Ali or steel first?

[RWD3M]

Hi guys,

I recently got a really nice TIG welder (R Tech 161), primarily (in my mind) for welding aluminium. However, the tutorial here is aimed at steel.

Is there a sort of protocol that suggests learning to TIG weld steel before aluminium?

I'm a dab hand with a MIG and learned to weld 50 odd years ago using O/A.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[Tangledfeet]

Yup, I'd go for steel first just to get back into the swing of things, if you cut your teeth using OA you you'll be golden. Although I don't have an AC/DC TIG machine (just DC) nowadays, I did find aluminium more challenging...

 

[BrokenBiker]

Steel first...you haven't got to worry about the complications of the weld running away on you so much...you can pretty much plant the pedal if your amps are right and the weld will stay the same width.

Ally will need pretty constant alterations to either travel speed or foot pedal to maintain a consistent weld width

Or thats my experience so far anyway.

When I started 8 months ago I found ally to be a struggle, but after welding steel on and off for a while now I tried some beads on ally yesterday and it was a lot more consistent from the practice I have had on steel

 

[carbon]

First look at the guide in this section Aluminium Tig Guide

I’ve had two tig welders in the last 20 years and neither of them have been used to weld steel, I’ve only ever welded aluminium with them.

 

[tom2207]

the tip to work distance is the first thing to get your head round after coming from gas welding ,,, basically a tungstens width off the work is the starting point , get plenty of tungstens and grind them all at once and of course ,,, ABC [ always be comfortable] and make sure you can actually see , if you need reading glasses to read you will need them to tig weld too.

 

[RWD3M]

First look at the guide in this section Aluminium Tig Guide

I’ve had two tig welders in the last 20 years and neither of them have been used to weld steel, I’ve only ever welded aluminium with them.

Hi @carbon

I had seen that thread, pretty good too. But thanks for the reminder.

the tip to work distance is the first thing to get your head round after coming from gas welding ,,, basically a tungstens width off the work is the starting point , get plenty of tungstens and grind them all at once and of course ,,, ABC [ always be comfortable] and make sure you can actually see , if you need reading glasses to read you will need them to tig weld too.

I do and I will!

Yup, I'd go for steel first just to get back into the swing of things, if you cut your teeth using OA you you'll be golden. Although I don't have an AC/DC TIG machine (just DC) nowadays, I did find aluminium more challenging...

Steel first...you haven't got to worry about the complications of the weld running away on you so much...you can pretty much plant the pedal if your amps are right and the weld will stay the same width.

Ally will need pretty constant alterations to either travel speed or foot pedal to maintain a consistent weld width

Or thats my experience so far anyway.

When I started 8 months ago I found ally to be a struggle, but after welding steel on and off for a while now I tried some beads on ally yesterday and it was a lot more consistent from the practice I have had on steel

Then steel it is.

I could say watch this space but....

 

[BrokenBiker]

Hi @carbon

I had seen that thread, pretty good too. But thanks for the reminder.


I do and I will!




Then steel it is.

I could say watch this space but....

I would say post pics of your progress...but i don't think we do that here anymore

 

[RWD3M]

I would say post pics of your progress...but i don't think we do that here anymore

No promises!

 

[pedrobedro]

if you cut your teeth using OA you you'll be golden.

I started Oxy acetylene welding over 50 years ago and found no similarities with tig apart from dipping the rod in the weld pool. Touching down with the tungsten is a lot more problem than catching the metal with the torch and you can remove the rod from the flame and don't need to keep it constantly shielded. I find OA welding is therapeutic, tig isn't.

 

[Memmeddu]

Yup, I'd go for steel first just to get back into the swing of things, if you cut your teeth using OA you you'll be golden. Although I don't have an AC/DC TIG machine (just DC) nowadays, I did find aluminium more challenging...

Quite the opposite for me.
I can weld aluminum practically in every position really easy.
I struggle a lot with stainless.
I keep dipping the tungsten into the puddle or dab the filler on the rod.
And stainless needs to be extremely clean while aluminum you might even not clean it at all

 

[roblane65]

If you've got the equipment have a go , just remember the variables are vast with ali so get your basic settings don't mess on with them and get some torch time . the only way to learn is to try it .

 

[indykid]

If you dip the tungsten on steel, you can either grind the tip or realistically just carry on. If you do the same with aluminium, you'll end up with crap right back up to the collet so you'll race through tungstens.

Get comfortable with the torch manipulation on steel and then try aluminium would be my recommendation. It would be very easy to get disillusioned if you started with trying to weld aluminium.

Regardless of material, get comfortable feeding rod ASAP. It will give you so much more bandwidth to focus on the other aspects if you're not always burning your fingers.