Welding

[bev27]

sometimes i do think i take a little too much on at one time. Never mind, just have to roll my sleeves up and crack on!

[bev27]

so can someone explain, someone suggests TIG and someone suggested MIG...... eh?!!!

[bigginger]

Try here - http://www.daytonamig.com/faq.htm Mig is the kind of welding you generally see being done these days. The wire is fed into the weld pool automatically. TIG involves feeding in a filler rod by hand. Great for pretty welds and welding aluminium and other metals too, but the kit is much more expensive to buy, and it's harder to learn to do well unless you can already gas weld.

[bev27]

oh i get it, i must have used a mig at college! found it quite hard, put it where i wanted and by the time i had pulled the mask down i have welded something else!!! but today im gonna ask for more lessons.

[bigginger]

I didn't say it was easy, just the easiest to learn to do

[Chris Morley]

oh i get it, i must have used a mig at college! found it quite hard, put it where i wanted and by the time i had pulled the mask down i have welded something else!!!

Easily done if you are using a poor quality mask. When I learnt at Brooklands College I was using expensive professional equipment and it was pure joy to watch the weld being 'pushed' along in a straight line. My first attempts at home holding a cheap hand-held mask were rubbish in comparison. Now I use a mask that incorporates the reactolite technology and my welding isn't too bad!

[Ratbag]

I find MIG very difficult to use - easy enough downhand on good fresh steel - not so easy upside down under the car on rusty steel!! TIG is easy to control - and you feed in the filler wire as and when needed as opposed to the MIG which relentlessly pushes in more wire whether it's needed or not!

...AND TIG is easy upside down on rusty steel? ....NOTT!

[chickenjohn]

I agree with those who say to use a reactive helmet. They are under £100 these days for a good one and makes welding so much easier. You can actually see what you are doing before starting welding, getting the right angle, distance and aiming the torch where you want to run the bead.

So buy a reactive helmet and get lots of practice on scrap pieces of clean 1mm steel. Once you've got the hang of Mig welding it seems a lot easier. Make sure your welder is set up properly as well.

[chickenjohn]

Oh, and on thin metal to start with its OK just to do a series of short pulses of weld. You don't need to run a continuous bead.

[bev27]

thank you for all your help, will have a go, my college tutor has one of them helmets, he let me use it to see what it was like, did a much better job!

[bmcecosse]

Yes - auto dark helmet is worth it's weight in gold. I didn't say TIG was easy upside down Mr ratbag. I find the oxy/acet to be the best for that!

[chickenjohn]

Oxy acet (gas welding) is lovely for repairing panels such as wings etc, as the weld is nice and soft and if you butt the edges up you can do without filler rod. The softness of the weld means the repair can be dressed down.

Mig is easier to learn though for the beginner.

[bmcecosse]

Not in my experience it's not - but then I was brought up on gas welding! To be honest I think my biggest problem with MIG is vision - my vari focus specs don't let me see through the necessary section of the lense when wearing the visor.

[alex_holden]

A reactive helmet should solve that problem.

[chickenjohn]

Yes, beeing able to see what you are doing is the key to Mig welding.