Tig welding

[JP]

there are kits out there to convert stick to TIG, they're not usually as nice as a dedicated TIG with auto gas flow control & foot pedal or thumbwheel for amp control. I'd guess those kits would only be DC also so not able to weld alloy.

[takai]

Yeah, most stick TIGs are DC only, and usually scratch start.

[Muziiz]

Ended up getting that mig i linked to earlier. Now i gotto get some consumables for it. Guys what is best type of mig wire that will be suited for my project keeping in mind i will be mainly welding 3mm sheet and general fab work.
I also want to do some ally with it also looking for reccomendations regarding this. The machine comes with teflon liner and twin motor wire roller ...

[twentyEight]

Yeah, most stick TIGs are DC only, and usually scratch start.

Most are, but here's one that's AC DC, would be scratch start though. As is my CIG TransTIG, and it's a piece of piss to start.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[o_man_ra23]

Muz,

I use a 5kg roll of 0.6mm wire. Lasted me about 2.5 years so far and is just reaching the end (need to go buy another roll before the weekend I suspect). I have sucessfully welded the following:
0.6mm sheet
1.2mm sheet
2.0mm sheet
3mm plate
6mm plate
12mm plate
various sizes of tube/rhs/angle, usually 2-3mm thickness

I get full penetration through the 3mm and 6mm stuff, but need to V the 12mm down. 1.2 can be butt welded without too much drama so long as the gaps are small and you go quite slowly, one spot at a time. 0.6 gives a lot of holes when butt welding, overlapping is a good thing when going this thin.

My welder is a CIG TransMIG 165 and hasn't skipped a beat. I run Argoshield Light gas (so no good for aluminium or stainless). I do intend on getting a TIG later for Alu and SS, however for the body repair work and general household jobs (gate, stands, even repaired an old bed by welding the cast iron connections onto the steel spring frame) this welder has been great, quite versatile and generally not too hard to use. A very high quality helmet works wonders too (mine cost $400).

[takai]

I normally use 0.8mm wire.

[Muziiz]

Thanks for the info, a mate of mine is offering 0.9mm coppered solid wire its a 15 kg roll. Its dirt cheap just not sure on this copperised business..?

[jeffro ra28]

Pretty much all general purpose mig hardwire is copper coated.

On a 15kg roll you can spend $50 on your every day wire or you can spend $150 on your premium wires which do the same thing just better. One such premium wire is WIA ESD2 and its good shit, however probably not worth the extra cost for run of the mill automotive applications.

[o_man_ra23]

EDIT: 5kg roll I bought today (yep, not 15kg) was $66 for a roll of 0.6mm BOC. Thicker wire is cheaper, and if you want 0.9mm, then BOC have a special on MagMate brand wire, $30 for 15kg. The 15kg rolls are eleventy billion times cheaper per kilo than the 5kg rolls, so try and get a MIG which uses that sized roll if you can.

One thing to note with the 0.6 is that it is quite finniky with the wire feeder pressure setting, and tends to birdsnest readily, though I haven't had a birdsnest in about 6 months (touch wood)

[Muziiz]

Im not that keen on renting bottles a guy on ebay is selling them outright cgi.ebay.com.au/D-Welding-Welder-Argon-MIG-TIG-Cylinder-including-Gas-/140462337572?pt=AU_Welding&hash=item20b4352e24


Seems like a goid deal to me as months could pass between usage and i would rather not pay bottle rental fees.

[Casey-G]

Not so much a conversion to a tig.. you just buy a tig torch leads and a bottle of argon..

your -tive is the tig torch and the +tive is the earth clamp



*sorry im a few pages behind i didnt read it thoroughly

[twentyEight]

Im not that keen on renting bottles a guy on ebay is selling them outright cgi.ebay.com.au/D-Welding-Welder-Argon-MIG-TIG-Cylinder-including-Gas-/140462337572?pt=AU_Welding&hash=item20b4352e24


Seems like a goid deal to me as months could pass between usage and i would rather not pay bottle rental fees.

Who are you going to get to refill it once it's empty?

As far as I'm aware, BOC, SupaGas, etc will not swap these over for a full one and I'm yet to see a supplier that has an Argon station. (ie. They all swap the empty bottle for a full one and send them away to their main base to be filled.)

[takai]

Lots of them dont like to refill someone elses pressure container either.

[Muziiz]

Who are you going to get to refill it once it's empty?

As far as I'm aware, BOC, SupaGas, etc will not swap these over for a full one and I'm yet to see a supplier that has an Argon station. (ie. They all swap the empty bottle for a full one and send them away to their main base to be filled.)

the seller offers refill service you take old cylinder and swap over to another one. thats what is stated on listing...

"Refills are filled in Manly Vale NSW or Swap empty cylinder for Full at any of the above locations at $89.00 per cylinder "

[Ben Wilson]

On the other hand, if you only use them every few months, it could work out. I've got a pair of oxy bottles which haven't been refilled in at least 5 years..