Difference between TIG and MIG Welding

[guardianstrong]

(Tungsten Inert Gas) TIG welding is very different from MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding. The second one is created with a consumable electrode, while TIG welds are created with a non-consumable electrode and also includes filler metal. Even though both can be automated, Utah TIG welding is a more complicated process so the equipment is more expensive and difficult to set-up. Another difference is the fact that Utah MIG welding is faster than the other one, as TIG welding uses Tungsten to carry the arc which means it requires more skill and some experience in the craft of welding.

The main difference is in the in the way the filler metal is added to produce the weld. When it comes to Utah TIG welding, the arc is created between a tungsten electrode mounted in a hand-held torch and the work piece to be welded. The MIG process uses a filler metal which is the electrode and the arc is created when the filler metal comes into contact with the work surface.

[Speedbump]

Sounds like you know Welders. I have a Lincoln 175 MIG welder. I have trouble keeping the wire feeding. It will feed ok for a while, then it will stick and I have to either beat the tip on the work bench or take pliers and pull the wire out. It's aggravating and makes for a bad looking weld, having to start and stop all the time.

Do you have any solutions? Is there a better stinger for this machine than the stock one?

[mrcaptainbob]

Sticking wire....

I had the same issue with mine. A Hobart 135. It's worse using flux wire. I was told the wheel was too tight and deforming the wire. Ovaling kept the wire from running through the tip. That starts to happen as the tip heats up and expands enough to tighten up on that ovaled wire. Maybe. I took all the tips I could get the stuck wire out of and drilled them oversized. They don't stick anymore. I've heard that too large a hole allows the wire to wobble a lot and a good bead is hard to form. I do not have that issue. In fact, because it feeds so much easier, the weld bead is much nicer. I use .030 solid for general stuff, but for greater penetration I use .024 flux. Same nozzle tip....

[HayZee518]

Mig

I had a MIG welder that I used around the house. Flux cored wire sputtered and spattered all around the work surface -BUT - did produce a weld. I switched to all solid .030 filler wire with CO2 or ARGON as a welding gas. Perfect welds all the time. The pinch roller squishes the wire because of the flux inside.

[Speedbump]

Thanks MCBob. I'll try that. It never dawned on me that could be the problem. I have my wheel tension all the way up because I thought that was the problem. I'm using C02/Argon not flux but it sticks all the time. My wire is .035 I believe, so how big should I drill it out? I might have to buy a few new drill bits as those little guys don't last too long.

I did find out that one of the problems I was having was the wire getting rusty from sitting in the machine in my open garage. The humidity in Florida must be too much for it. I bought a new spool and it helped a lot. Anybody want about 300' of slightly rusty .035 wire???

HayZee, that makes sense about the roller squishing the wire. I have never used the flux wire, because I was trying to get away from chipping and grinding. That's the best part of MIG welding in my opinion. You can just keep going over and over the weld with no flux issues.

[mrcaptainbob]

An old microwave oven...

Get an old microwave oven and keep the welding wire in it. Including brazing rods and rods for stick welding. Toss in a few packs o desiccant. Keeps everything nice and dry. Every once in a while toss that desiccant in a real microwave and dry it out for reuse. It helps to put a wiper on the wire, too. A spring clip around a felt pad clipped to whee the wire feeds into the roller. Put no more than a few drops of oil on the pad. It should be just enough to wipe the wire clean without leaving any oil so as to not contaminate the weld. My 135 welds okay with .030 but does a marvelous job with .024. But as HayZee says, the .024 flux is kind of dirty on the surrounding area. The good side is it has much deeper penetration. The job makes the call as to which I use. Right now I'm fabbing up a log splitter. Any welding on that is done with the .024. Takes a bit more time to have to clean the area for second/third passes, but it appears to be doing great. Love gluing metal together!!

[HayZee518]

Mig

did you know you can weld aluminum with a wire feed? Your wire feed needs speeding up as the filler metal is consumed at a faster rate. also the welding gas needs to be changed to argon or a n.o.s. mix of gases. co-2 will not work with aluminum. the weld metal for aluminum is pushed into the work at a constant rate. edges of the joint should be wire brushed very thoroughly as the surface oxidizes rather quickly.
In that old microwave oven, put in a 100 watt light bulb and turn it on. the heat from the lamp dries out moisture on the flux coated weld rod. it sort of pre-heats the flux which heats up under normal use anyway.

[Speedbump]

All good ideas. I don't relish the idea of taking that spool of wire off each time I finish welding then putting it back on again, but it may come to that. I am going to drill my .035 out to about .04 and see what happens. I can see how the tips would last longer too.

I would love to be able to weld aluminum, but can't justify buying the Argon bottle for the limited amount of usage it would get. However, my Golf Cart is Club Car which has an all aluminum frame, and that Argon bottle could come in real handy sometimes.

[mrcaptainbob]

Aluminum weld....

I like that idea, HayZee. But I've read that it's difficult to push the aluminum wire through too long of cord and that it bunches up. The 'fix' for that is to use the hand held spool gun. Pricey addition, but far cheaper than a tig unit! Have you tried the aluminum weld with a regular mig unit? I drilled the tips out with a Dremel, Speedbump. That copper gives way real easy! Hold the tip with pliers and get a bit sized for what you want.

[Speedbump]

Speedbump. That copper gives way real easy! Hold the tip with pliers and get a bit sized for what you want.

I haven't tried it yet, too many other projects to finish, but I'll get at it this weekend and see how it works. The biggest problem is finding a drill bit a little larger than .035 that isn't already broken.

[HayZee518]

Tig & mig

I've gotten bits from Amazon. The smallest number drill you'll find is a #80. Now you'll need to get something smaller by decimal increments. Amazon has these because I got some when I was making a printed circuit and needed a drill for the wire diameter of a resistor. Could've been .035 or smaller. They're out in my garage but I'm too lazy to go see.

[mrcaptainbob]

Small drill bits....

I used mny wife's battery Dremel with the small package of drill bits. I found one that was a bit larger than the wire....what ever it was I didn't care....and drilled the tips out. I have about a dozen tips at the ready. Interesting that I have yet to clog one up since they were drilled out!

[Speedbump]

Yeah, I go through tips quite often too. Today I'm going to give it a try. Now if I could only find a new hood for the end of the stinger. It's getting kind of ugly.

[HayZee518]

Tig & mig

What make of mig unit?

[Speedbump]

It's a Miller 175.

I tried reaming out a few tips Saturday. I ruined about 4 tips and broke 4 drill bits. I am not sure what size they were but they were probably too big. You get about half way in by carefully drilling and pulling out many times but once in about half way, the tip grabs the drill and snap. I am going to try and find some .037 or .038 bits and see how that works. Hopefully, my bits were just too big.