TIG Welding

[loply]

Hi folks,

Just wanted to share an experience which may be useful to any other members -

For 3-4 years I've kept a MIG welder handy, first an unbranded gasless one, then a Clarke 130 gas model.

Following a thread on here a few weeks ago I decided to switch to TIG - I noticed you could get inverter TIG welders from the likes of Parweld for £260ish, about what I spent on my MIG.

I have to say it was the best move I've made - I always struggled with MIG for the types of parts I did - usually small, machined things which are often thick but needed short welds done. The mig was difficult to control and struggled to get the pool going before I'd finished the weld. Trying to weld tabs and nuts on was always a battle to stop the bead building up into a huge lump before the pool even started.

The TIG is a different world, I feel I could weld anything to anything now. Stories about it being more difficult are misleading in my oppinion, I find it far more controllable. I believe now that a cheap TIG is a better option than a cheap MIG, as TIG welding gives the operator control that would otherwise be down to the machine.

I reckon an expensive MIG would be better as it has fancy features to help the puddle get going right away, but a cheap one like mine just doesn't help the operator out!

Anyway, if anybody is thinking about buying a welder and/or struggling with their MIG welder, I'd encourage them to consider doing the same.

Cheers,
Rich

[AdeV]

I have both MIG and TIG welders in my shop, both fairly heavy duty. I have to say that, when welding up large things (even if it's thin metal), the MIG is pretty unbeatable. I made a couple of wax casting boxes out of 0.8mm steel, and the MIG did a fine job - yes, I blew a few holes, but they were easy filled, and 99% of my welds were water-tight first time out.

Where the TIG excels is, as you say, on small fiddly stuff; everything is much more controllable. The two downsides that I've encountered; it's much much slower than MIG welding - a problem if you've got 6ft of weld to do), and the amount of heat you end up putting into the work piece is immense compared to MIG - with the consequent risk of warpage. It's easier to do really nice looking welds with TIG, and of course you can go over & over a weld without constantly building it up, e.g. if you end up with a lump. Just watch out for everything getting red hod & setting your bench on fire...

When it comes to Aluminium welding, you need an AC TIG machine, and IME you need to steer clear of the cheap Chinese ones. A good Butters unit will weld well, and if you have sufficient power, a  decent sized transformer machine is even better than an inverter, despite having less tunability.

Of course, the very best welding machines are up at Rob Wilson's place...