arm up

2. I once stubbed the filler into the tungsten when leaning lift TIG -wire went white hot and burned into my glove.

Always make sure your return/ground/earth as u like to call it is clean n sound, and always wear gloves.I use copper bits to make sure I get good contacts.
Learning on thin stuff will increase the challenge, I'd have a play on summat thicker if you can.

 

[Kent]

Some are more sensitive to electricity than others. Wet gloves certainly make things worse - even damp from the air
Other than that see above reasons

If they Aint small your hyper sensitive or you could have an issue. I have only ever had one good belt of a welder of any kind and it was faulty

 

[norlander]

Sparks- I just posted some vids that might be of use to you for thin stuff, french are usually too tight to buy pedals and you have to struggle on with a 26 switched chipping hammer sized torch which I find won't slope down fast enough, and "nods' when you press the trigger and you touch down. C'est m**de.
Posted under Thin Stuff.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

I'd agree with the others, most likely to be the HF giving you a little tap, although it could be a bad earth. I once spent an unpleasant afternoon tacking a large piece of alu cladding that required me to be sat on it while welding, every now and again it would decide to return through my backside..........

 

[norlander]

it would decide to return through my backside...

that would make a change for me-folks are always pointing out I'm retorting out through my backside

 

[Rrunnach]

Sparkly, lass. Probably because you are a good conductor

 

[Sparkey]

Sparks- I just posted some vids that might be of use to you for thin stuff, french are usually too tight to buy pedals and you have to struggle on with a 26 switched chipping hammer sized torch which I find won't slope down fast enough, and "nods' when you press the trigger and you touch down. C'est m**de.
Posted under Thin Stuff.

Nooo i have a pedal!! Really!!! that was difficult too....doing 3 things at a time when welding the kit is a Fronius btw, transtig 1600. I'll have a look at your vids ta

 

[Richard.]

Fronius

Well you should of left that bit out.
Top notch kit so you can't blame the welder lol.