Read that Helium could be used as a tig Gas

[indyblade]

I read somewhere that helium could be used as a gas for Tig welding is it true or not.
Also does weldequip have a website could do with a eurotorch on my Clarke mig, and by what i've read he seems to be the main man for quality and price
Tony

 

[Hitch]

Probably best to send him a PM via the forum...

As for the helium, You could do.... but id expect pure argon to be cheaper than pure helium. For the average person, i doubt the advantages out weight the extra cost...

 

[snowcat]

helium/argon mixes normaly used for heavy sheilding on alluminum, as said for DIY use argon's normaly the cheeper option..

 

[shenion]

Helium was the original TIG gas (where "Heli" comes from in Heliarc or Heliwelder). It is like welding with CO2, it does not produce a real stable arc but the weld pool is real fluid.

Argon is best as it produces the most stable arc and highest arc currents. The problem is it cools the weld pool on MIG welds tend to be a bit tall and TIG welds are wider than deep.

TIG/MIG went to Ar/He mix as it has the best results. Ar/He could be the ideal mix for TIG and MIG as it is totally inert. Here, one of the companies Airgas swallowed up only made Ar/He mixes for TIG/MIG. They had no Ar/O2/CO2 mix. Mixes with CO2 and O2 react with the metal and can effect the properties. The issue is helium is expensive to produce, so Ar/He mixes have been pushed aside in favor of cheaper mixes.

Ar/He is still used when doing heavier welds on Aluminum using either TIG or MIG.

 

[Puddles]

I got to play with some 100% helium awhile back. If I remember correctly I could cut my amps just about in half. Very small window to get the arc started though! At the time my cost were .26-cents per cubic foot for helium, as compared to .21-cents per cubic foot of 100% argon.