TIG welder is a small system using the TIG welding method to melt and joint metal. It is known as one of the strongest welders at the moment. How exciting it is to turn some piece of metal into different shapes, looks, and creations.
In this article, we will show you how exactly a TIG welder works so that you can decide if this welding method is a good choice for your current needs. Keep reading to learn more!
Table of Contents
Basic Things Welding Methods
There are many different welders and welding processes are used at the moment, but we can take a look at the four most common welding methods that dominate today’s industry. They are:
- Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW),
- Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG),
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW),
- Gas Tungsten Arc Gas Welding (TIG) – the one we will talk about today.
According to most users, the TIG welding process is the strongest one because it can help us melt the metal without much effort.
How Does TIG Welder Actually Work?
TIG welder uses an electric torch to melt metal. While welding metal surfaces like iron, aluminium, steel, or other kinds of metals, the melting surface will be blown by Carbon Dioxide or Argon or the mix of those two.
Basically, TIG welder and other kinds of welders follow the same basic principle, which is melting metals, and mixing the melting metals together to let them stick and become one new surface. But TIG welder works a little bit different from the other methods because it uses Wolfram electrodes to weld.
TIG welder not only helps us to join metal made from the same element but also two different types. For example, you can use a TIG welder to joint aluminium with aluminium, aluminium with steel, steel with iron, etc.
TIG Welding – One Of The Strongest Welding Method
If you still find it hard to picture the whole thing, here is a detailed guide on how to tig weld.
Step 1: Grind the Tungsten Torch
We need to grind the Tungsten torch so it can have a rounded or pointed tip. If you like to have directed arcs, then grind it pointed. Remember that you might need to do this especially when it is brand-new.
Step 2: Settings
There are three main options for you to choose and you should understand what they mean to set it right. You will see DCEP, AC, DCEN, and in the sections, this is what you should pay attention to.
For stick welding or tungsten tips: choose DCEP
For Aluminium: choose AC
For welding steel: choose DCEN.
Step 3: Choose the Right Gas for the Right Metal
After the metal is melted, the gas will blow on the surface, and you need to choose the right gas for the right metal. Basically, use the mixture of Carbon Dioxide and Argon for steel, use Argon for aluminium.
Step 4: Start Welding
Keep the electrode in your right hand (or left hand if it is your dominant one). When you start to use the TIG welder, keep your electrode away from the metal you want to weld around 1 inch. Remember that you should not let the electrode touch the metal because the metal will melt and can leap onto your electrode.
Keep The Electrode 1 Inch Away For The Metal
Conclusion
After all of the discussions above, we can see that TIG welder is one of the best welding processes that can help us to melt metal and turn it into other things we want. Knowing how exactly TIG welder works can actually help you follow the right steps and a better result will turn up soon. Have a good time welding and creating nice stuff!