MIG welders tricks: how to become a better welder and how to select the top welding equipment. TIG Torch angle should only be around 10 degrees or less: Ideally, torch angle should only be around 10 degrees or less. Too much torch angle will deflect the heat and melt the rod before you ever get it into the puddle. This causes the rod to ball up and blob into the puddle. That’s bad. You don’t want that. You want to slip the filler rod into the puddle so that you can get a consistent bead. There are exceptions to this…like when you are using a lay wire technique and leaning the torch back while you walk the cup. But if you are dipping the rod in the puddle, too much torch angle usually is not a good thing.
Set the machine so that you are at welding amperage with the foot pedal depressed about 3/4 of the way: Set the machine so that you are at welding amperage with the foot pedal depressed about 3/4 of the way. The 1/4 pedal that you have left is for just in case reserve, just like driving a car.. Having the amperage set this way gives a lot more control than just setting the machine to 200 amps and controlling everything with the foot pedal. I don’t know about you but sometimes I lose focus when welding long periods. I don’t want any chance of welding with 200 amps if all I need is 50 amps. My ankles pop sometimes too, one ankle pop and you might jump or drop 30 amps if your machine amperage is too high.
The arc is shaped like a cone, with the tip at the electrode and the base on the metal being welded. The closer the electrode is held to the metal, the smaller the base of the cone — but as you pull the electrode farther away, the base (and puddle) gets larger. If the puddle gets too large, gravity will simply pull it away from the base metal, leaving a hole. This is why thin-gauge metals are especially challenging for beginners. Perhaps the most important skill needed for TIG welding is moving the torch in a controlled manner, with steady forward movement, while keeping the gap between the tip of the electrode and the base metal consistently small — usually in the range of 1/8 inch to 3/16 inch. It requires a lot of practice to precisely control the arc length, keeping it as short as you can without allowing the electrode to touch the base metal or filler rod.
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Never forget that welding, when done improperly, can be hazardous. Electric shock, fumes and gases, arc rays, hot parts, noise and a host of other possible hazards come along with the territory. The ultraviolet and infrared light rays can also burn your skin — similar to a sunburn but without the subsequent tan — and your eyes. This is why the best MIG welding operator knows how to stay safe.
