Started to learn tig welding today.
03-19-2011, 08:43 PM
#41
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Thanks man
bingo...some metals can be welded "dirty" with little fuss, like mild steel. granted, you don't want grease and oil all over it when you weld, but it doesn't have to be SPOTLESS.
...BUT, a good habit to get into is to treat every joint you weld like its going on the space shuttle, no matter what the material or application is. Make the surface and up to an inch around it as close to virgin metal as possible. a good wire brush and some acetone or isopropyl alcohol go a long way, as well as clean sharp tungsten and filler rod.
try taking a brand new rod out of a box and wipe a white cloth with some acetone down the rod...there will be a nice black stripe left over on the rag. that little bit of contamination can/does make a difference in some instances. again, not so much on mild steel, but that doesn't mean it isn't a good habit to form.
bingo...some metals can be welded "dirty" with little fuss, like mild steel. granted, you don't want grease and oil all over it when you weld, but it doesn't have to be SPOTLESS.
...BUT, a good habit to get into is to treat every joint you weld like its going on the space shuttle, no matter what the material or application is. Make the surface and up to an inch around it as close to virgin metal as possible. a good wire brush and some acetone or isopropyl alcohol go a long way, as well as clean sharp tungsten and filler rod.
try taking a brand new rod out of a box and wipe a white cloth with some acetone down the rod...there will be a nice black stripe left over on the rag. that little bit of contamination can/does make a difference in some instances. again, not so much on mild steel, but that doesn't mean it isn't a good habit to form.
The other thing to stress is keeping an open mind while welding, and watching the puddle and always be paying attention to what it does. You don't just press a button and it comes out perfect, always pay attention, always learn, always get better. Even after a few years of tig and mig welding I still notice myself getting a little better, steadier, etc. Especially with upside down tig welding. I like it so much better than upside down mig, complete with the scars =)
