TIG welder advice

[Kev888]

+1

[froggi]

Kev if you're just joining the 2 pots together in the first instance, what would be wrong with a surface key like brazing??? Something like this wouldn't need a total fusion of metal and you need to take into account also the fact that the welding of stainless will create a coking effect on the inside of any weld unless it's back purged.

[Kev888]

Hi,
Yes I could possibly braze it - in fact i'd be happier as I've done more of that. I've been looking at the pots and there is a taper at the bottom so potentially I could achieve an overlapping joint by ramming one pot slightly inside the other...

But for various reasons I'm trying to keep the joint quite thin, not much thicker than the pot wall - with the inside pretty much flush and the outside not very built up - so i'd have to grind it back again afterwards. I'm not really experienced enough to know how strong such a small joint area would be if i brazed it, but I suspect in this case welding may be safer?

Cheers
Kev

[barneey]

Kev or is it Jeff???? I read this, sound familar?

welding

[Kev888]

Heh heh, uncanny!

I guess many diy/home-brewers end up thinking about or even going down this route. I've always been keen to learn how to 'make it so' myself, in all sorts of things from electronics to wood-turning; it can involve some occasionally costly failures but normally you end up with another useful string to the bow. If only i could find a way to make a living from those strings, they may even become beneficial rather than merely costly!

Cheers
kev

[Kev888]

Well I posted a question on the mig-welding forum and the feedback seems to be that whilst MIG is easier and cheaper, it can struggle to do good quality welds on stainless 0.6mm thick. Either way though, there seemed to be polite overtones of a new boy biting off more than I can chew.

It sounds like it'll be difficult then, so I'm thinking a TIG welder would ultimately give me the best chance - even though it costs more and apparently has a taller learning curve than mig. I'm partly doing this to develop a new skill, so probably I'll try getting to grips with it, and if I really can't do it then grind away the evidence and take the pots to a pro afterwards.. I (finally!) finish paying for my car this month, so in a way its a good time to make a modest investment.

Realistically I don't know what the chances are, but 'if' it goes unexpectedly well perhaps I could later turn it into a sideline or something. Work continues to be a bit pants, so I keep wondering if 'something' from all my brewing related activities/skills could offset it a bit.

Cheers
Kev

[barneey]

Kev,

Just to throw you a curveball, get someone else to weld the pots for you and buy a metal lathe instead......think of all that tooling....fittings...KM backnuts with built in shrouds

Easy to post, advertise on ebay etc + new skill learnt

[Kev888]

Gah... I now have a 'phase 2' in my secret plan for world domination; metal turning!

Mind you, i have at least done some of that in the past - and with the amount of effort I wasted failing to find a long running nipple in stainless I can see it would be useful..

Cheers
Kev

[Kev888]

Well thanks to the advice - I've ordered a DC TIG welder

I went for a 200amp R-tech so fairly modest (for a tig, anyway) but it has HF start and pulse and an acceptible duty cycle (there were also a couple on the weldequip shop which seemed close/equal runners). I also got some argon and 1mm filler rods in 316 and 308 (plus some mild steel for other jobs and practicing with). Oh, and a helmet, as my current one is hand-held so feeding in filler rod would have been tricky...

Thats if I can take delivery of it (my usual problem); they do before 9am deliveries which sounded ideal and was partly behind my choice, but at the checkout it priced that at £160, so I'm going for £30 standard instead and will now plead with the powers that be to work at home - fingers crossed

Before I get branded (more) insane, I'd like to reiterate that I'm hoping to become much better at welding; I haven't launched into this soley to do a bit of home brew welding - its just a useful project to get me learning on.

Cheers
kev

[themadhippy]

so I'm going for £30 standard instead and will now plead with the powers that be to work at home - fingers crossed

why not get the stuff delivered to the works address?

[boingy]

Before I get branded (more) insane, I'd like to reiterate that I'm hoping to become much better at welding; I haven't launched into this soley to do a bit of home brew welding - its just a useful project to get me learning on.

<sigh>

Kev, before you can get professional help you really need to admit your addiction. Next you'll be claiming that the voices in your head made you buy it and that things plasma cutter just keep popping into your plasma cutter head without being plasma cutter invited.

Nice one though. We look forward to your delight (and the pictures) when you produce your first clean-ish weld. My better half looked a bit non-plussed when I showed her my first "acceptable" MIG weld. "Is that good, then?", she asked sweetly....

[Kev888]

why not get the stuff delivered to the works address?

Heh heh, you know not what you ask!

I can sneak 'very' small packages through the work system, but something the size and weight of a welder and gas cylinder may raise more than a few eyebrows... I can just see the internal mailroom chappie dragging it up and dumping it in our open plan office; its almost worth it just to see actually, but I'd probably be shot on H&S grounds as well as abusing the system. If only I could think of a reason why my desk job frequently needs sacks of grain and gas cylinders etc life would be much easier..

Cheers
Kev

[Kev888]

<sigh>

Kev, before you can get professional help you really need to admit your addiction. Next you'll be claiming that the voices in your head made you buy it and that things plasma cutter just keep popping into your plasma cutter head without being plasma cutter invited.

Nice one though. We look forward to your delight (and the pictures) when you produce your first clean-ish weld. My better half looked a bit non-plussed when I showed her my first "acceptable" MIG weld. "Is that good, then?", she asked sweetly....

Well okay, I never claimed not to be addicted, I'm just not sure quite what to - sort of general tooliness or machininess maybe, and hating the fact that there are related things I still can't do for myself.. It usually spirals out of control - if I spend only twice what I expected and four times what a pro would charge me then usually I've missed something.

And in addition to the welder and a potential future metal lathe I'm now for some reason thinking 'plasma cutter' - it makes complete sense of course but I just can't recollect the logical train of thoughts preceeding it....

If i do actually manage to make a decent weld - in fact probably 'any' weld - you can be sure I'll be excitedly posting it. On past performances maybe just before the pictures of twisted, melted stock-pots..

Cheers
Kev

[gnutz2]

Congratulations on the purchase kev, if you ever get suck just give me a shout on here

Forgot to mention you'll need a bench grinder with a fine stone wheel for sharpening electrodes (if you dont allready have one).

[boingy]

I need some advice.
What's the best way to explain to my lovely other half, my best friend, my soul mate, that I am going to leave her and move in with Kev?
It's just such a difficult subject to broach. Does "Tara, then" work?