Thumper Club Forum

Club House => Chatter => Topic started by: iansoady on February 18, 2023, 11:07:23 AM

Title: TIG welder?
Post by: iansoady on February 18, 2023, 11:07:23 AM
I will probably have a fair bit of fabrication to do on my upcoming Tr-Greeves project. I usually use a place round the corner for welding who do an excellent job. However, I'm tempted to get a cheap TIG welder. Not MIG as I hate them.....

I did have a MIG and became wuite good at it but it never gelled. TIG looks a bit more like oxy-acetylene which I was not bad at when I was an apprentice. But that was well over 50 years ago.

Does the team think I'm on the brink of making another foolish decision? I accept that anything in my price range is likely to be weedy but I'll not be using it on anything more than 1/4".
Title: Re: TIG welder?
Post by: mthee on February 18, 2023, 01:28:21 PM
Whilst you wait for our resident welder,  Michael, (other members may be available) to appear, I sometimes read of people " jumping in at the deep end" by going straight for a tig. Not only couldn't  I afford a tig, I didn't have the cash for gas, so used flux core with my cheap mig. Got usable (ugly) welds when used outside with a breeze in the right direction !
So my inexperienced opinion is - go tig!
Title: Re: TIG welder?
Post by: Steve Lake on February 20, 2023, 04:15:22 PM
as a top notch stick welder ... ha ha ( my #1 son calls me the teflon welder .... i.e. non stick ) i have been considering a new welder (my old one is 40 years old), all i have read about the subject, and speaking to professional welders, MIG is the way to go for those with little or no welding experience .... TIG requires a lot of experience by all accounts.
Title: Re: TIG welder?
Post by: iansoady on February 21, 2023, 09:37:28 AM
I think you're both probably right but for some reason I hate MIG. It's the way that pesky little wire keeps spooling out if the gun and wrappping itself round everything. I have bitten the bullet and bought a little-used Clarke MMA/TIG machine - only £50 - but of course it came without the TIG bits which I've now discovered will be about another £50 or so. But in the meantime I can perfect (ha!) my stick welding skills. That'll be good for the heavier stuff anyway.

The bloke I bought it off is still riding modern trials at an age of well over 60. He's in better condition than me......

Title: Re: TIG welder?
Post by: Steve H on February 21, 2023, 10:30:31 AM
I bought a TIG from here https://www.r-techwelding.co.uk . Be prepared to spend a lot of time re-sharpening your the tungsten tips (buy at least 10) and spend more on gas than you would for  MIG.
Weld quality is much better but it takes longer, personally I wouldnt use MIG on a bike frame. If you want to weld Ali you will need an AC TIG  which will cost more.
Title: Re: TIG welder?
Post by: iansoady on February 21, 2023, 01:44:49 PM
Yes, I realise I may have been setting my sights too high. But I have plenty of scrap that I can ruin while I'm practising....
Title: Re: TIG welder?
Post by: Steve H on February 21, 2023, 02:35:06 PM
Yes, I realise I may have been setting my sights too high. But I have plenty of scrap that I can ruin while I'm practising....

Sorry didnt spot you had bought something. Gas flow is quite important I bought a basic flow meter which improved the welds and more importantly saved on gas. This forum can be very useful if you are having issues https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/
Title: Re: TIG welder?
Post by: iansoady on February 21, 2023, 03:45:25 PM
Fortunately I already have a flow meter and regulator (got some time ago for a different purpose) so all I need is an argon cylinder and the TIG cable / hose setup. But I'll probably wait till I know exactly what I need them for. This is a medium term thing anyway so I'm not in a rush.
Title: Re: TIG welder?
Post by: Moto63 on February 22, 2023, 01:11:44 PM
Hi Ian, i also learnt my “welding skills” on oxy acetylene. Mainly doing lead burning (welding lead to lead) and brazing. I still try and keep my hand in with lead burning whenever I can as I love doing it and can turn out a decent job. HOWEVER, don’t fool yourself into thinking that tig welding is the same as it’s not. Yes the principal is obviously the same, where one uses one hand for the torch and the other one for the filler rod. As I say I’ve been lead burning since the age of 16/17 and can do a good job. I, with a slight ignorance went into tig thinking I’d master it within  a few goes. Took me two to three times as long as I first thought. Mainly because the heat of the torch is three times hotter than oxy. I eventually went on a 15week night school course to get taught correctly by an expert. Once I’d been shown certain things I picked it up and passed the course. I’m now a certified NVQ level 3 mig & tig welder. I only do it for pleasure, mainly on my bike builds. I’ve de seamed and welded in a flush filler cap on the petrol tank on my tracker project XBR, amongst plenty of other bits of fab work. The tank took me longer than I thought it would but was (IMVHO) worth the effort.
I would definitely echo Steve H’s words in that you better get used to sharpening your rods (ooo eerr vicar) but as the saying goes, practice makes perfect and if you’ve got the time and inclination to practice then I’m sure you’ll crack it. Oh and if you haven’t already got one, buy yourself a decent quality welding helmet, I personally found it made a big difference, certainly as my eyes ain’t what they used to be.
Best of luck with it 🤞👍
Cheers, Michael
Title: Re: TIG welder?
Post by: iansoady on February 22, 2023, 01:49:30 PM
Many thanks Michael, all very helpful. It may be one of those things that I try and just don't get on with but better to try and fail.....

At the worst I have a stick welder for £50 so will be able to build bridges and stuff!
Title: Re: TIG welder?
Post by: Richard on February 22, 2023, 06:47:01 PM
I waited years, being a shift worker and unable to attend, to do a part time evening course on welding at our local college.  Of course when I retired they stopped offering the course dammit.  Can't find any closer than fifty plus miles now - and they are full time.
Title: Re: TIG welder?
Post by: Moto63 on February 22, 2023, 06:51:34 PM
It may be one of those things that I try and just don't get on with but better to try and fail.....


Yes, definitely. I couldn’t agree more 👍