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Q. ANDY WHAT IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN TELL ME ABOUT TIG WELDING TUBING TOGETHER IN A ROLL CAGE? I CAN TIG WELD GOOD, BUT EVERY TIME I GO TO TIG WELD TUBING IN MY RACE CAR AND TRY TO WELD AROUND THE TUBE, IT JUST DOESN'T LOOK AS PERFECT AS I HAVE SEEN ON A TOP FUEL FUNNY CAR. ANY TIPS FOR ME ON HOW TO HELP ME GET A NICER WELD? (Submitted by: JOE from Unknown)
A. When you say "look" it could mean one of two things to me. The appearance or color of the bead and/or the bead configuration quality. As far as the appearance, that could simply be the filler selection to the base metal you are welding to. Or, a bit too much heat applied to the weld area will also prevent the nice color you might be looking for. If it is the bead quality and shape you desire, that unfortunately comes with a ton of practice. Since most normal TIG welding can be achieved on a bench with some sort of hand support, your bench welding will always look nicer. Tube welding is extremely difficult as your hand is suspended and moving around the tube at the same time. It takes a good bit of practice to do it and make it look great. Don't get discouraged. When you get it down right, know that you will be one of the few that can do roll cage tube with TIG!
A. When you say "look" it could mean one of two things to me. The appearance or color of the bead and/or the bead configuration quality. As far as the appearance, that could simply be the filler selection to the base metal you are welding to. Or, a bit too much heat applied to the weld area will also prevent the nice color you might be looking for. If it is the bead quality and shape you desire, that unfortunately comes with a ton of practice. Since most normal TIG welding can be achieved on a bench with some sort of hand support, your bench welding will always look nicer. Tube welding is extremely difficult as your hand is suspended and moving around the tube at the same time. It takes a good bit of practice to do it and make it look great. Don't get discouraged. When you get it down right, know that you will be one of the few that can do roll cage tube with TIG!