CFH setting (regulator) for TIG welders

[Madgyver]

The price of argon has gone way up. What was $180. to refill a bottle with argon gas is now $225. for the same size bottle.

For those that TIG weld, what do you have your regulator set at for getting those great welds?

 

[bmc69]

15 to 30 CFH, Mad, depending on lense diameter and material being welded. Aluminum being the higher flow, of course. Might even go to 40 CFH when really cranking the amps to 200 or so for thick aluminum.

If you are not using the flow-ball regulator style..you should be.

 

[bknbronco]

I believe we run around 22-25. As long as you can feel it coming out when you hold the tip to your face your good. Im not sure how low is too low but a friend that welds pipes at a refinery said you should be able to feel the gas come out. He also said that at work they crank the shit out of it to keep the handle cool, but then again they use HUGE tanks of gas i guess.

Make sure your hoses dont leak. And of course always shut the tank off when done. When you shut the tank off check to see how long the system holds pressure by watching that same guage. It should hold pressure for a few days if not weeks. We had a loose fitting down where the main hose/wire screwed into the front of the tig welder and it would leak more there than would come out the end. Not that that would empty the tank faster, but if im gona pay for the gas i want it to come out where it should be.

Seems like sometimes the gas goes on a few projects, and sometimes lasts all year.

 

[NicksTrix]

mad, i run around 18-20 with a gas lense using a float regualtor. as bill said more if it's really thick material i'm working on or running a tracer set up, but that isn't really very often.
those are scary prices for argon. i'd shop around. i think it's about 40 bucks for a 380 bottle for me.

mahalo~

 

[Madgyver]

Anyone tried using the gas saver attachments from MasterTig?
It suppose to cut down on the use of the sheilding gas.

 

[monkeylovetrees]

Hey nix I finally tracked down the guy from north Kingstown Ri that you did for him blue 77

 

[Madgyver]

mad, i run around 18-20 with a gas lense using a float regualtor. as bill said more if it's really thick material i'm working on or running a tracer set up, but that isn't really very often.
those are scary prices for argon. i'd shop around. i think it's about 40 bucks for a 380 bottle for me.

mahalo~

Nick, we have only 2 suppliers of specialty gas here in the island and they are both around the same price. I just got back from the gas shop and they didn't have any full 125 tanks of argon to replace mine with. The person helping gave me a half full bottle for free to use up, stating the "This should hold you up till Monday" and that he would call me where they get full tanks on hand.

 

[lowbush]

I run 20-25, if you are just doing steel you can run a argon Co2 blend, it will save you some coin and actually helps penetration with steel but steel only. Thing is Co2 cools the processes so a lot of people's weld suffer until they learn to crank it up a little when using a Co2 blend with a TIG, be warned though it takes a lot more practice to get a good weld with a Co2 blend and a TIG, it causes more consumption of your tungsten as well. If you are doing Aluminum (works on steel as well) you can run some Helium to save some coin, but if you do remember Helium causes a hotter weld, so you have to turn down the heat. I have not run Helium for a long time, so the prices of gas may be totally different now.