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**Ohio-Ed** · 12-09-2010, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrewBeemer

Ed,
panic attack with depression meds help with the learning curve, couldn't resist. You'll be talking to yourself more under the hood.

I must add, plug the cooler power into the welder accessory power so that the cooler is always running with welder on.
My cooler has it's own switch, caught myself Tigging away then had that sinking feeling the coolse was turned off. Low amps only a couple minutes rhe torch was not damaged. Those blame yourself screwups are not cheap.
Start a metal collection to practice with, even short muffler shop pipe scraps are good to practice cut and fit then Tig.
Get a slab of sttel 1/4" minimum to 3/8" and build a rolling welding table.

BrewBeemer,

Good input, I'm pretty excited to get everything I need together and give it a shot. I'll add the anti-depression drugs to the list. I'm already feeling anxiety and I'm sure there will be plenty of depression with my first attempts.

I know it requires more heat/current, but is aluminum harder to tig? I read that it is good to practice on because it stays clean and you can lay beads overtop of each other. Thoughts?

Ed

**Homercidal** · 12-09-2010, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrewBeemer

Let the art of tungsten resharpening begin, keep spares handy this is not fun.

LOL! Yeah, that was one thing they showed me right away too! I used a grinder wheel or a disc sander, whichever was closest to me at the time.

Adjust the amount of the stick out to modify the shape of the torch (plasma?).

I found it very easy to get the tip stuck in the weld when not paying attention. Or the tip might get a glob on it. Beginners troubles.

**Homercidal** · 12-09-2010, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ohio-Ed

BrewBeemer,

Good input, I'm pretty excited to get everything I need together and give it a shot. I'll add the anti-depression drugs to the list. I'm already feeling anxiety and I'm sure there will be plenty of depression with my first attempts.

I know it requires more heat/current, but is aluminum harder to tig? I read that it is good to practice on because it stays clean and you can lay beads overtop of each other. Thoughts?

Ed

Aluminum is harder I think due it needing to be VERY clean (it oxidizes quickly) and that it's melt point is so low and it's hard to read when it's hot. But we have a guy at work who welded a LONG line of aluminum on an RV water heater tank that I forgot to drain before winter a few years ago. The weld is very nice looking. And it did have that classic stacked look.

I did not have such good luck with stainless the last time, which is supposed to be one of the easiest metals we work with here. I wish I could offer advice on settings and technique for aluminum, but I've never welded it myself. The thin stuff is always a PITA.

**Ohio-Ed** · 12-09-2010, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScubaSteve

What's the preferred method for sharpening? A grinder?

I think a grinder or sander. The important part is that you sharpen length wise. In other words, you don't want scratches going around the tungsten or the arc with "wander"

I also read just like we read about using sandpaper and grinders on other material before SS, you can contaminate the tungsten with other material if you use the grinder on anything else.

They make grinders specifically for this purpose but they are very spendy.

Ed

**BrewBeemer** · 12-09-2010, 06:17 PM

Start out with steel, aluminum is a PITA until it's mastered as well SS, you'll have a mental meltdown so master steel first.
Funny thing my SS custom fab shop friend uses a 6" x 12' high speed sanding belt to dress his tungstens, no worries about a special tungsten wheel only, a quick arc on a copper bar burns away any non tungsten materials if picked up when sharpening. The belt sander makes for a smoother bright almost chrome finish that any grinding wheel can not produce.

Ed,
have you located a bottle yet?

dmfa200 · 12-09-2010, 06:25 PM

Get a bench grinder, a cheap one is fine. One rule is not to grind aluminum on it.
Use only for steel or stainless.
Keep a cup of water next to the grinder to cool the tungsten off while sharpening. It's gonna get very hot!
A tip to keep from going back to the grinder 20 times is to sharpen both ends of the tungsten. That way if you booger the end up just pull it out and turn it over and your still truck'in. Do this to several and keep them next to you while welding.

**Ohio-Ed** · 12-09-2010, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrewBeemer

Start out with steel, aluminum is a PITA until it's mastered as well SS, you'll have a mental meltdown so master steel first.
Funny thing my SS custom fab shop friend uses a 6" x 12' high speed sanding belt to dress his tungstens, no worries about a special tungsten wheel only, a quick arc on a copper bar burns away any non tungsten materials if picked up when sharpening. The belt sander makes for a smoother bright almost chrome finish that any grinding wheel can not produce.

Ed,
have you located a bottle yet?

BB,
I'm leaving in 15 minutes to pickup a bottle

Ed

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmfa200

Get a bench grinder, a cheap one is fine. One rule is not to grind aluminum on it.
Use only for steel or stainless.
Keep a cup of water next to the grinder to cool the tungsten off while sharpening. It's gonna get very hot!
A tip to keep from going back to the grinder 20 times is to sharpen both ends of the tungsten. That way if you booger the end up just pull it out and turn it over and your still truck'in. Do this to several and keep them next to you while welding.

Good idea, then I just have to keep track of colors in separate containers. Not a problem yet, all I have are red.

Are the red tungstens brittle? I thought I read that if you try to cut them that shatter... is that right?

Ed

dmfa200 · 12-09-2010, 07:04 PM

Yes tungsten is brittle.
Most text books will tell you to break off the contaminated end of your tungsten if you accidentally dip it in the weld puddle. I say Bull!
You will go through tungsten like crazy doing that.
Just make sure you grind off the contamination and that is fine.
I've done this for years welding pipe in chemical plants making X-ray quality welds and have never had a problem.

dmfa200 · 12-09-2010, 08:05 PM

If you want to cut tungsten for say using in a mini torch cut it with a cut-off wheel or on the corner of a bench grinding stone and just grind it in half.
If you try breaking it, it will sometimes split down the length, and then your arc will become erratic. You might as well throw it away unless it's at the end of a new piece in that case you can cut it below the split with the recommended methods.
You might also look into Tri-Mix (WS2) from Diamond Ground Products.
I use this tungsten for alloy steels as well as aluminum, plus it's doesn't contain any radioactive elements like thoriated(red) tungsten.

**Ohio-Ed** · 12-09-2010, 09:34 PM

Got a 125cf bottle of argon and 4lbs of filler.

I still need coolant. The welding supply ordered the coolant and should have it after 4 pm tomorrow.

Gettin closer.