Tell me why I shouldn't just do straight line
They all look the same

>>2973045
because each one has different applications
https://www.arccaptain.com/es/blogs/article/welding-weave-patterns

>>2973045
The weaves are slightly wider.
>Tell me why I should use one weave over the other.
There is no why. It doesn't matter.

>>2973048
>There is no why. It doesn't matter.
you'd fail a steamfitter job for sure

>>2973050
So I'm told.

Haven't welded in about 2,5 years now. Ever since I moved and got an office job.
I'd like to buy a TIG but I know I won't use it often. Not enough projects around the house :(

>>2973045
Avoid square weave technique unless you have a reason to do it.
The bead width variation isn't worth it. Inspectors judge bead width, based on most narrow measurement.

Square weave pattern will commonly fail inspection if you ever push the weld pool too far. Not worth it.
Stick it consistent bead width, if that means a different weave technique, so be it.

Weld superiority isn't subjective.
You use the correct motion for the application, and you achieve a perfect bead output.
No one cares how you actually maneuver your electrode tip, except the inspector when they find bead inconsistency.

Equal fluid movement of the weld pool at consistent bead width is the way. Anything else is the dark side.

>>2973196
Not to say it's bad, it's just that other motions can make up for a mistake like slightly pushing your pool too far.
If you do it with square weave, you're going to become a grinder instead of a welder.

So, use the other motions, as they will forgive/cover up your mistake of inconsistent travel speed.
Square weave will not forgive that, as your pool will be beyond the toe of your last wave crest. Missing overlap within your own bead line is CRAZY and isn't even a possibility with most motions.
Square weave can do that, if you think about it, you are missing overlap, on the same bead you are making. From an efficient professional welding standard, this is bumfuck crazy and makes a mother fucker wonder, who even invented square weave? It's shit, unless you have to make that motion for a riveted/equally spaced bolted edge, there's almost NO REASON to ever square weave.

>>2973061
Why not just get a simple cheapo stick welder?

No gas canister. You can buy rods at local hardware stores. If you need a weld to look pretty, just grab some 7018's. If you need wire level/precision work, use a soldering iron kit.

SMAW stick welding is good enough for 99% of home level work.
Can be done for much cheaper, low cost stick unit, cost of rods, no gas to worry about. For home project/sporadic use, you really can't go wrong with stick.
(No rod oven though, better stick to the resilient stuff, men and children are separated by whether or not they are comfortable with 60x0 rods.)

I want to make a test sample for dye penetration.
I was thinking doing a weld bead that cracks for sure (preferably invisible that only comes up with dye), grind and polish to flat.

What would be an "ideal" way to do this? What filler what settings would work?

>>2973061
>>2973204
just get a stick/mig machine with flux core wire
then you can dual shield if you want later

>>2973207
Welding cast iron with mild steel filler rod will crack for sure.

>>2972986
The third one is best right?

>>2973204
if you can mig why the fuck would you stick?

>>2975498
I prefer stick welding over mig for lots of the stuff I weld. You don't have to clean stuff up as carefully because 6010 or 6011 will burn right in anyhow, get better weld penetration on thicker material, and don't have to worry about your shielding gas blowing away.

File: squirtgun.jpg (2.86 MB, 3024x3793)

2.86 MB JPG

>>2975525
>don't have to clean
>will burn right in anyhow
>get better weld penetration on thicker material
>don't have to worry about your shielding gas blowing away
haha innershield at 300a go brrrrrr

>>2973045
when you go to test for aws certs they recommend you use a straight line. you should use it and produces strong welds

>>2975559
>haha innershield at 300a go brrrrrr
I've tried flux core exactly once.... Not my cup of tea. I do have a small spool that came with a welder and another 10 or 11 lb spool that I should probably use up sometime.

File: Screenshot_20260210-23371(...).jpg (866 KB, 1440x1490)

866 KB JPG

Picrel: worth it or not, for beginner hobbist? Just read a little ftom link here >>2973047; what can it do, metals/thickness wise, and what can't it?

File: 1720915992135455.jpg (28 KB, 360x360)

28 KB JPG

>use 6014 rods
>hate it and they suck ass

>get 7014 rods
>works great

>>2975787
>what can it do
120A, that would be 6mm 1/4" absolute maximum
>what can't it
gas. that machine is gasless only and thin wire too, which for a lot of applications is pure dog shit.

I worked in a welding supply shop for 10 years of my life. I realize people want to spend as close to $0 as possible and get a machine that can do everything. I would not recommend a machine like pic related unless all you want to do is 3mm plate on trailers and fencing.

>>2975833
Yeah, just browsed yt and there's s lot of videos about it and mostly praising it (ex : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LariCNWmY1w(, hence why I was wondering.

>>2975836
Those power electronic machines usually fail when one or more of the power transistor fail. If it happens, figure out which ones failed with a multimeter then order replacements. Cost me $20 to fix a $300 machine.

muricans cannot fathom the 7018 open root

>>2976891
canucks cannot fathom a good fitter and a 7010 hippy rod downhill root

>>2976922
>fitter
murifats never did end the slave trade after all

File: 1711511685308237.png (470 KB, 939x714)

470 KB PNG

>297692aight
>the helper thinks its allowed to talk

File: scamazoned.jpg (1.29 MB, 1834x3161)

1.29 MB JPG

>>2972986
>be lowlife scum dropshitter
>wait 22 days to dispatch my fba order
>send chinkshit instead of genuine as ordered and paid for
>get negative feedbacks removed because they were all fba orders of garbage middlemanned through amazon delivery
>continue doing monkey behavior for peanuts margins
and here i am being fucking retarded just trying to make an honest buck melting metal together

>he doesn't decant acetylene because big gas reddit bots say it's a bad idea
oooOoooooOo scary

>>2978303
an acetylene generator would be neat but calcium carbide has gotten absurdly expensive and they really dont build much over 4psi which rules out running big rosebuds which are the primary gas eaters
and the commercial cylinder filling plants are insane with precision scales in submerged vats because it really is sketch balls over 25psi. and theres tons of trade secrets around acetone saturation measurements and maximum filling rates/time
propylene is supposed to be the best acetylene substitute but a many suppliers dont stock it
i tried propane but it sucks ass. slow as fuck to start the cut and dumps too much bulk heat into the work which makes cutting rusted nuts off without fucking the bolt threads nearly impossible. and it eats oxy like candy. but it cuts really clean on new plate on the burn table

>>2978331
Get a bigger propane tip for your torch. It'll still eat oxygen, but you can definitely pre-heat a shit ton faster.

>>2978303
I do, I have a 5L bottle i top off every time I get the 50L one replaced and have been doing for years. Have I slowly increased the acetone contents of the small bottle? Maybe, I'll replace it too when I notice a difference.

Why do my welds don't scab? I got 6010 and 6011 and neither form a crust after welding like I've seen in all the welding videos I've watched.

>>2978446
there is slag, just rake it off with a chipping hammer. or you got some really old, oil soaked electrodes and most of the slag is trapped inside your weld.

>>2978446
6010 and 6011 slag sticks a lot harder than 6013 or 7018. Its on there and just takes more chipping or a wire brush on an angle grinder to get it off.

>>2972986
Corkscrew ftw

File: Screenshot_20260302-143956.png (615 KB, 720x697)

615 KB PNG

>>2972986
Yay! My people! My brothers!
Pictured: Cross Section of GMAW corner joint.
8"x1"x1/4" flat bar mild 2x
.035 ER70S-6
20.5v 370WFS

I am a new welder, just in the middle of my cert program.

GTAW was invented by retarded masochists and I hate it.
MIG is God's gift to Earth.
SMAW is easier than people think, but not all rods are created equal.

Lastly:
Fuck aluminum.

>>2979228
1F , by the way.

This was my VERY FIRST GMAW corner joint.

>>2978446
If you mean like snakeskin freezing, that really is rod dependent.

There is a WORLD of difference between 60xx rods and 7018.

Try a 7018, that'll be more what you're looking for, probably.

>>2977537
>Buying gas lenses

Gas adjustment accessories for TIG are the welding equivalent of penis enlargement pills, except for the Unicorn farts but even those are just process dependent and don't work for every weldment.

Change my mind.

>>2975559
I wasn't aware they sold Giraffe neck MIG guns.

>>2979236
try and weld some titanium and then tell me laminar flow doesn't matter

>>2975498
Because Stick > FCAW by skill

If you don't want to be a skillful welder and you just need shit to stick together FCAW is fine, I guess, but I prefer NOT buying entire spools of wire for home use.
With a welder for home/sporadic projects, you may need different rod/filler alloy on hand.
By going with stick, you just buy a few different packs of rods.
With MIG, you have to buy spools, and if you're trying to save money and go this route, you'll end up getting a spool gun, and lots of little spools for it. Self winding is such a bad idea, no welder will tell you to do it, unless you're a serious penny pincher with an erection for GMAW setups.

Aka
Cheaper to buy rods, than to buy whole new spools, just to work with different base metals.
Which means stick is the cheapest way to go for "miscellaneous" welding scenarios.

Also, some base material just really doesn't fucking FCAW, but the proper rod will penetrate through a fucking bunker.

>>2979240
I make less than $30/hr

If someone wants ME to weld titanium, they have already made a grave miscalculation before we get there.

You are probably right. I haven't fucked with that material yet. If that's when it matters, noted. Thanks for the info.

>>2979244
large gas lens or a purge box or you have to jerry rig something around your cup to trap gas and you can't see shit

File: youhaveoptions.jpg (3.31 MB, 3024x3248)

3.31 MB JPG

>>2979236
wait wait lemme guess
i doubt youre a mega geezer running an og airco/union carbide/linde jumbo beerbottle handle 500a torch hooked to the water faucet for cooling and have the helium cranked up to 100 cfh to fire off the 1/4" tungsten with a genuine pyrex dinner glass cup
so that means you come from a 2nd world establishment where you cant imagine anything different than a silly yuro style torch for limp wristed edamamebois. which you enjoy because it reminds you of when your wifes bull lets you hold it before he puts it in
and you must not pay for gas because a stubby lens runs clean at half the flow of the junk straight cups from the heliarc dinosaur days
just wait until you find out about newfangled shit like different length back caps and wedge collets and foot pedal controls

>>2979305
NTA but IMO if a part needs welded at 500A with TIG then it's badly designed.

>>2979324
>he haven't tried TIG carbon arc gouging

I am tired of this bullshit.

Some ass hat hooked my MIG contact tip up backwards, and melted the fucking threads.

I'm so pissed, who the fuck does that, why?!?!?!

>>2979305
Ok, you are going to have to explain to me why your torch has a fucking gear wheel.

Go.

Also, I'm just a student. 1st world, shitty public trade school though.

Also, let me ask you expert welders.

Why hasn't PIG taken over TIG?

Plasma Ionized Gas welding.

Take a plasma cutter, down the input energy so you don't punch through, make a plasma weld pool and add filler metal.
Fuck sharpening Tungsten.
Why aren't we just using plasma instead?

Modern plasma cutters and TIG torches are almost the same fucking thing.

Is the plasma cutter energy output too high? Is it the gas flow rate?

Someone can engineer TIG into obsolescence if you can configure a plasma cutter to maintain the pool.
We won't even fucking need Tungsten anymore.

Why isn't anyone doing this?!

I'm going to. I'm going to patent it.
Fuck you.

PIG > TIG

>>2979596
I don't know how controllable the puddle would be... Who knows though, you might be onto something. Someone else has probably already tried it though.

>>2979596
https://forum.millerwelds.com/forum/welding-discussions/15282-anyone-familiar-with-plasma-welding
plasma welding was going to be the next greatest shit in the world circa 1978. thermal arc (wonder where that brand name originated) sold a bund of high dollar systems for nuc shit and r&d. it worked but was cantankerous and took special gas blends that nobody stocked back then. it shined on super thin parts like .002 stainless bellows and oddities like 100% fusion butt welding copper to titanium in an inert environmental chamber. otherwise tig is easier and cheaper in every aspect except dipping the tungsten

>>2979324
>if a part needs welded at 500A with TIG then it's badly designed
lol
lmfao even
if that was true then miller would have no reason to make dynasty 800 boxes. ive personally struggled getting a puddle going with a dynasty 350 full pedal on 1/4 x 4" copper bars. the heat is just wicked away
i worked at another place that did industrial food processing equip. theyd weld up custom ss rect box tubing in the shop that you couldnt buy. brake up c channel forms from 3/8 plate then fuse the backpurged joint with a tig machine torch hanging off an airco beetle hooked to a 1000a old p&h xfmer box with an hf451 arc starter running a 3/16 tungsten at like 50 inch a minute weld speed
>>2979595
>explain to me why your torch has a fucking gear wheel
its an awkward amperage control on the faggy torch and a gas valve on the others

>>2979596
Plasma cutters operate in a different voltage range, much higher than TIG. Like 5 times higher. TIG is simple and it just werks.

>>2973061
Why not, it doesn't have an expiration date. I also have a tig that I love a lot despite not having used it for a year, will do some work this summer hopefully.
>>2975058
Not if you beat the shit out of it with needle scaler in between short welds and have it cool slowly in sand
>>2979236
I run criminally low gas flow rate with gas lens and welds turn out fine on steel and alu, it saves money

God welding is the most beautiful hobby in the world but the shittiest real job you can have :/
I'm gonna go drive a truck I guess

>>2979228
Congratulations and nice dog
> GTAW was invented by retarded masochists and I hate it
Don't obsess over it, tig is easy when you learn at your own pace and not follow everything the experts say to the letter. What's bothering you about it?
It's the only reliable way to weld aluminum without losing your fucking mind or having the welds look like shit

>>2972986
Hello anons, I've been thinking of hardfacing and got an idea:
Could spring steel wire (or music wire as some call it) be brazed/welded on with tig on an edge of mild steel piece to create a hardened edge for a diy knife?
I've once managed to do this with a drill bit on an axe head and it worked but drill bits but it's not reallu cheap and easy to burn through drill bits like that

>>2980707
Fuck my spelling was retarded here, basically I have a leftover spool of spring wire that's all kinked up and I got no use for so I thought about using it for this task

>>2980709
you want to use the wire as filler?

>>2980720
Yeah, melt a few layers of it on the edge and grind it down so I have a quality edge on a cheap piece of steel that I can shape

I have an old Lincoln Electric SP100 that works fine but I'd like to get back into TIG. Would a multiprocess welder be an upgrade or will I end up with a shittier MIG machine? I'm looking at the Omnipro 220 or the Power MIG 215. Light fab/hobby use.

I'd get a dedicated TIG box but I'm pressed for space.

I can't get the hang of tig. All my pieces have suckback.

>>2980733
The omnipro 220 is a kickass little mig and stick machine. I have not tried mine for tig yet as I have a dedicated ac/dc Hobart tig machine. But you should not be disappointed in its mig/stick abilities as far as I'm concerned.

File: IMG_20260317_182603920_HDR.jpg (424 KB, 1297x1067)

424 KB JPG

>>2972986
im building a single place motorcycle trailer, but with cool coilover suspension. these are trailing arms(not done yet). the axle stub fits in the bigger tube im using car wheels so I needed that offset and then hopefully the gusseted dogleg will help with side loads. I have a pair of harley vrod shocks, I havent worked out the angles but I think it'll work. Imagine a central 2x3 beam and then two other 2x3s sticking out like a cross and these arms will be hanging off the ends.

>>2981719
neato. hopefully itll dampen out ok

File: IMG_20260318_194220244.jpg (554 KB, 1920x1080)

554 KB JPG

>>2981757
Thanks, I think it'll work. that harley weighs the same as my yamaha and the trailer weighs as much as a fat couple and looking at how laid over the shocks on the harley are, they could be put more upright and be more effective. Now Im at the point where I need to figure out how I should align everything. Maybe put the wheels on and block everything up to ride height and then align the tires to the frame? Im going to sleep on it

>>2980721
Yep, ive faced cheap hammers with small broken drill bits, spring steel will do what you think it will, hardenable edge for a blade or a hardened face
When i faced the hammers their mass was enough of a heat sink to quench harden the drill bit steel, so you might have to do a seprate quench and temper for a blade edge

File: IMG_20260319_184222370_HDR.jpg (631 KB, 1920x1080)

631 KB JPG

>>2981907

File: IMG_20260321_062853583.jpg (618 KB, 1920x1080)

618 KB JPG

>>2982057

>>2972986
They arr rook same

>>2982244
shock mount uprights look too wimpy

Unironically what's the point of stick for anything outside of structural welding?
There is no project where I wouldn't rather use flux/mig/tig
It's a pain to use, especially on thin metal

>>2982602
Welding aluminium outdoors?

>>2982609
I have no use for onions metal

>>2982602
I love stick welding. Burning through shitty paint and rust with 6011. Zero fucks given. Also quite handy to stick the electrode deep into narrow spots you can't get a mig gun into very well. Thin metal can suck, but get yourself some 3/32" rod and turn the amps down and its doable for stuff you don't care about much. I wouldn't try stick welding on body work because that would be a nightmare of warpage and burning through....

>>2982602
> What's the point of the cheapest and most environment independent welding process?

>>2981914
I did the exact thing with drill bits on an axe head, I use it to beat the shit out ot everything from wood to coal and mortar and it's still sharp, it's insane, didn't need any heat treatment.
I'm not sure how spring steel will behave since it's different than HSS and probably becomes way different when melted together with mild steel.
I'd really like to avoid having to quench it because I suck with that and there's too many ways to screw it up.
It's probably gonna be way better than a soft edge

>>2982616
Skill cope

>>2982692
NTA, but aluminum is a pretty shit material for a lot of things. It does have some good qualities and applications where it shines.

>>2982694
That's true for every metal. Mild steel rusts, stainless isn't as strong but as heavy as other steel, aluminium is weak by volume, etc.

>>2975833
doesn't it have like some liquid inside the thread like solder that helps no not corrode like shit? And when it burns it uhh forms to a gas or somethin

File: IMG_20260326_155046400.jpg (707 KB, 1920x1080)

707 KB JPG

>>2982277
Yeah I just ran out of filler rod. Im thinking about adding a few lightening holes, for looks but i dunno. The shocks seem to work good. I weigh 240ish and on the lowest preload there is barely any sag and I cant bottom them out jumping on it

Bought a $150 stick welder off amazon that according to a youtube video can hit 170 amps reliably and is decently built. I also snagged 1500 pieces of 20' long 1"x3/4" square tubing at a liquidation for $300

What are some projects I can do to make a bit of money and save up for a nice welder? The welder I bought was a hone 185d.

>>2983200
Garden fence panels, chairs and tables, gazebo frames, chicken coup frames, deck railing, shop shelving/work benches. Suggest you get a bunch of 3/32" E6011 if youre new to stick welding and a good number of lense covers, 6011 throws sparks everywhere but a easy to see puddle, 6013 and 7014 may leave a smoother bead but their puddles are hidden by heavy slag and tend to get slag inclusions plus when they fail they just snap while 6011 beads bend before breaking. 7018 is great but takes some skill and 6010 just does not like to stay burning on small inverters

>>2983200
>1500 pieces of 20' long 1"x3/4" square tubing at a liquidation for $300
dang 30,000 feet of steel for 300? and a welder is 150?

>>2983341
yeah I got a lot and i need something to do with it, everyone went for the machines and had no money at the end so I made out like a bandit I think. 0.06" wall thickness, they're rectangle tube not square and 0.75" x 1" in size. too bad I fucking suck at ideas but luckily anon above gave me some stuff to work with

>>2983358
Im above anon, .06 wall will be hard with 3/32" 6011 rod you will have to do the series of spot welds to not burn through or moving fast down hill, 1/16"or 5/64" 6013 or 7014 will work with a decent amount of practice, mock up a bunch of joints and practice before you make a mess of a actual job, some advice will be to have a very steep drag angle with the rod, like 15° to keep from blowing through and stop slag inclusion, and fit up will have to be perfect, the slightest gap will have you chasing blow outs, so a mitering chop saw will be a much needed tool

>>2983364
hello above anon, I guessed that number but just checked, they're actually 0.085-92, I take it my 6011 will still be a bit difficult to use?

I'll get a chop saw this week. I believe my friend is selling one. Thanks for all the info

>>2983364
Oh and to be clear do not have a steep drag angle with 6011, that will blow a massive hole on thin tubing, but is how you get deep penetration with 6011

>>2983365
Oh thats better, 3/32" rod on 3/32" material will be fine, just fit up mock ups of the joints youll be making and practice until it clicks, and to save you from learning the hard way as soon as a hole opens up just break the arc and let it cool, you are not gonna fill it haha

File: IMG_20260401_172836816.jpg (657 KB, 1831x1361)

657 KB JPG

lookin better than how it came

>>2983884
all that work for something that will rust out in a season

>>2984010
goddamn i love living in a place where salt rust doesnt exist

File: IMG_20260402_171300082_HDR.jpg (850 KB, 1920x1080)

850 KB JPG

>>2984010
meh probably wont get used enough to start rusting looks better though. still thinking about paints and primers. im probably gonna use vht epoxy primer and red rustoluem. I got ~140lbs for the tongue weight so thats good so far

>>2983368
I finally have my first project in mind, a simple stand to hold my propane torch. I'll give pics of my first attempts at stick welding when it's assembled.

>>2983358
Ramps for loading 4wheelers/golfcarts into a pickup. All the ones you can buy are sketchy/short noodle grade aluminum because mfg's try to cheap out. Trailer ramps, garage tire racks, landscape trailer accesory mounts for blowers/rakes/shovels etc. SxS spare tire mounts. Treestand ladder sections. Garden benches. Ideally stuff you can sell on FBmarketplace for cash.

>>2984273
Cool, dont worry the welds will look like poo but you can always take a hammer to your practice joints to assure yourself to their strength

>>2979596
>>2979605
>>2979630
>>2979649

I'm the guy that posted about replacing TIG with controlled plasma arcs instead.

Ok, so here's the REAL reason that we haven't lowered TIG into the grave and replaced it with open plasma arc welding instead. But let me point out some details about this.

1. The idea works. We can 100% GET RID OF TIG ENTIRELY. From a technical standpoint, it is possible to just use controlled plasma beams to do EVERYTHING that TIG does.

2. Patents and companies closeting the necessary tech. Yep. Two corporations from two different nations are the reason that the world is still using Tungsten rods for welding, even though we can technically get rid of tungsten entirely, in practice.

3. (Don't be antisemitic.) In the 90's, an Israeli R&D grant into plasma arc technology funded a company that patented the correct technology for the right type of control and function for a form of plasma arc welding that could replace TIG.

4. That company produced no viable products for it. (Though it maintains at least two related patents.)

5. That company sold its majority ownership years ago, into a welding corporation in Mumbai, India. (They don't know what they are sitting on and haven't made a viable product with the tech and/or they do know, and do not want to bring it to market since it would cannibalize their TIG offerings.

There you go.
Two companies. (One plasma research corporation, that used Israel government funding.) and (One welding corporation in Mumbai, India.)

They are the ones that have the patents that could enable PAW/PIG to replace TIG in it's entirety.
We've been able to technically DO IT, as a civilization since the 90's.

Someone will get around to phasing out TIG eventually, because all the pieces exist, someone will just have to put the puzzle together and cut deals with those two corporations.

Once they do, the TIG market will buckle pretty fast, since avoiding using a rare Earth metal is becoming a bigger and bigger deal.

>>2984733
Investors, mid-term Tungsten short, as soon as someone starts talks with those two companies for patent access. (One of the reasons I won't publicly say which companies, but it's not hard to figure out with what I've posted about each of them.)

My tech and market predictions always come true.
I'm a savant genius at microeconomics, and I pay close attention to shit.

File: vibrRp8.jpg (1003 KB, 4584x3306)

1003 KB JPG

>>2984733
>>2984739
>anon cant get the hang of not dipping the tungsten
>schizos out on irrelevant tech
show me on the doll where tig touched you

>>2984744
Ok, point to the Tungsten tree, that Tungsten grows on.

You have your points, but you might as well be shilling for Oxy Acetlyne Torch Welding, broskie.

It's inferior tech because it costs us something that we can't replace.

>>2984771
one $4 7" stick of tungsten can make a 1000ft of weld easily so its fractions of a cent per minute
this is versus having to stock 2 different gasses and 1 is an odd blend that isnt stocked. so at 10cfh on a 280 that costs $150 for the gas that's $5/hr conservatively consumable cost for the arc medium. which is an order of magnitude higher than the tungsten consumption
tig is like 6010 5p red rod. its been around forever. anybody with 1/2 a clue can run it. and it does its intended job fantastically