Hello Bob,

My experience of watching TIG welding industrially is now 50 years out of date and as that also involved welding exotic metals in a vacuum it is not readily transferrable to your needs. The welds though were quite superb..

I suggest you look up TIG welding in Wikipedia where there is much more up to date information; but on the face of it your present MIG welding with argon shielding gas is probably the most useful option available to you.

Sorry I can't be of more help

Brian

Hi Bob, yes there are TIG/ARC welders, often referred as inverters. The large majority are DC and are not for welding aluminium, but you can get them which will do aluminium, but are quite a bit more expensive. I've no connection with this company, but have a look at this **LINK** and there are many more companies that sell them. You will still need the appropriate gas (argon/argoshield ect)

Regards Nick.

I have a 200 amp AC CD Tig set it came with a stick torch, I use pure argon for welding everything inc Stainless, Ali, Titanium, Tig brazing steel and copper, also welding steel, the best analogy is its similar but not the same as gas welding, although I still use gas for welding Aluminium some of the seams on motorcycle tanks, I have a small MIG that I bought new, its been used once I think to tack up a job, I do prefer the tig but its slower that MIG, like any welding it takes practice but I find it relaxing weird ehh…….

Shaun

HI all, and the best of New years….

I'm in the same boat as Mr Speedy……but it'll have to wait can't justify £2,000 for a good AC DC unit…

a foot pedal control is an absolute must…..?

are there any recomended machines…at a lower cost….really don't want Asian…..I know you get what you payfor – sometimes……

as 4 gases I use hobby gas Supplies, no contract …not cheap but more acceptable than the likes of BOC…

Clogs

My current 200amp AC/DC unit cost less than £500 is single phase, came with a pedal which I don't! use, I prefer to use the slope up slope down function as a sort of manual pulse, between two preset values, it came with a not too bad Tig torch, it has adjustable auto Pulse, high frequency start, cleaning bias adjust and all manner of other settings, and you can carry it in one hand, I bought it after I borrowed a Chinese tig set from a mate whilst my much larger and far more expensive American machine was away getting repaired, to be honest I had my doubts when I first borrowed it, however I find it easier to use and it makes me a better welder, the only thing it may be less good at is duty cycle, but up until now its not been a problem, by the way I sold the American one and got enough cash to buy the new one, with enough change to buy another two, the only changes I've made to the new machine is replace the Tig torch, with a flexi head one, and fit a good quality gas lens, as it came the torch although good was unusable due to no lens and wrong cup fitted, My auto head set cost £150 10 years ago, I've been told you can get better ones for less now, I would say they are an essential item for Tig, As with a lot of things welding is a skill the more you do it the better you get, my advice would be to go on a welding course, that way your using there gas, I pay £50 cash for a refill of my full size Argon bottle, I have welded 10mm aluminium with my new welder, and repaired 22guage titanium exhaust headers, without any problems, but the wheel on the leky meter nearly takes off with 10mm ali……..

Shaun

I put some pictures of Inconel welds, done with the new machine in my new bike album.

Edited By Involute Curve on 03/01/2015 18:11:29

Edited By Involute Curve on 03/01/2015 18:36:37