Welding transmission housings

Thanks for finding that. I just ordered a kit from amazon and 10lbs of 1/8" rod.

I learned it's easier to use larger rod instead of smaller because you not are feeding so much of it into the puddle. I also learned that you don't need to use a tig glove on your torch hand. I had to quit a lot because my hand was getting so hot. So bought a pair of regular welding gloves.

I'll grind on the plates I've bead blasted and see if that make any difference. I can't wait for Friday. It's just now starting to come together for me and being fun.
 
Thanks for finding that. I just ordered a kit from amazon and 10lbs of 1/8" rod.

I learned it's easier to use larger rod instead of smaller because you not are feeding so much of it into the puddle. I also learned that you don't need to use a tig glove on your torch hand. I had to quit a lot because my hand was getting so hot. So bought a pair of regular welding gloves.

I'll grind on the plates I've bead blasted and see if that make any difference. I can't wait for Friday. It's just now starting to come together for me and being fun.
Larger filler rod can help cut down on how much you have to feed, but it can cause problems if the amperage isn't high enough to get it to melt the way you want it to. That can lead to it getting sucked into the tungsten and causing a big mess.

The one thing that seems to make everyone a better TIG welder is practice feeding filler rod. You'll see this more with aluminum than anything else...you have to really feed the wire quickly because you have to move the torch quickly. A lot of folks will take a piece of filler wire and practice feeding it both in and out while watching TV or doing other things. It will pay dividends in the long run...especially when you try thinner wire like 1/16 or smaller.

Something I like better than normal welding gloves is a "TIG Finger" for your torch hand. Only one or two fingers are in it so you can keep the same level of control on the torch, and handles way more heat than a normal glove. They aren't always the best solution, so it's good to have both options. The nice thing is they're cheap!

 
I have a tig finger but it's clumsy to use. Especially since I take my gloves off to sharpen my tungsten about 20 times in a 2 hour class. (no joke)

When I bought the tig welder a few years back it had a tig pen in the box with all the other stuff. It's nicely made, but so small I can't get the feeding thumb wheel to work when my gloves are on. I'd like to try one that bigger in diameter. I think with my old decrepit hands it might make it easier for me.

I have been practicing holding the torch and advancing the filler rod. It has helped some.
 
Good news about my welding class. Original instructor is MIA for some reason, no one will say why, but the woman instructor has committed for the next two classes.. I've just paid for both classes.

My gas saver kit is supposed to be delivered today. The 1/8" rod came in yesterday. Got plenty of it now.

Do I drop the argon pressure to use it since it has better flow and coverage? I can't seem to find an answer to that anywhere.
 
Good news about my welding class. Original instructor is MIA for some reason, no one will say why, but the woman instructor has committed for the next two classes.. I've just paid for both classes.

My gas saver kit is supposed to be delivered today. The 1/8" rod came in yesterday. Got plenty of it now.

Do I drop the argon pressure to use it since it has better flow and coverage? I can't seem to find an answer to that anywhere.
For learning something new I like having a consistent instructor in the beginning. When you start mixing instructors you often wind up with one liking to do things one way, another liking something different, etc...it can get confusing. I think her committing is a good thing.

As far as gas settings go, I'm going to add a comment that might sound pedantic, but only because someone down the road might read this and it could help them.

People often use the wrong terms when it comes to regulators, flow meters, gas pressure and gas flow rates. A traditional regulator shows the tank pressure and lets you adjust the output pressure. That's what you want for an oxy acetylene torch, but not MIG or TIG welding. A flow meter shows you tank pressure and allows you to adjust the output gas flow in cubic feet per hour (in the U.S.), but the output pressure is fixed based upon the flow meter model. Most flow meters have a fixed output somewhere between 20psi and 50psi. Some flow meters have a bit of output pressure adjustment, but it's not something most people ever mess with.

Here's where this gets a bit interesting. For TIG welding, if you're using a flow meter with a 50PSI output pressure you get a pretty big blast of gas when you first start welding. When you stop welding and the valve closes the lines expand a bit and you actually wind up with more than 50PSI stuck between the tank and the flow meter. If you have a flow meter with a lower output pressure you don't get nearly as big a blast, which is simply more pleasant, and it saves a bit of gas. I once welding with an old flow meter that was set for 80PSI output and it was really annoying! The cheap flow meters everybody sells for $30 to $75 seem to be 50PSI models. Nicer flow meters that are 20-25PSI tend to be a bit more expensive ($100+) but will pay for themselves over time in gas savings. The other thing about the better flow meters is that you can get parts for them if you drop them and break the sight tube, etc.

To answer your question about settings, it's actually pretty easy. Take the cup size you're using and double that to get a starting point for gas flow. With a #7 or 8 cup I start at 15CFH and see how it goes. If I drop down to something like a #5 I'll lower the flow to 10-12CFH. I'd rather have a touch too much gas than not enough...a little too much won't cause problems, but not enough will. Changing flow rates seems to be more noticeable on aluminum because it changes the width of the etched zone so it's something obvious you can see. For steel it's not terribly critical...if the beads are clean, you're good. Stainless is a different animal that can require things like back purging, extra large cups, etc, but in general you'll need more gas coverage than steel or aluminum, so err on the high side for flow rate.

Edit to add: This is somewhat why I hate that companies call these "gas saver" kits. While you can probably save a bit of gas using them, the real benefit is that you can run the tungsten much farther out while getting equal of better gas coverage. Keep the old flow rate and get that tungsten out where you can see it!
 
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Well it's technically a "metal art" class. You can use any of the equipment you want to as long as your using it safely. I chose tig. Later I may try mig, or some stick.

There is one lady in there that brings in stacks of scoop shovels and cuts pattern in them, I'm assuming to sell. I didn't think you could make parts to sell there, but it's not any of my concern.

Everybody knows everyone, all of them have been taking the class for a long time and are surprised a new guy (me) actually got a spot. They cap it at 10 students. Awhile back I donated an old stove to the program for them to use doing powder coating and the guy instructor that's missing got me in I believe. So I got rid of the stove for free, going to a good cause, and got in the class. A win, win, win for me.

I'll practice maybe this weekend, the pyrex gas saver stuff will be in today. I'd practice today but I'm going to the muffler shop to get the tail pipes fitted up and welding on my nova, and may have to change my steering box so a full weekend for me..

The original instructor did show me a different way to tig. I just couldn't do it with the loss of 20% in motion of my arm and hand from the stroke. So I just dip instead and that's what Natasha likes to do. Her showing me how to weld towards me was a game changer. I hope the pyrex setup will allow me to go from right to left again. More comfortable with that, but if not I'll just practice welding towards me.

I have a probably cheap flow meter. It seems to work I guess. I think it's currently set and 15 cfm.
 
I have a probably cheap flow meter. It seems to work I guess. I think it's currently set and 15 cfm.

I've used quite a few of the cheap flow meters without any problems. I honestly didn't think about it until I bought my Miller and it had a really nice Harris 355 flow meter on it that is a 20PSI model. I really like the soft puff of gas when I hit the pedal but it doesn't really do anything for quality of weld.
 
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