TIG vs MIG

[Derekmc]

Hi,
I'm an electric weld process newbie asking perhaps what's been asked before already. I've done a fair bit of research and believe I've got a handle on why I'm leaning towards TIG, but wonder if I could have some comment on my rationale.

TIG Because
1. The work I am doing will be personal project and hobby. I'm not doing this all day or for a living.

2. I understand the TIG process is clean with no splatter and limited smoke, enabling me to at least do spot welds in my basement.

3. Yes, the process is more complicated than MIG but being a moderately clever chap, this isn't beyond me and as per point 1.

4. I'll mostly be working with sheet and small parts. Occasional 5mm sheet but nothing heavier.

5. Required clothing and clobber is lighter.

The fact that the process is cleaner with ability to work on much smaller material are the main points that I believe makes TIG suited to my requirements.

Any thoughts?

Cheers,
Derek

 

[Richard.]

Good choice. Tig is a wonderful process and although difficult to start with, the results are worth the effort.
Are you looking to start at Dc only or going all out on an ACDC.

 

[cumbriasteve]

Welcome to the forum, there are some very experienced TIG members here (not me) but certainly the one above, so I am sure they will help and guide you in the right direction and even us non TIG members will be keen to see your projects.

 

[Screwdriver]

Sounds like TIG to me. It's not difficult to get decent looking results, the trick is to be able to do them consistently and correctly. Weldingtipsandtricks.com I watch religiously, after that it's practice makes perfect.

And you're right, it's a super clean process. Plus you can even TIG braze if you acquire the skilz.

I have been doing this for years. I am still crap tho.

S.

 

[Richard.]

can even TIG braze if you acquire the skilz.

Yeah that's another learning curve again. I've done it Afew times with mixed results. Sometimes it's lovely and you get your heat and filler flowing nice then other times it's a fight from start to finish.

 

[waddycall]

I sold my mig so now have only tig or stick to choose from. 9 times out of 10 I choose stick as it's less sensitive to cleanliness of material than tig e.g. if stick welding I burn right through mill scale. If I'm tig welding I spend ages with a grinder cleaning the steel up before I weld it. So although the welding process is clean the prep might not,be depending on what material you're welding (hot rolled/cold rolled/pickled and oiled etc).

 

[Derekmc]

Wow, quick feedback! Thanks very much.

I'll lurk a while I expect. I've mainly silver brazed with propane up till now, the project that's driving the need for a new process is here,

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=ud234dd68-15ef-4a7b-b20d-88a838240576

Will I go AC-DC? Spose it would be nice to do alu repairs. We'll see how far my budget stretches. I note that many machines also do stick which would be handy for heavier jobs if they come along (never done this either).

Thanks again everyone.

 

[Kent]

There is clear ground between all processes

Welding in a basement? Better have some real good ventilation and any hot work is a fire risk. Not trying to put you off but consequences can be severe and a disclosure to your insurer should be made, otherwise they call it non- disclosure!

 

[Derekmc]

Thx and yes, that had occurred to me. Hence the initial idea of spot welding and something I'd assess is a good idea at all once I get underway.

 

[Chris Stevens]

Wow, quick feedback! Thanks very much.

I'll lurk a while I expect. I've mainly silver brazed with propane up till now, the project that's driving the need for a new process is here,

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=ud234dd68-15ef-4a7b-b20d-88a838240576

Will I go AC-DC? Spose it would be nice to do alu repairs. We'll see how far my budget stretches. I note that many machines also do stick which would be handy for heavier jobs if they come along (never done this either).

Thanks again everyone.

You should look very carefully at what you want to do with a TIG welder, as this will directly affect what sort of budget you are going to need. AC/DC is probably the best option as this will mean you can do pretty much anything, but DC is far cheaper and will be fine if you are wanting to do ferrous materials and TIG brazing.

Earlier this year I bought a used ESAB Caddy AC/DC 220A inverter for £1200, complete with torch and foot-pedal. Welds very nicely, small, compact and light. Sold now as came across Hitachi GP2 for £100, which is the best machine I have ever used, and welds nicer than modern inverter machines. Chinese machines easily and cheaply available and fine for occasional non commercial users.

TIG brazing is a very useful process and can be carried out with a cheap DC set, and will allow you to work with all ferrous materials, and usefully carry out pretty effective repairs on cast iron. AC tig can be carried out without a foot-pedal but far easier with one, so thats something you need to include in budget if going AC/DC.

 

[Screwdriver]

Wow, quick feedback! Thanks very much.

I'll lurk a while I expect. I've mainly silver brazed with propane up till now, the project that's driving the need for a new process is here,

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=ud234dd68-15ef-4a7b-b20d-88a838240576

Will I go AC-DC? Spose it would be nice to do alu repairs. We'll see how far my budget stretches. I note that many machines also do stick which would be handy for heavier jobs if they come along (never done this either).

Thanks again everyone.

As a die hard Sketchup fan myself, I can see the amount of effort you've put into that. Really nice work.

The first thing you will find when you unbox your new welder is just how easy it is to lay a nice looking bead. You'll wonder what all the fuss is about, TIG is easy right?

The very next thing you discover when you enter the real world of fabrication is just how bloody difficult it is to run a vertical uphill fillet weld on your precious project in a confined space you struggle to get the torch into. Then you'll try your first pipe weld...

But all is not lost, you really just need to practice. That practice has to include all the complex types of joints and you will discover you need to practice a lot more on the tricky stuff. After only a few years of occasional hobby work, I still have to do a few practice runs before I can get anywhere near 50/50. So if for example I have to weld a thick aluminium pipe to a thin sheet, I'll probably still mess it up half the time. That might just be a horrible messy blob somewhere at the start or end so ideally you try and dial it out before you start blowing holes in your coffee pot!

Anyhow, enough waffle. The best advice I can give you as a distinctly average hobby welder myself is; get a really good grinder

S.

 

[Richard.]

The first thing you will find when you unbox your new welder is just how easy it is to lay a nice looking bead. You'll wonder what all the fuss is about, TIG is easy right

I never found that bit easy at all. I struggled for a while just to get things looking good laid on a plate.
Going round a pipe or intricate fillets etc are all difficult until the day it clicks.
It took me longer than most to pick up the basics I would say a good few years back now. But through a good bit of full time 50 hours a week Tig fabricating I can do it with either hand and finger feed with either hand too.
Ive welded with mirrors and inside box section where ive had to grind a chunk off the ceramic cup to get the torch inside.
The biggest hurdle for me was the basics when I started out 17 years ago. It took longer to master a good consistent bead than any other new tricks along the way.
Some people can just pick up a torch and weld. Makes me sick lol.

 

[Kent]

Richard. Did you still do oxy fuel at college when you went? Just asking because when I first used tig most of the very basic parts of the two hands and feeding filler were already in place
Not saying the rest was easy though and I am still just good enough to get buy
Tig wasn't widely used when I started and it was all so basic scratch in the main

 

[Richard.]

I have done a fair bit of gas welding and I did do some at college but I'm quite a bit younger than yourself and most of what I was doing was tig and mma. I did codings for one of my jobs in mma. I'm a far better tig welder than I am with gas and mma but I have done it yes (good while ago mind).

 

[Kent]

Just wondering. Your making me sound old with your " quite a bit younger"

 

[WorkshopChris]

I think gas welding gives a very good grounding to learning the welding process. You get to see the puddle forming and material changing colour as well as controlling distortion. If you start with mig its to easy to just pull the trigger and follow a line without seeing the weld pool forming and watching whats going on right in the heart of the weld.

 

[Richard.]

I left school at 16 and have been welding from the day I left (did a few bits before then) but I've been Involved in welding 17 years on from then.
That's how old I am.
Your not old mate you've just had a few more years on the planet than I have.

 

[Derekmc]

So much useful feedback. Thanks very much everyone, looks like a great forum!

Cheers,
Derek

 

[Kent]

I hope the useful info don't include me being old

 

[Richard.]

I hope the useful info don't include me being old

Ha ha...I didn't mean it like that.