Online tutorial or other help?

[I6turbo]

Guys,

I've done a good bit of AC arc welding and gas welding, but just recently bought a TIG setup and don't know how to do it. Is there a good source of instruction somewhere that you could direct me to? Some sort of "how-to manual" that would tell me exactly what to watch for and what I'm trying to accomplish?

For example, a friend who learned welding in a technical school once loaned me his welding text book and after reading that I quickly became a pretty decent stick welder -- just knowing what the objective is helps a lot.

Thanks in advance for any direction you might provide.

Steve

[Bob]

tutorial

I bought a copy of Finch's "Welders Handbook" and found it helpful in getting started with MIG. I does also have a chapter devoted to TIG, and lots of good info on welding in general.
List $18, I think Amazon is lower and might even have a used one.
My library had exactly one book on welding, that was also useful for getting started.
Once you basically get started, the of course, practice, practice, practice.

Bob

Later addition
For many years I did only oxy-ace, where visibility of the weld puddle is really great. A problem I had with trying to learn MIG was lifting and tilting the torch to try and see the puddle better. That lets the shield gas get loose when you go to far. Suspect the same might happen with trying to learn TIG after stick and gas welding. At this point, some of my best beads have been just get the distance right, pull the trigger and move along without really watching the puddle much. Probably need a better welding "table" set up to get past this point.

[I6turbo]

Bob,
LOL I ended up buying that very book yesterday afternoon from Amazon, then saw your post this morning. Glad to hear that it's pretty decent -- I thought it looked like a good choice among the ones on Amazon.

I'm thinking that TIG will require watching the puddle carefully since you have to manually feed the filler, but the dilemma you describe sounds like it could be an issue... maybe regulating the gas flow will address it.... Do you know what sort of helment (lens) is needed for TIG? Same as for stick welding? I used my brother's auto-darkening helment a while back and I'm not sure I can stand my el-cheapo fixed lens now.

My brother in law is a professional welder (worked as a boilermaker for several years on TVA nuclear plants and was certified in about 8 welds). He gave me the TIG kit but unfortunately lives about 10 hours away so I can't get him over to the house to give me some lessons. Guess I'll just have to figure it out and practice until I get good enough to start my project (building a 3.5" O.D. stainless exhaust for a turbo car).

Steve

[Bob]

helmet

I got the Harbor Freight ("Western Safety") auto dark helmet on ebay for a bit less than the store price. It is continuously adjustable from shades 9-12. I think TIG is a bit brighter maybe 10-11 shade?

If you buy the helmet in a store try this. Look thru the lense and trip the auto dark with an incandecent (ordinary) light bulb while looking at a bright sun-lit scene. On mine the dark is not especially even across the lense. Took a while for me to figure this out while having trouble seeing the work. For now I weld with bright sun on the work but understand a halogen light can also be used. Halogen is reported not to trip the auto dark as much as incandecent.

Bob

[I6turbo]

Thanks for the help!

[Al T.]

In my search for a Auto Dark Helmet I learned that some manufacturers state, good for mig and arc but not tig. They mentioned tig gives off less light as the reason. The tig helmets are also more expensive. I went with the cheaper one due too Arc and Mig are my only chooses right now.

Has anyone else read this about Tig?

[Bob]

mo help

My (Western Saftey) helmet manual list shade 9 for TIG under 20 amps up to shade 14 for 300-550 amps.

I don't think you mentioned the welder brand but there is a link to Hobart Owners manuals on top of this page. Lincoln also has a pretty extensive web site. Others probably do to, but I have not visited yet.

Bob

[Al T.]

Bob, your correct. The lower amperage, lower light doesn't activate the cheaper helmets like mine. I bought it for $77 from Tools Plus. It doesn't have the sensitive dual photo cells needed for Tig.

I knew someday I'd get an Econo-Tig and the Tig helmets at that time would also be lower in price for the name brand types. I am not as rich and famous as my hobbies need me to be. So for now, I just enjoy what I have.

[brianw]

Re: helmet

Originally posted by Bob
On mine the dark is not especially even across the lense. Took a while for me to figure this out while having trouble seeing the work.

Bob

One common question about auto darkening lenses is this inconsistency, the best way to explain that I have heard is to think of an auto lens as a set of window blinds, when the lens is in it's light stage it is similar to the blinds being open, when the lens is in it's dark state it is like the blinds being closed. But with a pair of blinds as you move from being perpendicular the amount of light that you see coming through changes, same with the lens as you look out the side of the lens you are no longer looking perpendicular to the lens. With most autodarkening lenses you always have full uv protection, no matter whether it is in it's light or dark state. Hope this may help some others with the same question.

[Bob]

mo helmet

I really hate to admit this, but when I first started using the helmet it still had a protective thin plastic film over the front. Pealing that off made a big difference. (There is also a thicker clear protective plate (and a spare) that cover the actual auto dark lens)