First TIG welds at college this week

[secretsmoker]

Hello there everyone, I was wondering whether anybody would mind having a quick look at some of my runs from the first week of my evening class. Not exactly the first time I have EVER picked up a TIG torch but it has been a year since the couple of hours I got to spend doing it at the end of last years MIG course. I am doing C&G 1 TIG this time round.
Very early stages still and I have been dipping accidentally quite a lot but have been strict with myself to try and stop as soon as I hear it before the arc goes all floppy like. Also trying to get as close as I can, lifting slightly when I dab the rod then back down but it'll be a while before I get consistent. SO MUCH FUN THOUGH! I am literally beaming on the inside today.

Main issues I have so far are lack of useful feedback from tutors (they are busy setting up the beginners and letting me just crack on which is nice) and figuring out how to hold myself throughout the run tin order to minimise jerking when I have to shuffle my wrists! Getting a feel for actually feeding the rod is still a bit of a mystery but I have seen a few techniques demonstrated, I just need to build up muscle memory. Whilst doing MIG I got into the habit of grasping my wrist or forearm with my other hand for triangulation. Realised I need to stop drinking coffee before I attempt TIG...

Struggling with a crappy touchscreen so sorry if this doesn't work, will correct it in the morning if so!

Basically I need tips on what looks like vaguely good power settings as I was using a pedal and using between 60-100 amps on the thicker steel (3 or 4 mm I think, too tired to measure properly now) and around 20-4013 amps on the thinner plate which is probably 2mm I think. I was trying to modulate the heat between runs based on how hot the workpiece was.

I would love to hear any tips on posture and movement for smooth runs. I have watched basic tutorials as well as remembering the things the polish lad was teaching me last year when he got bored of doing flawless ally test pieces! I was wrapping the cord around my forearm but I just can't figure out how to be looser and more steady if that makes sense?

Hopefully the ole noggin will figure it out before next week. Tips I have already learned from folk on here have been a godsend so far. Think the tutors realised I am serious when I sharpened up my own 10 pack of tungstens when I got there today!

 

[grandads_shed]

have you searched youtube m8 ?? i use it all the time ,, its like having your own school ,, i can learn lots from there then ask questions on here to help me understand bits i dont get,,

 

[secretsmoker]

Yeah I definitely agree. I love watching the weldingtipsandtricks guy and there is some great stuff out there.

I have a tendency to try to run before I can walk. I just need to get as much seat time actually welding as I can and try to use up my own weight in argon! I realise the prep is none existent in these welds. Just focussing on scraps this week for quick and dirty fun, shall clean the workpiece next week.

 

[Buter]

Hiya

I did my TIG certification last term and also had an issue wrt jerking my torch hand as I was trying to move along the piece. I'm also an experienced welder so my instructor (who is a great guy and teacher) was spending all his time with newbies so, like you, feedback was minimal and I was left to sort it myself.

After trying loads of position changes, it dawned on me that I was putting a hell of a lot of weight on my torch hand. On the next piece I leaned back a little bit, putting more weight on my ass (you are sitting down?) and just enough weight on my hand to steady it (I like coffee too!). The torch slid right along the joint with no jerking.

I looked at the weld, shut the machines down, walked out and said "you can test that, Dave, I'm off to the pub".

The only advice I could give would be to put less weight on your torch hand, make sure you've got a smooth surface to slide your hand on (may not be practical for site work but easily done in a classroom environment) and if you do wrap the torch lead around your arm make sure it's not restricting your movement.

One day soon it will click and you'll be cranking out good joints.

Cheers

Buter

 

[secretsmoker]

The teachers on my course are also very experienced and absolutely lovely guys. One of them had to spend most of the evening trying to get the air out of the oxyacet lines and the other was sort out the numerous miggers so they had their work cut out for them!

Shifting the weight back away from my torch hand makes sense actually, I am probably leaning on it more than I thought. I have also been trying to remember to practice my feeding too, but I doubt this is actually helping that much unless I start wearing TIG gloves everywhere haha. TIG is frustrating as I know what I WANT to do, but my muscles haven't quite figured it out yet. I'm sure it will be quite a while before I am able to do a sound joint but hopefully determination will prevail!

Thanks for the tips! I can't wait to go back and do more. Made sure to sharpen all my tungstens the other night before they shut the power off, so that I can hopefully just turn up and crack on come Monday.

 

[Barking Mat]

I find having recently taken up tig, it's just so positional, and maintaining the arc position and trying to be consistent is areal challenge, the web of videos is invaluable but time Laing down bead and learning to consistently lay down consistent beads is the key I think.