How To Use A TIG Welder: Welding Process, Tips and Safety Requirements

TIG or Tungsten Inert Gas welding is a popular choice among welders. Although common, achieving clean, accurate, and tidy welding using the TIG process isn’t easy. Above all, You must know the art of heat control, torch angle measurement, and TIG welding setup.

Thus, for newbies, knowing how to use a TIG welder is necessary to get the most accurate welding results. So, here we will present you the best techniques to set up, use, and welding process of the TIG welder along with its safety tips.

Furthermore, we will inform you of the proven TIG welding tricks to achieve your desired welding result.

So, let’s jump into it.

What Is A TIG Welding?

As we described, TIG stands for Tungsten Inert Gas. The TIG will generate heat using the electric arc. It comes from the metal tungsten electrode and jumps to the metal surface where you plan to weld. It is used to weld copper, aluminum, titanium, etc. metals.

The best benefit of TIG welding is its ability to weld two dissimilar metals at the same point. Thus, it enhances your versatility in welding jobs.
The welding machine mainly uses Argon or Argon mixture gas as an inert gas.

Setup Process For TIG Welding

Although most TIG welding devices will come with the user manual, many welders may need help understanding it. Also, most welders don’t even give it a damn.

We feel their urgency to get onto the welding job ASAP. Hence, we will shortly describe how to prepare your welding machine to initiate the welding job.

• You will be using an air-cooled torch with the TIG welding. When you mount it, use the adapter provided within your package. Using a company-manufactured adapter is always better than using aftermarket ones. Using the adapter, plug the torch. Then, attach the regulator and welding hose.
• Place the welding device on a stable surface. Carefully connect the remote control. These are the fingertip control or the foot pedal. The connection should be tight and snug.
• Next, you will need to attach the ground clamp to the machine. It is sometimes called the work clamp and holds the working material safely. Its other end will connect with the metal you want to weld.
• Next, you have to select the right polarity for welding. It refers to the amperage setting and varies according to the welding material. For aluminum, set it at AC on the device's front panel. You must fix the amperage or polarity setting as DCEN for welding steel and steel alloy. The DCEP amperage setting is workable with stick welding.
• Before you can begin your TIG welding, you must prepare the tungsten, as it works as the electrode for welding. It would help if you ground the tungsten (the detailed process is described in the next section). You will need 200-grit paper to grind the tungsten.
• Next, you have to assemble the torch. You must first remove the tungsten attached to the torch by loosening its cap. Next, remove the attached copper collet and nozzle from it. Then, connect the copper collet and its body to the torch. Finally, reconnect the nozzle with the tungsten torch.

How to Use A TIG Welder:

In the previous section, we have briefly described setting up the TIG welder to weld your desired material. But how do you perform all these critical steps sharply and perfectly?

Don’t worry.

Our following instructions will elaborate on the essential steps to use a TIG welder with perfection for the most accurate welding job ever.

Step 2: Grinding the Picked Electrode

You have to continue grinding the electrode until it is ready for use. You must pick a rod from the new cylinder. These rods are flat and don’t contain the pointed tip needed for welding.

Here’s a little suggestion for the electrode grinding process-

• For AC welding, the electrode should feature a balled tip.
• For DC welding, make the information more pointed than rounded.

You will need 200 grit paper to grind the electrode. The harsher the sandpaper is, the quicker the grinding will be.

Also, a pointed electrode tip delivers a smaller arc and is more directed toward the welding metal. And with the rounded end, you may expect to see a dancing arc.

Step 2: Grinding the Picked Electrode

You have to continue grinding the electrode until it is ready for use. It is particularly important if you have picked a rod from the new cylinder. These rods are flat and don’t contain the pointed tip needed for welding.

Here’s a little suggestion for the electrode grinding process-

• For AC welding, the electrode should feature a balled tip.
• For DC welding, make the tip more pointed than rounded.

You will need 200 grit-paper to grind the electrode. The harsher the sandpaper is, the quicker the grinding will be.

Also, a pointed electrode tip delivers a smaller arc and is more directed toward the welding metal. And with the rounded end, you may expect to see a dancing arc.

Step 3: Connecting Collets with the Molded Electrode

Find the screws at the back of the collet electrode holder. Remove the screws to insert the molded rod, and then screw the back tightly with the rod.

Check the protective sheath on the collet. Make sure the mounted rod is ¼” away from the sheath but not more than that. Otherwise, you run the risk of ruining the entire welding job. The good thing is that the electrode comes built-in and ready for use in many TIG welds.

Thus, you can skip the step.

Step 4: Choosing the Right Settings

The standard TIG machine comes with three different settings for amperage or polarity. These are AC, DCEP, and DCEN. You must pick the right setting depending on the welding you perform on the metal surface.

• Set the device at AC amperage for welding aluminum.
• DCEP stands for ‘DC, Electric Positive.’ Choose it to perform stick welding
• DCEN stands for ‘DC, Electric Negative.’ You will need it for welding steel and alloy steel.

Next, look at the penetrating or cleaning setting of the device. It is marked on a scale of 1-10. You should set it around 7 for more penetrating performance. Some models will have the option to adjust the air on the setting. If your welding device has it, set it at 5 seconds.

The air on settings refers to the exact time the gas stays after putting off the arc. It allows you to prevent the weld from further oxidation and rust.

Finally, you have to pick the right AMP setting. Ideally, put it as high as possible or at least 250AMP for the best TIG welding results.

Step 5: Choosing and Switching on the Inert Gas

The selection of the right inert gas is important for the accuracy and safety of the TIG welding process. If you mistakenly use inappropriate gas, the TIG welder will be damaged or cause a misfire.

• Pure argon is used for aluminum.
• A mixture of carbon dioxide and argon is used for steel.

The gas keeps the welding material safe from corrosion since high-temperature meals start corroding rather too fast. Thus, the right inert gas selection will stop the heated metal from corrosion.

After you have chosen the right inert gas, please turn it on for welding later.

Step 6: Preparing the Welding Material and Working Table

It would be best to allow the electricity to flow through the welding metal as you weld. Thus, you will need a large, flat surface for it. We recommend you use a professional welding table. These tables are sturdy and allow you to meticulously set up the welding material.

If you don’t have a working table, any large, flat metal sheet piece will still do the job. Also, scrub off the surface before welding the metal with an aluminum-wired brush. Also, if you use the metal surface for multiple welding, use acetone to remove the remaining debris and welded particles.

A cleaner metal surface yields more accurate and stronger welding.

Next, use the clamps to hold the welding material to the surface securely. You can purchase the clamps aftermarket or build them with a simple DIY project.

Step 7: Proper Dress-up and Final Inspections

When you weld, you must wear proper dresses for it. You should avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing as it often risks catching fire. Thus, you must wear tight-fitted clothes when you perform the welding job.

It would help if you chose welding pants and welding jackets. These are made of cotton and are less likely to get fired. Also, some welding pants and jackets have fire retardant ability.

Next, use welding goggles and safety helmets, too.

Finally, wear special welding boots, if possible, to avoid accidents.

Last but not least, inspect the entire electrode setup, AC/DC settings, amperage, and the welding machine connection to the power outlet. Once you are satisfied with the settings and connection, you can begin welding.

Step 8: Start the TIG welding

The electrode should be in your dominant hand for easy movement and 1 inch away from the welding material. It is crucial to ensure that the electrode never touches the welding material. If it accidentally touches the surface, the molten metal will stick to the electrode, making it unusable.

If it happens, you must grind the electrode to remove the metal from its tip. Make sure the electrode is cooled off properly before you try grinding it.

Put pressure on the foot pedal connected with the welding device. It will transmit the heat quickly to the metal using electricity. It will create a weld pool with a short burst of heat. When you see the weld pool has been created, touch the electrode rod into the metal.

Use the pedal foot to control the amount of electricity and the heat generation on the metal. You can do this by releasing and putting pressure on the foot pedal.

You should weld either side of the metal once in a while. It allows you to get smooth and even welding.

Step 9: Finish off the Welding Job

In the previous step, you learned how to create the weld pool to begin the welding process. It is also called the ‘tack weld.’

For aluminum, the electrode should go towards the rod as it feeds the pool. The rod will be placed sideways to the electrode, called the ‘leading electrode.’ For steel welding, the technique is somewhat different.

The electrode of the welding device will run directly down to the planned weld line. The rod will follow the heat to chase the electrode.

This way, you can quickly finish off the welding job.

Tips to Increase TIG Welding Accuracy and Smoothness For Beginners

If you have been in the welding industry for some time, you may already know how to improve accuracy in welding jobs. However, many beginners would rather find it difficult to make their welding smooth, accurate, and functioning. It happens mostly with TIG welding because of its difficulty level.

Hence, we put down some easy-to-follow tips and tricks for beginners in welding jobs.

• While using the power setting at maximum level is tempting, it also risks burning down your welding material. Hence, it is better to start the welding at minimum power and increase it if the project needs it.
• The angle of the arc torch is pretty important, too. With the welding material, you should hold it around a 15° to 20° angle. Thus, it will have easy access to the welding surface. Also, it will increase your visibility of the welded material.
• A cleaner surface will always yield improved welding results. Thus, you must keep the welding material and surface clean. You will get a specific brush to clean the aluminum and steel surfaces before welding.
• TIG welding works differently from MIG and stick welding. In this process, the 1st melting happens in the brass section with the help of the torch. The molten puddle will then melt the filler material. Thus, it would help if you never melted the filler rod of the TIG welding directly.
• Using the current tungsten for various welding materials is important, too. It would help if you used green tungsten for aluminum, as it is the purest of all tungsten. Red tungsten is used for steel and steel alloys.

TIG welding is a difficult task to accomplish smoothly without any inaccurate impressions on the welding material. In this post, we have accumulated all the possible ways to use a TIG welder with greater accuracy. It should be helpful for intermediate and beginners with little knowledge of welding.

The key is to properly set up the TIG well machine and choose the right set of electrodes and amperage setting. Also, you should keep the power setting at a minimum level and use the connected foot pedal to control the heat on the welded material. You can use a TIG welder for the best welding results in all projects.

Finally, wear protective gear and weld in a well-ventilated area for safety.