Need a no spark welder...TIG?

Patrice Lemée

Patrice Lemée

Joined
Aug 13, 2002
Messages
5,703
Sorry, the other welding thread made me think of this but did not want to hijack.

If you've seen my shop you know that it is packed. I have a Miller MIG with gas that I love (110v) but whenever I want to weld I have spend a lot of time setting up because I need to move things around and put up shields for sparks. And even then I am concerned about sparks going where they are not suppose to. I need a no spark option and since this is my house garage, OA is not an option. So...

Is TIG really "sparkless"?
How bad is the learning curve? (For structurally sound welds to start, not looking for looks)
Any recommendations on budget brands?

Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 
I have a broken down Lincoln 100v so I would ask if when you say sparks do you mean little blobs of flying molten metal? :D I have seen one Belgian knife maker use a big TIG setup with no filler metal to tack damascus billet stacks and it was the cat's meow.
 
Tig welding is a skill just like Mig welding or knife grinding. Tig welding is "sparkless" and you can tack up a billet without filler wire even with a small tig rig setup. I hope this next comment is allowed, there's a page on Facebook that goes by Weldporn. These guys show you what a real tig weld should look like. Got some amazing videos. If that's not allowed please let me know Mods.
 
You can TIG in your Sunday finest. If you're getting sparks and splatter with TIG something is way wrong.
 
Yes, I love TIG..Ive welded a lot of aluminum with mig and TIG both..Id take a nice TIG any day and like someone already said you can tack without filler rod..
 
Yeah TIG is awsome, no sparks and clean welds..... If you're good ;) do some good research and talk to the guys at your local welding supply shop as it can get complicated with all the different gases, tungstens, and torches. It takes a lot of practice too, and may be frustrating in the beginning. Good luck and share some pics once you get it going!
 
Thanks guys, also looks from the little research I've done so far that Blue or Red (most likely used) is the way to go. It's only money right? :o
 
TIG is AMAZING! but you are right is not the best shot for heavy structural welding. Is both not cheap nor the best suited for quick deep penetration, but i suppose neither your shop is the best place for heavy structural welding, so TIG everyday ;)
 
No one else heard of Submerged Arc Welding ?? Check videos -doesn't show a thing since everything is done under a layer of powdered flux, HA !
 
I teach welding at a community college for a living (12 years). You'd be able to fuze stuff together in a day. What are your plans with it? The initial cost is pretty expensive but what a lot of people don't realize is the cost associated after is expensive. Gases, consumables, etc... I bleed blue when it comes to GTAW. Their machines really are much much much better than red with this process. Make sure you don't cheap out and get a machine that does both Ac and dc. About 2 years ago I used a thermal arc 110v/220v machine and was thoroughly impressed. It has all the bells and whistles that the millers come with, and it comes absolutely ready to weld minus the argon cylinder for about half what a miller runs. For in the garage welding you're better off going air cooled as you are not welding enough to justify the cost, and coolant gets mold if it is allowed to sit too long.

The process works fantastic for making Damascus billets. I've only made one as I don't forge yet but I had Damascus laying around and wanted to make a Damascus guard so I took a bunch of pieces, autogenously (no filler) welded all seams, heated it with an oxyfuel torch and squished it in my iron worker.
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mete said:
No one else heard of Submerged Arc Welding ?? Check videos -doesn't show a thing since everything is done under a layer of powdered flux, HA !
Click to expand...

I've seen it mentioned in the school books. I think FCAW is a more common process for high deposition rate welds.
 
Stezann, you are right, no heavy structural welding going on in here. lol

Kevin, thanks for taking the time to help me. I'd sure go take a course in a minute if I lived close. :(

I need to weld mainly steel, stainless and most anything else I can (loved to do bronze for example if possible) with it although aluminum not so much. I read that you needed more power for alu to overcome the heat sink properties and such so I guess it helps my needs for a smaller machine. Thickness wise, maybe 1/4" here and there but mostly thinner than that, more like 3/16 down to the smallest I can do.
Looks like Miller is what I need so I downloaded a bunch more info to see exactly which model I need. I might pick your brains a bit more before I am done if it's ok.

Thanks again guys, really appreciate your help.
 
Patrice Lemée;15303077 said:
I read that you needed more power for alu to overcome the heat sink properties and such so I guess it helps my needs for a smaller machine.
Click to expand...

Much higher frequency, and ball the tungsten tip.
 
Patrice Lemée;15303077 said:
Stezann, you are right, no heavy structural welding going on in here. lol

Kevin, thanks for taking the time to help me. I'd sure go take a course in a minute if I lived close. :(

I need to weld mainly steel, stainless and most anything else I can (loved to do bronze for example if possible) with it although aluminum not so much. I read that you needed more power for alu to overcome the heat sink properties and such so I guess it helps my needs for a smaller machine. Thickness wise, maybe 1/4" here and there but mostly thinner than that, more like 3/16 down to the smallest I can do.
Looks like Miller is what I need so I downloaded a bunch more info to see exactly which model I need. I might pick your brains a bit more before I am done if it's ok.

Thanks again guys, really appreciate your help.
Click to expand...
1/4" aluminum I usually set my machine to about 200 amps or so. miller has the new synchrowave 210 that is built into the body of their old millermatic cases. It is dual voltage input which means that you can plug it into 110v or 220. It does ac and dc. The only negative thing that I do not like about it, is they sell a seperate "expansion" program that uses an sd card. The expansion allows you to set different frequency settings and what not. It has a butter smooth arc and is heads above the lincoln. I welded with both machines back to back and the miller is much much better. The miller comes ready to weld out of the box. Try a local welding supplier they might have the machine to use in the showroom. I have literally taught people to tig via text message, so when you get it, I will give you input on your welds if you like. I setup 25 of the millers a while back, the case is an efficient design as it allows you to store all the foot control, torch, ground etc in the side. Tig will do just about any metal that can be welded. You can even "braze" with it.
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ron_m80 said:
Much higher frequency, and ball the tungsten tip.
Click to expand...

We don't really "ball" the tip anymore with new machines. We don't use pure tungsten either. With inverter based machines you're able to fine tune the AC waveshape and adjust the frequency to your hearts desire.
 
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