Anything welding

sloppy tig welds are stronger than mig either way..

i was pretty consistent at mig welding



and my tig welds are bleh..

 

Sounds like hes describing a spray arc technique, or globular transfer of the wire. (wire melts before it touches the base metal) Nothing really wrong with it, and really its a great way to get the maximum heat/penetration out of a smaller welder.

 

I dont even try to get a stack of dimes with my tig welder. Not how I was taught.

 

I can't explain it as I have no idea what I'm doing, no formal training what so ever. I just stumbled on to this technique from over 10 years of trial and error practice.

The technique works and looks great but is entirely dependent on a couple things, max temp, extremely slow wire feed, slowly pulling the weld as it drips, and the weld area absolutely has to have gravity pulling the pooling drips directly down.

 

you got it that's exactly it! How did you know about that? Professional welder?

 

Some may call me that.

 

typically people dont do spray arc at home, its a structural heavy duty welding process, like 21amps @ 330 wire speed and the machine sounds like complete shit and the welds do come out smooth still

 

I did it with my old 115 amp mig machine. Until I switched over to a quality flux core wire. Much faster, with the same heat output.

Also, Sprayarcing at such a slow wire speed makes it hard to weld anything thats not sitting flat on a table. I can pull a Tig bead uphill much easier than I can a mig bead, so thats ultimatley what I switched to.

 

I stumbled (trial and error) on to the technique trying to weld 1/4" plate with my 120V welder. It worked so well and looks so good I just weld everything this way now .

 

Exactly what I experience trying to use this technique. I can guide the drips along but gravity pulls them straight down. The area I'm welding has to be perfectly flat to the ground. It's refreshing having a professional explain what I'm seeing under my pure observation alone.

I'm an engineer so I appreciate that level off technical professional knowledge.

 

please what ever you do, do not google "Spray arc welding" and click images

 

Ok professionals school me on the effects of pure Argon VS Argon CO2 mix when using the globular transfer method.

A little knowledge is dangerous!

 

I've burned a lot of metal, 3 years straight. I've seen a lot of "welding school graduates" weld and I've seen people run circles around me.. that's about as professional as I get. My ex was a NDT for BP on the north slope and she x rayed some of my shit for fun and it was acceptable. So take my observation as just an experience I have. I wasn't trying to make fun of your welds..

 

Anyone here graduate from Newport News Shipbuilding's Welding School? When I worked there they said it was World Class, I was always curious if that was true.

 

Ive never had a weld break but now im kind of nervous. My whole truck is burned together by dime ish welds. Am I screwed sometime in the near future? I don't care about looks as much as i care to not lose control of my steering on the freeway.

 

my unprofessional opinion says the machine was not set correctly (to cold or too much wire) or not powerful enough.

 

I took one class in structural tig welding. I dont call myself a profesional, I call myself someone who welds for his dayjob. All of my mig/stick experience comes from arc time, whether it was at home, in highschool, or on the job. Ive seen "welders" produce absolute crap, and guys that put me to shame. You dont need to earn a diploma/certs to become a "welder", all that matters is if you can pass the test the bossman hands you for your interview.

 

Technique is a little inconsistent, but overall it looks OK. I dunno if I would burn my entire truck together with a 120 amp machine though, like it or not, there are a ton of limitations to those machines.

 

I've worked in aerospace quality for ten years (inspection) and fabricated/production welded for 3 years. I bought a Tig - Lincoln Squarewave 175 and can get shit done with it. When I was bored after 3 years of mig production I applied everywhere to expand my welding horizon which I took Tig test, mig tests, spray arc tests and was offered jobs each time for the position I interviewed for. Unfortunately in Arizona being a welder doesn't pay shit and it's more of an opportunity job meaning your pay is so/so because of the resources the job offers you for personal shit really.. I think it's a little bit of company politics too not getting hired on for shit right away because so many idiots will get burned out quick and settle back into a McDonald's job.. I now have a career desk job reviewing b/prints telling engineers " that's not how this works in the real world"..

 

Looks like I used the term "stacking dimes" incorrectly, from the comments, "whipped" or cursave "e" Mig.

I think my question was answered. no real difference in strength if done correctly.

**edit** learned two things today. Stacking dimes is a TIG technique, or in MIG also known as stacking tac's