Category:TIG Welders: Difference between revisions

	Extra precaution required for welders. Training / Tool Testing is essential. See Welding Safety doc.

		Eye protection required!

TIG Welders
TIG welder in the Metal Shop (Everlast 250 EX)
General Info
Make	Varied
Model	Varied
Serial	Unknown
Specs	n/a
Manual
Asylum Info
Location	Metal Shop
Rubric	n/a
Training	[https://www.artisansasylum.com/class- catalog Tool classes]
Testing	[https://www.artisansasylum.com/tool-testing Tool testing], or come to the shop on Tool Testing Night
Restrictions	red

Tools in this category are:

Use for:

• Most metals: Steel, stainless, aluminum, titanium, etc.

• The shop provides consumables for mild steel (filler wire, 2% thoriated tungsten). Users provide consumables for other metals.

• See corresponding manufacture manual for each welder’s stick welding capabilities.

Do Not Use for:

• Galvanized, plated, painted, oiled, rusted, or powder coated metals.

Safety Hazards

1. UV damage to eyes. Welding Helmet with shade 10 protection or darker is required. Darker for heavier applications.

2. UV burns on exposed skin. The rays from the arc can cause severe radiation burn (worse than sunburn.) Cover exposed skin.

3. Burns from flame, sparks, hot workpieces. Wear welding gloves, cotton clothing (no synthetics) and closed toe shoes.

4. Poisoning from breathing gases produced by welding. Use ventilation. Do not stick head in fumes. Respirator recommended.

5. Keep workplace clear of flammable materials including grease, oil, solvents, paper.

6. Electrocution if welder is mishandled. Do not weld near puddles of water on floor or work area, especially when using AC output.

Operation Notes

• Solvent based metal cleaning should be done with Simple Green or other low-intensity cleaners.

• No brake cleaner. Brake cleaner contains chlorinated hydrocarbons that create phosgene gas when combined with UV light. Ventilation will not prevent poisoning.

• Abrasive cleaning methods are also appropriate.

• TIG Welders Available:

Miller Syncrowave 200

TIG welder in the Metal Shop

Lincoln Electric Square Wave TIG 175 PRO (code #10732)

Everlast Powertig 200DV

Everlast Powertig 250EX.

• The Shop supplies TIG welding consumables intended for use on mild steel. Users are responsible for providing consumables for other metals.

• Shop’s TIG welders use 100% Argon Gas.

• Beware of mild shock from work table or workpiece if Ground Clamp not attached.

Set-Up Procedure

1. Safety First

• Turn on welding bay ventilation.

• Remove flammable materials and water from welding area.

• Protect bystanders from the arc-flash, If you can’t depend on the protective vinyl flaps on the welding bays, use welding screens.

• Make sure the workpiece is clean before welding. Flammable substances such as grease and oil can ignite.

2. Attach the ground clamp to bare metal on the work table. If the workpiece is too large for the work table, clamp the workpiece.

3. Outfit your work space

Exploded view of the TIG torch assembly

• Filler wire is available in the rack on the middle toolbar, outside the two large welding bays.

• Check the torch head.

Spare torch parts are kept in the Shop’s supply cabinet.

If necessary, insert a fresh tungsten electrode. Tungstens are sharpened on a dedicated pedestal grinder. Remember to remove gloves when using the grinder.

• Assemble other accessories as needed (clamps, magnets, wood TIG blocks, receptacle for hot trash, emergency water bottle (for burn first aid).

4.Check to see if the welder has been shut down properly.

• Is the power shut off?

• Is the gas shut off at the cylinder valve?

5. Plug the machine in and turn on.

'6. Turn the gas on. If needed, adjust the pressure.

• SLOWLY crack the tank valve counterclockwise. Watch the regulator needle jump, and check that the needle has stopped moving before opening the valve (about half a turn). This procedure lessens the impact of the initial jump in pressure on the regulator, reducing wear and tear.

• Check the regulator dial to make sure the working gas pressure matches the recommendation listed on the shop tag attached to the regulator. Adjust if needed.

Note: if the welder has not been shut down properly by the previous user and the working pressure needs to be lowered, hold the Torch Head away from the workbench (more than 12 inches) and step on the foot control to lower the line pressure and receive an accurate pressure reading.

7. Adjust the machine’s settings as necessary for the welding project.

• For welding steel, set to DC negative.

• Set Amperage. This setting determines the maximum Amperage when the Foot Petal is fully depressed. (User provides Amperage control through Foot Petal use.)

• When welding steel on the Lincoln Electric Square Wave 175 Pro (red machine), make sure the switch on the front panel is flipped to “TIG,” and the large lever is on “DC —” (or DC Negative). AC polarity is recommended for TIG welding aluminum.

8. Test the settings on a piece of scrap metal before proceeding to your project.

Shut-Down Procedure

1. Shut the gas off at the source. Turn the cylinder valve clockwise.

2. No need to bleed the lines. The Shop’s TIG welders use 100% Argon gas, which is non-corrosive.

3. Flip the machine’s power switch to “off.”

4. If no one is using the nearby bays, turn the ventilation off.

Incorrect and correct grinding of Tungsten electrodes.

5. Return any unusual settings to for the next user. (Make sure on DC Neg., and “Pulse” turned off.)

6. Loosely Coil the torch cord and store on the work table’s torch hook.

7. Sharpen used Tungsten. Put away all tools and workplace accessories. Clean the work area.

1 - Use the shop’s dedicated pedestal grinder to sharpen / clean end of the tungsten electrode prior to welding.

2 - Grind longitudinally, not tangentially.

3 - Flat tip. Diameter of this flat determines amperage capacity.

Videos

Destruction caused by a broken cylinder valve

Mythbusters episode on gas cylinder rocketry