Several tips on welding equipment, MIG and TIG welders, plasma cutters. ARC Welding : ARC welding is one of the oldest welding processes around. It uses either an AC or DC power supply to create an electric arc between the welding rod and the workpiece metal to melt the metals and join them together. This style of welding is relatively inexpensive and very portable but it does require some practice to get good consistent welds and the welds will probably require some arc weldercleaning up afterwards. ARC welding is less suited to welding thinner materials but there is a large range of specialist electrodes (welding rods) available for ARC welders depending on what materials you are welding. ARC welding is versatile but more suited to heavier applications.
TIG welders advices: how to become a more skilled welder and how to pick the top welding equipment. Use the smallest tungsten that will get the job done. Use the smallest tungsten to get the job done. …within reason. Another way of saying this is don’t just use a 1/8” electrode for everything. There are jobs where a 1/8” electrode is great like for welding 3/16” thick aluminum. But what if you are welding on the edge of a .030” turbine blade? A .040” electrode will be plenty to handle the 15 amps and will give much better starts than even a 1/16” electrode. Too large an electrode can cause an erratic arc and contamination…and A bad start where the high frequency tries to arc up inside the cup and off the side of the tungsten can easily melt off a thin edge and scrap an expensive part. 2% thoriated or lanthanated tungsten electrodes hold up at high amperage better than most all other electrodes. When welding at higher amperages, often times you can use one size smaller electrode by using 2% thoriated or lanthanated. And that is a good thing.
Look for ways to create more efficiencies in the welding process. This includes examining such things as wire diameter, wire feed speed, voltage, travel speed, gas type, transfer mode, etc. For instance, if the shop is currently welding with a short arc process and a 75/25 blend of shielding gas, it may be more effective to switch to a different gas and a spray mode of transfer. Or, a change in process may be warranted based on the condition of the part. If there is oxide on the part, it may be easier to change to a process that will overcome contamination problems rather than try to clean each part before welding. Your welding supplier should be up to date on the latest technology and be able to advise you on new processes, machinery and consumables that can optimize welding at the shop. In some cases, it may be better to double bevel a joint to prepare it for welding rather than single bevel it. It is recommended to double bevel any material that is more than 3/4″ in thickness. Just this simple change in procedure can save quite a bit in weld metal. On a 3/4″ thick piece, a double bevel will use 1.45 lbs. per foot of weld metal while a single bevel will use 1.95 lbs. per foot. Searching for the best Welding Fume Extraction? We recommend Welding Supplies Direct & associated company TWS Direct Ltd is an online distributor of a wide variety of welding supplies, welding equipment and welding machine. We supply plasma cutters, MIG, TIG, ARC welding machines and support consumables to the UK, Europe and North America.
Tungsten size should be selected mainly according to amperage AND polarity: Tungsten size should be selected mainly according to amperage AND polarity and not always dependent upon metal thickness. When TIG welding aluminum, If your tungsten begins to ball up and quiver, this means your tungsten is getting near its capacity. This can be minimized by using the A/C balance dial and setting it for more penetration and less cleaning…or if you are using a TIG inverter like a miller dynasty, the a/c balance should probably be set to 65-70% EN. For transformer machines like the syncrowave, The a/c balance set to the cleaning side means more of the dcep side of the a/c wave which means more heat is on the tungsten tip = more wiggling. The more to the penetration side, the more the arc is on the negative side and the Less heat on tungsten tip and less cleaning action but the square wave usually provides enough cleaning anyway even in max penetration mode.
The welding setup, welder settings, and electrode selection will impact how fast welders can work. Industrial welders invest time in planning the size and shape of their welding areas, how parts are laid out, and how they supply their shielding gas. Testing settings or an electrode on a piece of scrap metal, especially for a beginners, will save time in the long run. Learn more about setting up an efficient shop here. Welding Downhill Increases Welding Speed: While welding downhill is a faster way to weld, it’s not as strong as welding uphill. On most projects it’s not worth sacrificing strength and durability for the sake of welding speed. However, if the metal is thin enough, then welding downhill won’t make the weld weaker and may even be the correct technique for the job. Learn about uphill and downhill welding and see these diagrams of vertical and downhill welding.
Before you start welding, make sure all of your connections are tight — from the front of the MIG gun to the power pin attaching it to the power source. Also be certain there is no spatter buildup on your consumables and that you have a ground cable as close to the workspace as possible. Whenever possible, hook the ground cable on the weldment. If that is not possible, hook it to a bench. But remember: The closer it is to the arc, the better. If you have a questionable ground, it can cause the gun to overheat, impacting contact tip life and weld quality. In addition, regularly clean any shavings from the welding wire or debris that collects on your consumable parts and in your liner using clean compressed air.
Should the electrode accidentally touch the metal or the filler, the electrode often becomes contaminated — meaning some of the rod or base metal gets stuck to it. Once the electrode is contaminated, the arc cone becomes misshapen, making it difficult or impossible to aim the arc with precision, and the boiling contaminants on the electrode may spit out impurities, further compounding your problems. The angle between the torch and the base metal is important, too. You need to angle the torch slightly to see the puddle, and provide access for the filler rod. A 15-degree angle is a good starting place, although some welders prefer a bit more or less. If you hold the torch at 45 degrees (or more), you’re losing a lot of the coverage from shielding gas, and the flatter angle will make the puddle longer than it is wide. For the record, the torch is tipped with the electrode pointing forward, in the direction of motion. Source: https://www.weldingsuppliesdirect.co.uk/.