English
TIG welding is somewhat similar to MIG welding. There are differences,
however. TIG welding can weld a larger variety of metals and is great
for creating art. It also allows you to weld steel, stainless steel,
Chromalloy, aluminum, nickel alloys, magnesium, copper, brass, bronze,
and even gold. It is great for home, building things, repair, or even
automotive welding.
TIG welding creates a high quality clean weld, which makes it ideal for
when appearance counts. You do not need to concern yourself with sparks
or splatter because you only use the necessary amount of filler metal
needed in the welding puddle. Because you do not need flux due to the
Argon gas used, (most common gas used with TIG welders) there is no slag
to block your view of your weld puddle. Another benefit of TIG welding
is you do not need to change gas source for different jobs. Argon gas
can weld any metal at any thickness with TIG welding.
As long as the metal you are welding is free of any oil, grease,
paint, zinc or lead, TIG welding does not create any harmful fumes or
smoke, however for a good weld the metals do need to be clean prior to
welding. Like MIG welding, with TIG welding you can also weld in any
position, and safer in the majority of situations than with MIG welding.
However, proper safety gear as suggested by the manufacture should
still be worn. With any welding, there are always risks of injury.
Some common problems that TIG welders come across are generally fairly
simple to correct. If you are burning through tungsten too quickly, it
could be due to inadequate gas flow, you are operating on electrode
positive rather than negative, using the wrong size tungsten for task,
or you are using gas containing Oxygen or CO2 instead of Argon gas to
name just a few. If your gas flow is incorrect, check your hose, gas
valve, and torch to make sure they are not restricted or kinked, and
check the tank to make sure you are not out or close to out of gas. For
most operations of TIG welding your gas flow should be set at 15 to 20
cfh. The general size tungsten used for general-purpose welds is 3/32"
at 220 amps maximum.
Tungsten comes in 5 commonly used grades that are color coded. The Pure
Grade is color coded green and provides a good arc stability for arc
welding and is the least expensive. The Ceriated is color coded orange
and also has a easy arc starting, good arc stability, and longevity.
Thoriated is color coded red and has a higher current capacity than the
Ceriated and has a high resistance to weld pool contamination, however
it is more difficult to maintain balled end on AC. Lanthanated is color
coded gold and is similar to Thoriated. Zirconiated is color coded brown
and is probably the most preferred over all of them. It is excellent
for AC welding. The higher quality tungsten will always give you the
best results. You may pay a little more, but your work will definitely
show it.
