Excissive GAS usage?

[lummocks]

Would you say this is an excessive amount of gas to use? It's set to about 8lpm and checked with a flow meter on the end of the torch. Excuse my shoddy welding I'm practising/learning I just ran a few beads so I can show the gas usage

I then made a start on my welding trolley project:

After that small amount of welding this was the pressure:

 

[Stereophoney]

i'm not sure but i know little pulses of the trigger use more gas

 

[Wozzaaah]

Tig does get through a lot of gas in comparison to mig. You have the fact that time per given length of weld is much longer and also the post flow.
How big is that cylinder? Looks quite small.

 

[lummocks]

I've been MIG welding for about 5 years and I can't believe the amount of Argon I'm getting through with the TIG welder

If this is the case I may have to give it up as a hobby as I've already spent £200 on gas since Christmas and that's just practising!

 

[lummocks]

It's an X size bottle from BOC and two similar size bottles from South West Gas Supplies.

 

[Wozzaaah]

A 30cm weld done with a mig would maybe take around 40 seconds or so, tig would probably take about 3 times as long, maybe more as you're learning. Taking into consideration that you're not using the same flow rate as you would with a mig I'll bet you're still using about twice the amount of gas and an X size cylinder is pretty small.
Try reducing the flow rate a touch more and see if the welds still look ok, every little helps!

 

[spaffmonkey]

I've been MIG welding for about 5 years and I can't believe the amount of Argon I'm getting through with the TIG welder

If this is the case I may have to give it up as a hobby as I've already spent £200 on gas since Christmas and that's just practising!

Just a idea.
If your using that much gas go back to boc and upsize the bottle you have as its only about £10 or so more for a size Y which is twice the amount and another £10 or so on top for a W Which is 4 times the amount.

 

[lummocks]

Thanks guys, your right Woz sometimes thinking back to basics is what I need to do more of, of course the welding takes a lot longer good point!

The BOC bottle has been given to me by a friend so I will re start my BOC contract when that is spent and get a Y or larger sized cylinder and use the contract free bottle for my MIG if they will swap it over for an argo/co2 mix. Thanks spaff

 

[hotrodder]

As said travel speed and post flow (especially with lots of stop/starts) make a big difference, especially while learning. You'll get away with lowering the gas flow a little, i typically run 5 - 7 l/min for most things

 

[derekm]

I've been MIG welding for about 5 years and I can't believe the amount of Argon I'm getting through with the TIG welder

If this is the case I may have to give it up as a hobby as I've already spent £200 on gas since Christmas and that's just practising!

Same experience Here -TIG is not a cheap hobby. Started on size Y (16 hours per tank) now on Size W, but as you get better you will use less.

However, get a proper flow meter not just a "gauge" . you need one with the glass tube and the metal slug in it. Cost about a tenner. Then check for leaks. Your pressure gauge should hold its pressure after you turn the bottle off for several hours.

Then as advised above try reducing the flow. With small electrodes and ceramics on mild steel it wont need very much at all.

 

[lummocks]

Thanks Derek I've got a flow meter like the one you describe, and also one to check on the end of the torch. I've definitely noticed I can get away with using a lot less gas on steel though what effect it's having on the un-visible part of the weld I don't know.

16 hrs for a Y sized tank? I wish! I'll keep practising all your advice does make perfect sense.