So you want to learn how to TIG weld? The first things that you’ll need to learn are some of the basics about TIG welding. After you are an “expert TIG welder”, you can learn some basic TIG welding techniques. Tungsten inert gas welding (or TIG welding for short) is also, but less commonly, called gas tungsten arc welding (or GTAW welding for short). As the latter name indicates, TIG welding is a type of arc welding. Since TIG welding is a process of arc welding, it is similar to MIG welding in the sense that it uses an electrical current to create an arc from the electrode on the TIG welder to the workpieces being welded. Also, as in MIG welding, a TIG welder uses a shielding gas to protect the weld from contamination from outside atmospheric gases.
Despite these similarities, when you first learn how to TIG weld, you need to recognize the differences that TIG welding has from MIG welding:
A TIG welder uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode whereas a MIG welder uses a consumable wire electrode.
One reason that many people want to learn how to TIG weld is that TIG welding is generally used on thinner workpieces such as light aluminum or thin sections of stainless steel. A MIG welder, on the other hand, would be used for thicker pieces of aluminum or large pieces of steel.
If you want to learn how to TIG weld, you had better be ready to put some effort into it – TIG welding is often considered the most difficult welding process that is used in industrial welding. This is because TIG welding requires a precise and skillful touch. TIG welders aren’t granted the same luck that MIG welders are in the sense that large, strong welds are easy to produce. TIG welding often involves delicate and detail-oriented welds such as that needed for an airplane. The welds in the thin aluminum of the airplane’s design must be extremely strong and exact in order to withstand the pressure of high altitudes. It is quite common for an unskilled TIG welder to ruin a fragile workpiece with a single mistake, while a MIG welder can get away with such errors on something such as a thick steel piping. Learning how to TIG weld can be difficult, even if you are versed in MIG welding.
One of the benefits of TIG welding is the use of a non-consumable tungsten (or tungsten alloy) electrode. Tungsten has the highest melting point among all pure metals (it melts at 6,192 degrees Fahrenheit), so it allows the TIG welding gun to produce a very hot arc without consuming the electrode (as a MIG welder would). This extremely high temperature arc allows a more precise weld with a TIG welder than most people are accustomed to with a MIG welder. This is one fact that a lot of people learning how to TIG weld have a hard time mastering, especially if they are accustomed to MIG welding.
Just as in all types of arc welding, TIG welding uses a shielding gas to protect the weld from outside, atmospheric contaminants such as nitrogen and oxygen. The most common gas used by TIG welders is argon. The majority of TIG welding techniques prefer Argon because it helps control arc length, and leads to consistent, aesthetic welds. Some TIG welders choose to use helium as a shielding gas as it allows the welder to increase the weld penetration. The extended arc length of this one of the TIG welding techniques can cause a weaker weld which would be undesirable in situations where weld strength is very important (such as in our airplane example). Another one of the TIG welding techniques focuses on using an argon-helium mixture. This is used sometimes with aluminum welding projects that do not require an emphasis on strong welds because it allows for some of the strength benefits of argon, and some of the speed benefits of helium. For someone just learning how to TIG weld, it would be recommended to begin with argon as your shielding gas.
For a much more detailed guide on how to TIG weld (with over 1200 pages dedicated to everything you need to know for all types of welding), I recommend checking out Welding Secrets Revealed.
Now that you have the basics of how to TIG weld down, the next step would be hands-on-practice. One last thing that any TIG welder should know is that you should always use the push method (instead of the pull method) in order to control your welding puddle. Here are a few of the most common TIG welding techniques:
Circular TIG welding technique – With this method, you will move the TIG welding gun in a slow and precise circular pattern. Unlike with MIG welding, you always want to make smaller, more compact circles in order to create a strong weld. Remember to always push, or work away from you, in order to control the weld puddle for an accurate weld.
Zig-Zag TIG welding technique – This is sometimes considered a simpler, most easy to master TIG welding technique than the circular pattern is. While using the push method, you will carefully move the TIG welding gun from side to side in order to create a “zig-zag” effect on the workpieces. The key to this method is that you want to be sure to keep a constant arc length, speed, and width of the weld down the entire workpieces. Inconsistencies can create weak spots in your weld.
Once you master these two TIG welding techniques, then you should have a good understanding of how to TIG weld and will be able to move on to more difficult techniques.
For over 1200 pages on how to TIG weld, including many more detailed and advanced TIG welding techniques, get a copy of Welding Secrets Revealed. It includes everything you will ever need to know about how to TIG weld, and all of the welding processes.
As I will always stress, safety is the number one issue when it comes to welding. Never attempt any type of welding unless you are familiar with all of the safety issues and risks. Pat goes into great detail on safety with his Welding Secrets Revealed, and I would strongly recommended becoming familiar with it before you attempt any TIG welding.
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