Comments on: Sub Welding Method

By: Smashley

Smashley — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:23:32 +0000

There is a big difference between MIG and TIG welding, in both the process, and the skill level required of the weldor. They really are two different processes altogether, and the MIG is the much easier of the two.

There is much to read on the web, including some great information at the Miller and Lincoln websites. They can give you a pretty great overview of TIG welding. But, as with many skills, it takes hands-on practice as well as study, to be successful.

If your fiance has ever welded with a gas torch, he might already have the skills he needs. Unlike a MIG welder, a TIG does not feed an electrified filler wire for you. You are in control of a separate heat source (the torch) that you must manipulate in order to melt the base metal together, while adding the filler by hand to the molten puddle you're creating. It's the same way a gas torch works, just with electricity, rather than gas, as the heat source.

The tricky part comes in learning how hot to make the puddle, how much heat to apply (with a foot or hand controller), and how to coordinate the filler at the same time. Quite often, TIG welding involves metals like aluminum or stainless, which have their own quirks that need to be considered. It's by no means impossible to learn all of this…and it can be a very valuable skill to have, often paying higher than MIG welding jobs.

If your fiance shows this prospective employer that he is a professional who takes pride in his work, has studied the subject, and is willing to learn, he may get his foot in the door and start down a new path on his welding career. I wish him the best. Study all you can, and if you know a buddy who is good with the Oxy-Acetylene torch, go visit him right away for some practice!

Best of Luck!

By: hotrod1345

hotrod1345 — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:02:48 +0000

ok thanks. I have a REALLY tight budget so i would rather use cheap wire..but i still want the weld to look and perform decent. Im gonna lift my lawnmower about 4 inches so i need it strong and i want it to look as good as possible so i was just asking. Thanks a lot!

By: butterfly

butterfly — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:54:45 +0000

glad you asked, Mig welding is really a simple task if you can already stick weld. what you see is what you get with a mig. follow the following process and you'll do great.
if right handed hold the handle slightly to the left just enough to see the wire sticking out of the nozzle, weld to the left in an overlapping circular pattern usually between 1/4 and 7/16 wide the lens should be sufficient if for arc welding. a quick practice on scrap metal should ease your concerns quickly. you will see the deposited weld in the lens and no chipping needed

By: freddytk421

freddytk421 — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:00:52 +0000

I used it to make a “suit of Armor” like dude that was made of tacked pieces of paper thin tin like steel and it worked if I hit it real fast. I mainly use it for 16gua-3/16ths/ Sure I’ll make another video with it turned up. I’ll go do that right now as a matter of fact.

By: Linchpin

Linchpin — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:00:07 +0000

If the nozzle is arcing it means the insulator between the nozzle and gas diffuser is probably shot. You will have to either replace the insulator or make sure you don't touch the work piece.
Arcing outside the weld zone is not good, can lead to inbrittlement and cracking.
Oh, and good job on buying a miller…i hate it when people buy crap gear and expect miracles(or ask me to perform them with their junk welder)

By: hotrod1345

hotrod1345 — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:37:09 +0000

Do you recommend a certain brand of flux wire? And is it hard to make the welds look decent?

By: hate work

hate work — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:00:20 +0000

Hope you are not using pure argon (just a wast of money for pure). You should be using a 75/25 mix of argon/co2. The shielding gas shields the molten metal from the atmosphere, more so oxygen and nitrogen to prevent porosity, and reduce the chance of cracks. To rent a tank you should call a local welding supply for the prices as the price varies quit a bit by location. I am in Ohio so a price I would give you would not be true for your location.
Here is a good site to look at, http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/index.html
http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/Mig-welding-tips.html

(32 years welding)

By: Tushar

Tushar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:06:23 +0000

Consistency, quality, and operating cost. Remember, you don't need highly trained welders, just machine operators to run them.

By: Fernando

Fernando — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:07:59 +0000

First off, are you a good welder? If you have limited experience, you will not get good weld penetration with a MiG welder. Also if you use one of the cheap welders that you can buy at Lowe's or auto parts stores, they don't produce enough power to get a deep penetrating weld.
MIG means machine inert gas. Those cheap welders are called MiG but are just wire feed welders and not MiG. You must use gas to get a good weld. A cheap gas to use if you are a good welder is carbon dioxide. The weld is good only if you are very experienced. Next you can use 75/25 gas mix which is 75 % argon and 25 % carbon dioxide. Doesn't take as much skill and produces a reasonable weld. For a top job, use 100% argon. It costs a little more but does so much more.
If you buy a MiG, get a good one in the $2000 dollar range, such as a commercial Lincoln, Miller or Hobart. Go to welding school at your local Vo-tech and practice, practice, practice. Once you learn, you can weld car doors, bodies, exhaust, frame or anything else you so desire. As a good MiG welder, you can get a top paying job and be set for life. I prefer a auto darkening helmet when I weld. It makes learning so much easier.

By: steveo928

steveo928 — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 03:46:42 +0000

thanks

you’ve got some pretty good videos and now I’m thinking about buying that little arc welder…. How thin of metal can it do and can you make a video trying the welder at all amp.