Tig Help and Advice

[hunter27]

Got TIG for Christmas and when practicing with some scrap 1.5mm stainless steel I occasionally get a very bright dazzling flash from the weld pool and the arc gets a slight green colour, I guess this is caused by catching the weld pool with the tungsten ?

Practice welding at 40A in the center if the plate I end up with the weld bead mainly underneath the plate so I guess I am going too slow or using too much power. At 25A the bead is mainly all on the top I assume that I need to aim for a bit of both.

I read somewhere that TIG can be used for brazing ? I tried with SIF flux and without it but the results were very poor.
Thanks
Pete

 

[Paul.]

A touchdown will normally extinguishes the arc, sometimes it will stick, and you may hear a tick or click, the flash that you describe sounds more like the headshield is cutting out because of the lowish amps you are running at, its a common problem with DC tig, a rough starting point to set the amps is 30 amps per millimetre thickness for steel, a little less for stainless so your 40 amps is about right, pictures of what you are achieving will help.

 

[GrahamGKD]

I read somewhere that TIG can be used for brazing ? I tried with SIF flux and without it but the results were very poor.
Thanks
Pete

Hi Pete,
You can't use normal brazing rods with flux - you need special rods (e.g. SIFBronze No. 8) which are used without flux. I have done quite a bit of brazing with my TIG with good results.

I don't think Weldequip lists the rods on his page but I got mine from him (brace yourself though, they are expensive).

Edit - This is the latest type of TIG brazing rod I bought (but not as thick as the ones in the link!!) - I'm sure I got them from Weldequip.

 

[hunter27]

Thanks for the pointers

Paul may-be it is the mask It is pretty new but this has happened a few times now, the ark hasn't stopped but the flash has been very bright. I will post a sample of my efforts next time I have a go. I dumped the scrap pieces I was using in the bin

Graham the brazing went all white and smokey like as though the steel was galvanized (it wasn't) but at around £48 a KG + postage for the special rods in your link I will stick to gas for brazing

Pete

 

[GrahamGKD]

Thanks for the pointers

Paul may-be it is the mask It is pretty new but this has happened a few times now, the ark hasn't stopped but the flash has been very bright. I will post a sample of my efforts next time I have a go. I dumped the scrap pieces I was using in the bin

Graham the brazing went all white and smokey like as though the steel was galvanized (it wasn't) but at around £48 a KG + postage for the special rods in your link I will stick to gas for brazing

Pete

I'm not sure about this but I think Weldequip will maybe split a pack of rods if you just want to give it a try without spending too much.

 

[Shox Dr]

I've posted a few results of using SIf No8 in the TIG section. It's doesn't wet out the same as using Gas, as you don't have the whole joint glowing.

I've cut open a few test pieces and there has been capillary action but not much. There is another rod from SIF but I forget it's name

 

[GrahamGKD]

There is another rod from SIF but I forget it's name

SIFSILCOPPER NO 968 perhaps?

 

[hunter27]

Quote= sounds more like the headshield is cutting out because of the lowish amps you are running at, its a common problem with DC tig,
Paul. =Quote

Thanks for that Paul you were spot on about the mask, since I have altered the sensitivity settings it has been alright. The flash was happening so fast I never thought about the mask switching on and off.

Pete