Newbie now with TIG.

[Richard.]

I will keep practising, need to work out a way to get comfortable first.

Well if it's that bad why don't you make your next project a perfect pedal for you.
You got all the guts and wiring so it's just a case of transferring it into a shell more suited for your seating position. My old Rehm pedal was the best I've used by a mile. The angle, the design, the smoothness etc and the foot part was a nice piece of folded Alu chequer plate.

 

[Brad93]

I will keep practising, need to work out a way to get comfortable first.

That comes with time and muscle memory.
An hour a day is better than 5 hours getting frustrated.

 

[Member 66061]

Yes max to the dial setting. At first i tried to have a higher max setting (than with the switch) then drop down but its awkward as my bench is so high my foot is not comfortable on the pedal.

Do you mean youre sitting on a tall stool? I dont know what else you could mean, because you could just stand. You could just put something under the pedal to lift it up.

 

[dazza]

Well if it's that bad why don't you make your next project a perfect pedal for you.
You got all the guts and wiring so it's just a case of transferring it into a shell more suited for your seating position. My old Rehm pedal was the best I've used by a mile. The angle, the design, the smoothness etc and the foot part was a nice piece of folded Alu chequer plate.

The pedal seems good just need to raise it a little. Plus don't have the metal work skills to make a new one.

That comes with time and muscle memory.
An hour a day is better than 5 hours getting frustrated.

Yep i need more seat time but also would like to stick some bits together.

Do you mean youre sitting on a tall stool? I dont know what else you could mean, because you could just stand. You could just put something under the pedal to lift it up.

Yes i have a high stool, I prefer to sit rather than stand. Will look at a way to raise the pedal.

The new torch is 8m long could i cut it down?

 

[Richard.]

Will look at a way to raise the pedal.

Hardly a difficult task D. Sit it on something.

Well yes it's possible to shorten the torch.
Water in and gas are easy.
Water out with power is a tad more difficult. You need to be able to rejoin your power cable to the fitting without effecting the water through hole and get the pipe back over it sealed water tight. Personally I wouldn't bother
Just rap up the excess. It's always nice to have extra

 

[dazza]

After failing with the thin stainless tank i needed to weld something . I'm going to make a rest for grinding lathe tools.

A bit of 4mm bar and 1mm tube.

75 amps to tack up then 65 amps.

On the first one i burnt through at the ends, On the second i backed off the pedal and laid some wire there.

As usual any pointers are appreciated.

The first try below.

 

[Brad93]

That looks like just a control thing mate. To be honest I use a pedal for everything, but it takes time to develop that skill, I would take another variable out of the equation and use a torch switch if possible.

For that weld right there, you want to hold a nice tight arc with a sharp tungsten, torch about 50-60 degrees in the vertical plane aiming more for the thicker piece of bar than the tube, get a puddle on the bar first and wash it over onto the tube, watch right in the corner check you are penetrating/pushing the molten pool right in there.
Then get moving, adding filler as the pool demands. 4mm to 1mm you want a 3mm odd fillet in there, no need to go overkill.

Amps wise I'm not sure, maybe 65 amps On a switch. It's not a large part, I'd tack it up a bit hotter like 80amps, get couple of tacks on each side, get some heat into it, drop the amperage then weld it without letting it cool too much after the tack. For the other side the part will then be hot so you'd need to drop the amperage another 5 amps or so.

 

[DAPPH]

Thanks for that theory lesson Brad ...as the post also applies to me & my DC tig efforts

 

[dazza]

That looks like just a control thing mate. To be honest I use a pedal for everything, but it takes time to develop that skill, I would take another variable out of the equation and use a torch switch if possible.

For that weld right there, you want to hold a nice tight arc with a sharp tungsten, torch about 50-60 degrees in the vertical plane aiming more for the thicker piece of bar than the tube, get a puddle on the bar first and wash it over onto the tube, watch right in the corner check you are penetrating/pushing the molten pool right in there.
Then get moving, adding filler as the pool demands. 4mm to 1mm you want a 3mm odd fillet in there, no need to go overkill.

Amps wise I'm not sure, maybe 65 amps On a switch. It's not a large part, I'd tack it up a bit hotter like 80amps, get couple of tacks on each side, get some heat into it, drop the amperage then weld it without letting it cool too much after the tack. For the other side the part will then be hot so you'd need to drop the amperage another 5 amps or so.

Thanks brad i still need to move the switch from my old torch but i also need more practice with the pedal. I need to clamp it to the bench next time as i kept knocking it.

 

[DAPPH]

Dazza,
Once I get the call that the plug & socket for the switch have arrived .........
As my bench legs are 2 x 2 2 box I'm thinking of attaching one of the big welding jig magnets to the die cast case of the pedal so I can use my knee to operate the switch rather than have a large knee bashing clamp to contend with as well.
Could you work with that idea ?

 

[Richard.]

Thanks brad i still need to move the switch from my old torch but i also need more practice with the pedal. I need to clamp it to the bench next time as i kept knocking it.

Keep your pedal for aluminium Daz. On DC (this is purely my opinion mind) but I think a pedal brings nothing to the table.
I never need to vary my current on steel and stainless apart from when I'm sloping down and in this case I set a slope down. When working away from the bench unless your pretty skilled with other various parts of your body a pedal can be hard work so it's best not to make a habit of relying solely on your pedal. Even for Alu you should know or learn how to keep control over your pool with fixed current. I love my foot pedal and I wouldn't be without one but more often than not I'm using a clip on switch and the real trick is become flexible to produce fine work with both.

 

[dazza]

Keep your pedal for aluminium Daz. On DC (this is purely my opinion mind) but I think a pedal brings nothing to the table.
I never need to vary my current on steel and stainless apart from when I'm sloping down and in this case I set a slope down. When working away from the bench unless your pretty skilled with other various parts of your body a pedal can be hard work so it's best not to make a habit of relying solely on your pedal. Even for Alu you should know or learn how to keep control over your pool with fixed current. I love my foot pedal and I wouldn't be without one but more often than not I'm using a clip on switch and the real trick is become flexible to produce fine work with both.

I have been meaning to move the switch also need to extend it so need to a look at what wire i have laying about.

I had an awful session this evening not even going to bother with pics . Learnt a few things though... up the gas when you stick your stick out, its weird because i've never had problems with shielding and stick out until today. even when you up your gas you may loose shielding when you get to the edge of your workpiece.

 

[Richard.]

I have been meaning to move the switch also need to extend it so need to a look at what wire i have laying about.

I had an awful session this evening not even going to bother with pics . Learnt a few things though... up the gas when you stick your stick out, its weird because i've never had problems with shielding and stick out until today. even when you up your gas you may loose shielding when you get to the edge of your workpiece.

Are you using a gas lens.
Collet bodies are fine for your run of the mill 3-5mm tungsten stick out but they don't work when you have to start bringing that tungsten out. Even changing flow rates with a collet body won't help much.
With a gas lens you still need to change your flow rate if you start increasing the distance cup to job. This is only logical.

 

[dazza]

Are you using a gas lens.
Collet bodies are fine for your run of the mill 3-5mm tungsten stick out but they don't work when you have to start bringing that tungsten out. Even changing flow rates with a collet body won't help much.
With a gas lens you still need to change your flow rate if you start increasing the distance cup to job. This is only logical.

No gas lens. I dropped the LPM today as i was not going to have much stick out. Added a little stick out (not as much as other days and lost the shielding) So turned up the gas flow.

Its hard to get into it, constantly changing from one material/thickness to another.

 

[dazza]

 

[Richard.]

Ok. I'm failing to see why you needed to increase your stick out much.
A fillet joint like you show below even with a slight tungsten increase for getting in the corner shouldn't need much gas adjustments at all because of the enclosed nature of the joint.
I'd look at other things like contamination. Let's be honest you haven't done a sterling job of cleaning it.
I don't think the welding looks that bad all things considered.

 

[dazza]

Ok. I'm failing to see why you needed to increase your stick out much.
A fillet joint like you show below even with a slight tungsten increase for getting in the corner shouldn't need much gas adjustments at all because of the enclosed nature of the joint.
I'd look at other things like contamination. Let's be honest you haven't done a sterling job of cleaning it.
I don't think the welding looks that bad all things considered.

Not massive stick out just a bot more than usual to get down into the corner where the two bars meet the tube. I welded the tube the other day and i was happy with it. The massive blobs in the corners are where i tried to fill holes i made in the tube.

I know things could be a bit cleaner . I'm going to use this piece anyway and may redo it another day.

 

[dazza]

Maybe it was the 120amps/1.6mm tungsten/and a bit more stick out that caused the problem? as the gas was a 7lpm.

 

[Richard.]

1.6 tungsten should be quite happy at that current. I change up a bit lower usually but the electrode can cope with that no probs. 7lpm again through a gas lens is plenty but not too much so I don't forsee a problem there either. Arc length perhaps??

 

[dazza]

1.6 tungsten should be quite happy at that current. I change up a bit lower usually but the electrode can cope with that no probs. 7lpm again through a gas lens is plenty but not too much so I don't forsee a problem there either. Arc length perhaps??

Maybe.. will have another go tomorrow. Trying to get the cooler finished/sort some room for the lathe and make a stand to help grind the lathe tools. Having a bench grinder will be handy but i'm thinking i could do with two. For cleaning small bits like above would you use a bench grinder? If so what disc?