There is a new welding process, recently developed in Europe, that is said to not only improve welds but also lower the skill required to make them.  It uses a “manual and automated GTAW wire feed control combined with a hot-wire power source” that improves the wire feed, weld pool, and weld deposition and decreases gas consumption.

Enhancing the GTAW process

By Ed Craig, Contributing Writer
September 15, 2009

Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW or TIG), a popular process for high-quality manual welding, has its limitations and requires highly skilled operators. A process used in Europe addresses those limitations, enhances productivity and weld quality, and reduces the skill level required to GTAW.

For at least six decades, traditional gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW or TIG) has been considered the process of choice for attaining high-quality welds in any metal application. However, this process has certain drawbacks, such as the weld energy limitation influenced by the weld pool dynamics and typically slow manual wire feed rates. Manual GTAW requires highly skilled operators who possess the dexterity necessary to feed the wire. Manual GTAW techniques vary, and the weld-wire-to-arc and weld puddle placement are inconsistent.

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A welding helmet is one of the most important pieces of safety equipment you’ll need as a welder, protecting your eyes… There are tons of options out there for welding helmets, and a big part of your decision will come down to personal choice. Some folks will want to go with something fun, like the Hollywood Hog Welding Helmet (pictured right).

OR, you may choose something like the Jackson Halo X with the NexGen auto darkening lens and hot flame design (pictured left)

You have to keep safety in mind foremost, but also fit and comfort, especially if you’re going to be wearing it all day long.

I found some great tips on buying a welding helmet I thought I’d pass along to you:

Tips for Choosing the Right Auto-Darkening Helmet

By Greg Coleman, Product Manager with The Lincoln Electric Company

Perhaps a welder’s most personalized accessory is his or her helmet.

There are a number of factors to consider when selecting a helmet that is safe, comfortable and functional.
…..

• Does the helmet meet current safety standards (ANSI Z87.1) to address light leakage as well as flame and impact resistance?
• Does the helmet include power circuits for extended dark storage so it always starts right out of the box?

Is the cartridge rated to darken at the low end amperages you will use?

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–and–

Welding Helmets – What you need to know before you buy

By Caleb Krisher, Product Manager for Hobart Welding Products

On the job or in the garage, every welder needs protection to prevent eye damage.

As a general rule, spending more on a welding helmet will increase comfort, improve your welding ability, result in higher quality welds and ensure your safety.

Unfortunately, selecting a helmet can be confusing if you’re not familiar with the latest auto-darkening lens technology and national safety standards.

This article will help you sort through the clutter and point out the most important things to consider before investing in this important piece of safety gear, while showcasing some of the industry’s top trends and designs.

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And, when you’re ready to buy , check out the selection of welding helmets at Arc-Zone.com, from stylish fun graphics to classic black welding helmets that you can personalize with your own collection of decals.

Another great tip from Weldcraft®

Avoid porosity by maintaining tight TIG torch fittings and cable connections, using higher gas flow rates, shielding the weld area from wind and cleaning your base metal.

Joe Welder™ usually recommends a gas lens too:

One of the best improvements you can make to the performance of your torch is to replace the standard collet body with a gas lens collet body. A gas lens version is an enhanced collet body constructed of a series of concentric, layered screens of varying mesh engineered to improve shield gas coverage. The screens generate a laminar gas flow, optimizing the weld zone coverage and eliminating turbulence, which can draw in contaminants from the surrounding air. It’s especially beneficial with stainless steel and materials such as aluminum and titanium, which are particularly sensitive to oxygen contamination.

A gas lens also allows the tungsten electrode to extend beyond the end of the TIG/GTAW nozzle by as much as 1 in. for improved visibility, reducing tungsten inclusions and weld defects.

More tips available at www.JoeWelder.com

Another great tip from Weldcraft®

For excellent arc starts on low-amperage AC or DC applications, use 2% ceriated tungsten (color code: orange) especially on carbon and stainless steels.

For consistent performance on all metals, and for all machines, Arc-Zone.com recommends our new ArcTime™ Hybrid All Purpose Tungsten:

Professional yacht tower fabricators, manufacturers of aerospace parts, and mountain bike builders have all selected ArcTime™ because of its excellent ignition properties, low burn off rate and longevity. As an added bonus, this hybrid tungsten electrode works well with all power sources and all metals from mild steel to titanium.

“You’ll notice a difference just by striking the first arc– no finer electrode exists anywhere,” says Jim Watson, aka Joe Welder, president of Arc-Zone.com, Inc.

Another great tip from Weldcraft®

Maintaining good electrical contact between your tungsten and collet helps improve current transfer and weld quality. Keep your TIG torch components tightened and check regularly for worn parts.

At Arc-Zone.com we offer a free, downloadable PDF on the correct way to grind tungsten in our Welding Library, but here’s some quick tips from the Weldcraft® catalog to get you started:

• Grind your tungsten electrode Longitudinally, not radially
• Prepare a tip flat
• Use a dedicated wheel for grinding tungsten

We also recommend a dedicated tungsten grinder for TIG / GTAW welding and Plasma Arc Welding (PAW) applications.  Arc-Zone carries a full line from the handy, inexpensive Sharpie(TM) hand-held tungsten sharpening tool to the more rugged, precise DGP with a fully integrated vacuum system.

When cleaning contaminated tungsten, do NOT break off the end of the tungsten.

Breaking tungsten can cause splinter fractures, resulting in erratic arc. Use a cutoff wheel or the edge of a grinding wheel.

At Arc-Zone we would add the recommendation that you use a dedicated diamond wheel for grinding to avoid contaminating your tungsten.

Download your free guide to Selecting Tungsten Electrodes (.pdf) and Grinding Tungsten Electrodes (.pdf) — available in the Arc-Zone Welding Library.

Another great tip from Weldcraft®

Optimize shield gas coverage by using an appropriate size gas lens. Gas lenses help minimize rework and allow for greater tungsten extension for increased access to confined joints.

And check out the Large Gas Saver Nozzles available at Arc-Zone.com . Pretty slick.

I was perusing the Lincoln Electric website, and although they don’t have a lot of the sizzle and pizzazz that the Miller Electric site has, they do have some good solid information online, from Stick to MIG to TIG Welding Tips, How Tos, Projects, Equipment Selection and Safety Tips.

Here’s a few I found that I liked:

TIG Welding a mini stainless steel biplane. Instructions include pictorial description of step-by-step process, complete supply list, and even downloadable PDF instructions.

On TIG Welding Aluminum

Although many metals are TIG welded, the metal most frequently associated with the process is aluminum, especially with metals of a smaller thickness. Many other processes, of course, can join aluminum, but in the lighter gauges the most applicable process is TIG. The popularity of aluminum in automotive applications has brought TIG welding to a new golden age. Mechanically strong and visually appealing, TIG welding is the number one process chosen by professional welders for professional racing teams, and the avid auto enthusiast or hobbyist.

(more…)

Another good tip from the Weldcraft Catalog:

Maintaining good electrical contact between your tungsten and collet helps improve current transfer and weld quality. Keep your TIG torch components tightened and check regularly for worn parts.

By the way… Arc-Zone.com carries a full line of replacement parts, including collets, collet bodies, gas lens collet bodies and even tungsten for your TIG / GTAW torch.