Tig third hand

[bhardy501]

If you are blowing holes in the joint try moving your arc down onto the main peice and let it gently wash up onto the peice you are trying to tack on. Dont concentrate the heat directly into the joint. The edge peice will heat up and blow through more quickly than the lower peice of your T joint.

---------- Post added at 07:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:36 PM ----------

Do you not have a foot control with your machine? That is a must with welding aluminum. You have to constantly ajust your heat especially when you are getting near the end of a plate joint. It wil get way to hot real quick.

[jonesg]

I noticed that same tendency when using the mig on T joint steel conduit tube, I've been trying to stay away from the cut fishmouth'd end but it looks like it will take filler....and then its gone.
The tube was from a broken flagpole, its very thin guage, I'd say 1/32.
It was anodized or powdercoated, I grind it off but it acts kinda strange.

My pedal was DOA , I was told to send it back, in the meantime I'm using pulse and that helps but after a couple of inches the puddle spreads out too far, its prolly heat buildup as you say. Too bad I can't moderate it.
I'm using a 1/16th filler rod, do you think a bigger filler rod will help to moderate the heat?

In the meantime I got the stick out and tried that, its like using a mop compared to the artist brush of a tig torch.

---------- Post added at 03:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:30 PM ----------

right now its pretty cold in my shop and it takes a day to heat up i got some thin wall tubing to play with from the junk yard so i have been taking and then welding beads they look ok to me no dime style weld yet but the penetration is good for 110

Are you notching the tube for a fishmouth joint or just layin beads on it?
I can lay flat beads alright...
Dealing with the fishmouth joint is somethin else.
I wonder if my problem is the light guage tube I have.

If I build anything for my boat its going to be a lot heavier guage.
Maybe it'll be easier, fish DO fly.!

[Allegro40]

I noticed that same tendency when using the mig on T joint steel conduit tube, I've been trying to stay away from the cut fishmouth'd end but it looks like it will take filler....and then its gone.
The tube was from a broken flagpole, its very thin guage, I'd say 1/32.
It was anodized or powdercoated, I grind it off but it acts kinda strange.

My pedal was DOA , I was told to send it back, in the meantime I'm using pulse and that helps but after a couple of inches the puddle spreads out too far, its prolly heat buildup as you say. Too bad I can't moderate it.
I'm using a 1/16th filler rod, do you think a bigger filler rod will help to moderate the heat?

In the meantime I got the stick out and tried that, its like using a mop compared to the artist brush of a tig torch.

---------- Post added at 03:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:30 PM ----------




Are you notching the tube for a fishmouth joint or just layin beads on it?
I can lay flat beads alright...
Dealing with the fishmouth joint is somethin else.
I wonder if my problem is the light guage tube I have.

If I build anything for my boat its going to be a lot heavier guage.
Maybe it'll be easier, fish DO fly.!

I have been using notched tubing, I first clean the tubing for proper contact (cleaned of all impurities, oil,scale,paint,etc) then I cope the fish mouth area by grinding the sharp edge from the notcher. checking for a good tight fit before I tack I have 3 tacks 1/3rd distance from the other . I am also using a 1/16 tungsten with 3/32 filler rod. Good posibility is the galvanizing in not all removed. I get my tubing from the city scrap pile and is on much thinner gauge but i figure if i can get to the point of NOT blowing a hole through it I can move to the thicker, kinda ass backwards thinking but then thats me, I have a pulse feature as well and I have never had a pedal.

[jonesg]

I have been using notched tubing, I first clean the tubing for proper contact (cleaned of all impurities, oil,scale,paint,etc) then I cope the fish mouth area by grinding the sharp edge from the notcher. checking for a good tight fit before I tack I have 3 tacks 1/3rd distance from the other . I am also using a 1/16 tungsten with 3/32 filler rod. Good posibility is the galvanizing in not all removed. I get my tubing from the city scrap pile and is on much thinner gauge but i figure if i can get to the point of NOT blowing a hole through it I can move to the thicker, kinda ass backwards thinking but then thats me, I have a pulse feature as well and I have never had a pedal.

If its galvi elec conduit I don't know that it ever welds good, seems full of impurity, its full of spatter on a mig with or without gas, haven't tried with tig yet, I need to get some steel filler rods.

[tomsign]

jonesg, I take it you are useing a momentary switch, thats fine just control the puddle buy distence, you can not always use the pedal any how, closer you are the hotter the puddle, would recommend Gas Lens with a little more gas flow, also set up
your slop up and slop down control when using momentary Switch

[Icutone2]

Is that unit welded to an old table saw?
Lee

[ISKI]

Art, that's great, now I know what to use my old table saw for

[Allegro40]

If you are blowing holes in the joint try moving your arc down onto the main peice and let it gently wash up onto the peice you are trying to tack on. Dont concentrate the heat directly into the joint. The edge peice will heat up and blow through more quickly than the lower peice of your T joint.

---------- Post added at 07:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:36 PM ----------

Do you not have a foot control with your machine? That is a must with welding aluminum. You have to constantly ajust your heat especially when you are getting near the end of a plate joint. It wil get way to hot real quick.

No no foot control but the more instructional videos I watch the more it looks like i should have stepped up to a bigger rig.That tip you gave me i tried with some stainless i was welding but I had no filler rod so i flange welded, second try looks awesometwothumbsup

[SICFabrications]

in the post saying that you really need a controller for aluminum is right..... aluminum is funny and the only guage you have that you have enough or too much heat is the width of the puddle... it doesnt change colors like steel does.... you can autogeneously weld aluminum, but if it is 6xxx series, it WILL crack from heat stress.

if this is steel, i have seen a friend weld a bead on the top edge of .040 SS without filler. practice makes perfect!

as far as tacking with the tig..... in a cold shop..... try using a torch to pre heat the metal... just a thought...

i have welded numerous aluminum handrails without clamps, pre heating and using a tig to tack.... if you have a foot control, but cant have a foot on the pedal, set the controller under an elbow, or even between your knees.... again, this takes alot of practice

---------- Post added at 07:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:48 PM ----------

oh yeah..... steel conduit tubing is the absolute trashiest crap metal you could ever wanna try to weld.... not including the fact that is is coated with zinc, which when welded or heated to its vaporizing temp, releases a deadly poisonous gas....

some might say that it hasnt hurt anything so far, but i know peeps that have died from zinc poisoning... it only takes that 1 time and poof, yer dead... simple fact