Tig welding is a popular method used to join metal together. You will most often see this technique used to connect metal pipes or schedule of welding steel. It can also be used when joining metal such as when making a welded coupling, for example. Before Tig welding, you need to know about the types of metal and electrodes that can be used. Once you have those things covered, you need to know about safety precautions, machine setup and procedure, electrode preparation and more.
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What is Tig Welding?
Tig welding is a welding technique that is used to join metal like iron or steel. It is mostly used in manufacturing industries where tremendous amounts of metal are welded together. This can be used to join pipes, boilers and also sheet metal. There are many types of welding that can be used to join metal. But Tig welding is a type of welding that is used for joining metal with no thickness variation of less than 50 microns. This welding process is mainly used for joining pipes and other similar structures. It is also used for joining forgings and other precision joints. Tig welding is an alternative to brazing that is used to join materials with thickness less than 50 microns.
Types of Metal for Tig Welding
Before starting tig welding, you need to decide what type of metal will be welded. There are many types of metals that can be welded with tig welder. These are iron, steel, aluminum, austenitic stainless steel and low-alloy steels. You can also weld titanium, boron, copper, nickel, brass and many more. When you are choosing the metal for tig welding, it is important to know the type of metal that you are welding. This will help you decide what welding electrode to use.
Iron: Iron is the most common type of metal used to weld. It is found in construction, manufacturing, oil and gas. Iron is welded with carbon electrodes but can also be welded with Tig welder.
Steel: Steel is welded with mild steel electrodes. It is one of the most suitable types of metal for welding. It is found in construction, manufacturing, oil and gas and also in warships.
Aluminum: Aluminum is one of the most used metals in the world. It is welded with aluminum electrodes. It can also be welded with mild steel electrodes but it is not advisable to do it.
Austenitic stainless steel: Stainless steel is an alloy of iron and other metals called nickel and chromium. These are welded with stainless steel electrodes.
Low-alloy steels: Low-alloy steels are known as mild steel class 1. It is important to note that it is welded with mild steel electrodes.
Other materials that can be welded with Tig welder: There are many more materials that can be welded with tig welder. These are titanium, boron, copper, aluminum, stainless steel, nickel and many more.
Safety precautions and Machine setup in a tig welder
There are certain safety precautions that you need to take while welding with Tig welder. The most important one is to stick to the machine setup that is recommended by the manufacturer. Also, wear safety clothing and goggles while welding. When welding with Tig welder, it is important to follow these rules.
- Do not use the welder if the gas flow is blocked or the torch is not lit.
- Always ensure that the electrode is connected properly to the torch.
- Ensure that the electrode is fed properly with welding wire.
- Check the welder’s machine setup, if required.
- Ensure that the welder is switched off when it is not in use.
- Maintain a safe distance from the welding machine.
Electrode preparation required for tig welding
In a normal brazing process, both the materials being joined are a more or less high melting point. But in welding, the material being welded has a much lower melting point. This is the reason why you need to prepare electrode for welding low-alloy steels. You will need to use a low-alloy steel for welding. If you are using common steel for welding, you will end up damaging both the electrodes. Low-alloy electrodes are used in welding low-alloy steel. It helps in welding the material and minimizes the impact of the welding process on the electrodes.
Low-alloy steel is a material with a carbon content less than 0.25 percent and 0.50 percent. To prepare low-alloy steel for welding, you will need to remove the slag and impurities from it. You can do that using a slag remover. To weld low-alloy steel, you need to use a low-alloy steel welding wire. You should also ensure that the welder is switched off before welding.
Process of Tig welding basics for beginners
Selecting the correct electrode is the most important part in welding. You need to pick the right electrode that suits the material that you are welding. You can also choose an electrode that is recommended by the manufacturer. There are certain electrodes that are best suited for welding iron, carbon steel, low-alloy steels and stainless steels. You should pick an appropriate electrode for each type of metal.
Welders are now available in a wide range of models and capabilities. During the welding process, the electrode heats up and the arc welding is created when it comes in contact with the metal. The arc welding can be controlled in various ways and the weld metal can be worked as desired. Tig welding is one of the popular welding techniques used for joining metal together.
Other materials that can be welded with Tig welder
Apart from the metals that are mentioned above, you can also weld many other materials such as titanium, boron, copper, aluminum, stainless steel, nickel and many more. To weld these materials, you need to pick the correct welding electrode for the material.
Titanium: You can use any type of electrode to weld titanium. You need to use a titanium welding wire to weld titanium.
Boron: You can weld boron with silver or with copper electrodes.
Copper: You can use any type of electrode to weld copper. You need to use a copper welding wire to weld copper.
Aluminum: You can use any type of electrode to weld aluminum. You need to use an aluminum welding wire to weld it.
Stainless steel: You can use any type of electrode to weld stainless steel and also you need to use a stainless steel welding wire to weld it.
Nickel: You can use any type of electrode to weld nickel. For this, you need to use a nickel welding wire to weld it.
Matter of personal preference
When it comes to tig welding basics for beginners, choosing between Tig and MIG welding is a matter of personal preference. Both of these welding methods are used for joining metal. But the difference between Tig welding and MIG welding is that Tig welding uses a low-alloy steel electrode while MIG welding uses a gas welding torch. One thing that you need to keep in mind while choosing a welding method is what type of metal is being welded. Choose a welding method that is suitable for the type of metal being welded.