Tig newb-different gas or not?

[RefinishingJon]

On my snap-on ya212a industrial welder I was told, by my snap on dealer, that with my welder being a DCen I do not have to switch gas unless I plan on tig welding aluminum(I don't plan on that anytime soon). I just want to start getting my feet wet on tig welding steel. Any and all input is welcome!

 

[Appyasme1]

Speak to Richard.He is the guru on TIG

 

[Shox Dr]

You can only use pure Argon, or Helium or a mix of the two.

So that means no Carbon dioxide, or anything else for that matter

 

[Richard.]

Active gases and Tig don't work.
As shox said above they oxidise the tungsten and destroy it.
Pure argon is the common one to go for.
Helium mix is lovely and the way to go for thicker materials as it produces a hotter arc giving you more heat for your current level but it's pricey.
If your snap on man told you you can use a mag gas for dc Tig then he needs to stop selling welders and concentrate more on overpriced spanners.

 

[RefinishingJon]

Thank you! That's what I was thinking after reading everything I could find!

 

[Brad93]

There is an active gas for TIG in the states Richard, I will find out the composition. It is used for welding thick aluminium tanks, that must be to ridiculous tolerance, so they actually circulate water on the inside of the tank whilst welding sucking the heat out of the piece and stop distortion. This obviously making it incredibly difficult to get a weld flowing.

Sorry to go off topic OP.

 

[Brad93]

It is a helium and argon mix with 2% oxygen and and 3% hydrogen according to the guy who uses it. Chemically, hydrogen across the arc, reduces oxides and makes the arc hotter like helium and the addition of Oxygen improves wetting of the parent metal.

 

[Richard.]

It is a helium and argon mix with 2% oxygen and and 3% hydrogen according to the guy who uses it. Chemically, hydrogen across the arc, reduces oxides and makes the arc hotter like helium and the addition of Oxygen improves wetting of the parent metal.

I stand corrected buddy. I do actually remember back purge telling me about an O2 doped gas used for Tig so yes there are exceptions to it. Mag gases though Id say certainly not.

 

[Brad93]

Like i say its application is so niche I wouldnt have ever known about it if i didnt follow this guy in the states on instagram. Wouldnt want to know the cost haha

 

[pedrobedro]

From my experience using argoshield (ar/co2) on steel with tig:

It kind of works a bit, but...

It sounds horrible and the resultant welds aren't great.

I had this discussion once on another forum with someone who said he was tig welding using co2. If the gas is not inert it's not tig, tungsten inert gas. It's in the name.

 

[Richard.]

co2 is nearly inert...

What I did was more tag tbf.

You can still call what you were doing GTAW in fairness mate.

No mention of inert in that one