I simply cut the long rods in half, which makes them much easier to manipulate. I also bend the very end into a small loop or 270 degree bend to prevent possible injury. Yes, it does "waste" a small amount of wire, but the safety benefits are worth it. I also always wear eye protection. Great channel !
This is my 6th video from you that I have watched in one day. I took some welding classes but they never went over these things. You are fantastic and thanks for all the awesome videos that you have and are preparing for us.
Always bend one end of the rod 180 degs, 3 reasons 1 stops eye/face poke, 2 you can hang the rod up so you avoid flicking it like you demo'd 3 you know which end is the hot end (especially important on Alu as it's not alway obvious because the colour change isn't as obvious as steel) In terms of cleaning wire, if Alu specifically put it in a dishwasher, seriously this works amazingly! Nothing wrong with only using acetone get rid of most of the nasty hydrocarbons and moisture but a dishwasher works wonders. Plus once you have cleaned it, make sure it doesn't become contaminated by laying it on a dirty bench/workpiece (another advantage of hang it up with the hooked end) and make sure you wear clean gloves. Awesome tip about bending the wire, will definately remember that one. A tip I didn't think about, til another buddy suggested, was practise moving your arms along the weld before you strike because the last thing you want to do is strike and get into a position you can't reach or see. Good work buddy, will follow for more learning 😁😁😁
Nice thanks Leigh! That dishwasher tip is one I definitely have not heard about! I’ll have to run that one by the wife 😂 And yeah, bending the end is a great tip I wish I had mentioned here, I was raised under tutelage to tack my rod butts to the end of the next new rod- so I was always reprimanded for not keeping a straight rod end to save my old boss man money while I was learning 😂 I really appreciate your feedback! I love hearing how people do things differently! Cheers to you and thank you for checking out my channel:)
Totally agree on moving your arm along the weld first. Even with aluminum MIG, this was really important on boats as some welds you only get 1 shot and you have to get moving within 2 seconds.
Your videos are so helpful....been welding 40 years....but always pick up great hints. Keep up the great channel....your a very good instructor. Cheers!
I like to get my students to try, what I call rod racing, push a quarter across the table with fixed hand and just the filler rod. Push the quarter away from you, 8 to 12 inches at a time in a straight line. Try this left hand and right hand!! Watch your eyes!!! Look up wrappings an eye on the end of the filler, this will keep the end not being fed into the puddle safer. Nice feeding tips and about the filler end not sticking over the edge of the table! Love your work!
Great Video Dusty!!! Just stating the obvious, and common sense topics is something people don’t often want to hear, but I loved how you explained it all from personal experience. We all need to be a little safer in the shop. I love your videos, and very informative explanations on all your techniques!! Thanks again for teaching us!!
Hey Dusty, I am watching from Wales UK and just wanted to say thank you mate for your videos, I have learned loads since watching you and the others= channels you recommend. Thanks Dai
Great tips, Im a newbie and when you said dont overhang the tig rod on the table, it made me laugh. Ive flung the rod across my garage more times than i can remember. Never even thought that was the be issue. Also have burnt my self with the end of a hot filler rod. Learned not to do that one anymore. Great Videos 👍
Your channel is absolutely brilliant, love it. As a Swede I do appreciate that you translate imperial to metric 🙂👍 I’m ok as long as we talk inches but when it comes to gauge I’m lost 😂
This channel is great. It’s like hanging out with your favorite fabricator bro in his super tidy workshop. Most of my learning experience has been in grungy and greasy garages with tons of half-finished projects and motorcycles laying around. 🤪🤙🏼
Great video young dude... when I was an instructor, I always bent the end of the filler rod over to remove the sharp point, students will be staring over your shoulder and can get a dangerous poke, when TIG or Oxy-Fuel welding.
Dusty I have watched around 20 of your videos And all I can say is thank you I'm kind of older but finding I need to go back to work and only know 2 things welding and Tug boat Caption so I chose one I can do at my own pace and I have been welding scene I was in high school and also went to welding school many moons ago I have tig welded Aluminum but like 10 year's ago and wow how things have changed but again Thanks again for all the information.
Excellent Info brother! New guys, something I like is a strong corner magnet elevated on a bolt mounted out front of Welding Hand - this gives one angle for the tip of the filler rod to stick to and Klein Lineman stuck on other angle. Finish Weld - Grab the Kleins & snip the tip over the Magnet- Cutting Sticks to magnet while replacing rod and Kleins back onto angles. Just enough to stick but not get stuck to magnet lol😆👍 You Rock Brother!
Hi my name is Robert and you were talking about getting poked in the eye with a tig rod a suggestion that I learned when I used to gas weld was to bend the tip of the rod over like a horse shoe. It doesnt stop being poked but if you do it hurts way less. Thanks for your videos.
I purchased a pump dispenser from Justrite for dispensing acetone. It has a little platform that you place your cloth on and press down. No worries about the can slipping and spilling. I am glad that I purchased it.
Hi dusty love your channel In my day we were rapped on the knuckles If we didn't also put a hook in the rod end And hang it gas as well as tig. It was a real bugger straighten the loop out The butts to join them together to use It did stop a lot of eye poke lol Keep safe jj
Haha that’s pretty hardcore tutelage you used to have! I bet it worked though! The hook definitely is a way to stop the pokes. I used to get rapped on the knuckles for throwing rod butts away😂💰💰💰The old boss man used to make us tack the butts to the end of the next fresh rod😂🤣 I still do it to this day😂🤣
I just got my ahp 201 fired up for the first time yesterday, man is it hard. I give you guys mad props. Y’all make it look so easy. I can not feed wire, I can til I burn my knuckles, lol. I like the tip on doing the exercise with the marked out places were to stop and fill. Seems like tig welding involves a lot of muscle memory in the short time I’ve tried to do it. Definitely going to try your way of feeding rod, I’m right handed and I think I’m going to try and switch hands as well, I shoot pool and fish left handed so maybe I’ll do better if I switch it up. Awesome how to!
Yo THANK YOU🙏 Super glad you got some tips from it. And yeah, it’s super muscle memory, it’s a really tedious process- however totally achievable and that’s why I preach learn the simple stuff. So good for you for drilling down on some basics to get comfy! Let me know how you do! Cheers
Thank you very much for these very useful tricks. In order to avoid eye injuries I bend the upper end of the rod - let's say 2 inches - around 180 degrees. kind regards from Bavaria, Markus
Newbie here just starting to research TIG welding. Where is the best place to put your ground clamp when TIG welding aluminum or steel. I’ve seen some clamp it to their welding table and others clamp to the part they’re welding. Is there a difference? What’s the best practice? Seems like it would be hard to clamp small parts. Enjoying your beginners playlist! Thanks!
HI Dusty, great video as usual. I live in Campbell River and I am starting to learn TIG. I like you hold the filler rod between the index and second finger but I use my thumb to advance the rod and sometimes use my arm to steady the rod when at full length. Less waste using a full rod as opposed to cutting it in half. Good suggestions about cleaning the filler rod with acetone, although sometimes I forget to do it and even the part I am welding too. Never thought about bending the rod. I will try that for sure. Great video keep up the good work.
Awesome Job! Normally on a video this long I would have fast forward some BUT can't do that with yours very informative and very useful tips Greatly appreciate the hard work you do. Been doing some serious being watching LOL
One weld that gives me trouble is a fillet weld into an aluminum angle corner. For example, welding the end of a 2x2x1/4” angle to a flat plate. I’m fairly new to tig welding, Getting the torch and the filler rod into the corner is a struggle. A video showing your setup and technique would be very helpful. Do you start out and work your way in, or in the corner and work your way out? I really enjoy watching your videos...so helpful!!! Thank you
Ooh! I always weld from outside in as heat will blow the end of an open joint open. However, if you weld from an open corner, make sure the backside is tacked well. If the open end is loose (not tacked) you can get a following crack at the beginning of the weld:) And for the angle to plate, I’d set it up so the plate is sitting flat on my table, length of angle pointing up (clamped safely of course) and then it’s basically a horizontal fillet:) Thanks so much for the kind words on my vids. I’m really glad you dig them!
Rush is a hard guy to get ahold of lol hes got a pretty big following, and busy welder for sure. I have yet to feed like him successfully lol I have tried several times where it WOULDVE come in handy...couldnt do it lol not many can. It's hard to get accurate at it, if your already used to another way. I had to bend the rod yesterday actually, had to get in a few really tight corners, had to move backwards also, it was good times. Lol great thorough tig teachin sesh brother!
Top tips dusty 😁, that bending the filler rod is a great one 👌. Do you ever use silicon bronze, it's something I'd like to try. Keep up the top work 😉👍
I have tried it yeah! It’s finniky!😂 And yeah dude, I bend the rod in different ways depending on what I’m doing. But I put a big emphasis on visibility so always good to keep my clumsy stupid hand outta my face😂
Really enjoyed this one, but, can you show a session for guys with broken hands? My co-ordination has been challeneged to say the least by a horrific accident and I just cannot stop doing...just trying to get over challenges.
Poked in the eye. That is why a lot of people bend the rod at the end so this cant happen .However I still seem to to pierce my shirt with the hot end in the abdomen occasionally . I still have a burn mark from last week .I mostly weld S/S or M/S .With ally I vee , put material in then grind and polish it. Lucky as I could not do a stack of dimes to save my life . Its only my experience with the other that allows me to do that .And I dread the day that the weld has to stay on . It's always in the back of my mind . Have great night
I think would be cool is to show beginners what the weld pool looks like , in regards what too long of an arc looks like , too much torch angle , and why the filler balls up from up those things.I think a lot of people get caught up with not being comfortable too.
Great ideas. I’ve got a few videos that go over this, however it’s kind of old and I’d like to redo them better soon here. Good suggestions! Thanks Sean!
Since your talking about rods potentially everything behind you is a rod that you can use? Can i use vike spojes as rods? What metals are they? Can i use the hand saw for a rod? Ir is it too sharp? What would be the reason i couldnt use the hand saw or the bike spokes can i use a crow bar for a rod if theres a wide space to weld? Can i use the wrenches? And your screws and bolts? What about phone cord cables that i have saved up and twist unto a "rod"? What is the largest rod in the tool shed? A shovel the lawnmower pipe frames? I have a set of precision screwdrivers can i use these for rods? If i have enough levels can i use this for welding? Or is it already a pool in which case id need to call the number?
Great video Dusty. I need to start practicing this stuff. I'm still working on setting up a place to weld but like you said I can practice on a sheet of paper at the kitchen table.👍 I see Hourglass ingenuity on TH-cam is that the channel you meant I f Don't see Hourglass fab.
I don't weld enough to get (or stay) proficient, so I need all the help I can get. I have trouble with the end of my filler rod wobbling around as I advance it, so I got a *TIG-Pen* ($38 on Amazon). It's not magic but it does help me put the filler where I want it, and since I'm not proud, I don't mind cheating. One project I have coming up would really benefit from being able to weld an outside corner joint with .062" sheet 3003 aluminum on one side and *perforated* (1/8" Hole x 3/16" Stagger, 40% open) on the other. I've had to punt & TIG braze while trying to weld the edge of thin perforated sheet steel to heavy wall tubing, because the perf would burn back when I got the arc anywhere close. Any hints & demo would be really nice!
Awesome videos thank you man. You got a sub from me :). One thing I have never noticed hardly any one mention and I am wondering about as I am new to Tig, Is do you actually dab it in the puddle whilst at the exact same time as the fingers feed the rod, or do you advance the rod through the hand while in between dabs? If that is explained in the video I apologize as I must have missed that bit.
Great question! It’s a sneaky pattern, dab-feed-dab-feed. Helps with the motion of when you advance the torch on your weld path too:) Thanks so much for checking out the channel! I really appreciate hearing from you!
Any further tips for feeding that rod? I can feed it no issue but when concentrating on that torch my filler hand forgets what it's supposed to do and I just dip the rod with my hand getting closer. Cheers
Just for fun I’d have pretended to wipe the rod and opened the toilet paper with a big brown skid mark in it and a kernel of corn. It’s juvenile but would have been hilarious. Regardless, I really love your videos. They’re EXTREMELY helpful.
Depends... usually a light tap if that makes sense. I’ll watch closely to my reinforcement height:) Add a little more or less depending what the reinforcement is doing:)
greetings from maui hi. I'm an auto mechanic 55 plus years professional. welding and making trailers or cars or the rake in the garden fix is possible having a Welder of your own. I appreciate your video very much as I'm getting a tig welder set up. this is new to me so any tips are appreciated. I've done a lot of gas welding of course . looking forward to aluminum welding and learning the features of the welder. I have the yes welder 250p acdc. lots to choose from in the electric box of brands. haven't plugged it in yet. I have a wire feed I use 120v kind here. have a miller 200 white face. any way will be in touch with you. I think I kinda have it figured out, always easier when someone else is doing it. Rod Nelson
Great stuff! It looks like TIG welding requires different types of tungsten tips depending on the type of metal you’re working with. Is that correct? Also, I recall seeing a video of yours where you featured a collection of cups / gas cups. Can you elaborate on the various purposes and scenarios for additional shielding cups? Oh also, do you have a link you’d recommend for those rod charts? Thanks! :)
I see people do it, not a big deal, however you end up with two rod butts opposed to one... this more waste. I just encourage to learn with a full rod, people get used to it pretty quick. Then you don’t have to re-learn to use a full one later, and only one butt to flick into you shop-neighbour’s booth after;)
I always learn something new Dusty!!! I use eye protection all the time, because I cut my Tig rods in half. And is even more chance to poke my eyes out 😁 And what type of tungsten do you use? Kind regards:Robert
If I may chime in... Bending the top end of the rod in "U-turn" shape saved a lot of eyes in my previous work place. Sure, You can still poke Your eye, but unlikely to loose one over it. And the fact that You will lose about an inch of every rod... I think that safety does not have a price tag :) and if You do the calculations, it's only about 3 rods per box if You add the length of all the U-turns
Have you heard of the Eastwood 200 tig welder? Having issues getting it set right and this is used at my job. They won’t spring for a better welder so need to figure out how to make this work and I was hoping you could help
Tough to type out here. It’s all about the start of the bead, if you watch my vid here th-cam.com/video/ZqFnwWUzbOo/w-d-xo.html it shows a pretty good series of how I start a pass. That will then show you how I step and feed in relation to the travel speed. And you can see the example of how I actually mark out my steps (dime pattern) on the table in this newest episode as well :)
You can yeah, but you end up with having to work with a shorter rod- means less fill so you’ll be fingers in tight more often:) Good to learn with full lengths in my opinion, teaches better technique over time:)
i almost crippled myself walking to the bench grinder to sharpen my tungsten. Without even thinking someone spoke to me as i approached the grinder and i poked the Thoriated tungsten in my eye. wear goggles!
Dusty ! Very well explained, useful tips. Now, lets talk business here a little... when are You coming to visit Scotland ?? I'm about to start welding big ass frame made of 7000 series Aluminium with about 100 couped joints with 1-1/2" round tube 16swg and 10swg... Man I'm scared, Need You here to show me the ropes... I'm not a welder of any sort, but I can weld (much preferred BIG stuff) with decent results... pulse MIG mostly as this is my favorite process. Now, the frame I'm about to weld is preassambled out on a jig table, but 90% of the joints are out of position and I'm really shitting my pants. I've got decent welding gear, but being out of practice / experience makes me useless. I've done dozens of sample joints and I really take my hut off for all them welders out these who can weld for example Aluminium bicycle frames or similar. Keep them videos coming Dusty. All the best from Scotland
Oh boy Mark! Send me pics of how it goes! That sounds intense! But fun! Don’t be nervous. That’s why we have grinders. Cut it out, clear your mind, try again:) No sweat! Let me know how it goes! You going to heat treat after?
@@PacificArcTigWelding No intention of heat treatment at this point. The frame was designed in Solidworks and FEA analysed under different stress models. It's going to be an R&D drone frame for offshore rescue missions with a payload of 300 pounds. Typical quad frame layout with about 90" prop spacing. I might do a short video for You, but I'm rather camera shy :)
@@PacificArcTigWelding Yep, all welding by myself. Self taught person (welders zero experience was also simulated in FEA) believe me or not :). Will try to make a raw, uncut video for You by weekend. Stay safe.
@@PacificArcTigWelding Dusty, not sure how can I contact You, so I guess I post the link in here. Hope You won't get bored watching it :) All the best! th-cam.com/video/Jvct-AYQkdU/w-d-xo.html
Hi Dusty, safety first, I was thought when I first started to Oxy/acet welding to bend over about 1 inch of your rod that way you can only poke someone in the eye with a nice blunt end, and as for cleaning ali rods it is not dirt that is coming that is Ali power, ask anyone who polishes Ali everything is black ?? so try a brand new pack just opened they will be exactly the same, Regards eddie
My father used to be an instructor and he showed me how to weld and the first thing that he showed me was to take the end of the rod and curve it like a cane so it would not poke into anybody’s eyes or my
I find Kane grip to be the easiest for fast feeding, especially when running a thick aluminum bead -- that is because it allows the longest continuous finger travel. It works great with thick rods; in my hands, it is borderline usable with a 1.6-mm rod and I totally lose grip (or speed, or precision) with anything under 1mm. Fatigue is typically not a huge issue in a fast-feeding scenario. If I'm running away from a meltdown, it either catches up and I have to stop, or I successfully reach the end, long before I'm fatigued. More often, I have to deal with numbness or excessive hand tremor after about a minute of high-accuracy, high-stakes operation, and in such cases, I prefer the purlicue grip -- the kind Dusty calls lazy. Generally, It helps to know all sorts of grips and feeding techniques because sooner or later, you'll find yourself in an odd configuration where only one of them works. Doesn't matter if you are right-handed or left-handed; both hands must be comfortable doing all kinds of feeds (as well as torch movements). By the way, if tremor is an issue, it is exacerbated by caffeine. If you're planning on doing anything precise, a good rule is no tea or coffee for at least 4 hours before the event.
I am having so much trouble dabbing. I can do it with no torch easy. I can torch (control the puddle) with no dab easy, but when I try to do them together, the rod gets stock on the stock metal, then I get behind and I'm all screwed up. Its just too fast. So I lower the amps with the foot pedal then the arc gets all squirly and the weld gets gross and contaminated.
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I simply cut the long rods in half, which makes them much easier to manipulate. I also bend the very end into a small loop or 270 degree bend to prevent possible injury. Yes, it does "waste" a small amount of wire, but the safety benefits are worth it. I also always wear eye protection. Great channel !
This is my 6th video from you that I have watched in one day. I took some welding classes but they never went over these things. You are fantastic and thanks for all the awesome videos that you have and are preparing for us.
Haha awesome frank. Thanks a lot for the binge watches! Helps my channel a lot actually so thank you!🙏
You should have called this episode: Tig Ergonomics. Loved it, can’t wait to practice these techniques.
Dang thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
....or (Tig-onometry)
Tigernomics?
Always bend one end of the rod 180 degs, 3 reasons 1 stops eye/face poke, 2 you can hang the rod up so you avoid flicking it like you demo'd 3 you know which end is the hot end (especially important on Alu as it's not alway obvious because the colour change isn't as obvious as steel)
In terms of cleaning wire, if Alu specifically put it in a dishwasher, seriously this works amazingly! Nothing wrong with only using acetone get rid of most of the nasty hydrocarbons and moisture but a dishwasher works wonders. Plus once you have cleaned it, make sure it doesn't become contaminated by laying it on a dirty bench/workpiece (another advantage of hang it up with the hooked end) and make sure you wear clean gloves.
Awesome tip about bending the wire, will definately remember that one.
A tip I didn't think about, til another buddy suggested, was practise moving your arms along the weld before you strike because the last thing you want to do is strike and get into a position you can't reach or see.
Good work buddy, will follow for more learning 😁😁😁
Nice thanks Leigh! That dishwasher tip is one I definitely have not heard about! I’ll have to run that one by the wife 😂
And yeah, bending the end is a great tip I wish I had mentioned here, I was raised under tutelage to tack my rod butts to the end of the next new rod- so I was always reprimanded for not keeping a straight rod end to save my old boss man money while I was learning 😂
I really appreciate your feedback! I love hearing how people do things differently!
Cheers to you and thank you for checking out my channel:)
Totally agree on moving your arm along the weld first. Even with aluminum MIG, this was really important on boats as some welds you only get 1 shot and you have to get moving within 2 seconds.
Great Request!!!!! Gems!!!!! Nothing but Gems!!!! Can't wait to go to school tomorrow....
Your videos are so helpful....been welding 40 years....but always pick up great hints. Keep up the great channel....your a very good instructor.
Cheers!
Bending the rod...I never thought of that. I am going to try it.
💪💪💪
I like to get my students to try, what I call rod racing, push a quarter across the table with fixed hand and just the filler rod. Push the quarter away from you, 8 to 12 inches at a time in a straight line. Try this left hand and right hand!! Watch your eyes!!! Look up wrappings an eye on the end of the filler, this will keep the end not being fed into the puddle safer. Nice feeding tips and about the filler end not sticking over the edge of the table! Love your work!
Great Video Dusty!!! Just stating the obvious, and common sense topics is something people don’t often want to hear, but I loved how you explained it all from personal experience. We all need to be a little safer in the shop. I love your videos, and very informative explanations on all your techniques!! Thanks again for teaching us!!
These are the best tig welding videos I have ever watched and I have watched many many tig welding videos thank you. I will be watching them all
Geoff thank you! Glad you dig and i appreciate hearing from you 🍻
Great how you share knowledge. So many do not want to show their magic tricks but this is the only way new people to the trade learn. Keep it up.
Great video. Its good to watch another lefthanded guy demonstrate using the rods. Thanks
Thank you for teaching us.
I’m a beginner listening and learning !!
Hey Dusty, I am watching from Wales UK and just wanted to say thank you mate for your videos, I have learned loads since watching you and the others= channels you recommend. Thanks Dai
Great tip - bending the filler rod. Thank you!
Awesome 🙏I appreciate you watching 🙏
Great tips, Im a newbie and when you said dont overhang the tig rod on the table, it made me laugh. Ive flung the rod across my garage more times than i can remember. Never even thought that was the be issue. Also have burnt my self with the end of a hot filler rod. Learned not to do that one anymore. Great Videos 👍
Your channel is absolutely brilliant, love it.
As a Swede I do appreciate that you translate imperial to metric 🙂👍
I’m ok as long as we talk inches but when it comes to gauge I’m lost 😂
This channel is great. It’s like hanging out with your favorite fabricator bro in his super tidy workshop. Most of my learning experience has been in grungy and greasy garages with tons of half-finished projects and motorcycles laying around. 🤪🤙🏼
Great video young dude... when I was an instructor, I always bent the end of the filler rod over to remove the sharp point, students will be staring over your shoulder and can get a dangerous poke, when TIG or Oxy-Fuel welding.
A great method! and thank you for checking out the vid:) Much appreciated! 🙏
@@PacificArcTigWelding God Bless young man
It's about technic and stay loose while feeding. Got it, thanks man.
Dusty I have watched around 20 of your videos And all I can say is thank you I'm kind of older but finding I need to go back to work and only know 2 things welding and Tug boat Caption so I chose one I can do at my own pace and I have been welding scene I was in high school and also went to welding school many moons ago I have tig welded Aluminum but like 10 year's ago and wow how things have changed but again Thanks again for all the information.
These are great videos, I’ve not started yet, so I’m getting as much info so as not to mess it up and put myself off it. Thanks for sharing
Excellent information on safety
Excellent Info brother! New guys, something I like is a strong corner magnet elevated on a bolt mounted out front of Welding Hand - this gives one angle for the tip of the filler rod to stick to and Klein Lineman stuck on other angle. Finish Weld - Grab the Kleins & snip the tip over the Magnet- Cutting Sticks to magnet while replacing rod and Kleins back onto angles. Just enough to stick but not get stuck to magnet lol😆👍 You Rock Brother!
I'll bet his class is great
Congratulstions. You are my Máster Men. Thank you so much. Learning with your tips ,,👋👋👋👋👋👋👋
Hi my name is Robert and you were talking about getting poked in the eye with a tig rod a suggestion that I learned when I used to gas weld was to bend the tip of the rod over like a horse shoe. It doesnt stop being poked but if you do it hurts way less. Thanks for your videos.
Thanks brother, just what I needed to see.
I purchased a pump dispenser from Justrite for dispensing acetone. It has a little platform that you place your cloth on and press down. No worries about the can slipping and spilling. I am glad that I purchased it.
Great content. Thanks!
Hi dusty love your channel
In my day we were rapped on the knuckles
If we didn't also put a hook in the rod end
And hang it gas as well as tig.
It was a real bugger straighten the loop out
The butts to join them together to use
It did stop a lot of eye poke lol
Keep safe jj
Haha that’s pretty hardcore tutelage you used to have! I bet it worked though! The hook definitely is a way to stop the pokes. I used to get rapped on the knuckles for throwing rod butts away😂💰💰💰The old boss man used to make us tack the butts to the end of the next fresh rod😂🤣 I still do it to this day😂🤣
Awesome. Thanks for the tips. Joel...... 👍😎👍
Keep info coming, good stuff. 👍🏻
Awesome! More to come!
Thanks for sharing ❣️
Dusty, your are fantastic...cheers form Florida
*Thank you!*
thank you for the really helpful video
I just got my ahp 201 fired up for the first time yesterday, man is it hard. I give you guys mad props. Y’all make it look so easy. I can not feed wire, I can til I burn my knuckles, lol. I like the tip on doing the exercise with the marked out places were to stop and fill. Seems like tig welding involves a lot of muscle memory in the short time I’ve tried to do it. Definitely going to try your way of feeding rod, I’m right handed and I think I’m going to try and switch hands as well, I shoot pool and fish left handed so maybe I’ll do better if I switch it up. Awesome how to!
Yo THANK YOU🙏 Super glad you got some tips from it. And yeah, it’s super muscle memory, it’s a really tedious process- however totally achievable and that’s why I preach learn the simple stuff. So good for you for drilling down on some basics to get comfy! Let me know how you do!
Cheers
Thank you very much for these very useful tricks.
In order to avoid eye injuries I bend the upper end of the rod - let's say 2 inches - around 180 degrees.
kind regards from Bavaria,
Markus
Great info Dusty! You are dead on with the burning of the glove fingers from creeping up… yes I did! Lol! Lesson learned for sure.
Great video thanks
Great video, helps a lot. Thanks!
Great video Dusty, feeding rod is something I really need to work on. Plenty of great tips here. Cheers from Chilliwack.
Chilliwack! Not too far from me! Glad you enjoyed the vid and thanks for hitting me up!
Great video man 👏🏽
Newbie here just starting to research TIG welding. Where is the best place to put your ground clamp when TIG welding aluminum or steel. I’ve seen some clamp it to their welding table and others clamp to the part they’re welding. Is there a difference? What’s the best practice? Seems like it would be hard to clamp small parts. Enjoying your beginners playlist! Thanks!
Great tips!!
I learned that relax grip first, and it's so nice, just holding the feeding rod without using a muscle
Great info. Thanks a lot. LARRY MOORE
HI Dusty, great video as usual. I live in Campbell River and I am starting to learn TIG. I like you hold the filler rod between the index and second finger but I use my thumb to advance the rod and sometimes use my arm to steady the rod when at full length. Less waste using a full rod as opposed to cutting it in half. Good suggestions about cleaning the filler rod with acetone, although sometimes I forget to do it and even the part I am welding too. Never thought about bending the rod. I will try that for sure. Great video keep up the good work.
Awesome Job! Normally on a video this long I would have fast forward some BUT can't do that with yours very informative and very useful tips Greatly appreciate the hard work you do.
Been doing some serious being watching LOL
One weld that gives me trouble is a fillet weld into an aluminum angle corner. For example, welding the end of a 2x2x1/4” angle to a flat plate. I’m fairly new to tig welding, Getting the torch and the filler rod into the corner is a struggle. A video showing your setup and technique would be very helpful. Do you start out and work your way in, or in the corner and work your way out? I really enjoy watching your videos...so helpful!!! Thank you
Ooh! I always weld from outside in as heat will blow the end of an open joint open. However, if you weld from an open corner, make sure the backside is tacked well. If the open end is loose (not tacked) you can get a following crack at the beginning of the weld:)
And for the angle to plate, I’d set it up so the plate is sitting flat on my table, length of angle pointing up (clamped safely of course) and then it’s basically a horizontal fillet:)
Thanks so much for the kind words on my vids. I’m really glad you dig them!
Great video really heped me out!
How do you feed from the top when welding up, do you move filler backward?
Rush is a hard guy to get ahold of lol hes got a pretty big following, and busy welder for sure. I have yet to feed like him successfully lol I have tried several times where it WOULDVE come in handy...couldnt do it lol not many can. It's hard to get accurate at it, if your already used to another way. I had to bend the rod yesterday actually, had to get in a few really tight corners, had to move backwards also, it was good times. Lol great thorough tig teachin sesh brother!
Great man! Working with the bent rod allows for good visibility. Always great to work with:) And yeah it’s all good. Rush must be a busy dude!
And also- I find any new grip just takes time. It always feels crazy and awkward at first I think. Just a matter of adjustment and getting comfy!
Very cool tricks.... Rush is quite good too. 😉😎 think he cuts his rods in 3.
Top tips dusty 😁, that bending the filler rod is a great one 👌. Do you ever use silicon bronze, it's something I'd like to try. Keep up the top work 😉👍
I have tried it yeah! It’s finniky!😂 And yeah dude, I bend the rod in different ways depending on what I’m doing. But I put a big emphasis on visibility so always good to keep my clumsy stupid hand outta my face😂
Really enjoyed this one, but, can you show a session for guys with broken hands? My co-ordination has been challeneged to say the least by a horrific accident and I just cannot stop doing...just trying to get over challenges.
That’s intense! I hope you’re ok!
Poked in the eye. That is why a lot of people bend the rod at the end so this cant happen .However I still seem to to pierce my shirt with the hot end in the abdomen occasionally . I still have a burn mark from last week .I mostly weld S/S or M/S .With ally I vee , put material in then grind and polish it. Lucky as I could not do a stack of dimes to save my life . Its only my experience with the other that allows me to do that .And I dread the day that the weld has to stay on . It's always in the back of my mind . Have great night
Every time is different !
When I’m practicing feeding with just a filler rod, my thumb kinda hurts like it’s tensing up. I’m scared of carpal tunnel now. Would this be a risk?
I think would be cool is to show beginners what the weld pool looks like , in regards what too long of an arc looks like , too much torch angle , and why the filler balls up from up those things.I think a lot of people get caught up with not being comfortable too.
Great ideas. I’ve got a few videos that go over this, however it’s kind of old and I’d like to redo them better soon here. Good suggestions! Thanks Sean!
Do you sell the welding rods?
Since your talking about rods potentially everything behind you is a rod that you can use? Can i use vike spojes as rods? What metals are they? Can i use the hand saw for a rod? Ir is it too sharp? What would be the reason i couldnt use the hand saw or the bike spokes can i use a crow bar for a rod if theres a wide space to weld? Can i use the wrenches? And your screws and bolts? What about phone cord cables that i have saved up and twist unto a "rod"? What is the largest rod in the tool shed? A shovel the lawnmower pipe frames? I have a set of precision screwdrivers can i use these for rods? If i have enough levels can i use this for welding? Or is it already a pool in which case id need to call the number?
Great video Dusty. I need to start practicing this stuff. I'm still working on setting up a place to weld but like you said I can practice on a sheet of paper at the kitchen table.👍
I see Hourglass ingenuity on TH-cam is that the channel you meant I f
Don't see Hourglass fab.
Oh yeah that’s it. My bad🙏
I don't weld enough to get (or stay) proficient, so I need all the help I can get. I have trouble with the end of my filler rod wobbling around as I advance it, so I got a *TIG-Pen* ($38 on Amazon). It's not magic but it does help me put the filler where I want it, and since I'm not proud, I don't mind cheating.
One project I have coming up would really benefit from being able to weld an outside corner joint with .062" sheet 3003 aluminum on one side and *perforated* (1/8" Hole x 3/16" Stagger, 40% open) on the other. I've had to punt & TIG braze while trying to weld the edge of thin perforated sheet steel to heavy wall tubing, because the perf would burn back when I got the arc anywhere close. Any hints & demo would be really nice!
Hey how are you doing, how would you go about stainless weld 2 different thickness of material
I’ve watched a lot of your videos and I’ve never see what your shop looks like I’d love to see your shop regards :) )) *
Could you do a video on sharpening tungsten without a expensive grinder, and all the ins and outs on tungsten and use of? Thanks for all the info!
Yes! Great idea, and it’s coming! Hopefully next few weeks here:)
@@PacificArcTigWelding I look forward to that one.
I filmed it yesterday 💪💪💪 It’ll be a demonstration on using a bench grinder, and just doing it in a few styles to get everyone rolling💪🔥
Torch welding instructor had us bend a small loop on the end of the rod with a pliers. Minimizes damage if someone did get poked.
Awesome videos thank you man. You got a sub from me :). One thing I have never noticed hardly any one mention and I am wondering about as I am new to Tig, Is do you actually dab it in the puddle whilst at the exact same time as the fingers feed the rod, or do you advance the rod through the hand while in between dabs? If that is explained in the video I apologize as I must have missed that bit.
Great question! It’s a sneaky pattern, dab-feed-dab-feed.
Helps with the motion of when you advance the torch on your weld path too:)
Thanks so much for checking out the channel! I really appreciate hearing from you!
@@PacificArcTigWelding thank you, gee its going to be tough. Wish me luck hahaha
Any further tips for feeding that rod? I can feed it no issue but when concentrating on that torch my filler hand forgets what it's supposed to do and I just dip the rod with my hand getting closer. Cheers
I know im a little late, but what about cutting filled rod i to smaller pieces? I tend to cut it in half myself to make it easier to handle.
Just for fun I’d have pretended to wipe the rod and opened the toilet paper with a big brown skid mark in it and a kernel of corn. It’s juvenile but would have been hilarious. Regardless, I really love your videos. They’re EXTREMELY helpful.
Do you use or have seen the filler rod holders? Looks like that may give more control idk
Do you keep your filler rods in a airtight container or length of pvc with caps? Does it matter as long as you wipe it down with cleaner?
Thanks for the information. How much tig filler rod do you dip, 1/4", 3/8, or just a tap?
Depends... usually a light tap if that makes sense. I’ll watch closely to my reinforcement height:) Add a little more or less depending what the reinforcement is doing:)
greetings from maui hi. I'm an auto mechanic 55 plus years professional. welding and making trailers or cars or the rake in the garden fix is possible having a Welder of your own. I appreciate your video very much as I'm getting a tig welder set up. this is new to me so any tips are appreciated. I've done a lot of gas welding of course . looking forward to aluminum welding and learning the features of the welder. I have the yes welder 250p acdc. lots to choose from in the electric box of brands. haven't plugged it in yet.
I have a wire feed I use 120v kind here. have a miller 200 white face. any way will be in touch with you.
I think I kinda have it figured out, always easier when someone else is doing it. Rod Nelson
Great stuff! It looks like TIG welding requires different types of tungsten tips depending on the type of metal you’re working with. Is that correct?
Also, I recall seeing a video of yours where you featured a collection of cups / gas cups. Can you elaborate on the various purposes and scenarios for additional shielding cups?
Oh also, do you have a link you’d recommend for those rod charts? Thanks! :)
I'm very new to this. Is it bad to cut the rod in half and start with something more manageable?
I see people do it, not a big deal, however you end up with two rod butts opposed to one... this more waste. I just encourage to learn with a full rod, people get used to it pretty quick. Then you don’t have to re-learn to use a full one later, and only one butt to flick into you shop-neighbour’s booth after;)
I could be wrong but I believe the rods come with manufacturing oils which will eventually attract dust and such.
Have you ever used purple power a( strong cleaner that will eat aluminum) to clean a old weld.
I always learn something new Dusty!!!
I use eye protection all the time, because I cut my Tig rods in half. And is even more chance to poke my eyes out 😁
And what type of tungsten do you use?
Kind regards:Robert
Usually 2% lanthanated:)
Thanks Robert! Awesome you learned some things! Good you keep your peepers safe! 👁
If I may chime in... Bending the top end of the rod in "U-turn" shape saved a lot of eyes in my previous work place. Sure, You can still poke Your eye, but unlikely to loose one over it. And the fact that You will lose about an inch of every rod... I think that safety does not have a price tag :) and if You do the calculations, it's only about 3 rods per box if You add the length of all the U-turns
Though I was the only person who used the marks on a ruler to help learn how to advance while welding!!!!
Have you heard of the Eastwood 200 tig welder? Having issues getting it set right and this is used at my job. They won’t spring for a better welder so need to figure out how to make this work and I was hoping you could help
How do you work the torch and filler rod to get the stack of dimes look into the very corner?
Tough to type out here. It’s all about the start of the bead, if you watch my vid here th-cam.com/video/ZqFnwWUzbOo/w-d-xo.html it shows a pretty good series of how I start a pass. That will then show you how I step and feed in relation to the travel speed. And you can see the example of how I actually mark out my steps (dime pattern) on the table in this newest episode as well :)
Does it work cutting the rod to make it lighter and easy to fill it in ✌️✌️
You can yeah, but you end up with having to work with a shorter rod- means less fill so you’ll be fingers in tight more often:) Good to learn with full lengths in my opinion, teaches better technique over time:)
Wow, thanks for the fantastic video. Very helpful. You get a "like and "sub" from me. Thanks also for being a normal real person, and not a douche.
😂😂Thats amazing😂😂I try to not be a douche😂
Thank you so much for checking out my channel, I’m really glad you dig!
Cheers!
@@PacificArcTigWelding 😋
... well I found out I do the same thing. Figured it out while playing with chop sticks, lol.
Nice episode, thanks for sharing the knowledge man!
i almost crippled myself walking to the bench grinder to sharpen my tungsten. Without even thinking someone spoke to me as i approached
the grinder and i poked the Thoriated tungsten in my eye. wear goggles!
WOW 🥽
That’s intense! Keep them peepers safe!👁👁
HI CAN YOU PLEASE TALK ABOUT CLOSING HOLS
Dusty ! Very well explained, useful tips. Now, lets talk business here a little... when are You coming to visit Scotland ?? I'm about to start welding big ass frame made of 7000 series Aluminium with about 100 couped joints with 1-1/2" round tube 16swg and 10swg... Man I'm scared, Need You here to show me the ropes... I'm not a welder of any sort, but I can weld (much preferred BIG stuff) with decent results... pulse MIG mostly as this is my favorite process. Now, the frame I'm about to weld is preassambled out on a jig table, but 90% of the joints are out of position and I'm really shitting my pants. I've got decent welding gear, but being out of practice / experience makes me useless. I've done dozens of sample joints and I really take my hut off for all them welders out these who can weld for example Aluminium bicycle frames or similar.
Keep them videos coming Dusty. All the best from Scotland
Oh boy Mark! Send me pics of how it goes! That sounds intense! But fun! Don’t be nervous. That’s why we have grinders. Cut it out, clear your mind, try again:) No sweat! Let me know how it goes! You going to heat treat after?
@@PacificArcTigWelding No intention of heat treatment at this point. The frame was designed in Solidworks and FEA analysed under different stress models. It's going to be an R&D drone frame for offshore rescue missions with a payload of 300 pounds. Typical quad frame layout with about 90" prop spacing. I might do a short video for You, but I'm rather camera shy :)
It sounds like a great project! I’d love to see! You doing the welding all yourself? That sounds like a really cool frame
@@PacificArcTigWelding Yep, all welding by myself. Self taught person (welders zero experience was also simulated in FEA) believe me or not :). Will try to make a raw, uncut video for You by weekend. Stay safe.
@@PacificArcTigWelding Dusty, not sure how can I contact You, so I guess I post the link in here. Hope You won't get bored watching it :) All the best! th-cam.com/video/Jvct-AYQkdU/w-d-xo.html
Hi Dusty, safety first, I was thought when I first started to Oxy/acet welding to bend over about 1 inch of your rod that way you can only poke someone in the eye with a nice blunt end, and as for cleaning ali rods it is not dirt that is coming that is Ali power, ask anyone who polishes Ali everything is black ?? so try a brand new pack just opened they will be exactly the same, Regards eddie
Where can I find the filler chart?
Sooo, TIG welding is as dangerous as fencing...got it 👍
Привет из России. Я тоже сварщик Tig. Как вы считаете Стоит пользоваться газовыми линзами для сварки разных сталей.
Bend a small loop in the end of your filler rod to prevent eye injuries.
My father used to be an instructor and he showed me how to weld and the first thing that he showed me was to take the end of the rod and curve it like a cane so it would not poke into anybody’s eyes or my
I find Kane grip to be the easiest for fast feeding, especially when running a thick aluminum bead -- that is because it allows the longest continuous finger travel. It works great with thick rods; in my hands, it is borderline usable with a 1.6-mm rod and I totally lose grip (or speed, or precision) with anything under 1mm.
Fatigue is typically not a huge issue in a fast-feeding scenario. If I'm running away from a meltdown, it either catches up and I have to stop, or I successfully reach the end, long before I'm fatigued. More often, I have to deal with numbness or excessive hand tremor after about a minute of high-accuracy, high-stakes operation, and in such cases, I prefer the purlicue grip -- the kind Dusty calls lazy. Generally, It helps to know all sorts of grips and feeding techniques because sooner or later, you'll find yourself in an odd configuration where only one of them works. Doesn't matter if you are right-handed or left-handed; both hands must be comfortable doing all kinds of feeds (as well as torch movements).
By the way, if tremor is an issue, it is exacerbated by caffeine. If you're planning on doing anything precise, a good rule is no tea or coffee for at least 4 hours before the event.
I am having so much trouble dabbing. I can do it with no torch easy. I can torch (control the puddle) with no dab easy, but when I try to do them together, the rod gets stock on the stock metal, then I get behind and I'm all screwed up. Its just too fast. So I lower the amps with the foot pedal then the arc gets all squirly and the weld gets gross and contaminated.