Tig Welding

[dhazard]

Don’t forget to get a good welding mask. The auto dimming are great!

[Bandit]

I will use a buddies Lincoln 175 to weld my trailer. He uses the .030 flux core wire with the gas. He says the combination of flux core and shielded gas makes an even better weld.

Any comments about this technique?

[Nitetimes]

I will use a buddies Lincoln 175 to weld my trailer. He uses the .030 flux core wire with the gas. He says the combination of flux core and shielded gas makes an even better weld.

Any comments about this technique?

I have used that quite often and it works very well. It tends to lay the slag on top of the weld so it falls right off, something it normally won't do. You can run some really pretty beads that way too.

[Gaston]

I have both a Miller MIG welder and a Hobart Tig . NHRA requires TIG welds for rollbars, NASCAR you can use TIG or MIG so most NASCAR shops use MIG. IF I'm welding thin steel ,alumium, copper etc. I use the TIG. But for thicker steels its hard to beat the MIG for ease of use and good welds. If your going to buy a Mig welder buy one that uses gas rather than the flux core. the flux core tends to corrode on the spool if not used regularly and doesnt weld as nice.(besides if you use Co2 for the gas it can do double duty on the kegger)

[D. Tillery]

Since I weld for a living I can't resist putting my dog in this hunt.

Indy, if you are going to weld on an old boat trailer that is most likely galvanized be careful of the fumes. Welders wives tale says drink buttermilk after welding galvanized. Yuck! Seriously, stay out of zinc fumes.

Mc Teardrops and I had this discussion on a thread Sum started "awhile" back after a failed weld. http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=918&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0.
I'd have to agree with McTeardrops that the quality of a TIG weld is generally better for several reasons but for our applications I'd use a MIG for two major reasons:
1) Time 2) Filling spaces in mitre joints that do not perfectly touch.

Do your research. Good info on the Lincoln site: http://www.lincolnelectric.com/knowledge/articles/content/migvsfluxcored.asp This article and you can also search the site.

There are two things you really don't want to do naked, fry bacon and weld!

[IndyTom]

D. I had already thought about the zinc fumes and had planned on grinding down weld sites to the steel before welding. Although, now that you mention it, some of the trailers on the salvage yard I was looking at were showing surface rust on most of the upper frame components. I will have to look more closely when I go back to pick out a trailer. Of course one of the benefits of starting with a pre-existing trailer is that it should minimize the amount of welding necessary, but I still HAVE to have that new welder.
Thanks for the link to the Lincoln site. I have been looking for some information like that and had not been able to find it.

[critter]

ok guys,
i started a welding tips thread on the trl page with a few tips,some of you experts put you 2 cents worth in.please!lots of us need help welding because its something we dont do all the time.

[Chris C]

Critter,

I answered your thread, and will share it here: http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/ Great help with welding problems.

[cracker39]

Need help with welding? I don't know a cotton thing about it except that it attaches one piece of metal to another. But, by gum, I'm gonna learn to do it.

[critter]

chris,
thanks, lotsa help there!