Mig to tig: how diffucult to learn to tig mild steel?

[gasket999]

Hi,

I'm just having our little mig set repaired and serviced so that I can spend 6 months or so practicing on test pieces/scrap in order to build up a good level of technique.

At that point I will be investing in a much bigger welding set - one that will be suitable for anything I can throw at it - and had planned to buy mig - probably a Clarke 160TM or similar.

My interests lie in vehicle fabrication and repair - that is, the clinical work seen on programmes such as American Hotrod and Overhaulin' and similar shows where panels are modified or built from scratch and where repair patches are carefully cut, held in place with Intergrips or similar, tacked and butt welded before being finished-up to give a near invisible joint.

It dawns on me that given the work I am interested in (and that in the future as my skills develop, I would like to be able to learn to repair more exotic metals and castings) that tig may be the way for me. I suppose an ideal would be to be proficient in mig in order to allow the fast tacking of joints during assembly but then to be able to join the seams with tig.

That being the case, if after 6 months of mig practice I was to spend my money on a tig set and keep the little mig, I would have something of an ideal set-up providing I can actually use the tig-set.

My question is, if I want to be able to do beautiful tig welds on mild steel (between 1.2 and 3mm thick), having developed a good level or skill with mig, would it take me long to learn? Is it very difficult - given that I would be learning on my own with just internet tutorials and this message board for help?

Many thanks indeed for your help.

 

[Wozzaaah]

As you'll be aware, tig and mig are completely different processes and therefore have different learning curves.
Mig is very easy to learn, once you've mastered the basics you're pretty much there but tig welding requires a lot more coordination and concentration (think rubbing your belly while patting your head ).

Tig is a lovely process to learn though, don't think I'm trying to put you off, it's just that mig welding experience won't really give you much of a start for learning tig.

 

[Shox Dr]

MIG is like pointing to your nose, with a finger.

TIG on the other hand is more akin to pointing to your nose with your finger, while standing one one leg, with both hands behind your back

 

[Engineer]

If you are seriously interested in vehicle repair, you will find a good pro quality MIG with stitch and spot timers, will get an awful lot more use than a TIG set. Used pro standard sets can often be found on Ebay for around about the price of a new Clarke 90A DIY type set.

To a large extent the various US TV programs covering custom building are not something to aspire to..............a good example of why not, is the moron who built a chopper frame out of welded together anchor chain, for "Biker Build Off" and when he was testing the bike riding while standing up on the saddle, fell off and killed himself..........won the comp posthumously...............lol

 

[FranV8]

For what it's worth, that's practically the same move that I made a few months ago.

Yes, it is different to MIG to say that there is a limited amount of transferable skills between the two, but I've managed to get into it fairly quickly.

I've done mild steel and aluminium so far, different themselves, but picking up the right tips and tricks from here, books and internet will give you a great start. Also, if you pick up good habits of preparation and fit up in your MIG practice that will transfer well to greater success in your TIG experience.

Hope that is helpful.

PS a TIG set up is a much bigger investment, probably between 2-4 times a MIG set.

 

[Engineer]

I was lucky enough to get hold of a scratch start DC TIG/MMA set for £25..................never used the TIG function, and would be interested to hear how something like this might work?

 

[Wozzaaah]

Bung a cheapo valved tig torch on it, hook up some pure argon and you're away.

 

[Engineer]

Might give it a try............its a little 160A inverter and welds very nicely in MMA mode.

 

[hotrodder]

Bearing in mind what's already been said regarding TIG- the learning curve, cost etc...

My interests lie in vehicle fabrication and repair - that is, the clinical work seen on programmes such as American Hotrod and Overhaulin' and similar shows where panels are modified or built from scratch and where repair patches are carefully cut, held in place with Intergrips or similar, tacked and butt welded before being finished-up to give a near invisible joint.

The welding stage is the easy part. Typically TV programmes skip the vast majority of the work involved cutting together clips of the guys playing to the camera and often not even bothering with the most talented/skilled as they're unwilling/unable to play a 'geezer'. If we're talking about shaping panels from sections and planishing the welds out then the metal shaping skills will take a lot longer than TIG to learn

What TIG brings to the table is a kinda half way house between MIG and oxyfuel for this sort of work i.e. MIG welds are typically too large and too hard for the weld to planished out, oxyfuel welds can be tiny and are soft and easily worked with hammers & dollies to correct distortion. TIG welds can be planished instead of ground out but there'll be less distortion to deal with than with oxy.

It dawns on me that given the work I am interested in (and that in the future as my skills develop, I would like to be able to learn to repair more exotic metals and castings) that tig may be the way for me. I suppose an ideal would be to be proficient in mig in order to allow the fast tacking of joints during assembly but then to be able to join the seams with tig.

That being the case, if after 6 months of mig practice I was to spend my money on a tig set and keep the little mig, I would have something of an ideal set-up providing I can actually use the tig-set.

Yep, especially as TIG machines come with a free stick welder built in so you'd be covered for heavier stuff. Tacking things together with MIG that are to be TIG welded is kinda backwards to me (when you own a TIG) as typically the MIG tacks will stand out like a sore thumb unless they're removed in whichcase you might have well tacked it up with the TIG...

My question is, if I want to be able to do beautiful tig welds on mild steel (between 1.2 and 3mm thick), having developed a good level or skill with mig, would it take me long to learn? Is it very difficult - given that I would be learning on my own with just internet tutorials and this message board for help?

Many thanks indeed for your help.

As said MIG skills don't really translate to TIG. Often someone used to working with MIG will have picked up work habits that make life harder as TIG is less tolerant of dirt etc. Some people pick up TIG fairly quickly others can struggle virtually for ever (the DTs, co-ordination or lack of, unwilling/able to grasp things like 'less haste, more speed' etc)

If welding speed (note, with coachwork this is different to complete job speed) isn't a big priority then supplimenting the small MIG with an AC/DC TIG may be the way forward- only one flavour of gas needed versus several for different metals with MIG and more versatile for example