How does HTP tig compare to miller 200 dx

by Bill Pinder
(Home of Gators FL.)

I just wanted to know if you had a chance to test HTP tig and how does it Compare to Miller 200dx? Thanks
--------------------

I have not had a chance to test drive the HTP units but I have heard lots of good things.
I bought their tig dvd which was pretty much an ad for the tig machine.

I believe its made in Italy. and seems to be made from quality components.

one thing to consider...

their business model is to try to help you troubleshoot and fix problems over the phone rather than utilize warranty shops...so if you have a problem and are not up for fixing your own machine , that could be an issue....same thing with Everlast.

Porosity in weld Tig root, 7018 cap

by Jay
(Canada)

Hey,

So i am welding 1 1/4 chrom with tig ER70Sb2L root, and 7018B2l cap and I am having problems with porosity in the weld. The porosity is showing up on the RT in failure levels. Just wondering if you might know where this would be coming from. I have many welders working on this job and the problem is not localized to one welder.

----------------------------------------------------

It is really hard to isolate the problem from my end but here are some ideas...

high moisture in the argon (are you getting whiskers on the tip of the tungsten?)

welder using small cup with too much gas on root.

end of pipes not capped and breeze blowing thru pipe on root causing turbulence and loss of shielding.

too much cleaning of rods. ( a wipe with acetone is usually plenty...some oxidizers could be lost if the copper flashing is sanded off)

not cleaning inside of pipe enough.

using scotchbrite abrasives that leave a residue.

not wiping joint with acetone prior to welding.

thats all I can weigh in without being there...anyone else got anything?

6g trouble

I have a weld test coming up its on 3/4 stainless coupling at the 6g postion . Im having trouble with the botttom of the weld dripping i call it seagul poo . I cant go.any lower temp because the specs for the test has a range of 55 amps to 75 amps any help
--------------------------------

have you tried using a slight weaving motion or a series of small loops with the rod?

stainless stick wants to drip and sag but you have to fight against it.

try using about 70 amps and a tight arc making a series of loops.

you have to be able to hold a tight enough arc to keep the weld metal pushed flat, while at the same time, you have to get moving and not let the heat build up too much.

Its possible- route run welding of ss 316L pipes without purging?..

by Prethyush R
( Mumbai, India)

is there any special electrodes / filler wire available for route run welding of SS 316L pipes without using purging.in my requirement no of joints are very large so it is not economic to use gas purging.also Pipes size ranges varies from 2 inch to 8 inch.
Any special electrodes can serve this purpose? or any method of purging that can be used very economicaly to for route run welding?.
Pls adivise

-----------------------------------------------

Miller electric makes gmaw equipment that is supposed to be able to weld a stainless steel root without purge.

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/articles/RMD-Process-is-Easy-to-Learn

for tig welding, there is a flux called solar flux, that is supposed to allow for tig welding a root without backing purge, but I am not impressed with it.

help finding a auto darking hood with graphics good for flux core

by wes
(burkburnett,TX)

i am trying to find a custom hood that will stand out in the shop i work in.

I love my hoods with the small flip lens but cant find any custom hoods like that.So i have givin up and am trying to find something that will stand up to flux core,stick,mig,and gouging.

Is there anything out there like this or is a hopeless cause tryin to find one.

------------------------------------------------

I think your best bets are amazon.com, ebay, and cyberweld.com.

fibre metal, and jackson both make old school helmets so you should use those words in your searches

gas question

by Lee
(nebraska)

I'm kinda new to tig welding. Can I use the same gas from mig welding for tig welding?

-------------------------------------------------

No, it wont work.

you will need 100 percent argon for tig welding.

for mig, pure co2 or 75/25 argon/co2 is needed....except for mig aluminum which needs argon.

Cutting Torch Tips

Using an oxy-fuel Cutting Torch...in this case its oxygen and acetylene.

Oxy-fuel safety is a big deal. Of all the welding equipment there is, oxygen acetylene torch equipment training is probably the the most neglected....and this is the stuff most likely to hurt you.

This video and page is not intended to be a complete oxy-fuel safety course...just some tips on safety and how to get a good cut .

The best oxy-fuel safety DVD I have seen is from Smith torch Equipment and if you use oxy-fuel equipment, I highly encourage you to get the DVD and watch it. You can order it from sites like cyberweld, or weldfabulous but you can also get it on Amazon.

Being able to make a good clean cut using an oxygen acetylene Cutting Torch is mostly a matter of using the right size tip, the right gas pressures, and having a steady hand.There are folks who seem to be able to make a good cut no matter what...but the right tip and pressures make all the difference for most.

One size does not fit all when it comes to cutting tips. Use the right size tip for the thickness of metal.

How do you know what the right size tip is?

The best way is to consult the manufacturers guide. Smith, Victor, Harris, and other well known makers of cutting torches have plenty of information on tip sizes, oxyfuel safety, and setup shutdown procedures on their websites.

since there are differences in design of cutting torches, there are different settings that work best for each.

here is some good reference material for you if you want to learn all about using a cutting torch...no matter what kind.

just copy and paste into your web browsers address bar.

http://www.smithequipment.com/products/smithcatalog2010.pdf

http://thermadyne.com/IM_Uploads/DocLib_2879_Cutting%20Heating%20Welding%20Guide%20%280056-3260%29__Sept2009.pdf

http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/~/media/Files/PDF/Requested%20Resources/TIPSonCUTTING.ashx

http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/~/media/Files/PDF/Manuals/9505643%20RevC%2004052010.ashx

When you just plain cant get any information for the brand of cutting torch you are using, one way to determine the oxygen pressure is to use a drill index to determine the diameter of the center hole in a cutting tip. Thats the hole where the high velocity stream comes out to make the cut,...all the other holes are called preheat flame holes.

Once you know the drill size for the center hole in the cutting tip, you can use a welding reference book like the one in the video to get a ball park idea for pressure needed to make the cut.

Sometimes one tip might be rated for cutting different thicknesses of metal and therefore, have different pressure settings for thicker metal. I remember a booklet for Smith Cutting torches that listed the same tip size for 3/8" and 1/2" thick metal and listed about 40 psi for the thinner but 50 psi for the thicker metal using the same tip.

The Audel Pocket welding reference was recommended to me by someone so I figured I would buy it and check it out to see if I could recommend it.

Its actually very good. Its a good very small book with lots of charts for amperage settings, cutting torch tip information, electrode selection etc.

and its not very expensive.

When I can, I order used books from Amazon because I dont mind a note or two or bent pages. I make notes anyway and dog ear the pages too.

Anyway, most of the tips are in the video. I think I mentioned something about the drill size being a 1 ....thats what my drill index said and I forgot to mention it was metric...I think that makes it about a #60 if you are not a metric guy.

Hopefully, you got that. Since I also said it was about .040" . Looking for a good torch tip chart that I could share with you led me to this one at the airgas website

.... it looks like I was pushing the limits by cutting 3/4" with that tips but all I know is that it worked fine.

I was using my friends cheap flame tech "victor knock-off" torch but it worked pretty good.

One very important item concerning oxy-fuel safety that I neglected is the fact the high pressure cylinders like oxygen will take off like a rocket if the valve gets knocked off. Sometimes a concrete wall will not even stop them....

So make sure to keep the valve covers on when hauling and its a really good idea to have guards in place around the gauges even when they are not being moved...just in case.

exit cutting torch page and see more on oxy-fuel safety

cwb certication

how does a journeyman welder get CWB certified?

--------------------------------------------------

check these pages out .

http://www.grbwelding.com/content/training/cwb-training.htm

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/communities/mboard/showthread.php?11580-CWB-test

Cutting Torch - How to setup and shutdown an Oxygen and Acetylene Torch

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

What to do with the little shorty rod tips?

by Mike Hoezee
(Michigan)

After a rod gets to 2-3 inches I usually remove it and save my rod tips in the 2-3 inch range for tack welds.

Welders Needed Staffing company posted 10-8-11

by Patti
(Marlow, OK)

We are looking for welders for a tank and vessel fabricating shop. Welders need to have experience in tank and vessel welding with 3-5 years of experience. Need to have experience with ASME codes and blue print reading skills. Must be willing to relocate for a welding shop position.

http://oninstaffing.com/

Max thickness in GTAW

by Nguyen Thanh BInh
(Viet Nam)

Hello!
I have question.
one Welder have two certificates:
1: GTAW; Max thickness: 15.24 mm; F No.: 6/1,2,3,4 ; ....
2: GTAW + SMAW ; Max thickness: GTAW: 8 mm; SMAW: 13.94 mm; F No.: 6/1,2,3,4; ....

So, this welder have weld Max. Thickness for GTAW:=?

--------------------------------------------------

if i understand your question , it seems the max thickness qual for gtaw would be 15.24 mm

maybe someone else understands better and would like to chime in.

Stick Welding tight spaces

by sean Lord
(Australia)

Hey All i would imagine that most of you boilies may have a laugh but if you get stuck and theres no other way, try shaping the rod... most coatings are flexible enough to shape like for round objects tight spaces you have to take the earth off to see if you can get the rod in just bend the rod to the shape and style of weld technique you like turn it on and weld it you can bend stainless rods to a certain degree some cast iron electrodes can be a pain.

i like BHOLER cast iron so smooth also a good preheating technique if you dont have a rod heater is just strike the steel and hold it (NO ARC Length) till the rod preheats but be warned not all electrodes like to come off again if you dont have a file especially for LOW HYDROGEN electrodes (thats the one that gives you a plastic looking slag coating) you can just tap the end of the electrode on the concrete if your in the dirt have a brick handy that will save you bashing the life out of the eletrode to get it to start again

Best fluid for torch coolers

by Erik
(Montreal, Canada)

Hi,
Coolers for TIG torches need fluid.
What is the best mix?
Importance of distilled water?
Will running with distilled water only ruin the pump because of no lubricants and rust inhibitors?
Can Ethylene Glycol be used with distilled water?
Any good advice is welcome.
Thanks,
Erik

---------------------------------------------

There is a bunch of discussion on this.

The best and correct thing is to use Coolant specifically designed for tig coolers that has a low mineral content and therefore low conductivity so that high frequency start current will be more efficient.

That said, they price it like liquid gold.

I have been using RV coolant for about a year now in one of my coolers and it it seems to be working fine and has not gelled or become funky.

Its inexpensive and easily available at stores like autozone or northern tool,

Welding a float shoe on P 110 casing

Can you weld on P 110 grade casing? I have 7 5/8" 29.7#/ft p110 casing and want to know if welding on it will cause the casing to crack. I have been told do not weld on this grade of pipe my 30 years in the oilfield. I have not seen any tec data on to weld or not to weld on it. Can you help?

-------------------------------------------------

Its not that you "cant" weld on it. But it will be prone to cracking.

That grade casing has enough carbon and other elements in it to cause it to harden and possibly be brittle from the heat and cooling cycles from welding.

kind of like welding cast iron except not nearly as bad.

depending on the application, it may or may not be ok.

for example, if you were going to use it for a pole for a fence and wanted to weld attachments on it, maybe it would be fine.

you definitely would not want to weld on it and use it for something like a lifting hoist

High Frequency On No Arc Current

by Chris Thomas
(Jonesboro Ar. USA)

Hello everyone new to tig welding and need some help on making tacks. I have a miller 165 diversion that i tried to set up according to the tack like a laser video. My problem is after the first tack or two all i start getting is the high frequency spark and no arc current. If i pull the torch back 3/4 inch or so from sheet metal it will flash up in the cup and then get arc current. I have triple checked my circut and all seems good. The torch is set up as follows 1/16 tungsten with draw blood point and a no4 cup. I am tacking 18 to 22 gauge mild steel vintage auto panels amps around 110 to 140 gas flow 10 to 15 cfh. I can re-grind my tungsten and it will work again once or twice then back to no arc current. I am using pure tungsten and am wondering if this could be the cause. Went today and got 2 percent thoriated have not tried it yet. Any thoughts would be very welcome.

Thanks

------------------------------------------------

i feel pretty sure the pure tungsten is most if not all of the problem.

i have had the same issue with the new dynasty 200dx even with 2% thor but it was only because of the extremely low 1 amp start capability.

i think things will go much better with the 2% thor. sharpened

can't get the base to puddle

by Harry haithcoat
(St.Louis, missouri)

hi, i have been reading up on tig welding, it's been about 22 yrs sience i did any tig,a friend of mine just bought a Thermal Arc 185tsw ac/dc cc with stick,tig-lift start and hf start. he bought it to repair leaks in auto radiators and aircond parts. his welding with this will be aluminum,he has a miller mig for his steel parts, the problem is i haven't beem around any of these new machines in yrs, my expertise is,gas,stick and mig so setting all these controlls on this machine is a bit challenging so for me refresher course of my memory is needed. the stuff he'll weld is really thin and he thinks that because someone he seen weld pop cans together along with razor blades this should be a piece of cake to saving him alot of money (lolol right) but theres no changing his mind. his son does most of his welding which i taught him to do now they think they can do anything,this machine is over my head, the instruction book is ok but it doesn't really give a clear setting other than page 36, i think the problem for me is i don't know where to set the preflow to initial current to up slope to weld current to down slope and so on well you get the pic.my thinking is to go with a standard setting and leave with a few adjustments for heat,but they don't tell you how to just set it and leave,i don't need pulse i don't think, but to the other problem is the aluminum seems to be contaminated when i try to start a puddle all it does is get hot and droop or just get hot, i tried grinding the material with no success, also i can't remember if i need a different type of tungsten rod or what size 1/16 or 3/32? he has pure argon no helium and i think a 5356 filler rod, but i can't even get a puddle let alone a bead,also it works fine on mild steel, i set it up for that and it worked fine so i must be getting close, but after reading the hand book through 4 times and reading for 2 days on the web and finally coming upon your page i felt it was time to ask someone who knows alot more than me which won't take alot, i have welded almost everything there is with the exception of under water (fear of drowning kept me from that lolol) and when i went to school back in 1972 alot has changed so please any info would be much appreciated, thank you for just listening to me go on and on, and out of all the web sites yours is in the top 2 of my reading keep up the good work, sounds like you help a lot of people,us welders must stick lolol together,thank you, harry

-------------------------------------------------

harry,

I did a series of pages and videos on tig welding settings. here at this link

tig settings videos

you should be able to watch them all in about an hour.

if you still need help, email me directly thru my contact page. here

http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/contact-us-private.html

Steel weld pool is 'drawn' up onto the tungsten.

by John Fennell
(Hereford, United Kingdom. )

Hi there, may I first congratulate you on having the best welding information and resources website I have ever seen, it is truly brilliant! Now my question seems to be rather obscure, as I haven't found anyone else asking it online but here goes. I am teaching myself to TIG weld-with the aid of many YouTube videos, including some of your own, but I always have trouble with the weld pool literally being drawn up onto the tungsten. I use a 12 month old Lincoln Invertec 160, with a lanthanated tungsten and am trying to weld general steel between 1/8-1/4" thick. I did some TIG at my local college and didn't have the same problem to the degree I have on my own unit but there does definitely seem to be something wrong with my technique. I have done quite a lot of MMA and MIG in agricultural repairs, I took to gas welding like a duck to water but seem to be struggling with TIG. Hopefully I'm making a silly mistake but have tried holding the torch higher/lower than 1/4" from the puddle, fiddled with the current and gas flow to no avail. I try to use a little over 1/4" stickout which I was told by a lecturer at my local college was a good starting point.

Would really appreciate any help you can possibly give me,
Thanks, John.

------------------------------------------------

sometimes when using an amperage that is close to the maximum for a given dia electrode, it seems like the puddle jumps on but I think its the tip of the electrode actually melting and causing a momentary short.

other problems arise from coatings that outgas onto the electrode.

thanks,

jody

getting the perfect gap

by biggins
(reddirt ok)

i have been welding for only about 6 years and have found the the steel ruler out of an adjustable square gives me a perfect gap for welding pipe of any size whether I'm 6010 or even mig welding the root.

low tech emergency rod oven

If your low hydrogen rods gets damp and you dont have a rod oven, tack a plate over one end of scrap pipe long enough to cover the rods, then warm it up with your torch. Heavy wall pipe is the best, holds the heat longer.

---------------------------------------------------

From Jody,

if you are doing code work, its best get a portable rod oven.

My tig welder has only high frequency only, what's wrong?

by Jay
(Longview WA usa)

I have had my Linde (L-tech)250 amp TIG welder for about 25 years and it is a wonderful machine. recently i tried to weld some mild steel and accidentally hit the tig/stick with my knee without realizing it. the amperage control was set to maximum and i use a foot control. when i started to weld (the welder started the weld at full power and then lost power. now i can only get high frequency. Since it was set on stick welding and the control was set at maximum power i assume i burned something out. I checked the welding power lead for continuity and it checks out ok any ideas what my problem is?
Jay

-------------------------------------------------

I have used the same welder before and it was sweet.

It does sound like you may have fried a board or something.

I am not a welder repair guy and you will probably need to take it in to a local welder repair shop to get it fixed.

the not so happy news it that it might be expensive.

anyone else got any ideas?

puddle watch

by Chas
(Arkansas)

im going through welding school now and my biggest issue was watching my arc not my puddle its kinda hard to get used to but makes it a lot easier!

---------------------------------------------------

I remember back to my days in welding school.

watch the puddle, watch the puddle...
thats good advice when you are learning.

when you get more experience it will become second nature and there will be times where you wont need to watch the puddle so closely.

similar to driving a car, you need to watch where you are going, the car in front of you, but also, watch for curves ahead, and brake lights...all the while traveling at a speed that allows you to be in control

Miller Maxstar 91 CC DC Inverter Welding Power Source

The proper way to set up a Miller Maxstar 91 to weld
aluminum

-----------------------------

A miller maxtar 91 is a DC only machine.
It will not weld aluminum effectively.

selecting the right rod for aluminum and steel fence fabrication also right amperage

My dad just purchase a lincoln 225 arc welder and I would like to know what rod we need to weld those square pipes sold at homedepot they're about 1" and hollow inside and we plan to stick em to a 2" side bar with the same thickness.

---------------------------------------

for steel, I would choose a 6011 rod. probably 3/32 diameter because the wall thickness on what you describe is probably only about .063"

for aluminum, unless you have done quite a bit of stick welding, its gonna be a lot more difficult than the steel.
I would recommend going to a local welding supply and buying a small qty of aluminum stick rod and give them a try before you jump into anything.

6g schedule 40 smaw

any points on a 6g stick schedule 40 test.im mostly concerned about the root(6010)vertical up and hot pass(6010)vertical up?

--------------------------------------------------

I read a lot of forums where other welders prefer a tighter gap and smaller land but just jam the rod in tighter.

but I like a 1/8" land and 1/8" gap.

I just pretend the puddle is a small nail and the rod is a small hammer and about once a second
I tap the nail ...

that amounts to a whip and pause with a once a second rhythm.

feather both sides of all tack welds with a grinder
when you are starting on a tack or when you have to stop, get a grinder and feather the end of the weld and then long arc about 3/4" from where you stopped to let the weld heat up before tightening the arc and resuming the root.

grind all bumps and high crowned areas before the hot pass.

increase amps by about 10 for the hot pass and really make sure to burn out any little bit of slag you left from the root.

steve bleile has some really good videos on stick welding.
you can get them at northerntool.com
just go there and search for welding dvd and you will see them...at about 25 bucks each, its a good spend.

also there is a video called " under the hood welding" that shows some 6010 pipe tests pretty well. just google it. or copy and paste this

http://www.weldingvideos.net/

welder/fabricator in need of a job.

by Joshua Chilson
(Vancouver, Washington United States)

My name is Joshua Chilson I am 22 years of age and i have several welding certifications and other training that has to do with the trade. I have all of my own tools and am willing to work. I look at things as what ever it takes kind of person so if your interested please give me a call or you can email me, thank you for your time and have a good day.

(360)609-6614
joshua.chilson@hotmail.com

Joshua Chilson
3409 NE 119th AVE. Vancouver, Washington 98682
(360) 487 - 0288 Joshua.Chilson@hotmail.com

Objective: Employment for long term full-time or part-time

Skills and Qualifications:
*Plasma cutting/gouging
*Certified Welder
*Oxyacetylene torch cutting/scarffing
*carbon arc gouging
*TWIC Card Holder
*SMAW-E7018 (all positions unlimited thickness)

Certifications:
*OSHA 10
*forklift operator (class 1, 4 and 5)
*AWS Certified SMAW-E7018 (all positions unlimited thickness)
*AWS Certified FCAW-Dual Shield (all positions unlimited thickness)
*Oregon Work Zone Traffic Control Flagler
*Certified Oregon State unarmed Security Officer

Experience and training:
Lions Pride LLC. May 29th 2010 to Sep. 11th, 2010
Moving, storage and delivery and
Mover Portland, Oregon Apr. 22nd, 2011 to June 16th, 2011
Pan Nesbitt, Owner
Job Description: Handling and moving customer?s household and personal belongings, white gloving items, putting up and taking down door pads, jam pads and floor protection, packing and unpacking 18' box truck and customers household and personal belongings and operating a forklift.
Dan Jones INC.
Fabricator Camas, Washington Nov. 23rd, 2009 to March 3rd, 2010
Dan Jones, Owner
Job Description: Single handedly manufactured conveyor truck trailer, making blueprints and reading blueprints, welding, grinding, painting, cutting steel (used band saw and oxyacetylene torch).
Instafab Company Inc.
Fabricators and Erectors
Welder/laborer Vancouver, Washington Aug. 10th, 2009 to Sep. 25th, 2009
Chris Waterman, Supervisor
Job description: Lots of manual labor, operating scissor lifts, welding, rotor hammering, rebar drilling, steel assembly, reading blueprints, installing cement treads.
AJ's Automotive
Jim Foster, owner Vancouver, Washington Nov. 1st, 2007 to Nov. 30th, 2008
*manager - supervised employees, filed invoices, wrote estimates, checked work prior to returning vehicle to owner
*Auto Tech - troubleshoot engines, transmissions, suspensions, performed body work
*Lube Tech - Changed oil and oil filters
Tongue Point Job Corps Center
Student trainee, welding vocation Astoria, Oregon Aug. 19th, 2008 to Apr. 3rd, 2009
David Curl, welding instructor
Completed qualified welding training:
*E6010 and E7018 welding rod, M.I.G. hard wire, dual shield, all in flat, vertical, and overhead positions;
*Received AWS Certification in E7018 in vertical up and overhead, min. 1/8-unlimited thickness;
*received AWS Certification in dual shield in vertical up and overhead, min. 1/8-unlimited thickness;
*Experience with T.I.G. on iron;
*Experience with nickel rod on cast iron;
*Experience with aluminum wire;
*Used plasma cutter and oxyacetylene torch to cut out silhouette patterns;
*Completed many class projects independently and as a team member;
*maintained clean, organized and safe work environment.

Education:
Tongue Point Job Corps: Advanced Vocational Completion
Astoria, Oregon Aug. 19th, 2008 to Apr. 3rd, 2009
Tongue Point High School Program: High School Diploma
Astoria, Oregon Dec. 15th, 2008 to Mar. 31st, 2009
Educational Service District 112: GED
Vancouver, Washington Apr. 1st, 2006 to May 30th, 2006

argon mix for mild steel

what gas mix do you use for mild steel tig...

-------------------------------------

I dont use a mix...just pure argon.

same for stainless and aluminum.

for thicker aluminum, i use a helium argon mix about 50/50 or as high as 80 percent helium.

mixes like the standard 75/25 argon/co2 mix used for mig welding, do not work well for tig welding.

Welding with 3/16 rods

by Josh
(Baytown Texas USA)

How to cap with 3/16 7010 rods on pipe about 3o'clock and down.

---------------------------
I am not much help on this one but maybe some other pipeline welders will chime in with some tips.

I have not known many welders who can do it good and consistently. Too much puddle, gravity, surface tension, etc. makes it questionable as to whether its even good practice. (I know its often done and encouraged because of production) I realize you are asking about downhill welding but just for example, Some codes dont even allow using 3/16" rods for uphill pipe...at least not without special qualification tests.

Retired Journeyman Welder

by David
(Addison, NY)

I have always used offhand grinding for my tungsten sharpening. The only time I didn't was when I got curious about a chemical system for sharpening tungstens that I used back in the early 1980's. I don't remember what the stuff was called but it was used by heating the tungsten and dipping it in to the chemical until the desired point was achieved. It was useful at times but it was more trouble than it was worth as it appeared to contaminate the tungsten with some of it's constituent components. It also never really got the tungsten as sharp as I like mine. It didn't have the drawbacks of conventional grinding, but it came with it's own complicated baggage that made it more of a novelty than a useful tool for me. This is only my opinion and does not reflect poorly on the product.

I think one of your contributors also commented on this product. He calls it Chem-Sharp and if my memory serves me right, I think this is what I used as well.

Thanks

----------------------

good post...

I am sure there are several different makers of the product, but what I have used is called Chem Sharp.

The fumes are what I hate. along with the residue that it leaves on the tungsten.

I'm looking for a writting test for tig welding!

Need a cheap welding/cutting table?

by Ray Pilgrim
(Saint Paul Park, Minnesota)

Try an old burned out gas or charcoal Barbecue Grill. (You know the one your neighbor shoves out to the street with the free sign on it) Makes a great little practice table for use in the garage and controls sparks easily enough. You may want to take the top off for welding ease but you can also preheat small parts if you need to if the thing still works...........

-------------------------------------------------

A few tips and a word of caution from old jody...

clean up the grate with a grinder where parts will come in contact and attach the ground directly to the grate so you will get a good ground.

get rid of the tank for safety sake. you can always hook one up for those rare preheats. and remove it while you weld.

309 on 1 inch carbon test plates

Portable Band Saw Stand

If you are having trouble watching this Video on a DIY portable band saw stand , click here to view it at Welding-TV.com

Today's video is about building a Portable band saw stand.

Swag Off Road makes a really good stand for both Milwaukee, and DeWalt portable band saws...Problem is I dont have either.

I was actually considering buying a used Milwaukee portable band saw to make this video, but then I remembered I was low on cash and I remembered my machinist friend has a Porter Cable "portaband" and he agreed to let me build a stand for it.

Its going to come in very handy for quick cuts of round stock and for small sheet metal pieces.

I found a whole bunch of different ideas at different forums for Milwaukee, DeWalt, and even Harbor Freight, but none for a Porter Cable....So I was left to my own devices.

But I like that just fine...That means I get to do some jerry rigging.

I didnt want a saw stand where I had to remove screws and replace the stock before using the saw as a portable band saw.

And the Porter Cable standard stop is only held by 2 small screws so I dindt want the stop to have to support the weight of the saw.

So I designed mine to act like a cradle where I can remove it and put it back in the stand with no muss or fuss.

Also, in an effort to mix things up and be able to talk about more things. I used TIG, MIG, and Stick.

* Building a Cradle type stand for a portable band saw

* Tig welding using a 309 ss rod for hot rolled steel,

* mig welding downhill and sideways

* and an example of why I like 6011 better than 6013 for stick welding with an AC buzz box.

I had some extra 1 1/2" square tubing as well as some 3/8" round bar scrap pieces so I figured that would have to do. The 1-1/2" 11 gauge sq tubing was overkill, but It didnt make any sense to go buy something specifically for this project because I am more concerned with function than looks or weight. ( and did I mention low on cash?)

In fact, the only thing I had to buy was some 3/8" thick weather stripping to act as a vibration dampener.

The Porter Cable portaband has a cast aluminum body with stiffener ribs cast throughout so to make a stand that used some type of clamping mechanism didn't seem like a good idea.

Cracking the aluminum body on my friends saw would really suck.

Also, I wanted a stand that would let me remove the saw and put it back quickly, time and time again.

So with all that in mind, I cut up a bunch of random pieces of 3/8" round stock because I kind of knew they would come in handy for tabs and stops.

Also, for the sake of the video, and to mix things up, I did some tig, mig , and stick.

19 volts and around 240 ipm of .035" wire speed makes for an amperage of around 120 and works good for .125" thick hot rolled steel all positions.75/25 argon/co2 gas set at around 25 cfh with er70s6

pushing, pulling, straight drag, series of cursive e's, scoot forward 1/4" and pause.....all kinds of different techniques can work...find what works for you and perfect it.

tig welding hot rolled steel projects like this sometimes go better using 309 stainless.

you kind find all kinds of discussions (more like pissing contests) on the merits or drawbacks of using 309 stainless for carbon steel.

I am definitely not saying its ok to use 309 in place of er70 tig wire for coded welds.

what I am saying is that 309 is specified often for welding carbon steel pipe to stainless steel pipe in power plants where the welds are subjected to pressure, stress, vibration, and lots of thermal cycles.

So...I am pretty sure will be ok for my portaband stand.

Its a portaband stand for crying out loud..not the "Jesus nut" on the Space Shuttle.

( fyi...thats the nut that holds all things together)

309 has lots of chromium and therefore will prevent bubbling and porosity for tig welding hot rolled. ...It works. Its more expensive than er70 tig wire but works great for joining stainless to carbon and can be used for lots of other applications.

( lots of maintenance type rods advertised as being able to weld most anything are very similar to 309 stainless...or 312)

For building this portable band saw stand project, I plugged in the old school Lincoln tombstone style AC buzz box . I could have used the Everlast Combo unit..its a really good stick welder, but I wanted to go "old school" and simple for the video...( and because there are still lots of folks who only have a AC buzz box to work with)

I thought I would try using some really small 1/16" stick rods to run a very small bead that would not warp the tubing.that turned out to be a bad idea. They didnt like the Tee joint. even though I ran them pretty hot.

This is why I like 6011 much better than 6013. Every now and then, 6013 rods leave a bed of slag down the middle of the bead.

for me, the puddle of a 6013 is much harder to discern than other rods, and if you weld too cold, or long arc, or hold your tongue on the wrong side of your mouth, you can wind up with the worm bead of slag in the middle of 2 beads and your pieces wont even be joined.

I ground out most of the 6013 weld and came back over it with 6011 ...much better.

Also, decided to make some quick downhill welds with the 6011 rods. 6011 rods work great for downhill.

Well, thats it for today...I hope you enjoyed the Video on making a portable band saw stand.

Normally, I would not use 3 welding processes...tig, mig, and stick to do a little project like this.

But it did give me more to bump my gums about.

I definitely would have migged it for the sake of speed and also for less distortion.

In my experience, sometimes, in fact, most of the time, short circuit mig warps and draws less than tig or stick. Especially when you can do quick downhill welds that dont have to be gorilla strong.

...and If you are wondering what the white thing is on my finger on the TIG shots,

click the picture below to find out.

x ray inspection

I just welded 6 v groove welds 3 with E11018 and 3 with flux core wire in the 2g 3g and 4g positions all are getting x rayed in hopes for my employment.

I've never had to weld a v groove weld to get hired all my full pens have always been ut. From what I hear x ray is the hardest to pass my question is what are the allowances for discontinuity in a v groove weld?

------------------------------------------------

In this case, its probably AWS D1.1 code that holds the answers to you questions.

Different codes have different allowances for weld discontinuities.

But most codes do provide for allowances for subsurface defects, ( with the exception of cracks)

monel to 316l

by carl
(alabama)

How to TIG weld monel tubing to 316L tubing without filler metal? And without centerline cracking?

---------------------------------------------------

I am not sure its possible without filler...and from an engineering standpoint, might not be fit for service.

Whats with everyone wanting me to run hardwire verticle?

by Ken

I have a coupon test later today, and the last 2 tests I have taken both wanted me to run hardwire vertical. I've been working the same job for 5 years and they would run people off for running downhill, let alone up.

Any tips for doing this?

Ken

------------------------------------------------

who knows why the sudden change in weld test requirements or details? It could be a new project that was evaluated by a welding engineer or analyst and it was determined uphill mig with bare wire was going to be used and therefor was going to be part of the weld testing requirements.

One of the main reasons bare wire mig is not used much for structural applications is because there are additional testing requirements according to AWS codes.

Flux core and Stick welding are deemed less likely to cold lap and therefore are acknowledged in AWS welding codes with pre-qualfied procedures. whereas all welding procedures are required to be tested and qualified with gmaw-s mig bare wire short circuit.

the technique boils down to correct settings, and staying on the leading edge of the puddle.

I made a video recently using 3/8" test plates with downhill root and uphill fill and cap.

hope it helps..

6g postion pipe

by daniel cole
(moline , il)

whats a good way to get a good fillet and cap on a pipe in the 6g position without moving the pipe.

--------------------------------------------------

It really depends on the process...whether its tig , or stick, or mig or combination .

watch this video and it might help if its tig you are wondering about.

miller 251with 75/25

by Dean
(Or)

What formula do i use to set the voltage and also the wire feed speed, i am learning the machine but i don't know how to adjust when i have to weld vertical, can u help? I am mostly welding. 3/8", 1/2", some 5/8", track hoe bucket rebuilds and miscellaneous.

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One method to find good mig welding settings using a millermatic 251 is to use the chart on the inside of the panel door.

In my opinion, these settings are across the board about 10 % higher on wire speed than what I prefer....but its a good starting point.

for vertical welds, I find that choosing about 2 thicknesses less than what I am welding gives a pretty good setting ( minus the 10% )

The miller weld calculator seems to be about the same as the charts they use for the millermatic welders..

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/calculators/mig_solid_amperage_calculator.php

is a good resource. but it is intended to be used for single pass horizontal fillet welds and the settings are pretty hot for anything but flat , horizontal, or downhill.

so what you can do for vertical uphill settings is select the thickness for about half of what you are welding and then use the weld calculator

for example, half of 3/8" is 3/16" so the settings for 3/16" using 75/25 with .035" bare wire are 18-19 volts and 320-340 ipm...that should work pretty well for vertical uphill on 3/8"...give or take. you may need 19-20 volts but its a good start.

once you get a good match of voltage and wire speed,, if its too hot or cold , just increase or decrease both voltage and wire to suit the heat you need.

Testing for CWB Weld inspector B31.3 - any pointers or tips

I am studying for the B31.3 CWB weld inspector test, this is a very in depth code, I am wondering if any one that has taken it can give me some advise.

Bob

16 gauge steel hard wire

How to weld 16 gauge steel with hard wire
---------------------------------------------------
thats a wide open question but here goes...

well the best gas to use with bare wire for 16 ga is probably 75/25 ar/co2

but co2 would work also.

downhill all the vertical joints and in fact any joint you can position to where it is slightly downhill will weld smoother.

.030" or .025" wire works best but .035" is still in the ball park and will work fine if you set it right.

depending on the machine, the voltage will probably be around 16-18

wire feed speed will depend on wire size used.

flow on the mig gun will also depend on the size of the nozzle and type of gas used but 25 cfh will probably get you going.

most mig welders these days come with some type of chart inside the wire spool panel.

those settings are usually a pretty good place to start.

er70s6 is the most common wire but er70s3 or 4 is fine also.

you may find that short runs of only a few inches help prevent warping.

what code book is mostly used for the structual and destructive examinations of structual certifications?

what code book is mostly used for the structural and destructive examinations of structural certifications?

------------------------------------------------

i think you might be referring to AWS B4.0
standard methods for mechanical testing of welds

miller hf251d-1

by wingnut
(sc)

can i hook up my miller hf251d-1 to my lincoln ranger 250 dc machine and still be able to tig aluminum, although the 250 is a strait dc machine, the hf251d-1 has a 115v ac power supply

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the short answer is no. there might be a few aluminum welds you could make using DC but its few and far between .

you really need AC with high freq.

virginia welder needs job

by karen
(berryville va )

i just relocated here in the Winchester area and need a job l have 30 yrs experience in welding alum. and stainless steel. Also have quality control experience. Im bored out of my mind someone send me some leads
mskarenroberts@yahoo.com

shedule 40 2g tig weld test

I have enormous amounts of mig experience.I took two classes and got certs for 2,3,4G in smaw and fcaw.Any clue or thoughts on how to approach a schedule 40 2G s.s. or other tig weld test?I am currently relocating to a new area and that is one of their "big deal passing"

-----------------------------------------

like anything, you will just need to get some seat time and practice.

having as much mig experience as you do, just getting an experienced hand to walk you thru the test will probably get you their quick.

if you have never done tig or stainless before, there are things that are very important that you will not automatically know.
like how to purge the inside, snipping the wire, etc. but it will taking doing it to understand and learn how.

these days, it can be tough finding a welding school that has stainless pipe on hand. But if you can get your own pipe, a local welding school might be an option.

How to Tig Weld Steel

This weeks video is Since last weeks video was building a stand for a Porter Cable Portaband, I thought maybe I would show how to tig weld end caps and feet on the stand.

I cut the end caps using the same portaband saw I was building a stand for.

Using a cheap dial caliper, I measured the inside diameter of the square tubing and added about .100" so that there would be some overlap. I cut all the end caps out of cold rolled 11 gauge sheet.

I like to tig weld outside corner joints. They are easy fun and sometimes do not even need any filler metal.

For this job, I used a little "trick" welding magnet tool called a MagTab.

Its made by Stronghand tools and you can get it from Amazon.com, Northern tool, Summit Racing, Airgas, and a bunch of other places.

I just checked on the price and while it was only about 10 dollars a year ago, The price of magnets has been rising so I think it costs about 13 dollars now.

It is a small but innovative welding magnet that utilizes a V- pad swivel along with an adjustable tab holder to create one of the handiest little welding tools to come along in some time.

The MagTabs primary use is to hold small tabs on round tubing while tack welds are made. The old way of hold tabs, and way I have done it for years is to hold the tabs with your fingers.

Holding small parts for tack welding is much safer with the MagTab. But what I did not anticipate is that it saves time too.

Usually, when something is safer, that translates to "less useful" "cumbersome" "time consuming", etc.

Not so with this little nugget.

Today, I found another use for it other than hold tabs...Holding end caps in place on square tubing.

I will be honest with you. I used to just hold them in place with a finger while I tacked. Its easy to get complacent after years of welding.

A few weeks ago, I was doing this, and the arc jumped right through my glove and gave me a deep burn on a finger tip and it hurt like a bear. Like worse than stubbing your little toe on the bed leg at 2am.

While the burns have long since healed, the memory is fresh enough that I actually turned around and drove back home on my way to the shop, after realizing I forgot my MagTab in my garage.

So back to todays video...

There are 5 different types of weld joints. ( this is a common question on written welding tests)

1. Corner Joint

2. Lap joint

3. Edge joint

4. Butt Joint

5. Tee Joint

Luckily, The first letter of each actually makes a word.

CLEBT

That is how I remember the 5 types of weld joints.

Corner joints are very common and are often welded from the outside and then are called "outside corner joints".

Lap joints are a very common weld joint too.

In this video, along with some tips on tack welding and the Magtab thingy, I show some tips for how to tig weld outside corners, and laps.

I know I have written about tack welding like a laser before, but it does work very well.

Here is a review.

Using a torch switch and with the machine set to 2t, and with zero upslope and zero downslope, I set the amperage to roughly twice what it takes to weld the joint.

then, using a sharp electrode, I position the tip of the tungsten electrode within about one electrode diameter from where I want the tack.

Then I press the torch switch for about half a second or less.

A caution.... try this on scrap metal first to get used to it.or you might blow some holes.

Once the end caps were tacked, I tig welded them all using several different tig welding techniques.

some with no filler metal

some using 309 ss filler metal

some using small circles

I used as low as 80 amps, and as much as 130 amps to weld the end caps and feet.

With a simple torch switch, and no amperage control, you can still make some adjustments by just traveling faster or slower.

GMAW-SC weld cost

by Kasi Lea Edwards
(Paulding Ohio)

My class is currently learning GMAW and we are to find out how much you would charge someone if you used .035 wire, 75-25 argon and CO2 mixture. it would be a 1/4" weld that is 3" long on a 1/4" plate and your IPM would be 225 i have to know how much it would cost for an inch of that weld. If i could get a quick answer that would be awesome or at least teach me how to get the answer so i can get these in the future would be even better. please hurry and thank you alot!

-----------------------------------------------

I am probably late with this..

what I do is charge a buck per inch.

but that is probably what the instructor is looking for.

things you need to know to figure this out are..

your travel speed

cost per cubic feet of gas

cost per inch of filler wire.

it could be a very detailed and complicated formula .

example...

if the weld is 3 inches long and travel speed is 12 inches per minute, than welding time is only .25 of a minute.

if a flow rate of 25 cfh of gas is used for 15 seconds,.. that is a tiny cost because 15 seconds is 0.0041666666666667 of an hour.

in my area gas is roughly 40 cents per cubic foot.

so .0041666666666667 x 40 cents is not even a penny.

not worth figuring unless thousands of these 3 inch welds would be done...but your instructor might just want you to figure it anyway for the sake of understanding how to calculate costs.

Filler metal is another story, you would need to know how much an inch of wire costs.

then you could use travel speed to figure how long the wire fed at 225 imp

no easy answer....thats why I use a buck per inch plus a buck per tack weld. and adjust from there.

Miller Maxstar 150 s power source?

by Andrew
(Findlay, Ohio)

Hi Jody, my company has recently purchased a maxstar 150 s. This is actually one very impressive machine using 220. However, id like to plug the 115 directly into a 3500 watt generator, is this safe for the machine to do since there is no breaker to kick off once i run above 70 amps? Any help would be great!
Thanks, Andrew

------------------------

Andrew,

I am not really sure.

later inverters like the dynasty 200 are designed to be used with generators but not too sure about the 150.

that is not much help, i know,
Here is a download link for miller manuals...

http://www.millerwelds.com/service/ownersmanuals.php

Cant figure out what current setting im on

by Andy

Wanting to know what setting im on w/out using an amp gauge on a lincoln 250ac in the back of our welding truck.

1st gear is 90 then when you adjust the fine from 10 on up what does this mean exactly? Can someone help, have heard conflicting information on how to find out "where im at" as far as amperage settings.

Its probably a lot simpler than I am making it out to be, I just need a baseline for welding root, hot-pass, and cap and Im currently struggling to find just the right amperage for my root w/out opening up my key-hole too much but enough to where im not sticking all the time.

By the way this is for 2" sch 40 pipe in 6G fixed position running downhill, 30 deg bevel, 1/16" land and gap. Either 5g or 6g tips would be great if anyone can help.

Question

I just started welding. I always wanted to learn how and my boss agreed to give me a chance to move into the fab shop where i work and get trained. its been 5 days so far and each day it seems im gettin better. like i said im new to this trade. the only problem im having is getting comfortable when i weld. i seem to always have an awkward stance pr position. when gettin ready to lay a much longer bead i have trouble finding a position where i can keep steady. any suggestions or anything like that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

btw MIG WELDING. i guess you dont be become a master craftsmen overnight?

-------------------------------------------------

you hit the nail on the head...it takes some time.

but if you really think about things, it will come quicker.

take some dry runs and pay attention to body position.

sometimes its best to be slightly uncomfortable at the beginning of a weld so that you move into a comfortable position during the weld...you can weld longer that way.

thats where taking the dry runs helps while you pay attention and think about how your arms, hands, and body moves or how you pivot on elbows, etc.

also another tip is to relax, and dont hold the gun any tighter that you need to to be steady.

heat for open butt roots

by steve

My questions is setting the heat. Ii know for 1/8 tig rod on carbon it usually goes nice at 100the amps on my lincoln. My question is what do you yourself look for when checking the amps for a root. Melt into a hot puddle instantly, slowly fan out to a puddle? Machines weld differently im just wondering what's a good practice for the heat on a root pass considering the gap there. Its not a good idea to test heat on bevels so ........

--------------------------------------------------

one thing you can do is get a piece of 1/4" scrap..
with your lincoln machine set to 100 amps , light up and count to 3 seconds.

measure the spot.
thats your reference for other machines.

in gerneral, i also find that if i dont get the puddle i want at max pedal within 3 seconds, the amps are too low.

Help w/generator requirements (have generac 7500E)

by Ken willoughby
(dallas, iowa)

The Hobart 210 has voltage adjustments from 1-7. What does each number represent in volts?

I just looked at the chart in the owners manual and it appears the range is about 13-27 volts

hobart 210 onwers manual

the # 1 voltage click being 13 volts and 7 being about 27.

something like this.

1----13 volts

2---16

3----18

4----20

5-----22

6-----25

7 ------27 volts

Nice welding work platform

by Bob
(Lucerne, CA)

Workbench Bed

This WORKBENCH Bed is comfortable. The bed sits low on the frame for the proper height and the perimeter placement of the equipment provides for a nice flat area to lay out your work.

welding test

How much time is allowed for a 2" tube test with a .625 wall thickness? I was usually given a 4 hr. time limit to complete the test.

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Time limits are not in the welding code or standard.

that is something imposed by the testing facility or contractor, or test supervisor.

It makes sense to have some type of time limit.

but I have not found that it is consistent from one test shop to another....even on the same exact test.

help with metal core settings

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Best practice for bead sequencing on large diameter steel pipe using mechanized GMAW-P?

by J. Russell
(Iowa)

I'm having difficulty qualifying a procedure using GMAW-RMD (Miller short circuit process - not the problem) followed by filling the joint with GMAW-Pulse (the problem).

Here are the finer details:
1. 18"OD pipe, 3/4"thick, steel SA106 B
2. ER70S-6 filler
3. qualified to ASME Section IX
4. V-groove
5. Miller Axcess 450 power source
6. mechanized process
7. single pass GMAW-RMD root (great)
8. fill/cover passes using GMAW-P (fails radiograph)

Our company requires radiograph examination of all of our qualifications and of course we're having a hard time getting our GMAW-P passes to pass radiograph. We get lines of lack-of-fusion mostly on the side walls but also sometimes in the middle between passes as well. I've attempted oscillation to make our bead profile flatter (so we don't get harsh valleys in the weld) and attempting some dramatic torch angles to keep us ahead of our puddle but with no avail.

Any suggestions?

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My first impression is that you should position the torch at a position where the welding is slightly uphill...like 11 o clock with a 90 degree torch angle ...or slight push angle...as well as torch oscillation to flatten the bead profile.

Guided Bend Test Jig.

by Reginald King
(Pasadena, Texas )

I am currently wanting trim my budget and start bending my own my weld test plate. AWS D1.1 and ASME Section IX QW-466.1 addresses the construction of the test jig. These two codes only specify the test plate thickness for 3/8" with outer elongation percentage and material stress values as governing factors for the required inside radius of bend. AWS sets plunger diameter to 2 inches for 50 to 90 ksi for P1 materials. SA516-70 is the material I will use but AWS fig. 4.17 speaks only of 3/8 wall. My test consists of 3/4" wall. If I use the stress value apparently used in AWS fig.4.17 (15.798%)to derive the required inside diameter for bend, I come up with 3-3/4" diameter for 3/4" plate. I can eliminate the problem by cutting my test plate to 3/8" thin strip and do side bends vs root and face bends. I would like to know if anyone out there encountered this particular situation. Verify for me what would be the minimum bend radius for P1-SA516-70ksi on 3/4" thick plate for guided bend test? Inform me where I could find literature that discusses this particular situation. thanks

amount of land to weld pipe?

How much land would be required to weld 8 inch diameter sch,40 pipe open butt?

----------------------------------------------------

Depends on a lot of things.

for tig welding root pass, no land is required.

for stick uphill 6010 electrode, 3/32--1/8" with a 3/32--1/8" gap.

for downhill root with 6010 or 7010, 1/16"--3/32" gap and land works depending on welder preference and procedure.

best all around tig welder

i was wondering what your opinion was on the best all around tig welder for the money. my typical applications would be 3/8 or less metal thickness on aluminum and carbon steel.

-------------------------------------------------

for the money? if you have adequate power (100 amp service) a used miller syncrowave 250 is still one of the best all round tig welders.

if you dont have that much power you might only be able wire a 30 amp plug.

I have an everlast powertig 250ex that cost less than a used syncrowave 250 that has done me a good job for the last year or so.

I cant full endorse them,, but for the money, its a good machine.

the only issue is when they break, it might take a while to get it fixed.

Need to get a copy of my welders certificate

by Jeremie
(Florida)

I moved to Florida from Michigan and I lost my welders certificate, How do I go about getting a replacement?

--------------------------------------------------

I would suggest calling your previous employer.

going forward, I would suggest every time you take a test, ask for copies of the certs.

it is so much easier to get copies of certs while you are still employed by the company where you certified.

recommended rod for welding 3" thick steel

we have to build a box out of 3" thick steel but not sure what rod we should use, could you help? another thing is what kind of bevel should be done on the steel.

----------------------------------------------------

Probably the biggest diameter 7018 stick you can handle for the position.

If the welds can be done flat or horizontal, a 3/16" rod will put down a lot of metal.

bevels should be adequate to allow for complete penetration if that is what the print or application calls for .
usually around s 45-60 degree included angle.

if you are welding to a spec, like AWS D1.1, the joint specs can be located there.

welding certification

by Tristan McNabb
(Des Moines NM)

im a 16 yr old student in high school and i would like to be able to get the highest welding certification in high schoold without going outside of my highschool. do you have any suggestions.

---------------------------------------------------

I doubt you will get a valid certification within your school...unless your school is a certified AWS accredited test facility.

But if your high school offers any type of certification tests, get all you can.

Any piece of paper you can get that records a welding test might help you get your foot in the door later on.

You will probably need to further your welding training at a local tech school or at a training center like Tulsa welding school, hobart, or lincoln.

Everywhere you go for the rest of your welding training time and also career, I would advise you to ask for the documentation every time you take a test.

tip for restarting

i just tap my rod lightly on something...im NOT working on...till i see metal from the rod.

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Welding Video Archives

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part 2 of fabricating 10 carts with a stronghand welding table
stainless steel exhaust repair
welding tools and table - fabrication
miller diversion demo using helium mix
plans for building a portable band saw stand tig welder demo

July 6, 2011...Miller Diversion vs Everlast 185 micro

tig welder demo..

how to tig weld overhead video

May 9, 2011...tig welding overhead is mostly a matter of figuring out how to be comfortable and how to hold the torch.

walking the cup or using a tig finger both work...

Miller welding helmet

May 6, 2011...A review on my Miller Digital Elite

a pretty good helmet but not perfect...

mig welding overhead

May 3, 2011...Mig welding overhead

Mig machine settings and techniques for overhead welding..

how to mig weld video

April 22, 2011...mig welding is probably the easiest way to get started welding

bare wire mig with .023" wire is best for auto body work...

Welding Ground Tip

March 29, 2011...Sometimes a normal ground clamp does not cut it. Parts do not always have a good place to attach a ground clamp and sometimes you need to protect the part from arc strikes

this quick welding video shows a 2 minute tip for getting a good ground on anything....

Aluminum Properties and how to weld

March 22, 2011...There are a few things you need to know about all aluminum welding ... aluminum is hot short..that means it cracks easily at certain temperature ranges. That is why tack welds done with no filler dont work.

Click the picture or link about to see this welding video and tips for tig welding aluminum.

metals and how to weld nickel

March 9 2011....nickel alloys like inonel, hastelloy, nichrome V, and waspalloy do not need as much heat and have a sluggish puddle.

click the pic or link to see the welding video on nickel alloys.

properties of stainless and how to purge

March 2 2011....one of the properties of stainless is that it will sugar if not purged on the back side and that looks like Fido's ass.

This short video on the oxidation properties of stainless shows how to purge and weld.

Arc Welding Project

Feb 23 2011....Old school stick welding for when you have to weld over crap

Sometimes good enough is good enough...and sometimes you cant clean the metal or it just aint worth it

brazing copper to steel silver brazing steel or stainless steel to copper with stay silv white flux

properties of stainless and how to weld it properties of stainless steels...best practices for welding stainless to keep it from rusting

metals and how to weld them properties of metals

welding certification test practice practicing for a welding certification test...part 2

tig welding test tips for tig welding practice

tig welding techniques tips for tig welding lap joints and butt joints

tig welding razor blades tips for welding razor blades and why you should sharpen your tungsten like a freaking needle

tig welding techniques for pipe welding root pass and fill passes without walking the cup.

mig welding techniques 2 mig welding techniques for mig welding uphill. Sliced and diced into cross sections for metallographic testing for penetration.

tig welding aluminum coke cans

Miller Dynasty 200dx and Everlast powertig 250ex go head to head welding coke cans.

how to mig using spray transfer check out the difference between short arc and spray....pushing vs pulling using mig also and welding test cross section results

cutting metal using a tig torch like a plasma cutterA tig torch will cut sheet metal, but only good in a pinch, a plasma cutter is much better.

mig welding downhill root pass and uphill weave beadA little known practice weld that prepares a welder for open butt V groove welds without breaking the bank

welding stainless steel outside cornersA tip for making a chill block fixture that really helps on outside corner joints....like when you are building a tank or box.

Innovative Tig Torches from WeldTec as seen at Fabtech 2010 a 320 amp small water cooled torch and also a small air cooled torch with a nimble whip...what?

Innovative Pipe vise and pipe clamps this is one "cool as balls" tripod vise

Homemade Tig welder - Rectifier turns buzz box into tig welder

Tips for welding stainless steel tubing for boat rails

Millers new wireless foot pedal for tig welders

how to tig welding with the laywire techniqueLaywire means leaving the wire in the puddle. Pipe welders and boilermakers do it all the time.

Welding Rods for Dissimilar Metals Sometimes you dont know the exact metal you are welding but it damn sure needs welding right now...

pulse tig parameters

High speed pulse vs slow speed pulse tig explained

welding 303 stainless

how to weld 303 stainless steel with an everlast powertig 250ex and make strong welds that will hold grandma over the grand canyon

arc welding machine combo welder

Stick ARc welding with the EVerlast Powerpro 256 arc welding machine slash tig welder, slash plasma cutter

plasma cutter review

The Everlast PowerPro 256 is an ac/dc tig welder, stick welder, and plasma cutter...and its far from average.

tig welder review

an arc start issue is fixed after talking with tech support at Everlast

lincoln mig welding school

Awesome article about the one week Mig welding school Lincoln offers in Cleveland OH

modular fixturing

Modular fixturing comes in so handy for short production runs of welded fabricated parts.

multiprocess welder

welding steel with the everlast powerpro 256 multiprocess tig stick plasma cutter.

welding table video

stronghand tools mac daddy precision welding table

precision welding table

precision welding table from stronghand tools

tig welding brass

how to tig weld brass using aluminum bronze filler metal and pulse tig.

aluminum weld repair

an aluminum weld repair on a motorcycle bracket.

metal fabrication table

putting together the stronghand tools buildpro precision welding table

portable welding table and a bigger precision fixturing table

starting the build on a bunch of sewer crawlers using the portable welding table

2% lanthanated electrodes comparision test

Why is 2% lanthanated the best all around tungsten electrode?

tig welding accessories organizer on the cheap

Cheap way to organize your tig welding accessorizes like cups, collets, collet bodies, electrodes, etc.

different types of welding rods for stick welding

differences in 6010, 6011, 7018, and 7024

types of welding - tig, mig, stick

tig mig and stick welding overview ...what each one is good for

aluminum tig fingertip control for amperage

tig fingertip controls for overhead tig welding aluminum

tig welding aluminum using helium and argon mix

using an argon helium mix for thick aluminum increases penetration and helps a lot...makes it weld better and faster

welding positioners

recommendations for a welding positioner...what to look for in an affordable welding turntable

tig wire feeder

a tig wire feeder saves time and wire on some jobs

miller passport welder

miller passport mig welder uses small paintball co2 cylinders for portability and has a great arc with co2

sheet metal fabrication a trick for tack welding

this trick for tack welding saves lots of time

aluminum tig welding project

aluminum tote tray project using the tack welding tip

everlast tig welder settings part 1

part 1 of a series on what all those freakin knobs are for

everlast tig welder settings part 2

part 2 of a series on what all those freakin knobs are for

everlast tig welder settings part 3

part 3 of a series on what all those freakin knobs are for

everlast tig welder settings part 4

part 4 of a series on what all those freakin knobs are for

everlast tig welder settings part 5

part 5 of a series on what all those freakin knobs are for

everlast tig welder settings part 6

part 6 of a series on what all those freakin knobs are for leave welding video archives and learn more about the 2010 youtube welding DVD set

Bronze Welding

by Noel
(New Zealand)

I am repair welding a brass spindle from a separator used for tallow in a rendering department of a freezing works. I have tried Tig, Gas and bronze electrodes. Heated the job in a gas fired oven -none of the welds will stick and are full of holes. I have 35 years experience and am a tradesman - but this has me stumped?? My boss is driving me crazy (not a welder). Any ideas would be appreciated.

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the zinc in the brass will outgas and leave pits.

silver brazing with flox or gas welding with flux might be the ticket.

i have had some limited success using tig with pulse but always some porosity due to the zinc.

Slag or undercut

by Nicky
(Alberta)

How do u know that xray knows how to call Slag or undercut on B31.3 severe cyclic?

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you never really know if the x ray tech is adequately trained and experienced.
Thats why a lot of folks are of the opinion that x ray techs and other ndt inspectors should be welders or at least have a certain amount of practical welding experience.

Otherwise, the x ray tech might be using a standard chart for common welding defects.

I have seen inspectors label a slag inclusion on a titanium tig weld .040" thick single pass test weld.

turned out there was a big chart in the inspection room with all the common weld defects and the inspector , who had zero welding experience was just matching up negatives the best he could.

Tradesmen International is always hiring welders and shipbuilders

by Nick

Call one of their marine offices and get signed up, they will always keep you busy! Structural Welders, Pipe welders, ship fitters, pipe fitters...

posted 9-5-11

Slide Hammer Puller

"Oh No...He looks like one of those guys... "

A while back I made a video showing how to remove a pressed in pin using a slide hammer puller.

A machinist buddy of mine mis-located a steel pin in an aluminum part and needed it removed.

He tried to drill it out but the pin became too hard to drill and so he brought it to me to remove by welding.

The dowel pin was drilled down about 3/8" deep and was kind of hard to get to...but using a gas lens setup and a sharp electrode, it was really pretty easy.

The heat from welding usually helps shrink the pin a little and when you use a slide hammer with vise grips clamped to the mushroom head you weld on the pin, it cannot help but surrender.

This is an extremely handy tool.

It works better than the slide hammer pullers that are made to work with stud welders that have the small wheel cam lock device.

For this little project, I bought some Stanley locking pliers with curved jaws that grip better for this purpose than the old school vise grips I have on my old puller.

The curved jaws will grip a stud, or a welded head on a pin with ease.

Here are 3 main points for making your own slide hammer:

? If you can , get a slide hammer puller with the stud puller attachment ....its easier to cut and weld, and you can remove it if you ever need to.

? mark the angle on the stud puller attachment so that the jaws on the vise grip pliers are very closely aligned with the puller.

(if its not aligned, it will torque and might snap the pin, stud, nail, or whatever you are trying to pull)

? When you are finished making your puller, make sure to do your impression of Al Pacino in Scarface...."Say hello to my little friend!"

finished with the slide hammer page ? see past videos here

help with tig welder

I want to weld some lightweight metal fence brackets at right angles. Is a 115 volt tig welder available from Harbor Freight up to the job?

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A 115v tig welder from harbor freight can probably handle the job .

most 115 volt tig welders can go up to 90-100 amps with no problems as long as you are not running off a long extension cord.

It might be slower than mig but it should be able to do the job

Downhand welds on Edges

by Rob
(Moose Jaw, Canada)

Where I work, we run a lot of downhand welds... more so than vertical up welds. Never on anything thicker tank gauge, unless it has a wicked gap or requires more than 3 fill passes (3/8'' wall plates gapped about 3/8''). On gauge it works well because you can catch the edges and watch it burn in real nice, without warping the material. On the heavier stuff though, don't even bother... I've actually gotten a scraper behind a downhand pass and peeled it out of there. Like you said, the weld puddle gets out of hand and kind of 'floats' away from the penetration point.

Wearing earplugs while doing any overhead or enclosed spaces.

by Dave Selover
(Sacramento, CA)

I personally wear earplugs welding any position. I am still able to hear and adjust welder for proper amp range. I think it gives you more confidence when welding overhead or vertical. It speeds up production time when you need to use a grinder. My friend lost his hearing in his left ear while welding overhead on a exhaust system. Welding slag dropped right into his ear canal. Safety speeds up production in any shop and possibly lowers your insurance rates. SAFETY=MORE MONEY.
DAVE SELOVER SEPT. 2011

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I agree on the ear plugs. I have experienced a ball of fire in my ear once or twice and know I have lost some hearing over the years.

I also try to wear earplugs whenever I need them and when mig or stick welding to keep the fire out.

What's the best way to weld in a drilled hole.

Hi Jody, man great job on the site and everything. My question is how to best focous the arc at the bottom of a drilled hole in aluminum? The idea is to build it up to re-tap threads in it for a bolt. I was using a 2%thoriated tungsten on pulse I can't remember what freq now, but it was very hard to get a puddle at the bottom of the hole.

Regards Dave Reid.

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Dave,
a 2oo F preheat and a helium mix of up to 80 percent helium helps more than any setting.

i know what you are talking about. I once watched someone trying to get filler wire down in the bottom of a threaded hole with a skinny long tig cup.

he could fit the wire in, so he would puddle, stop, drop in bits of snipped wire, puddle again, and so on.

it was a slow go.

Welding Techniques

" Stick vs Mig ...smokey smokey? "

( ... having trouble viewing this video? click here to view it at Welding-TV.com. )

A TIG finger works for Migging Too

I lucked up and got a gravy job the other day so I took the chance to shoot video on welding techniques using both mig and stick.

The job was as simple as pie. Welding 2" round stock into 1" thick A36 hot rolled steel.

About 8 plates , 2 pins each, welded both sides for a total of 32 welds.

These parts were going to be dipped in a black oxide coating tank when done so the hot rolled mill scale needed to be removed so the black oxide coating could do its magic.

That is why the parts are clean and shiny in the video.

Its not often, you get to weld parts that are already cleaned, and tack welded.

Hey that brings me to a good tip....

I discovered a wheel for a grinder that removes hot rolled mill scale without loading up.

If you have ever used a sanding disc to clean hot rolled down to shiny bright metal, you know how quickly the sanding disc quits sanding . That oxidized mill scale is really hard to remove.

A grinding wheel works but sometimes the finish is just too rough.

The wheel I discovered, or rather that my machinist buddy discovered. is made by Norton. Its one of the "Rapid Strip" line.

Its blue and coarse and looks a bit like scotch brite except that its much tougher.

The part number on the packaging is

OKI-NRT 07660704015 T27 4.5X5/8-11T Rapid Strip Coarse

Just google it and you will find what I am talking about.

(this just in on July 1, 2011...one viewer emailed to say his experience with the norton wheels were very disappointing on hot rolled steel. They worked great for me on my application but I guess not all hot rolled steel is the same. So keep that in mind. if you are going to try them out, you might want to only buy one first to see how it works )

I am including a photo of the package so you can make sure to get the same thing if you need to. The Rapid Strip wheel worked great for removing the hot rolled coating and lasted much longer than sanding discs....and left a really smooth finish too.

OK, back to this weeks video and differences in mig/arc welding techniques

Since I already had a stick welder hooked up with some 1/8" 7018 stick electrode on hand, I decided to weld a few welds with stick before swapping over to mig. It gives me more to write about and makes for a more interesting video. I think.

To me , this was definitely a mig job.

... but its good to keep in practice with the old stick ... besides any mig is likely to be out of commission mid job...then what? you just stick weld, that's what.

133 amps was the setting on the machine but it seemed more like about 120 amps. At times, I thought about 5-10 more amps would have made the weld a little smoother but I also think that was mostly because it was hard to maintain a really good rod angle.

In the video, I try to demonstrate a way of holding the rod in the electrode holder that works good for going around round parts like this. It works for me, it might work for you to so you might give it a go.

I only stick welded a few welds before moving on to mig.

The mig nozzle was sure packed with spatter but since I did this job at someone elses shop, I made sure to bring a leatherman tool with me. A leatherman tool is a welders best friend. Not only is it good for snipping wire but can be used like mig pliers for cleaning a nozzle.

Once the nozzle was cleaned and adjusted for stickout, I made several dry runs with the mig gun to find a way to reach all the way around the part without stopping.

Honestly, I think it was easier to make it all the way around with the stick because mig is faster and its hard to change hand positions fast enough to keep up the travel speed.

Almost the same welding techniques can be used for a job like this no matter whether stick or mig.

Very small cursive e's will work on both processes.

A 7018 also works fine with just a smooth drag, but for me, some slight motion like small cursive e's hides my shakiness.

The cursive e welding technique has always worked for me for mig welding in most situations. I use it all the time.

exit welding techniques and See the Tig Finger

Porosity and lack of fusion in Copper welds

We have a customer that wants us to TIG weld two dissimilar alloys. The first alloy is Bronze 4640 (Nickel, Aluminum, Bronze)and the second alloy is UNS C10100 (Copper). We will also be using the UNS C10100 as filler material. We have done trials with a Miller Maxstar 200SD welder, AC voltage, 100% argon, and 2% thoriated electrodes. We have experienced a large amount of porosity and lack of fusion between the two alloys. Can you offer any suggestions to help? I have heard that DC voltage may work better. How about throwing in some Helium?
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Are you sure you used AC current? a miller maxstar is a DC machine. maybe you meant miller dynasty 200sd.

in any case, dc current will penetrate more. and yes helium would help tremendously. Either uhp pure helium, or a mix of about 80 percent helium, and 20 argon.

also a preheat of around 200-300f would help with better fusion as well as less porosity

X Welder & Instructor

by Ron Robinson
(Gastonia, N.C. 28054)

To sharpen tungsten electrodes, I purchased an inexpensive bench grinder and a 1/4" reversible electric drill with a keyless chuck.

Turn grinder on, chuck up a tungsten and grind lengthwise,reverse drill & unchuck. I can prepare at least 12 on both ends in less than 5 minutes. Saves a lot of time going back and forth to grinder especially if you are on production or working out in the field.

Grinder is for tungstons only.

Tip from old RON--Have a nice day.

Metalworking Hand Tools

Welding Videos will continue to be available here for free, but now you can also download them for cheap and watch them anywhere....and it will help me pay some bills too.

Click here to see the new Video Download page

This video is about organizing your metalworking hand tools, plasma cutting, some old school stick welding, and an explanation of the back step welding technique that helps avoid distortion.

A while back I posted a video showing a dead simple way to make a do-it-yourself portable bandsaw stand.

A reader emailed me some pics of one he had built and I thought it was about the simplest and easiest to build plan I had ever seen for a portaband stand so I thought I would send it out to everyone.

Later , forum member Kiwimike on my welding forum even made a portable bandsaw stand using a cheap harbor freight portable bandsaw.

you can see his plans here at ... DIY portable bandsaw stand

I got quite a few comments telling me there was a very well made portaband stand available at a website called swagoffroad.com...
so I checked it out.

I wound up contacting Troy at Swagoffroad.com about doing a video on some of his stuff ....and that brings me to the main topic of this video.

Swag Off Road mostly focuses on aftermarket accessories for off road enthusiasts but they also offer some very cool and innovative welding tools.

Here are the main three that caught my eye:

The Clutter Catcher from Swag off road

The Portable Bandsaw Stand from SWAG offroad

Plasma Circle Cutter

I am not the neatest guy in the world. In fact, I do some of my best work in the middle of a mess. Its not intentional, It just happens. I have to stop work sometimes just to put some things away because it gets out of hand.

Who better than a messy guy like me to show how well the "Clutter Catcher" works. So I figured I would make a video like the one at SWAG but with a few welding tips and tricks added in.

I got out 2 angle grinders, 1 air motor drill, 2 air grinders, many vise grips type clamps, a combination square, 3 sharpies, wire brush, grinding wheels, mig pliers, big freakin hammer, adjustable wrench, 2 third hand tools, and several other metalworking tools.

When its all laid out on the table , it looks like there is no way it will all fit in the Clutter Catcher....

But it does.

This thing is Awesome.

As I continued to work showing some outside corner joint welding on 16ga hot rolled steel, I found that I could find my tools fast... and get to them quickly and easily.

I just clamped my clutter catcher on the end of my Stronghand welding table with clamps until I decide where to mount it permanently.

A plasma cutter is a very useful tool.

It cant take the place of a sheet metal shear but it can come pretty close.

For cutting sheet metal with a plasma cutter, less than 40 amps is needed and at that amperage, the torch tip can be rested directly on the metal being cut which allows for dragging the torch against a straight edge.

The idea is simple. Figure out the dimension between the center of the torch and the edge, and clamp a straight edge that distance off where the cut should be made.

Its easy once you figure out the optimum amperage setting, travel speed, etc.

Plasma cuts are cleaner than oxyfuel cuts on sheet metal and it doesnt even matter what kind of metal you are cutting.

Of course, the dross needs to be ground off before welding, but that only takes a few minutes.

Did you know that you can get 1/16" stick welding rods that will let you weld thin sheet metal with a stick welder?

its true.

1/16" is pretty small. The rods feel like tiny sparklers.

but they run good.

these little 6013 welding rods run good downhill because the puddle is so small.

Normally, a 6013 welding rod is too slaggy to run downhill...the slag runs ahead of the puddle and causes all kinds of problems.

Keep in mind, 1/16" 6013 rods make a puddle that is only about 1/8" wide.

So if you have some thin stuff to weld and dont have a light duty mig with .023" bare wire and gas shielding, your stick welder might just do the job as long as you have some tiny little 1/16" rods.

What is the backstep welding technique?

basically, its welding in a certain direction, but the weld progression is in the other direction.

It limits distortion.

The backstep welding technique is best shown in a video so watch that sucker.

If you are looking for a holder for your metalworking hand tools, I cant think of a better tool than the "Clutter Catcher" from Swagoffroad.com.