How To Tig Welding Sheet Metal

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

How to tig welding sheet metal.

Because it will have you a lot more control over the whole process and it is more forgiving in case you do anything wrong. Ditch a 1 8 inch tungsten electrode for something much smaller like 1 16 inch tungsten. This is especially useful for carbon steel. It should also improve bead appearance.

When it comes to welding sheet metal delta techops treats most applications except aluminum as it would titanium. Vise grip type sheet metal clamps are used to hold everything together and pulse tig is used to weld. Titanium always requires shielding the backside of the weld to prevent oxidation. If you are working on auto body sheet metal you may want to buy a 120 volt mig welder.

Sheet metal tig welding tips 1 for 1 rule. A large cup gives better gas coverage of the weld puddle and heat affected zone which reduces total heat input and improving bead quality. This means that 1 amp should be used per 1 thousandth 0 001 inch of thickness. Tig welding sheet metal forget the larger 1 8 inch tungsten electrode and use a smaller one.

You can count the pulses and its exactly 3pps or 3 pulses per second. The best two electrodes for welding auto body sheet metal is either ceriated tungsten or thoriated tungsten. I have a hobart 135 with 023 wire that works perfectly on 22 gauge body panels. Personally i hate to weld with low frequency pulsing like this.

Tig welding takes allot of practice to master so don t get discouraged. He uses a small piece of copper sheet for backing. The mig welder also gives you a free hand to hold the heat sink with. The easiest type of weld is the fillet two metals jointed at right angles.

The next is the lap weld which is two metals resting flat against each other. Don t attempt to weld thin materials like sheet metal with flux cored wires which put more heat into the base metal. The one shown in this instructable. To weld sheet metal with solid wires use electrode positive ep or reverse polarity.