Introduction & New Welder

[Jimmy-P88]

Hey Everyone,

I've been looking round the forum for about a year now, watching all the tutorials and projects etc.
I've had a little hobby Mig welder for a few years, and manage to stick metal together crudely but never really got on with setting it up and achieving nice results, just something that doesn't agree with me!

I have recently bought myself a Tig Inverter, nothing fancy like the majority on here, but reasonable for my budget I thought. An SIP weldmate P178, bought it direct from Sip, less than £300 in a sale, came with Tig and Arc set up. I did have to get Argon gas, regulator, flow meter and hoses along with better welding mask too so came up to about £500 all in.

When I was at college about 8 years ago I did a small amount of Tig welding and found it so much nicer than gas or Mig, plus all the tutorials gave me a decent idea of what I was trying to achieve.

So here's a few of my first welds... see what you guys think and how I can move forward.

Jimmy

 

[justmental]

 

[chriso]

I bought the same machine for work, added gas lenses and a flexi neck for the torch.
We use it for brazing mostly with phosphor bronze filler - most of our work is on thin material and the welds very small - ideal machine for that.
I also stick weld with it where I can't prep the material properly.

I see you have cratering - not my words....

"I do just as the others have said, stop forward movement, backup about 1/8th inch, pause a couple of seconds, then break the arc. This should help in filling the crater the arc force is making."
__________________

 

[RonMig]

welcome!
I'm not a tig-er but these look pretty darn good to me; I'd be Happy!.
I'd say, crack on and go for a build...

 

[Jimmy-P88]

Thanks for the replies guys, I know forum regulars must get so bored of the waves and waves of 'newbie' threads.

I see what you mean about the cratering, I know what you mean about moving back a little bit and then stopping the weld, I should get into the habit of that even when just practicing.

I appreciate all the positive comments I'm really critical of my own work, one of many downfalls ! I hope to have a few test pieces welded and tested for me to fit a roll cage in my track / race car..maybe even a decent set of exhaust manifolds or something.

When you say gas lens, I presume that something different to the pink ceramic cup that comes as standard? And what flexi head should I be looking for?

Once again thanks!

 

[chriso]

I get my spares from 'Welding torch parts' who are cheap and reliable - you will have a size 17 torch here is the page of spares

To fit a gas lens (makes gas flow laminar rather than turbulent) you need

Gas lens - size according to your tungsten
Gas lens nozzle (cup)
and importantly - Gas lens nozzle seal - you need this in addition to the standard nozzle seal
Might as well get a short back cap too from 'spare parts' of a medium cap from Amazon.

The flexi neck needs the rubber handle seal swapping from the standard neck plus some electrical tape.

I find the torch trigger position too far back so I fitted a replacement trigger facing forward on the flexi neck - it's held on with cable ties so it can be rotated for ease of use - got it from Amazon.

I also use a simple foot pedal from Amazon - poke the wires in the torch socket on the front - it's the east/west holes.

All of us at work are new to Tig and find the foot switch helps a lot with torch control.

 

[Jimmy-P88]

Cheers Chriso! I'll check out those tomorrow, is that foot pedal just an on/ off switch? I guess it's not a potentiometer that adjusts the amps the further you press down?

I think I'll pass on the flexi neck for now but I have thaw same issue with the switch being too far back to reach comfortably.

What is the effect of the gas lens?

Cheers!

 

[chriso]

The switch is on/off.

Youtube gas lens.

 

[Jimmy-P88]

Brilliant!! Cheers! I'll get that ordered today