tig,induction welding advice needed

[discodee]

This may sound like a stupid question, but what is induction welding is it like arc welding also whats tig, im used to arc welding and mig  and im looking to buy a new welder for fixing broken bits and making bits for my rr classic I dont want to spend a fortune so im wandering whats the best for my needs any advice ive got a gassless mig and its crap am I best getting a 3 fase gas mig all the welding will be done indoor any advice would be greatly appreciated cheers the noo,don

[boss]

tried to write a response to this twice now. mud club keeps freezing on me! i am an approved TIG welder it is much easeyer for me to answer any specific questions you have rather than me writing out the shory essay  that i did.

[discodee]

hi im just wandering how difficult it is to tig weld as i say i can mig and arc weld is it easier or harder to tig and what sort of metal thickness etc can be tig welded what about the cleanness ie rust etc as it will be to rapair and fabricate parts for my 87 rr classic so as you can imagine there is rust on it im just wandering would it easier to just stick to mig or is tig or inverter better for strength I havent a clue about either of them just arc and mig cheers

[boss]

for TIG to work efficiently(like any weld) the surfaces have to be clean. it cant really be compared to MMA or MIG.....if anything its more like soldering!
where MMA/MIG you heat the electrode up and inturn the parent metal heats up in TIG you heat the metal up and then put the wire in. it is a very precise form of welding and not easy to master but it is well worth the aggro. just remember to hold the gas on the run once you have stopped welding because TIG welds are very prone to oxidisation.

as well as an inverter you will need a bench grinder(if you don't already have one) because you have to bring the tungsten (electrode) to a point, then you must turn it vertically and finish the point off IE the grind lines are going towards the point. this helps channel the arc and it will be much easeyer.
another point to make is look for a set with HOT START on a basic TIG set you will have to strike an arc much like MMA welding this is otherwise known as a "scratch" set up but a HOT START set up its moraless press and go


all in all if its something you would like to do buy one. but unless you know your going to use it offen i would just buy a nice 3-phase MIG as TIG welding can be an expensive business!

hope thats helped

[lee celtic]

I have repaired body panels with all three types and have to say that the tig is the best as if you cut the holes and patches the same size you can butt weld them then polish flat and you can't see the joint  however it is hard when you start but then suddenly it all falls into place. and once you've got it you can make allsorts...

for bigger stuff I'd stick with the mig...

I Don't do ark  [-X  :( could never get the hang of it ... :-k

[wormster]

FWIW:

As  I remember from my city 'n guilds course about 20 years ago: Gas is most versatile, with the right rods and fluxes you can join just about ANY plate together (silver solder, braze and weld), Arc (stick) welding is fearsome (I hated it) MIG is versatile, dependant on push/pull rigs and what type of shield gas you use, TIG on the other hand is a black art, mostly suited to ally and stainless, BUT you've got to have it set just right otherwise you end up making expensive holes in your metal.

I reckon you'd be best with a decent MIG rig, but the devil is in the detail, you HAVE to prepare the surface just right, get rid of the rust and then grind the angles right.

It'd be worth shelling out a few squids (if you can) and going to nite school at your local TEC and doing a basic welding course. Not only will you learn, but the chances are you'll meet a few people (usually the welding dept. technician) who will have the necessary skill to weld/fabricate the bits that you can't bodge/do yourself.

BTW: whatever you use you'll know when its going well because you'll see an "onion" shape where the weld pool is and it'll sound like frying bacon in a pan (all snap and crackle)

hope this helps and doesn't sound like a load of codswallop - its been tooo many years since I stepped into a welding booth in anger

[discodee]

thanks for your words of wisdom I think ill stick to what I know and shell out a bit more money and buy a decent 3 phase mig thanks again cheers the noo,don

[carbore]

Take a look at www.mig-welding.co.uk lots of advice and techniques, its a community site like this one.