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ARTS and Crafts Gate

browbrew - Thursday, November 2, 2006 - 11:37pm
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ARTS and Crafts Gate

Here's the first project in my new shop/home :-)
It's loosley based on a Arts and Crafts design. The project was partly an exercise to get me back up to speed with tig welding and to keep the dogter out of the street. It's been many years since I've used tig so I decided to give myself a test. The welds got better as the project evolved. I'll write it off to experiance. It is constructed of .065 mild steel tube. Frame is 1", inner tuber 3/4" and the small bronze colored are 1/2". Black tubes are patiniaed with Birchwood Casey Presto Black. The Bronze color is Bronze type B metal coating from Sculpt Nouveau. I then coated it with Permalac. -gary


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Valerie Rock's picture

nice piece!

Valerie Rock - Friday, November 3, 2006 - 1:28pm

That is an attractive piece, Gary!
I like the different diameter and color of the two types of material.
Did you cut each of the ends of the 3 curved small diameter tubes where they hit the vertical member? Or is it overlapped?

VRocK


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browbrew's picture

Gate

browbrew - Friday, November 3, 2006 - 12:00pm

Valerie,
All tubes were cut and fish mouted to fit. The .5" curved parts were a PITA where they meet the vertical and horizontal parts. This was the area I had the most problems with welds. Tight space and not much mass so it would heat up too fast.

-gary

www.earthtravel.net/gardengates


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jallcorn's picture

TIG

jallcorn - Friday, November 3, 2006 - 11:39am

James Allcorn, Bois D' Arc Forge, Paris, Texas
wrote on 11/3/06:

You said this was a project to enhance your TIG skills...

I'm trying to get better at TIG, and am asking a few techie questions, with SPECIFIC REFERENCE to MILD STEEL TIG WELDING.
1. Polarity? DCEP I suppose? They say not to use AC for steel.
2. Tungsten type? Thoriated or something else?
3. Tungsten diameter? 3/32" or what?
4. Amperage range? 150, more or less or what? How much do you increase amperage with finger/foot control?
5. Argon flow rate? 15 CFH or other setting on regulator?
6. Touch start or hi frequency arc start?
7. Do you use a deoxidized filler metal or just plain mild steel filler metal.
8. Any other tips would be appreciated.

My tungsten (thoriated) tends to oxidize soon after I start welding, it acts much like an ox/ac flame that is "oxidizing". Plus, the arc is erratic, wandering here and about. I use a pointed tip, ground on a "tungsten only" grinding wheel.

Appreciate comments and reply.


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browbrew's picture

TIG

browbrew - Friday, November 3, 2006 - 4:19pm

Hi James,
The person to ask these questions is Valerie Rock. Post it to the welding group on the art metal site. I answer your questions below to the best of my knowledge.

You said this was a project to enhance your TIG skills... looks like you
were very successful!

Successful I guess so. I had quite a few burn through I had to deal with and a few places the welds are ugly and had to be ground down. So I'll practice some more.

I'm trying to get better at TIG, and am asking a few techie questions,
with SPECIFIC REFERENCE to MILD STEEL TIG WELDING.
1. Polarity? DCEP I suppose? They say not to use AC for steel.

I use DCEN for mild steel.

2. Tungsten type? Thoriated or something else?

2% Thoriated

3. Tungsten diameter? 3/32" or what?

3/32"

4. Amperage range? 150, more or less or what?

I had the power supply set to 165 as a maximum

How much do you increase
amperage with finger/foot control?

I use a foot control. I start with it almost all the way on then back off as the puddle forms. You do not want the metal boiling. This will lead to pits and the dreaded burn through.

5. Argon flow rate? 15 CFH or other setting on regulator?

I have it between 10 and 15

6. Touch start or hi frequency arc start?

Hi freq arc start

7. Do you use a deoxidized filler metal or just plain mild steel filler
metal.

Deoxidized.

8. Any other tips would be appreciated.

My tungsten (thoriated) tends to oxidize soon after I start welding, it
acts much like an ox/ac flame that is "oxidizing". Plus, the arc is
erratic, wandering here and about. I use a pointed tip, ground on a
"tungsten only" grinding wheel.

I'd ask Valerie I'm not sure. I had a problem something like this once when the bottle I used was ARGON CO2 rather than straight ARGON. The tungsten oxidized very quick and actually burned up.

-gary

www.earthtravel.net/gardengates


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visitor's picture

TIG mild steel

visitor - Friday, December 22, 2006 - 2:22pm

-gas (argon) should be used set at 15psi
-welding machine should be set to DC- (direct curent negative). set heat to 50-55amps when using 3/32 tungsten and 3/32 filler rod (mild or stainless).
-sharpen tungsten to a short point for preseving tungsten and alow a baby finger-nails length to petrude from tig gun.
-start your arc with the tip of tungsten aprox 2mm from steel workpiece. if it sticks relese foot pedal break off by tipping sideways resharpen if needed.
-when a successful arc is achieved make sure tig gun is staight up and down and side to side when using the weaving method weaving side to side slightly larger than the filler. when using the quicker (drag method) tilt gun on aprox 75 degree angle with the top of the gun pointing away from the direction you're welding (without weaving) once again the filler weld pool should be slightly bigger than the filler rod. filler rod best held at 45 degree angle or less. prctice and a steady hand have patience.

Steve, 23, ontario canada.


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