TIG Info

[HasBean]

Anyone know of any good websites or books on TIG? I've got a couple of books but they don't have the info I'm after like 'what equipment do I need, what are the different shrouds for, what size tungstens are for what' etc etc.
Being now the proud owner of a MMA inverter my thoughts are turning to scratch start. In the past I have had a go at gas welding on steel up to 1/4" so I thought I'd have a go at TIG.
Any info gratefully received.
Paul

 

[irondarren]

What MMA unit do you have? was it the ifl one? you should be able to do scratch start TIG from it

 

[HasBean]

Yes it's the IFL 180

 

[Drains]

http://www.millerwelds.com/education/calculators/tig_amperage_calculator.php
http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/
http://www.millerwelds.com/education/bookspamphlets.html
http://www.millerwelds.com/education/TIGhandbook/

You won't do better than that lot. Download the tig handbook, read well. The calculator (top link) is a bit high on the amps, unless you're a pro, and fast.

Best advice I can give you for scratch start (and you can do it on ANY inverter, whether it has a Tig switch or no), is make up a wee holder to take a nice big carbon motor brush - like you'd get in a 9" angle grinder, or bigger if you can find. Start your arc on that - you won't lose the tungsten tip.

And the other thing - advice I was given for scratch, stroke the tungsten on the work like you're stroking a cat.

Equipment - a valved tig torch c/w adaptor so you can plug into the inverter and take the gas line up to the bottle. Regulator etc. Pea type flowmeter.

Start with a 1.6 tungsten (packet of 10 is best). Ceriated (grey tip) are good for dc and ac, and not radioactive, like thoriated (red tip).
Sharpen to a point 3 times longer than the dia of the tungsten.
Sharpen axially, not radially.
Use ceramics and gas flow as the calculator suggests. Keep workpiece clean.
If, sorry, when you contaminate the tungsten, snap off the end and regrind.
Grind up both ends of the tungsten, grind a load of tungstens. Saves stopping and starting.
Use a dedicated grinding wheel so you don't contaminate. (I use the angle grinder with a fine fibre disc)
And don't forget to turn the gas on, and don't forget your post flow (a second /10 amps)
And practice, practice, practice!

Any more anyone?

 

[HasBean]

Thanks mate, plenty bedtime reading there!

 

[dutchman]

Good instructions on the Miller site.
I also found this site very good
http://www.minitruckinweb.com/tech/chassis/0605mt_tig_welding_tips/index.html