Today's Message Index:
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1. 07:56 AM - Re: MIG or TIG? (tsts4)
2. 08:37 AM - Re: Re: MIG or TIG? (Ben Charvet)
3. 10:09 AM - Re: MIG or TIG? (tsts4)
4. 11:40 AM - Re: Re: MIG or TIG? (Robert Wiebe)
Message 1
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So I start an evening, part-time basic welding course at my local tech college
next week. The curriculum is Stick, Flux core and MIG. My question for the experts
is, is it possible for me to teach myself TIG, assuming I become competent
at the other processes at the end of the course? I've watched a lot of
YouTube on TIG and scoured the welding forums but have not been able to draw a
conclusion one way or the other.
--------
Todd Stovall
aka "Auburntsts" on EAA and VAF
RV-10 N728TT -- Flying
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=494372#494372
Message 2
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I haven't done a lot of TIG welding, but the process is more similar to
Oxy/Acetylene gas welding than any of the offerings in your course. If
you can make it to Sun-N-Fun or Oshkosh the major manufacturers of TIG
equipment could probably get you started. I taught myself how to gas
weld using the Finch text and my landing gear and motor mount have
lasted for 10 years :) Gas equipment is a bit cheaper so you might
want to consider that route too.
Ben Charvet
On 1/21/2020 10:54 AM, tsts4 wrote:
>
> So I start an evening, part-time basic welding course at my local tech college
next week. The curriculum is Stick, Flux core and MIG. My question for the
experts is, is it possible for me to teach myself TIG, assuming I become competent
at the other processes at the end of the course? I've watched a lot of
YouTube on TIG and scoured the welding forums but have not been able to draw
a conclusion one way or the other.
>
> --------
> Todd Stovall
> aka "Auburntsts" on EAA and VAF
> RV-10 N728TT -- Flying
>
>
> Read this topic online here:
>
> http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=494372#494372
>
>
Message 3
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bencharvet(at)gmail.com wrote:
> I haven't done a lot of TIG welding, but the process is more similar to
> Oxy/Acetylene gas welding than any of the offerings in your course. If
> you can make it to Sun-N-Fun or Oshkosh the major manufacturers of TIG
> equipment could probably get you started. I taught myself how to gas
> weld using the Finch text and my landing gear and motor mount have
> lasted for 10 years :) Gas equipment is a bit cheaper so you might
> want to consider that route too.
> Ben Charvet
>
>
Good suggestion on the airshow TIG courses. We'll be at both SNF (we only live
35 min from Lakeland) and Osh. The workshop schedule for SNF shows 2 TIG workshops
daily and my basic welding course finishes up the week prior to SNF so
the timing is perfect.
--------
Todd Stovall
aka "Auburntsts" on EAA and VAF
RV-10 N728TT -- Flying
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=494376#494376
Message 4
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MIG is great for aluminum fab work. Remember that your shield gas varies fo
r what alloy / material you intend to weld and you'll be wanting to learn a
ll about AC vs DC and polarity. (Don't paint yourself into a corner by limi
ting your rig to a DC only inverter.) I think most repair shops will do mor
e MIGing than TIGing. Outside work will be stick welded.
TIG is fantastic for chromoly (41xx) work and you'll see most fab shops go
this route. Gas welding is far easier to master IMHO - not that TIG welding
cannot be mastered by the non professional. The equipment and maint. costs
will be higher for TIG and some claim the cost per welded inch is lower. T
he upside to TIG for fabrication work is that once your shop is set up, etc
. you can weld more feet per hour hence it's ideal for commercial fabricati
on and manufacturing where your highest op costs are labour.
Where with Oxy Acetylene your shield is the actual flame, in TIG and MIG it
's the inert gas - which is very easily disturbed. I've seen a lot of small
fab outfits running shop fans and complaining about weld quality. You'll b
e wanting VERY STILL air. Indoors only, please.=C2-
Because of the various material sizes, thicknesses and various joint types,
you'll be on that heat pedal like a rock guitarist. You need three limbs t
o TIG weld properly. (One for the electrode, one for the feed material (NOT
a coat hanger) and one for the pedal. If you think you can put two parts t
ogether without jigs and clamps look to other materials.)
In summary, while MIG is useful, fairly easy to learn and a lot of fun, it'
s not really suitable to tube welding and I don't like it for chromoly. TIG
is fantastic once mastered but the barriers to entry are higher than for g
as welding. Done properly, both gas and TIG are identical in quality and st
rength. Any welding with electricity seems to want a good solid steel weldi
ng table. (We're talking light work here - not rail lines or locomotives.)
For my projects to date, I've tack welded my work with Oxy/Acet and then ta
ken it to a professional shop or had a mobile welder come to finish weld. T
he fab work is the most labour intensive and I am not the kind of person wh
o loves to smoke steel anyway so I think in the scheme of things, this did
not turn out to be any costlier but took far less of my time and left me wi
th a higher confidence in the finished work, esp engine mounts and wing att
achment hardware. Certainly it has kept my equipment costs down. Some of my
projects are still finished by pros who prefer gas - and it's not a genera
tional thing either. If you plan to galvanize, finish plate, anodize, etc y
our parts the shop may be able to provide all this for a lower cost. Take a
ll your parts in at the same time and don't be in a hurry to get them back.
Most shops charge more for need it right now repairs. (I cold galvanize mo
st of my itty bits.)
As to equipment, there is a lot of junk being sold and it's not all from th
e Far East. Even the big brands have gotten into this game so the name pain
ted on the side of the box can be meaningless. It is far far far cheaper to
set up a good gas outfit than it is to get a decent quality TIG or MIG rig
. Remember that your gas supplier will determine your hose connections, etc
. Gas and bottle rental rates are consistant so talk to everybody and see w
ho is perhaps the=C2- friendlist. Tell them you're building an airplane a
nd they might be able to turn you on to some gear appropriate to your task
and steer you away from the bad stuff.
I've paid shop fees to shear parts, punch holes, bandsaw, etc. on their equ
ipment. One shop charges me a low flat fee which has been waved because I l
eave it cleaner than I found it.
Now the secret:
We've sold a LOT of equipment to "new to world of welding" folks for a lot
of money and then gone back and sold them a lot more after they learn to we
ld. Hold off on the gear choice (I still don't like the autodark lenses, ha
ha) until you've taken a course or paid an old timer a few bucks to teach y
ou with his stuff. On the second or third day of learning, take in some of
your light and heavy work and seek a demonstration of how to do it properly
. Get opinions from as many people smoking metal for a living who are NOT o
n the internet. Visit some of the "we only sell welding supplies" supply ou
tfits nearby. Every salesperson I ever met was somebody with 10s of thousan
ds of hours experience and on a slow day they'll be happy to increase your
brain power. So then when it is time to outfit your own shop not only will
you know exactly what YOU want, you'll probably have found some slightly us
ed or amazing quality older rig for as near as being free to make no heavy
never mind. I've seen mobile welding rigs complete with thousands of dollar
s in tools, gear and supplies go for less than the cost of just the truck.
And you'll see all kinds of tools and gear you never knew existed that can
make your project come together like a song.
I have one friend who learned to weld by watching youtube videos and paid n
early nothing to outfit her shop. Such confidence!=C2-
On Tue, Jan 21, 2020 at 9:44 AM -0700, "Ben Charvet" <bencharvet@gmail.com>
wrote:
I haven't done a lot of TIG welding, but the process is more similar to
Oxy/Acetylene gas welding than any of the offerings in your course.=C2- I
f
you can make it to Sun-N-Fun or Oshkosh the major manufacturers of TIG
equipment could probably get you started.=C2- I taught myself how to gas
weld using the Finch text and my landing gear and motor mount have
lasted for 10 years :)=C2-=C2- Gas equipment is a bit cheaper so you mi
ght
want to consider that route too.
Ben Charvet
On 1/21/2020 10:54 AM, tsts4 wrote:
>
> So I start an evening, part-time basic welding course at my local tech co
llege next week. The curriculum is Stick, Flux core and MIG. My question
for the experts is, is it possible for me to teach myself TIG, assuming I
become competent at the other processes at the end of the course? I've wat
ched a lot of YouTube on TIG and scoured the welding forums but have not b
een able to draw a conclusion one way or the other.
>
> --------
> Todd Stovall
> aka "Auburntsts" on EAA and VAF
> RV-10 N728TT -- Flying
>
>
> Read this topic online here:
>
> http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=494372#494372
>
>
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