Avadon Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 I'm curious if there is a chart or a good rule of thumb for calculating argon flow when tig welding, provided your in a non-windy environment. I've always just kinda guessed and by golly'ed so as to get a even flow, not to much or to little but the other day I started thinking it would be nice to have something more scientific to go by. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy k Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Your trusty welding supplier will have all the information needed on the flow rates. - JK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Your trusty supplier makes money selling gas. For about 40 yrs I set mine at 20cfm indoors 30 and up outdoors both for mig and tig. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Your trusty supplier makes money selling gas. For about 40 yrs I set mine at 20cfm indoors 30 and up outdoors both for mig and tig. Ken I belive you intended you unit of measure to be cfh. The flows recommended in The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding published by Lincoln Electric company range from 20 to 30 cfh for most processes but up to 50 cfh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jose Gomez Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Ask your local welding supply guy for the Millermatic calculators. It is a set of three slide rules that cover all of the setting information that one can use for mig tig stick and flux cored arc welding on all types of materials and joint designs. Heres a link Miller - Resources - Tools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Charlotte, You caught me. Must be the oldtimers acting up again. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Charlotte, You caught me. Must be the oldtimers acting up again. Ken I figured that you had just washed your hands and couldn't do a thing with your fingers. (I claim the title for the worst typest here) Charlotte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 I've always gone with the guessing game too Avidon- My rule of thumb has been as long as the welds are clean when you are finished, the gas is set right. (I don't do structural welding) Depending on cup size and shop air movement, I usually run between 10 and 20 CFH. Its been hot out here the last few days and I was running a fan from behind... Hard to get a clean weld in those conditions... Thanks for the question- I'm off to the Miller site... as all my electrics are blue;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avadon Posted July 24, 2009 Author Share Posted July 24, 2009 Yah i'm gonna score me one of those miller charts as well. Handly little thing to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 Fe-Wood I always set the fan about waist hight and angle up to my head. Welded actual Tons of aluminum that way in centeral FL. 17yrs of piecework. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cami Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 I have to confess to being a professional welder who doesn't look at the flowmeter....I'm not a hack, honest! For TIG gas flow rates my suggestion is as little as you can get away with. Specific flow rates are a good starting point but don't get hung up on them; you don't want to impose absolutes on varying situations. Remember that a small cup doesn't need the flow that a larger one does. Too much flow, in addition to wasting gas, can cause turbulance that might allow air to mix with your gas and get at the weld puddle. Also, if you keep your stick-out to a minimum you shouldn't have too much trouble. As for TIG welding when there is a breeze: You'll get laughed at or even start a fire but a little duct tape and cardboard can make a windbreak that will let you work in marginal conditions; it works well for MIG work too. I've seen some funny little enclosures made when a weld couldn't wait for nice weather to come along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 cami, Try this one. Aluminum 40ft flat bed outside in a 20+mph wind. Lay on your side curled around the weld. Welding about level with your belt buckle. Milspec no less. Ken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cami Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 "cami, Try this one." No, sir! Something like that gets my 30/30 warranty: 30 seconds or 30 feet! I don't know anything about milspec welding. Any specifications I've worked to were ASME or CWB (Canadian Welding Bureau). Curled around the weld? For TIG work outside that's critical I'm all for building a little chanty or at least getting a helper to hold up a wind-break of some sort and getting nice and comfy. I do what I need to in the field, but I don't like to make it harder than it has to be and make use of whatever is at my disposal. Failing an inspection hurts ones pride, drives up costs for the job with re-do's and, depending on the codes involved, can up the inspection frequency; which drives up the job costs even more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Good idea Dragon- I just set up an old window mount AC unit on a 55 gl drum cause its been 100+ lately. I find it REALY tough to work after about 2pm. The AC unit is kinda a push me pull you thing, cold in front hot in the back... Guess where I work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragons lair Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Fe-Wood, I feel the heat again. 20yrs in FL 105 in the booth summer 30 in wimter. Moved to NC mtns 12yrs ago. 6 Yrs in a shop. Opened my own 6 yrs ago. Have Welding/Fab/CNC cutting/blacksmithing also consulting on a green energy project. Have AC in the office. Open the shop door turn on the exhaust gets it down to about 78 in the shop as long as I keep the overhead door closed. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonknight Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 I would have to agree with Cami`s comments on the gas flow. For most stuff you would be welding in a shop, with cups up to a #8, you should never need more than 20cfm. More than that and your blowing crap in that you don`t want in there. If your torch sounds like a jet engine, you definitely got too much flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 I use just enough to keep the welds clean, sometimes as low as 10 CFH . Hey Fe-Wood, heat? We got heat here. 3 months where every day is over 100, and usually a week where it is 110-115. Lows at night (3am) are 85, by 9am it is 100 already. I have been down on the Strip at midnight when it was still over 100. We do have single digit humidity (as low as 1%) except when the Monsoon season hits then it will get up to 40%-60%. Today's forecast in Utah where I am working was 103 and chance of showers. 101 here as I am writhing this. A swamp cooler works wonders when the humidity is low, and a lot less to run than an AC unit. Plus no rear heat. I had one at the house in Fairfield, down the road from you, for almost 40 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnie C. Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 I'm a union pipe welder and I do a lot of tig welding. I run my argon between 30-35 cfm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnpeter Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Ask your local welding supply guy for the Millermatic calculators. It is a set of three slide rules that cover all of the setting information that one can use for mig tig stick and flux cored arc welding on all types of materials and joint designs. Heres a link Miller - Resources - Tools Found here more welding calculators Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrscgsr Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 ticketed welder here, currently weld to mil spec on government vehicles. When tig welding you should not have to go over 20cfm or you start risking turbulence in the gas flow which can cause air to mix with the shielding gas. I always run gas lenses when i tig and this lets you run lower cfm because of the smooth even column of gas it creats compared to running a standard collet setup. I run 12 cfm on anything tigged indoors unless welding reactive metals than i trun it up to 15-18 with a huge gas cup backup gas and a following purge cup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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