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

[jd74914]

It's all about practice time. I learned the basics about 6 years ago from a machinist at school and then some tips from Chris Foley. Since then I've TIGed 5 FSAE car frames, headers, and a bunch of aluminum intakes, intercoolers, coolant lines, etc.

My personal TIG learning progression went something like this:

10 hours - Wow, I'm really terrible.
100 hours - Hmm, I'm not too bad, but how do those professionals do it?
500 hours - Better, but not great. Now I'm good enough to teach others.
1000 hours - Lets go weld some cans together! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

After spending so much time behind a torch I feel pretty good about my skills, though I'm still always blown away people who have been welding for decades. I've taught a bunch of people now, and like to tell them that its a skill that takes a few hours to aquire and a lifetime to master.

Good luck! Post up some welds-I got great critique from some very experienced people hear when I was learning! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)