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- Oct 16, 2019
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I added an LED headlamp to the chin of my helmet and it made a world of difference in seeing the puddle. I also have 2x magnifiers in my helmet and they help to a degree but I prefer using a pair of 2x readers.
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TIG is Hard
- Thread starter Janderso
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- Dec 24, 2020
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That's not arguingAnd its a very valid point. I agree that they are useful, I just feel its an extra layer of complication for first-timers. For learning the basics: its not going to make the difference between being able to weld or not. Once you start to get the fundamentals like electrode gap, feed, reading puddle: then start to add other variables as you fine-tune skills and tackle trickier projects where those products shine.
In the OP's original comment about eyesight: something like pyrex cups might be a good suggestion.
I guess I never thought of it as adding an extra layer of complication. You still have to put a diffuser/lens and cup on the torch either way so it's just slightly different shapes. The ability to run more stickout is where I think it makes things a lot easier for the newbie. I bought gas lenses immediately and didn't even try standard diffusers and cups for quite some time...seemed to be simple enough for me and I'm not the smartest guy around
I find the Pyrex cups do help a lot with being able to see the puddle even when I'm not trying to look through them. They seem to act like a mirror and reflect right back on the puddle so I find it easier to see the puddle, arc, etc....just better all around. They're definitely more expensive, more fragile and can't take as much heat, so I only use them for certain projects, but they really are a handy option to have. That reminds me...I dropped and cracked my #5 pyrex cup....really like that on thinner aluminum.
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2019
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- 534
Yeah, maybe my advice was to the folks who (like me) overthink things. 
It can get a little overwhelming once you start looking at gas lenses, stubby setups, cups, different electrode types and sizes, advanced settings, etc... And then you buy all the fancy bits and realize half the stuff is the wrong size...I've never done that before. That's all I was getting at. You can throw 3/32 thoriated and a normal #7 or 8 cup (for steel) and be running. Have I beat a dead horse yet?
It can get a little overwhelming once you start looking at gas lenses, stubby setups, cups, different electrode types and sizes, advanced settings, etc... And then you buy all the fancy bits and realize half the stuff is the wrong size...I've never done that before. That's all I was getting at. You can throw 3/32 thoriated and a normal #7 or 8 cup (for steel) and be running. Have I beat a dead horse yet?- Joined
- Oct 14, 2013
- Messages
- 1,006
+1 on Aluminum is harder than carbon steel and stainlesss!
MIG is crazy easy to start, but you really need someone to coach you on distance. Plus, the flux core units are sooooo slooooow. I've taught maybe 10 people MIG and about 250 people stick and OA. The OA skills transfer to TIG very well. Stick, there's some crossover. MIG, not much at all.
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MIG is crazy easy to start, but you really need someone to coach you on distance. Plus, the flux core units are sooooo slooooow. I've taught maybe 10 people MIG and about 250 people stick and OA. The OA skills transfer to TIG very well. Stick, there's some crossover. MIG, not much at all.
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Fully agree with Weldingrod. In a former life I taught welding to Airframe and Powerplant (aircraft mechanics) students, mainly OA and TIG (Both steel and aluminum). Angles are a little different, but the 2 handed motions are very similar