How To Tig Weld Thin Sheet Metal

The best way to estimate the heat input needed for welding is by applying the 1 for 1 rule.

How to tig weld thin sheet metal.

Tig welding sheet metal. Don t attempt to weld thin materials like sheet metal with flux cored wires which put more heat into the base metal. A plasma cutter is my favorite tool for cutting metal. This is especially useful for carbon steel.

Weld in the vertical down position weld 6 in. And then stop to allow the weld to cool down before restarting again. Sheet metal tig welding tips 1 for 1 rule. Subscribe to my channel for more weekly videos.

Sheet metal is only thin so you won t need a very powerful welder just check the metal thickness of your sheet metal with the welder specifications to get the best one for your needs. Welding in a sequence that limits the amount of heat can help minimize distortion in thin material. These days i ll normally leave less than half a second. On larger thin gauge material spread out several smaller welds over the joint.

Technique for thin metal the way around this is to weld in short pulses allowing a second or less between pulses for the steel to cool down. The standard practice when tig welding involves pushing the weld puddle in one continuous direction for the entire length of the weld. With back stepping the welder breaks up the seam in sections. Forget the larger 1 8 inch tungsten electrode and use a smaller one.

For instance when producing a 3 ft. To weld sheet metal with solid wires use electrode positive ep or reverse polarity. This means that 1 amp should be used per 1 thousandth 0 001 inch of thickness. In the video i ve left about a second between pulses.