[AT] TIG welding--a little OT

[Robert L. Holtzer]

As Ron says, John, there is a special rod for TIG.  It looks like regular 
copper coated acetylene rod but apparently differs in the coating.  I've 
used 1/16" for "body work" on tractor hoods, etc., and it does a good 
job.  It comes in 1 pound lots in a plastic tube that is convenient for 
storage  and a pound lasts quite a while.  I have a 175 amp Lincoln TIG 
which has proved very useful for a wide range of welding.  Tanks of argon 
are reasonably priced.  As I recall there are different gas mixes for 
different types of materials being welded but argon has been OK for general 
needs.

Bob Holtzer, Windsor, CA

At 01:14 PM 3/16/2006 -0800, you wrote:
>Hi John.
>There is a special filler rod for mild steel when you use tig.  A this
>strip of the parent material cut on a sharp squaring sheer will work
>also.  The inert gas is the flux.  It is much like oxy acetylene welding,
>except the electric arc is the heat source.  Takes lots of practice to be
>good.
>
>Ron Haskell
>rdhaskell at juno.com
>Riverside California USA
>http://www.oldengine.org/members/haskell/
>
>On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 12:46:21 -0800 John Wilkens <jwilkens at eoni.com>
>writes:
> > Thinking about a new tool--TIG welder.  What kind of filler rod would
> > you
> > use for thin steel?  Just regular unfluxed mild steel wire--or
> > baling
> > wire--or??
> > I'd like some general feedback on TIG welding (thin steel, aluminum,
> >
> > etc.)--any thoughts.  What got me interested was a program I watched
> > on the
> > Speed channel about a fellow building a custom motorcycle.  He was
> > always
> > using a TIG welder and it sure looked like it worked slick--and the
> > guy
> > wasn't a pro welder.  I've had zero luck trying to weld fender-thick
> > steel
> > with a small (probably too cheap) wire feed welder.  Just couldn't
> > control
> > the heat good enough.    John
> >
> >                     In the wide-open spaces of NE Oregon
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