wquiles
Well-Known Member
Ian,Tomme nailed it, basically what I was getting at with heat/filler and method of delivering the fire, TiG is relatively hot and low-fill. TiG is one tool, probably not the tool of choice for gobbing together mild steel with big seams. I'd do your project with MiG even having all the other tools, mainly because it would be fast, strong, and the welds would look great with the material and joint fit you were working with. If doing it with Tig for the hell of it and practice, I'd fit the joints much differently than you did and make a single pass on everything for appearance. The result would be only about 40% penetration and relatively small weld seam width but plenty strong for the grinder.
Fit-up for Tig is a specific technology unto itself, and different from how you'd fit for other welding methods. Basically you fit your joints to optimize the strong suits of the welding method you choose, TiG's being lack of flux and having absolute and separate control over the heat and the filler. I'd also back-purge the joints. But.... Like most everyone else here, I'm no weldor and didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn last night, so you carry on!
I am still learning and need lots more practice - can you please expand on this:
"If doing it with Tig for the hell of it and practice, I'd fit the joints much differently than you did and make a single pass on everything for appearance. The result would be only about 40% penetration and relatively small weld seam width but plenty strong for the grinder."
My intent was in fact to practice doing this with only Tig. The stand is meant to handle about 150-200 pounds, so given the the 1/8" wall, I felt I was over-building it, even with just the root pass, so I would like to learn how I could have done it differently
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