eSCHEn
Bit Wrangler
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- Thread starter K18 NOB
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K18 NOB
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How long have you been at it?
I spend an un-healthy amount of time in front of YouTube watching so many different videos which helped me a lot.
I do plan to get myself coded later in the year so for now its all about getting plenty of torch time in.
K18 NOB
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Oh really? I was actually worried it wasn't back far enough! I must admit it does feel as though I'm holding it a little cock wristed so perhaps straightening it up a little would cure that so ill give it a go. Seen videos with people holding it bolt upright and still producing some excellent welds.
Pleased to hear your comment reference the filler rod! Yesterday I couldn't feed it at all. It's still a little shaky at the moment but I guess that's something which will improve with practice?
mikejack
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couple of months on and off ! but old, bad eyesight and knackered hands don't help !
K18 NOB
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First time I picked up a mig welder I hadn't taken the protective film of my mask....couldn't see a thing
One thing I did find that helped me was a slightly thinner pair of gloves...although my hands aren't knackered I really struggled to tig with bulky gloves.....perhaps that's something which might change in time
mikejack
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yeh need to get myself some better gloves and changing the protective screen on my shield helped a bit ! i need to learn to set up better too , so i can rest these old hands and stop the shaking!First time I picked up a mig welder I hadn't taken the protective film of my mask....couldn't see a thing
One thing I did find that helped me was a slightly thinner pair of gloves...although my hands aren't knackered I really struggled to tig with bulky gloves.....perhaps that's something which might change in time
Richard.
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Yes the first thing I noticed was the angle of your torch is too far inclinded you should be only a matter of 10-15 degrees off vertical and that's only so that you can see what your doing and room to add fill. The more vertical you can get it the better.
I'm impressed with your control of finger feeding it looked smoother than mine and I do it all the time. I was also suprised at how slow you were travelling. That vid was 2 minutes long, Id of done the full plate length in that time. Get that current up and get travelling. Alu Tig is or should be quite a quick process .
K18 NOB
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One of the things which suck with me from my quick intro to tig was that if you're not comfortable you've pretty much lost the battle already. It didn't help that the guy who showed me the ropes is about 3ft tall and has the smallest welding bench I've ever seen....I was hunched right over on it.
K18 NOB
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I did try getting quicker, oddly enough it actually neatened up the bead....considering how rushed and panicky I felt trying to remember everything and be quick.
I'll make speed my main focus on my next session, not to be the bad workman blaming tools or anything I do think my new welding bench will help a lot there as I don't really feel that confident being cramped up on the bodge bench I'm using at the moment
Richard.
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Agreed. Comfort makes like much easier. Not always easy to get comfortable though but while your job is on the bench its nice to be comfortable.
Brad93
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It will all come with time until you dont even think about it, you just read the puddle and dip away, your hand builds the muscle memory, and you will, as time progresses recognise how much wire the pool needs, how fast you should be moving and how much pedal it needs. You can't buy seat time, nor can you learn the practical side of tig welding, the trial and error by reading books or watching videos. Before you know it you'll be standing tigging up ali tube one foot on the pedal, with one hand unsupported laying nice beads 
K18 NOB
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So today was very much a mixed day for me. Tried speeding myself up a little which kinda worked but i was back to struggling to feed filler rod again. If im honest i think im trying to use too much at a time which is causing the puddle to cool....my reaction is to then crank up the amps and its a never ending cycle. @HughF has agreed to come over thursday night and cast an eye over me so hopefully he will hit me with a big stick and tell me where im going wrong with that
the but joint attached is a good example of it.I had a bash at an outside corner joint. Used a big section of angle iron to clamp the workpiece in place. Tacks were a little dodgy and probably not enough of them so the 2 pieces did bow and pull away in the middle but i managed to get something running. Welds 1 and 2 were done normally, weld 3 i tried dragging? the filler (im sure there is a name for this) but hopefully you get what i mean. I wouldn't say it went badly.....it worked but just doesn't look too pretty. After that i turned the piece over and did the inner side although it seems i didn't photograph that.
Couple of points ive noticed is that my arc length discipline is still poor, Also i only had around 1mm of stick out on the tungsten, i extended this to 2mm and it doesn't really appear to have changed the quality of the welds but its certainly easier to get an arc going and the arc looks a lot more stable than before. But again, ill pick Hughs brain when he is here.
Richard.
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All will make so much more sense with Hugh watching over your shoulder. You've done bloody well with what you've achieved on your own and now it's time for a little one to one. It was my suggestion to speed up which might of been one step too far. I'm a fast welder but have learnt that from a fair few years in a production background where speed is time is money. I have my current levels at the top end and match my travel and filling speed to suit it while keeping control. You might not be ready for in which slow down again and regain the quality.
K18 NOB
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Cheers,
Im really looking forward to it as I know how easy it can be to pick up bad habits with any skill so I'm sure I probably have a few already.
I would also like a much lighter/smaller torch, I have a WP26 "superflex" which I now know means "doesn't flex at all whee you want it to
I'd like something more of a fine precision torch which is easy to manipulate as I find this one very cumbersome and awkward to get on with.....It's hard enough being left handed without other difficulties
Im really looking forward to it as I know how easy it can be to pick up bad habits with any skill so I'm sure I probably have a few already.
I would also like a much lighter/smaller torch, I have a WP26 "superflex" which I now know means "doesn't flex at all whee you want it to
I'd like something more of a fine precision torch which is easy to manipulate as I find this one very cumbersome and awkward to get on with.....It's hard enough being left handed without other difficulties
