Recommend me a TIG welder

[The artist formerly known as Teenage Mutant Ninja ShitCunt 4 but is really RogerCordia NO SHIT!]

ebay cheapies, beware, some are knock offs.

[Buco_73]

One other handy hint. Your welding bench should be covered with a sheet of 3-4mm aluminium, clamp your earth clamp to the edge out of the way. With aluminium you wont get contamination of the job, also less likely to arc out the job to the table.

[Dave]

ebay cheapies, beware, some are knock offs.

wtf retard.

[Billzilla]

Getting a bit of a grip on it now ....
Yesterday and most of today was pretty ugly but I've gradually sorted out where all the dials should be and can now run a bead. I've had to stop because I'm cooking my arms, it's too hot to wear long-sleeve gear.

[JESUS CHRIST]

I've had to stop because I'm cooking my arms, it's too hot to wear long-sleeve gear.

LOL - you soon find out if you have a hole in your shirt/ gap between gloves and shirt/or my favorite... welding in confines with long pants that you think will protect you. Only problem is your trousers have slipped up above your sock line due to you being crouched = new definition for 'the ring of fire' around your ankles

Look forward to pics of perfect welds.

[Billzilla]

Look forward to pics of perfect welds.

Me too!
Got about 20mm of weld I was happy with just then on two bits of alloy 90° to each other. First TAFE class tonight, I'm looking forwards to it.

[Shifty]

bill, starting to look good mate

i'm keen to open up my ebay tig, it arrived the other day but as i've been moving house etc it hasn't been a priority

[Dave]

lol, you just sold me an ebay tig for cheap

[Ned-Racing]

Me too!
Got about 20mm of weld I was happy with just then on two bits of alloy 90° to each other. First TAFE class tonight, I'm looking forwards to it.

Where are you doing the Tafe course as I looked on line and would like to learn how to Tig Weld?

Neil

[Billzilla]

Ashmore TAFE on the Gold Coast.
I now suck slightly less at TIG'ing than I did yesterday.

[JESUS CHRIST]

Noice! How did you find the TAFE class? Good mix of theory and prac?? Do you use you own welder (saying this realising it would be a pita carrying it around)?

[Billzilla]

Noice! How did you find the TAFE class? Good mix of theory and prac?? Do you use you own welder (saying this realising it would be a pita carrying it around)?

Not too bad, though I think the teacher made a few big assumptions about the guys that had never welded before. But he got some pretty reasonable results by the end of the night.
There's ongoing theory throughout the course so we're not stuck in the classroom for one entire night.
They use their own gear and I am trying hard to use as much metal, electricity, filler road, and gas as I can to get the most value from it. Their TIG doesn't have any pedal or hand controller amperage adjustment while working so it's a little limiting but it's the technique we're chasing now anyway.

[PLAYA]

See if this makes sense, best advice I can give.

use the 2.4mm electrode to weld most stuff, use the 1.2m filler, or 2.4 for inside fillets i have found.

keep the torch and almost 90 deg to the work piece, when you lean it over u will melt the filler before it hits the puddle.

When you are welding 2 bits of ally u will see the ark will jump from one piece tot he other as u move the electrode around, when they both get hot and really melt they will fuse. The mistake i made was when i was moving forward it wasn't one puddle but 2 semi separate ones, when i added filler it would fuse. Not enough heat, put a shit load more heat in and as you move forward it will be one puddle.

[JESUS CHRIST]

The mistake i made was when i was moving forward it wasn't one puddle but 2 semi separate ones, when i added filler it would fuse. Not enough heat, put a shit load more heat in and as you move forward it will be one puddle.

What sized parent material? In my (very, very, limited experience) the thicker stuff is a bit easier to weld - albeit harder to start. Interesting your notes about electrode dia. vs filler rod dia. In particular the filler rod dia. I reckon i was trying to weld thin (1.8/2mm) with too large a filler rod. Leaving 'big blobs' each application of the filler rod. Also way too much heat was my problem (and lack of patience!!)

Bill's progress has got me re-interested in having another go in the shed.

Keep the pics coming Bill!

[JESUS CHRIST]

They use their own gear and I am trying hard to use as much metal, electricity, filler road, and gas as I can to get the most value from it.

Bring a large bag with you, that leaves heavier than it arrived....

Their TIG doesn't have any pedal or hand controller amperage adjustment while working so it's a little limiting but it's the technique we're chasing now anyway.

Actually now i think about it, thats probably the best way to learn. Barry Basic machine, needs skill rather than trick stuff? Might look up this TAFE course...