Tig welding Instructions

Picked up a Hobart 300 amp tig machine at a recent auction. Need instructions on how to tig. Anybody know any forums or websites that I might find some information.

Thanks
Nubbin

I would highly recommend you try a local community college or even maybe a high school for a night course in welding. The learning curve will be much faster. It is one of those things you learn by doing and not reading.

I found this out the hard way.

Maybe I should have said, I've been stick (arc) welding 45 years or more. Certified 6G pipe, and all structural. Have done a lot of gas welding. I'm looking for some tig welding forum like the gunsmithing and machining forums. Just looking for some clues as to tungston projection, what size tungston is for what, what to look for in a puddle and so on. Don't think I really want to go to trade school or votech at this time, but thanks for the suggestion.

Thanks
Nubbin

I'm a self-taught amateur TIG welder and I'd say if you can gas weld, you have a pretty good start on TIG, but you probably already know that. For details, I've picked up some useful info on the Lincoln Electric website and the welding books sold at Home Depot or Lowe's cover things like recommded electrode size, etc. One thing I try to remember, wear a dust mask when you grind the electrodes for welding steel,(I don't bother grinding them for aluminum welding), if you read the MSDS accompanying these things you'll probably arrive at that conclusion yourself.

EAA has a weekend course on TIG welding. The course is offered in a number of different locations on a regular basis.

EAA has a weekend course on TIG welding. The course is offered in a number of different locations on a regular basis. This course may be more than you want or need.

I'm also an amateur TIG welder. I had taken High School welding and some college welding courses many years ago but all my TIG experience is self-taught during my die repair and sheet metal fabricating careers. I purchased a Lincoln TIG 175 for home use because I like working with TIG so much better then the other forms of welding, much cleaner and precise. Maybe these tips will help.

- Always ware gloves and cover all exposed skin. Sounds basic but it's very easy to get in a habit of not using gloves while TIG welding because there are no sparks and very little heat is given off by the arc. But the UV light will burn and it leaches the natural oils from your skin leaving your hands dry, brittle and smelling very strange. I have been told that prolong exposure to intense UV light can damage muscle tissue and tendons.

- Liquid cooled TIG torches can handle more amperage per given electrode size then non-cooled torches but a welding manual will be the best source for correct electrode selection.

- When grinding tungsten electrodes always use the same wheel and try to use a GREEN wheel if possible. Regular carborundom wheels do not hold up to tungsten and leave a rough finish on the electrode.

- Welding aluminum is an art form, at least it is for me. Must use a different gas mix (?% of Helium / Argon). Must keep electrodes for welding alum separate from the ones you use for steel because alum welding is very sensitive to contamination from any source like wire brushes and grinding wheels.

- I found the best way to make a electrode tip for welding aluminum is as follows: lay the electrode flat on a steel table, hit it with a hammer to make a clean flat break, install the electrode in the torch and sticking out of the collet about 1", hold electrode vertical over a piece of metal and start the arc at full amperage until a small ball of molten tungsten form on the end of the electrode and then stop the arc. The small ball end of the electrode seems to work very well when welding aluminum.

- Always use High Frequency Start (HFS) when welding ferrous materials or when machine is set on DC+ or DC-. I forget but I believe 90% of the work performed on steel will have the machine set to DC- so that the arc travels from the electrode to the work piece.

- If you weld on a metal work bench with the ground clamped to one corner you will most likely feel a small electrical shock / tingle from the HFS when starting a arc. Nothing to worry about.

- The last tip to TIG welding is "Keep the electrode out of the puddle"! I'm still learning this one to the day.

Good Luck.

I'm just getting started on this one myself with a Miller Syncrowave 250.
One thing I would like to do is stress the gloves and goggles thing (even exposed hair).
I found out the hard way...right away, how that polite little TIG flame will cook ya.
The UV rating on these things must off the scale!
I get the ball on the electrode for AL by moving closer and closer to a copper hammer head I have (almost burying it). It very fast and was what the welding store guy recommended (copper, not hammers).
As an experienced welder, you already know how important being in a relaxed and comfortable position is...TIG exaggerates the need for this.

Good Luck
Sean S

Jesus, this takes the cake, it took me a few seconds, but the original post is from Jan. TWO THOUSAND AND TWO.
as far as I know, its 2022 now, 20.5+ years.

lenjee, there isn't a "standard" stickout,, it depends on your collet body, work configuration, environmental conditions. and parameters, etc.
check out "welding tips and tricks" Jody is very good, and you can see the basics of setup.

I've learned to weld from one of my dads friends who was a millwright welder. At the time I was 13 and I was pretty fascinated with welding. Took shop classes and spent time in the weld shop as an apprentice. And I thought that I knew quite a bit about welding.

Then one day I was in a library and saw a book on welding that was kind of a textbook of most common types of welding. The book was called "Welders Handbook" buy Richard Finch. I read the book cover to cover and realized how much I didn't know about welding. It goes through chapter by chapter and each chapter covers a different type of welding ie: gas, mig, tig, etc.

I ended up buying the book and have since sent copies to a couple of friends that are into welding. I just looked and it runs about $25 on Amazon and well worth the money. No connection to the author or anything like that. Just a very satisfied reader.

Youtube has all you need to know with a quick search and some filtering of who actually knows what they are talking about. Your welding background should help filter out the not knowledgeable

Reading thru the thread, While there is some benefit in knowing gas welding, it only takes you so far when TIG welding.

Sometimes on Craigslist there are retired welders who run individual training courses out of there garage. The last 300A P&H I sold went to a retired welder who wanted to pass on his skills.

I bought this book and it's pretty good. Think I paid $5 in a used book store.

Sorry if it’s already been said:
Water cooled torch is a must.