Tig root critique and advice.

[leeroy86]

Hello I'm a 29 yr old in Jacksonville Florida looking to expand my knowledge and certifications I am currently 3g and 4g certified with aspirations to become certified in tig root and hot pass 7018 fill and cap and stainless tig in 6g. I"m looking to get out of the field im currently in to make a jump straight to welding pipe. I'm a material handler by trade doing just about anything inside a warehouse racks, conveyors, cranes, dock equipment etc. I have what I would consider a good job at 22/hour with truck and phone paid for as well as other small perks. But I want to jump into other things Im very mechanically inclined and a fast learner. I'm wanting to get into pipe welding/fab making the same if not more money I can mig tig stick aluminum stainless steel with quality outcomes I used to have a dynasty 200dx doing cast aluminum repairs and small stainless jobs even modifying aluminum boats so I'm no stranger to welding but at the same time I know pipe welding to the specs is a different story. So I started small I've got a cst 280 and some 3/8 plate beveled at 37 degrees that I'm starting out with since everything I will be doing will more than likely be scratch start tig. I"m just looking for some pointers and what to expect. Also what type of certs will go a long way as I am paying for them myself. Id like to add I've never been to welding school and thought long and hard about it but I don't know if it would pay off seeing as I've heard bad things about Tulsa welding school but am open to ideas what are other good schools out there I need to keep my current job and possibly go at night. What would be the best way to go maybe start out at a union? Also I used a keyhole dip technique for pics i provided what type of techniques are standard I know there lay wire and back feed thanks to Jody at welding tips and tricks. I'm just looking for some advice for what I need to do to get things rolling and how my roots are looking. Also what would be the proper way to remove the silicon along the toes of the weld. I normally weave 7018 after a single stringer there are a couple of pics showing a weave in a plate and then some stringers and some actual clips I welded on for a mezzanine per the drawing those are about 5/8-3/4 wide. I'm trying to get good at stringers. Maybe someone can post some pics of what I should be trying to achieve, the tig root has a few tie ins as well. Let me know what you think and what I should do to improve the welder is pictured so you can see the amperage. The photos are turned for some reason but everything is vertical up.

[leeroy86]

More pics

[CEP]

You will have to pass a 6-G test. I suggest you buy a length of 4” sch 80 pipe, and a length of 6” sch 80 pipe. Bevel 37 1/2 degrees, and start welding. With a 6-G Tig test you have to be able to weld with both hands.

[AFFENDE]

You will have to pass a 6-G test. I suggest you buy a length of 4” sch 80 pipe, and a length of 6” sch 80 pipe. Bevel 37 1/2 degrees, and start welding. With a 6-G Tig test you have to be able to weld with both hands.

The alternative to this would be going to the local shops and offering to buy their scraps. I cut my coupons 2" long for practice pieces. My shop routinely throws out 24" pieces of 10", 8", 6", 4", 3.5" and 3" pipe ... sch 40 and sch 80.

We do a lot of structural columns and in the last year the shortest piece i have done with pipe was around 48".

Or you could buy some 2 1/2" OD x 5/8" wall thickness tubing and practice monster coupons for unlimited thickness and and diameters down to, i think, 1". If you can weld small diameter stuff, you weld large diameter.

[leeroy86]

Thanks for the replies sorry I wasn't clear in the first post I know I need to pass the 6g and welding with both hands on tig isn't as hard as stick because I usually prop on something. If anyone has some pics of what I'm referring to please share so I can emulate them possibly with a coin for size reference and please tell me what you think about the pics. Thank you for the replies

[leeroy86]

I bought 2 pieces of 20' 6x3/8 flat bar for 150 bucks how much would pipe be?

[TimmyTIG]

Judging by that last pic, you're too cold. Weld hotter and you won't get those wagon tracks. Not sure if you're dipping on purpose, or it just turned out that way, but you don't really want to or need to dip a root on carbon steel.
It looks OK for starters, just need practice time from what I can see. Looks better than some of our apprentices' welds.

[leeroy86]

Yes I was dipping I know the lay wire would look better as I can do that no problem but if there's an uneven gap I want to be prepared. I was welding around 95 amps 1/8" gap 3/32 rod er70s2 I'll try hotter but it seem I get flat roots when I do that and I'm trying to achieve some protrusion on the inside as to prevent suck back any tips or fitup advice is greatly appreciated.

[TimmyTIG]

Everybody that replies is gonna tell you something different, gap and wire and land, etc. Turn it up hotter and feed more wire.

[leeroy86]

10 4 ive realized that feeding enough is one of the keys I will do that.

[CEP]

Welp, I’m just a hobbyist welder!
For the root I use the lay wire technique. I like a 3/32” gap, about 1/64” land. I use 1/8” filler, anywhere from 90 to 100-amps. For the hot pass I use 3/32” filler, and never go up more than 10-amps. This prevents suck back. I like a very sharp tungsten, with a # 7 cup with a bevel ground on the cup. That makes it easier to walk the cup.

[leeroy86]

Yep that one is a good if the fit up is right I just want to be prepared for the worse.

[leeroy86]

Deleted

[leeroy86]

Cep I don't believe you're a hobbyist would you mind posting some pics with something as a side reference for the root protrusion and width plz possibly include 7018 as well thank you for the fit up specs.

[CEP]

Cep I don't believe you're a hobbyist

Well I’ am a hobbyist.
I don’t really have any good side view pictures of Tig welds. This is about as good as I have. I’m not real good at taken pictures.
Also a 7018 weld.

[leeroy86]

What kind of hobbyist are you? lol looks good what kind of protrusion do you look for on the inside of the pipe? What about the silicon islands on the face of a tig weld you wouldn't normally weld over them would you so how would you remove them.

[leeroy86]

By the way that pipe weld did you walk the cup or free hand the cap that looks awesome how wide and tall is the bead?

[CEP]

What kind of hobbyist are you? lol looks good what kind of protrusion do you look for on the inside of the pipe? What about the silicon islands on the face of a tig weld you wouldn't normally weld over them would you so how would you remove them.

I’m the kind of hobbyist that spends a lot of money on my hobby.

The amount of reinforcement of the root bead is a 64 million dollar question. I guess it all depends on the code you’re working to.

I use a wire wheel on a 4-inch grinder after every weld I make.

By the way that pipe weld did you walk the cup or free hand the cap that looks awesome how wide and tall is the bead?

99% of the time I walk the cup on the root pass. Free hand for the hot, fill, and cap.

[leeroy86]

I still don't believe you're a hobbyist those welds and tools you list aren't what a hobbyist would have lol. How wide and tall is that cover pass weld?

[CEP]

How wide and tall is that cover pass weld?

Oh I don’t remember! That was done a long time ago. I think that is 2 1/2” pipe.

[soutthpaw]

I still don't believe you're a hobbyist those welds and tools you list aren't what a hobbyist would have lol. How wide and tall is that cover pass weld?

It's a bit of an inside joke, but he's retired from the industry and as he doesn't get paid to weld anymore, he is a hobbyist .

Sent from mobile. Not responsible for Typos

[AFFENDE]

i run a 5/32" gap with no landing and 1/8" filler. usually around 85 amps. i run the hot pass at the same amperage as the root to prevent suck back.

i agree your root looks cold.

[AFFENDE]

I bought 2 pieces of 20' 6x3/8 flat bar for 150 bucks how much would pipe be?

last time i priced out pipe ...

2 1/2" SCH 80 was around $250

6" SCH 80 was around $550

[leeroy86]

So you're doing a keyhole dip then do you keep the tungsten pointing at the opening or do you wash the filler up on the bevels and share any pics of you have any plz.

[leeroy86]

It's a bit of an inside joke, but he's retired from the industry and as he doesn't get paid to weld anymore, he is a hobbyist .

Sent from mobile. Not responsible for Typos

Lol ok makes sense that's awesome I would love to pick his brain in some things