How did you learn to TIG weld?, Post your tips and stories. Options

[FourBlades]

I have been thinking about learning to TIG weld for a few years and took the plunge.

I bought the Eastwood AC/DC unit and have been playing with it for a few weeks.



I did all the obvious learning stuff, watching you tube videos, reading about it.

I like WeldingTipsAndTricks.com videos.

At first I just could not see what was going on well enough so I bought a 3x magnifier for my helmet. I also had a lot of trouble with fogging so I got some FogTech drops which completely stopped the fogging. These tips made it a lot easier to see the arc and the puddle.

Now if I could just stop touching the tungsten to the puddle it would be nice.

I'd like to be able to TIG thin metal to limit heat input, do good roll bar welding, and make stuff from aluminum. I know this will take a lot of time and practice.

What tips really helped you, what practice exercises did you do, what war stories do you have?

Thanks,

John

[stugray]

Some quick tips for you:

To learn control of the arc, you want a pedal start arc. Scratch start works for most of what we need, but is not the perfect thing to learn with.
I do not trust the electronic welding filters that turn dark once you strike the arc. Learn to use with the basics, not the "bling".
If you are doing really well, you can weld two aluminum cans (start with steel) and weld them end to end. If you can master that, you can do rusty steel exhaust pipe ;-)

Tig is all about laying down a stack of dimes as that is what the weld should look like once you get the hang of it.

For welding aluminum, you really want a High frequency tig with a water cooled tig torch jacket. You can get by with the basics, but it will never look perfect and will always need grinding.
I have a MIG that can do structural Al., but it is not always pretty....

Stu