TIG welders

[STM77]

I'm looking into getting a tig welder. Anyone on here got any advice in regards to good/bad products and/ or suppliers. I wouldn't mind having the option of welding aluminium also so I am aware that I'd need a ac/dc(no, not the band:)) model. I can weld, although never done tig welding. Hints? Directions? Tutorials? Riddicule?:DI am open to any ideas or suggestions

[Pommy Chopper]

Everyone's a welder!!
Go and get some lessons in TIG before you waste your money on a set.
You'll prob need a 15amp set to be able to get up to 200amp of weld current to be able to weld anything significant.
Avoid all the shit on ebay, good when it works but when it dies which it will no-one will fix it for ya cos they can't get the parts.

TIG is much harder than MIG, but once it's sorted it's fackin great.
You'll prob need to do a bit of research into Ali and what wire is compatible with what material.

Cheers

[BANDITROD]

its kinda simular to oxy welding mate except instead of flame you have an arc the bigest thing about tig welding is preperation if you prep it right it will be easy to weld ....also mate an ac/dc tig is the best way to go i fucked up when i brought mine and i cant weld alloy

[Issues]

also some ally filler cannot be anodised, it turns black.

Ally is best pre-heated depending on thickness, eaiest way is with oxy-acet kit.

To pre-heat only light the acet, wav the carbon flame over the weld area so it goes black then turn the oxy on fot neutral flame and gentally warm til carbon burns off.

There are different tungstens to use also for ally and stainless.

[Deano]

be prepared to spend $1600 and upwards for a acdc tig. for that you will get a 160amp without pulse and no foot controller.

from there add a foot controller $250 and up.
1.6 alloy filler wire $60 per pack
2.4 filler wire $60 per pack
1.6 stainless wire $160 per 5kg pack
1.6 carbon steel filler wire $80 per pack
gas bottle rental. $11.00 per month $110 to fill it each time.
1.6 and 2.4mm seriated tungstens $4 each
if you do a bit of stainless then some gas lenses will give you a lot better finish. then you will need the larger dia cups to suit the lenses.

also if you don't have a bench grinder then you will need to get one. also an auto change welding helmet is a must.

and after that alot of practice to get the good finish on alloy.

[slip]

What advice would you blokes give to someone who wants to learn how to weld?

Tafe course, or some other option?

[Deano]

i did a tafe corse and it was shit.

i already new a bit about tig welding so i could have skipped a bit of the beginner stuff and the theory. all i wanted to do was practice welding.

also the welders that they had at tafe were old and couldnt weld alloy so wasn't that useful really. i ended up gettting a career ally welder come around to my place and show and explain how to set up the welder and give me a couple of pointers. i would reccomend that before doing a tafe corse especially if the machines are not ally compatiable inverter tigs.

[Azrael]

quote:Originally posted by slip

What advice would you blokes give to someone who wants to learn how to weld?

Tafe course, or some other option?


Fuck Tafe, go hang around someone who knows how to weld a bit of everything, ask em to teach u. Buy a cheap stick/tig welder and have a go at bench welding an work ur way up from there. You can buy high frequency caddy welders for $1100 (ESETI) or CIG does a cheaper HF kit for $800 which is a fucking bargain welder for stick an tig..

[Tony OW31]

As people have already said, stay away from the cheap chinese crap.
If you have 3 phase available some of the old lincoln square wave sets can be had at bargain prices, they are big and heavy, but weld nicely and will go non stop all day.
If you don't have access to 3 phase, you will be able to get an inverter set up to 200 amps, but it may struggle on heavy section aluminium.
If you plan on doing a lot of aluminium you will need a water cooler and water cooled torch to go with it.
A foot control is a must, as is an automatic mask with adjustable shade and sensitivity. Again stay away from the cheap ones that are available from supercheap, tradetools etc, they don't do low amperages well, and are inconsistant.
Stay with any named brand, such as kempii esseti, cig etc and you should be ok.

[gibbo]

http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/5495687797364.JPG

Transtig ac dc 180 amp 3phase
Keeping an eye on this, any good do you think? Will be welding steel, aluminium and stainless.

[Pommy Chopper]

quote:Originally posted by gibbo

http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/5495687797364.JPG

Transtig ac dc 180 amp 3phase
Keeping an eye on this, any good do you think? Will be welding steel, aluminium and stainless.

Not with you behind the fuckin' torch it won't!!
It'll be makin a mess, ruining tungstens and of course the mighty "TOUCHDOWN"!!!!:D

[Deano]

yes you should stay away from the chinese machines within reason. the problem is the kemppi machine is 5700 and the foot controller to go with it is 900 so you would want to do alot of alloy to justify that.

everyone has to start somwhere and as you say the smaller machines may struggle with thick alloy but really how many times are you going to weld 10mm thick ally. and if so chances are you shouldn't be welding it any way as it will most likely be in a structual application and a ticketed welder should be doing the job, i say a machine that will weld up to 5mm would do 95% of all hobby jobs and you can keep the other 4k that you didn't spend to build a bike.

the inverter machines are so muck nicer to weld ally with than the older gear that for me it is a no contest. embrace technology

gibbo. will probably be great in dc but until you have a go on ally with it you will never no. best to ring a cig agent and have a talk to them about what they are like.

[ozzy1100]

i just had 2 buy a new inverter for work(my miller gold star had a mishap)
i so wanted 2 buy a pulse ac machine and the china ones could be had for a round 1600 and up
as i only use mine at work for tig s/s pipe work and brackets and gen stick work, i had 2 pass as i am a plumber and my welder has 2 live in a work ute
so the extra 10 kgs (my new stell 170 is 6kgs) and how fragil these machines with hf and ac can be i had 2 just stay with a dc machine doh.....
but i am with deano a 200 amp china would be great for hobby and every thing most of us would ever do with ally
if i can justify a 2nd tig at home (prob not when mine will do everything but ally and i have a mig as well) it would be the way i would go
it is a shame cause i really want 2 start doing ally, and ally thro the mig is a pain in the arse (did i hear some one say gun feed mmnnn)

i cant complane tho these new gen inverters are fucking amazing they really are
my stell cost $1200 and has pulse stick and tig, as well as a hot start for tig( no need for hf start) and ramp down (very usefull for thin wall pipework no pin hole at end)
but above all that it welds so smoth and holds a arac down 2 the lowest amps i have ever sean it makes my 7 yr old miller look like a piece of shit
im not the best welder u will ever see but i can tell u that these new inverters weld as good as the best welder i have ever used ,
it was a dc licon darlic top (dome) running of a 2 cyl lister desil a fucking old machine but there will be some people who now what this welds like....
all this at 6 kgs runs at 160 amps off a 30 mtr 240 extention leed
good i love technology

[Azrael]

Check out the auctions too, last year i picked up one of these lincolns, its 3phase, 3 or 400amp(not sure which) they retail at 4.5 to 5k i got mine for $300 and a similar 300 amp thermal arc tig for $200 normally 4k..

http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/75849634336076.jpg

[Azrael]

Oh an Esseti makes a single phase HF caddy now.. mmmm want

[ozzy1100]

quote:Originally posted by Azrael

Check out the auctions too, last year i picked up one of these lincolns, its 3phase, 3 or 400amp(not sure which) they retail at 4.5 to 5k i got mine for $300 and a similar 300 amp thermal arc tig for $200 normally 4k..

http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/upload/75849634336076.jpg


very nice very nice indeed:D

[Anakist]

Could also look at getting the pulsed mig machines.

Cigweld has the pulse on pulse stuff that pulses wire feed and weld current so you get MIG speed and TIG looks. Just dial in the base material composition and thickness and what wire you are using and it does the rest.

I have been out of the industry for a while so who knows what is out there now...

James

[STM77]

Thanks for the input guys, its much appreciated. Clears up some gray areas