Good points. I have been welding in Aerospace for about 17 years now. What works for me is learning how to "READ the Puddle". I do not add filler until I see a very slight dip into the trailing edge of the molten puddle which lasts of just microseconds. That "dip" tells me that the back side is getting penetration.
Not good points. Why not teach how to get good penetration from the beginning? When you're in school you don't have a lot of time to fuck around and learn shit late in the game when tests are coming up. This shit would have been a fail at my college if we didn't penetrate the back. If you're just trying to teach how to stack dimes in a straight line, you don't need to weld anything if that's the goal. Just grab a scrap plate and stack some dimes on top of that.
I’m 69 had my own garages for 40 years now I’m retired I just wanted to learn tig welding love your videos really helpful my welding still crap but I’m enjoying learning 😊
This is such a great perspective towards teaching. I imagine a lot of people starting out can get discouraged easily. Advice like this can be very helpful and encouraging.
I watch my boss repair a gold watchband one day with TIG and gold wire. When he was done it immaculate. He ended his weld beads off the band on to a sacrificial piece, cut it off and profiled it. Thanks for your insight.
I'm so glad my shop works like this when we train people welding in general. We wait for them to be consistent with what they need to see on the exposed side before we have them turn up the heat and do both sides. And a longitudinal seam welder set up with a tig torch really helps show someone what to watch for when fusion welding since it's the most training wheeled tig experience since you're just keeping it on the line it does everything else for you.
Champion! So glad someone said this, no one is perfect even with a lot of experience. Been a sheet metal worker for 25 years and I listened to too many who don't know everything, and failed. Started doing it how i felt comfortable and then it just worked. Sometimes the unconventional is what works best but only attentive experience will teach you this. Thanks mate for your videos, love the no bullshit facts, keep them coming.
Hey Dusty I wanted to thank you for the great video's you put out. I have been in the trade for over 20 years. I have always struggled with GTAW welding. Your simple way to explain things makes my simple brain understand lol. I am finally able to drop something that i'm not ashamed to say is my weld. As an old fart that complains when they change the type of toilet paper I never would have seen my self sit down with coupons to lay out flat beads to get a real feel for the puddle, but it just makes sense to get the basics first!!! Again thank you from the old fart.
I picked up a TIG torch about 7 years ago to try it and learn. Biggest problem was I didn't clean the metal and filler like I should. Welded a few projects, turned out good for me. Put the torch down and was ready to take classes. 7 years later I'm still getting ready to take classes! LOL!! Too many other things went before welding (it happens when you get old). This year when I get back to the summer house I'll set up the garage and I WILL take the course! Thanks for what you do Dusty. You'll have to be a little forgiving when this "old" guy starts! LOL!!
The older you get the less I see people finishing the program in college. They usually tap out because of physical disabilities and it just gets too hard in later classes.
Your comments are so meaningful to me because I took aircraft welding at Utah State as part of my program for an A&P certified aircraft mechanic. Our test was not looking at the backside of the weld but making two joints and cutting the sample and etching for inspection. The "laying on of the bead" was not so important as penetration and consistency.
Just finished my first quarter in welding school. I totally appreciate this channel. I am excited to move on to tig later in the coarse. I will absolutely be using this channel to help along my journey! Cheers!
I have welded aluminum boats off and on for 30 years , Let me give you an example of when this much penetration is NOT good . Ok so on the outside of the side of the boat you will weld on a piece af andle iron that runs the lenth of the boat ,this is to stiffen the sidewall . This much penetration is called a blister and is not good , what you want to see is a dark almost black line opposite side of the weld , this line shows you that you did penetrate and there is no blister . Every industry has rules or techniques that you follow and for boat building this is what we do. I will say that when welding the bottom halves together or welding the side to the bottom you can weld hotter ,but that seem will be covered with angle iron so you would not see the blister if one was there. Bottom line , NO blisteres on Aluminum boats .
Your advice is gold bro. I hope people take your tips into account. Everything you are saying is exactly what my welding/fabrication instructors preached and demonstrated to us when we were learning. Thanks for the content man 🔥
Great advice! I went to a welding school where we clocked in and out for for 8 hours a day for about 6 months. This was in the 80's. We didn't have all these fancy controls on the machines like today which made us learn the basics of heat, gas flow, speed, etc. We also focused more on getting our stick, plate and pipe certs. Stick welding really helps with those fundamentals. Keep up the good work Dusty! 👍
I can also add that a good preparation of the welding surface will do wonders, sometimes it's as simple as adding a slight chamfer on thicker material and that root will become so much easier to do
I think it's an excellent approach. Unfortunately, many online critics are unwilling to post photos of their own work for obvious reasons. Those who have enough experience and skill to do it perfectly 99% usually also have enough time in to understand the value in a properly executed weld without focusing on what you may or may not see on the backside.
THIS is a fundamental problem in teaching and learning generally. Teachers and learners expecting too much progress too quickly. Giving or wanting too much detail too early. failing to consolidate basics before moving on ........ nothing will stand, without a strong foundation in basics failing to give positive feedback and constructive advice. . For many who criticise, it is selfisness and wanting to prove that they are better or know more. . The most effective teacher is kind and generous Keep it up brother
Lots of helpful information thanks so much for sharing because most people would never give out information like this you really don't know how much you help ppl like myself and others again Thanks.
I love this channel, so much help and advice for free. There is so little encouragement from people who claim to be pro welders, I regularly see people commenting things like "if that's the best you got , you shouldn't be allowed to weld" or " give up and leave to us guys who know what we're doing" Some people are just scared that someone will get better than then and take their jobs, I guess. It also seems to happen with tools, there's a pen like tool to help you feed filler rod and "real welder" seem to hate it, saying "if you need that, you should be welding". I've welded for 35 years but my hands are getting stiffer now, any tool to make it easier for me will keep me working , and anyone who thinks that makes me a bad welder is quite welcome to come and test me.
I wanna say thank you and I'm glad I ran into ur video due to me trying and failing on carbon steel 4g open root 3/32 butt joint on 1/8th in. And I was always having trouble on both sides and my teachers are great but they haven't done tig in a decade so it's nice to slow the pace down and remind me to stick to the basics
Totally agree with the points made. That said thought I’d share my favorite “I think your welds are bad” comment: 🎶 take me down to the poro-city Where the rates are cheap and the welds are shitty 🎶
Thank you for this video. I started welding a few years ago and found some success on TikTok making welding content. The comments have been the worst part of the whole experience. I still have a long way to improve but look forward to seeing a more positive community
First you learn control. Then you get fast. There's no point in worrying about penetration if your beads are ropey and your weld face has more rolls than a pack of franks. Never weld with a contaminated tungsten. This is what gets most novice welders. Clean tungsten, clean gloves (!) and always weld on bright, shiny, clean, metal. Makes learning so much easier.
Wow. This episode is really amazingly good. Your level of care for your students makes you better than at least 95% of the teachers I've ever had on any subject. I just subscribed to your channel, and when I get a welder (just for hobby purposes) I'm going to sign up for your class.
one thing i did not consider as a new aluminum tig welder is the oxidation layer on the back side & its ability to not break apart. now with experience i shoot for a brown scortched trail on most joints unless its a outside corner joint. IMO all "box fabrications" should be treated as "tank fabrication" & in those cases I always attempt to achieve a interior deposition equal to the material thickness.
Yer awesome bud!! Yer videos are no bullshit! And that's the yeah to do. In the trade I've been stick and mig. Just bought my everlast tig rig.. trying to get it properly.thznkz forr yer though content. ❤
My 2002 gsx-r 600 has this awesome weld on the frame right beside the gas tank on the left and right side. People would point out the weld. I’d be like, that dudes a pro and I swear every time anyone took note they would say, “that was done by a robot”. It would upset me because, _It wasn’t welded by a machine_ I just thought of that and it’s always made me wonder about why people are so quick to be wrong about things
I want to weld now 😂 i like your perspective on tutoring man the ones ive come across are the ones that say oh cool but you have no penetration try again
GIVE THIS A TRY,, I’ve found that using a weld preparation angle of 10* to 15* on the UNDERSIDE each aluminium plate produces exceptionally good root penetration. That would be a included angle of 20* to 30*.ON THE UNDERSIDE.with closed top edges. Oxy/ acetylene or TIG. .
There's so much that goes into penetration. The thickness of the material, the joint, the root opening, the landing, and most important your WPS and PQRs. If it's a CJP (complete joint penetration) it needs to have whatever percentage of penetration your WPS calls out and the same with PJP(partial joint penetration). You cant say penetration-wise if something will pass or fail from a video.
Great info ... how about one on how to find a apprenticeship, I been trying to get under a wing for a wile now n most problems I run into is no one wants to take on a greenhorn n it sux n is very discouraging to the point I been trying to slowly teach myself as I can afford better machines n to waste materials learning ... or I weld on my car n hope it hold lmfao 🤣.. but I have always tried to watch the "puddle" was the most important thing I learned but also I not cool enuf to tig yet lol but soon ... love your vids bro I watch em every time they come cross my feed brotha 💯 peace and love brotha keep it rad stay safe and build on l8z
Is it penetrating? Brazzing, sautering, sintering, welding.. I watch the puddle and I literally watch it flow into the gap so long as I see my material visually heating to match the pool before it solidifies I know it has all gotten molten where it needs to and has become stuck together as I want. Preheating your material is what I finds helps most
This is why TIG wasn’t even introduced until Year Two of your journey pun intended to becoming a Journeyman Welder (in Canada anyway). it’s been a while since I took any Government Certs so this most definitely has changed. They wanted to get you comfortable on the other “easier” processes first. My first year we had an Oxy/Acetylene Welding section still so yeah.
Too many ppl that think they are welders.. there is a ton of work that is never single pass welds some are multiple pass welds that that required a back grind weld based on procedure, and require root/hot/single cap/back grind / back cap
I've never had a butt joint go completely molten like that on the back side. So I just gave it a try, but to no avail. What does it take to achieve that? Bevels on the joint? Root gap? Lower the amperage and move slower? More amperage and move faster?
Vous avez tout à fait raison ,il y a un temps pour tout et pour le soudage tig,il faut énormément de temps d'apprentissage. Pour ma part je ne regarde que deux sites de soudeurs,le votre et celui de Hagogibi. Merci pour vos explications
As a rule of thumb: once is an occurrence, twice a coincidence, and thrice a pattern. A pattern of good welds seems as good an indicator of progression as anything could be, to me.
So I stopped here at 2:35 n haven't watched the entire video yet but I'm gonna comment my experience first and I want to know what the POSITIVE welder YT community has to say. If the maker sees this and answers that'd be awesome! So I just finished welding school September last year being the second best in class. the first best was someone who had prior experience in the industry. As far as performance we were neck and neck. Also his only goal was to refine and focus his technique in all processes while actually earning his certs since hes never had them beforehand. So he took his time with all modules, stick, mig, flux. I had become the first to finish the entire program in years and became a tutor for the rest of my time there but still left before he reached tig. but I consider him the best because I take into consideration his prior experience and the technical knowledge he possessed beyond what the courses called for as well as his real world experience. Anyway, the last module was tig. I completed this in all positions with carbon and stainless steel padding, tee joints and V grooves walking the cup on the grooves. For aluminum it was padding, 1-3F tee, and a flat butt weld, all with 14-16ga material. I don't work in aerospace or anything so critical, although that'd be fucking awesome n I'd love to, but I do work as a fabricator now and I apply these lessons to my work which of course have my name attached and have real world uses. My work has never come back to me with any issues but still, I strive to be sure that my welds are as reliable and consistent as I can manage, knowing there's always more to learn. Now that I got my limited welding background established, the question I have is, I was taught that the most I wanted to see on the back side is that little bit of haziness, not too much and definitely no bubbling. That no haziness is better than too much. Is this correct? Now I'm going to finish the video. Edit: OK, now I'm seeing my butt joints did NOT look like that🫣. Although it wasn't open on the bottom like that either. It was sitting on a flat slab of carbon. It did look exactly like the workpieces that he recommended doing an etch test on though
The worst weld you showed here is better than my best weld. Tig and I aren't real friendly yet. I get my best results with stick. Then oxy-fuel. I was hoping Tig would be very similar to gas welding. But it goes sideways much faster. So, every week, more practice.
Getting full penetration is quite important and necessary in order to develop full strength. However, doing a butt weld with no bevel makes it well on impossible to obtain full penetration. That being said, the examples from your students are good in that it shows consistent heat input and travel speed. In my experience those are necessary to being able to produce consistent welds without flaws.
While I know how to weld and I have burnt up hundreds of pounds of rod and pushed miles of wire, I do not claim to be a welder. So, if you're trying to get penetration from one side, isn't this where you would grind a v-slot to have a root weld perform that function?
While I appreciate your concern and trust you're genuine wanting the best for your students, you also need to understand not everyone attending has a trust, or a bankroll, or all the time in the world to throw at this. Infact some may even be going broke and you wouldn't even know it. Just food for thought. Not saying you're wrong,just saying there's reasons that may not necessarily present themselves for why someone is rushing to pickup a trade.
The puddle runs to the heat and if you just learning try spining your puddle i never hear any of the enternet welder talking about it and if you master it you will be 10fold better controll
So i dont reckon the enterweb is a good place to learn to weld .Alot of what you talk about i agree more than not .I learned from my boss he welded with oxy&acetyene as you can imagine this was a long time ago .But after learning to hate Mig welding over yhe damage mess i got my first Tig and found it to be easyer then that Gas welding i use to weld a 912 car into the great 911and flare steel fenders for that big tire .And in my Teens i was hooked
I think it grew from the exact polar opposite. Dudes swearing if beauty dimes aren’t what you have it doesn’t matter ignoring penetration and strength all together. Too many IG welders posting weak fat dimes not explaining that doesn’t equal structural strength. But that’s all people want to see are fine stacks from a turn table and arm rest with pulse and low amps.
Hi I wonder one thing, Can you make a video about solutions for geting a nice penetretion on joint welds with a too big of a gap? I weld some bent pieces that have been cut with a laser machine and have sometimes a big gap in between. I almost always get penetration but its not clean; instead it has a bit of a gap and looks separated somehow. I wonder if the laser made to much of a oxid surface and the cleaning is not geting on the other side of the weld.
Yes it's great to set reasonable expectations while learning and learn in steps. Still I absolutely disagree with what you're saying. Learning to make surface beads should be done on a bead pad where your goal is to stack beads on a plate, focussing on straight even beads with proper bead overlap. Welding a joint should come later, when you already know how to run the bead on a pad. The goal of the exercise should be learning how to get proper penetration. The biggest issue i see on the demo plate is a lack of preparation. The edges should have a bevel on them, the plates should be tacked on the edge, feathered tacks before starting, and proper penetration all the way through.
