How many TIG?

[jfg455]

I have a snap-on MIG 250 and use it for 90% of my welding. It is easy, quick and I am comfortable with it. I also have a Lincoln TIG 350. Honestly I need more time on it. I get by with my TIG skills but am not comfortable enough to use it for structural stuff. Also I am stuborn and try to teach myself how to do it so I spend most of my time swearing at it and fiddling with all the switches! But once in a while I knock out a beautiful TIG weld and fall in love with it. Then back to swearing......[cl

 

[mr-motorhead]

if you can afford it,the syncrowave is a lot smoother, i have a miller econo-tig that i bought years ago, but have a new syncro at work and i like it a lot better, i have more luck welding my old fenders on my 36 chevy with the tig than mig, you can control the heat a lot better. You will not need water cooled unless you plan on welding some really thick stuff.

 

[mine_us_3]

I've TIG welded mostly steel ER70s-2 and stainless 304 308 309 312 316, some monel, Inconel, super alloys, some aluminum for years in the production environment. It does take some work to get your welds to look nice. I welded on an old Airco TIG, but I love welding with a newer Miller 350. I own a Lincoln 250/250 that is set up for TIG that is fully converted over to water cooled with a Bernard water cooler, Weldcraft lines and torch head. I use it often enough to warrant having one around (little projects mostly) but when I need it for bigger stuff, I am really glad that I have one.

 

[lfgt]

I have recently added a Lincoln precision tig 225 to my garage tools. I can stitch some things together faster with the mig I have, but I like the look, and am more comfortable with the quality of welds I am able to produce.

I searched craigslist for a while looking for a used tig, never felt comfortable with what I found. I bought mine from a local welding shop set up for 1200.00. Came with new aircooled torch, stick leads, bottle lease, and consumables. 60 day warranty. It was used trade in from a tech school.

To me tig is a step up in the skill level, and look of a custom peice. It takes a longer time to master, but the pride level is higher. I also like the control, and options it gives me. I find that when Im making something, sometimes the welds are part of the finished products looks.

I didnt plan on it, but when I purchased my welder and word got out I had alum capabilities. I got some projects to do. Paid half my welder off first three weeks w side jobs. One hell of a bonus!

 

[ProFabActon]

Been a fabricator for 30 years... TIG is a great process from like the other guys say MIG is most often used. If it's going to be your only machine buy a GOOD mig machine like a Miller 252. TIG is best for aluminum or stainless.

 

[cfavrett]

tig

If you have a dc stick welder you can pick up an air cooled rig and a bottle of argon and be tiggin on a budget. Lot cheaper than buyin a tig maghine. Just wont have the hi freq pedal.

 

[DJ3100]

I TIG whenever I need the welds to disappear on steel because the entire job goes faster and I hate grinding and blending. TIG is cleaner, smaller and doesn't leave dingle berries on the part. It is also more expensive and hard to tack parts without clamping - one hand TIG welding is impossible for me. It takes much more concentration and skill than MIG.

I just got a Thermal Arc 186 because I wanted the ability to do nice aluminum welds and because I got a smokin good deal through the college (1/4 the price of a Miller Dynasty 200). The 186 is an inverter with wave balance, frequency adjustment and pulse. I water cooled it because the water cooled torches are smaller and don't get hot. I also got a CK Worldwide Flex Lok torch to help reach into tight spaces. Love the welder at this point. (The torch that comes with the 186 is huge, heavy clunky and stiff - didn't like it at all.)

 

[jamiebob]

i picked up a miller Syncrowave 210 when it came out had it now for 4 months, Really glad i did not get a Diversion 180. I only paid 450$ more. Not saying im good a tig welder but i can see now with those budget tig rigs you would out grow it some what fast. My miller 211 mig has not been turned on in months now.

 

[Old Iron]

I took my own advice and purchased a Miller 200 DX with a coolmate water cool unit.
Holy mackerel what a difference between the SD180 and it.

 

[kenny c]

I have an old lincoln machine that was given to me but I don't use it. I need to practice a lot more. I have a friend that uses it and welds for me when it's required. I have a spool gun for my miller 210 that I do aluminium and silicone bronze. so I have been forced to learn it.

 

[Ricks Garage]

I have a Hobart 180 combo unit. I use the arc welder for frame work and the TIG for aluminum (mostly intake restorations). I used it for fabricating a stainless exhaust system on a resto rod a couple of years ago. Best investment for a shop. I also have a MIG to do sheetmetal work.

weld on......[

 

[1952B3b23]

I dont have a Tig only a Mig (Millermatic 180) but would love to get one. Its just a pretty big investment for something i dont know how to use yet. I always wanted to learn how cause the welds look so nice (when done correctly) and need way less clean up like mig welds.

My question is how difficult do you guys think it would be for me to teach myself? I know theres tons of how to videos out there that could probably get me started. I dont know anyone that welds Tig and could teach/give me advice. So i would basically be going it alone and learning from you guys and how to videos.

Thanks,

-Chris

 

[donsrods]

A year ago I posted that my Son Dan was starting to use his tig more than he had been doing, now he is almost exclusively using the tig and the mig only gets used occasionally.

He is still doing the cage and backhalf in his Mustang and I have to admit the welds looks so much smaller and neater than what he used to do with his mig. He has learned a lot and has customized the tig torch with some accessories to make it work better and fit into tighter areas, so that is helping. The tig welds also are so clean and splatterfree that no grinding is needed, unlike when we used to mig stuff. Tig is also such a quiet process. You don't have that buzzing you get with a mig, it is essentially silent (except the lights dim in the shop and he has killed one shop stereo already with the waves from it).

But the mig is still a very good way to join metal together and ours sure has been flawless for the past 8 or so years.

Don

 

[26Troadster]

you know it's sad when someone has welded for over 30 years and has only had 5 minutes on a tig. if things ever get better i may try to get one. thought about building a homemade tig, just never did it. i think there is a link to a homemade unit on the site somewhere.

 

[Ricks Garage]

TIG welding is like learning to ride a motorcycle after driving an automatic car for all your life. You use both hands and your foot to control your welding. I taught myself to TIG. After about 8 months of frustration, I switched hands and WOW, the welds and flow were right on....I MIG and gas weld with either hand but using the TIG torch in my left hand worked out great.


weld on........[

 

[donsrods]

My Son has added some accessories to his TIG that have made it much nicer to use. One thing is a smaller torch that has an adjustable head so you can angle the head to position your hand better. It also has a 25 foot cord so you don't have to keep moving the machine closer.

He also bought some tips that take shorter electrodes (or whatever they are called) which make it easier to fit into tight spots when welding. He is also going to add a thumb control for the torch sometime soon.

The other day he had to get his tank filled because he has done so much welding on the cage in his Mustang. He has the biggest bottle and was paying $102 a refill, but he tried a new place and they only charge $ 46 for the same refill. Looks like you have to search around to get the best deal on supplies.



Don