Only now, do I appreciate the skill level I see in all those videos...

[lpmartin]

I'm no pro by a longshot, but I'm able to be effective with my MIG. I was attracted to TIG for the lack of spatter, and tidiness of the welds. I'm not a fan of purchasing equipment, then finding out it is incapable of doing something I need, so I popped for the Dynasty 280 DX. I figure it's capable of handling everything I would ever throw at it. Only after playing with it for a week, am I realizing that I will forever be the limiting factor for this machine. I've got a lot to learn!

I'm having trouble distinguishing between hot metal, and a puddle. The searches I've done on the topic suggest that adjusting the darkness of my helmet's screen is my best first variable. Then there is adjusting my position to ensure I'm seeing under the cup. I'll work on both of those. Anything else you'd recommend that I may have missed?

The pro's online make it look SO simple!

Thanks,

Lance

[H80N]

Basic Guidelines

https://www.millerwelds.com/~/media/...s/gtawbook.pdf

Lots of good resources here too

https://www.millerwelds.com/resource...ding-resources

AND advice from Jody

TIG Welding Tips - 3 Tips that Matter Most
(First 2 minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNAAhwieNhU

[Aeronca41]

The pro's online make it look SO simple!

Lance

Indeed they do! Sort of a corollary to the statement that any sufficiently advanced technology should be indistinguishable from magic.

[H80N]

Here are some good ones for understanding the DYN-280 nested menus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME7j...p0MOzcjw1CVgcM



BTW'..... Sent You a PM------------ Deerfield..?????

[Olivero]

Oooh, a Dynasty My one and only. I don't really have a problem with seeing the puddle, started welding when I was mid 17 years old. So been doing it for about 3 years but one thing that helps is just studying the puddle and the metal, learn to differentiate, eventually you get to a point where you can weld without being able to look under the cup at times, you just know the puddle is where it needs to be and you run with it.

Adjusting your helmet might help but you still have to keep it in the safe range, I leave mine on 12 for pretty much anything and it just took practice to learn what is what.

I practiced and studied pretty much anything I could find on TIG welding online, have a pro metal worker here who kind of points me in the right direction AFTER I mess up but really the study and practice is what did it for me more than anything. Not just Millers or Hobarts or Lincolns or ESAB or the big names, even just google "Tig welding guide", "TIG Welding tricks" and just keep going like that with similar searches until every search brings up purple headlines because you read it all. I have a PDF library of all the good stuff I read and use it for reference as well as trying to teach the people learning under me.

Are you doing Aluminum or Steel, Stainless, Copper, Chrome Moly? Whats the metal your having trouble with or is it just in general?

[lpmartin]

I purchased a three-bowl, stainless industrial sink from Border's Books Cafe that closed a few years ago. It's lovingly located in my garage. I want to eliminate the web between two of the three tubs so I can throw my dog in there when he dives into the pond. So I now realize that modification isn't going to happen by my hand any time soon. I started off trying to puddle 16 ga stainless without addition of metal. I succeeded in not only fusing my scrap to my table, I burned a golf ball sized smouldering crater in my maple work table. :-)

I've stepped away from stainless and am running some lap joints in mild scrap steel, but it's ugly. Experience is everything, and I have none, so this shouldn't surprise me. I just started off a little too sure of myself. Haven't tried anything exotic yet. The local shop I bought my welder from has an 8 hr, hands on course they owe me, but they suggest getting about a month's worth of experience prior to taking the class if I'm going to get the most out of it. Seems to make good sense to me!

[Olivero]

Haha, well I remember doing similar things myself a lot so no worries, it happens to everyone. I learned that welding on wooden tables is not the best idea ever..... especially not when you don't notice until you smell it

We can try to help you out, Just to be sure, you are Tigging right? I am going to assume so.

Steel and Stainless are very identical in the way they weld, only thing that is really different is the way you handle it and grind them and passivate them etc.

Just start welding at 50 A and go from there, 50 is good for a lot of thinner stuff and since you have the amp control you can kind of get a feel for it but I guarantee you, you will burn through stuff and it just happens. What you did with the stainless or tried to do, is called fusion welding which is basically a fancy term for welding without filler. IT can really only be done on material where the seam is extremely tight as in, you can't even see light through it, then it will fuse.

For beginners, start at 50 A, any steel or stainless will do, start your torch in the position as a pencil and just work with it from there, keep one hand on the torch, one hand on the rod and just pay attention to the puddle, don't stay in one spot for too long, especially if its lighter gauge, and just keep moving as you dab the rod into the molten puddle gently. You can also chase the rod by just keeping it in line with the seam your welding and essentially just melting it in that way, weld won't be too nice but it will allow you to pay more attention to the torch and metal more than keeping the rod going in the puddle.

Also make sure the metal is clean, mainly in TIG it is extremely relevant as any contaminant will mess you up or blow up the puddle (sounds dramatic but its not that bad, just burns your arms) It's mainly a matter of practice but you gotta have your basics in.

Feel free to ask anything you need help with.

[H80N]

50 Amps on 16Ga and thinner SS will likely blow BIG HOLES in it...........

Try 1 Amp per thousanth of an inch of material thickness.... for starters

adjust from there.... and learn your pedal

[ryanjones2150]

Stainless is not the same as welding mild steel. You can't camp out on stainless and expect everything to go fine. If you're planning on welding that stainless tub, and you camp out with your tig torch, you will cook it and you will get all kinds of sugaring on the back side of your weld and that will make you sad. Long stainless welds will most likely require some sort of back shielding. If you don't know what these terms are, say so and we'll explain it to you. <br />
<br />
Stainless is one reason I started tig welding. There are differences to consider and we can help you with that.

[H80N]

Stainless is not the same as welding mild steel. You can't camp out on stainless and expect everything to go fine. If you're planning on welding that stainless tub, and you camp out with your tig torch, you will cook it and you will get all kinds of sugaring on the back side of your weld and that will make you sad. Long stainless welds will most likely require some sort of back shielding. If you don't know what these terms are, say so and we'll explain it to you. <br />
<br />
Stainless is one reason I started tig welding. There are differences to consider and we can help you with that.

YUP.....

Stainless will retain the heat.....it will try to warp & walk like a snake if you let it.....

overcooking will cause "Carbide Precipitation" in the HAZ..... and it will no longer be SS

[lpmartin]

I have some linear brass blocks I plan on using when I eventually get around to the sink, no time soon. Not sure how to secure the backing blocks to the proposed weld site, but I'll worry about that when I'm ready to give it a go. Thank you all for the directions and summary of links. It's a great help. I'll pour over each of them.

[H80N]

Here is an article you might find useful
Welding austenitic stainless steel

Tips for optimal GTAW performance

http://www.thefabricator.com/article...tainless-steel

[lpmartin]

My little buddy is plenty tall enough, but can't understand strattling that web between two tubs. He's a head case. It's his fault I bought the tig welder.

[H80N]

Great sink set......!!!.............

[JoeGuitarBridges59]

You will probably never be sorry you started TIG welding. The sky's the limit