How a TIG Welder Works and When to

TIG Weld

Learn the basics of TIG welding in motorsports applications and the proficiency of a TIG
welder on aluminum and chrome-moly.

TIG welding for motorsports

TIG stands for tungsten inert gas and is technically called gas tungsten arc welding
(GTAW). The process uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode that delivers the
current to the welding arc. The tungsten and weld puddle are protected and cooled with
an inert gas, typically argon. TIG welding is similar to oxy-acetylene welding in that you
use a filler material for build-up or reinforcement. 

How does a TIG welder work?

In race car fabrication, we use TIG welding for aluminum and 4130 chrome-moly steel. If
you are going to weld either of these materials, you need a quality TIG welder. Miller
offers products to accommodate anyone — from a home hobbyist to an advanced user.

If you have ever welded with an oxy-acetylene torch, you can easily weld with a TIG
machine. The TIG process uses an electric torch, and the welder hand feeds filler rod
into the molten puddle.

The ability to soft start and soft stop the heat makes the TIG process different from
other types of electric welding. Some people like the accelerator pedal to control the
heat if they are working on a bench and others like fingertip remotes on the torch if they
are working in areas that are considered out of position. The remote adjusts the heat
while you are welding.
Before you use a TIG unit, you should be familiar with the parts of the welder and the
function of each part. The work lead, often referred to as a ground cable with a clamp,
must be attached to the workpiece or to the metal surface that the workpiece is on.
The welding lead will have an electric TIG torch on the end. Along with the cable is a
small line that carries the argon gas. The inert gas performs like the flux coating on a
stick electrode in that it protects the weld from airborne contaminants. You will need a
gas bottle and a regulator. DO NOT use the same gas that you would use with a MIG
welder.

The torch disassembles into several parts. The small tungsten rod (several sizes are
available) is the electrode. This electrode does not burn up like a filler rod. The
tungsten can be sharpened to a point or ball shape depending on what you are welding.
A copper collet holds the tungsten and is used to adjust the length that the tungsten
protrudes from the cup. The ceramic cup (usually pink) can be unscrewed and replaced
as needed. Several cup outlet diameters are available. In the collet body, there are
several cross-holes that allow the gas to pass into the cup and surround the tungsten.
This excludes oxygen that would contaminate a weld. Loosening the back cap will
reduce the collet's grip on the tungsten and allow the tungsten to be removed for
sharpening or replacement.

TIG machines use a foot-operated

variable amperage control. After the
maximum amperage desired is pre-set on
the machine, this allows you to vary the
amperage up to the maximum pre-set
amperage. This is useful when welding
alloy steels, such as 4130 chrome-moly.
The foot control allows you to slowly
initiate the heat, and after the weld is
complete you can slowly reduce the heat.
This soft start and soft stop prevents
temperature shocking the metal. Many
alloy steels used in race cars are
This is the electric torch. It is air-cooled,
making it light and easy to handle. Hold sensitive to thermal shock. Welding by
the torch in one hand and feed the rod other means may lead to brittle welds.
with the other. The tungsten (T) is shielded A TIG machine has numerous controls.
by the inert (I) gas (G), normally argon. One of the most vital controls for welding
This gas shield is the flux that keeps aluminum is balance, which maintains
oxygen from contaminating the weld by the cleaning versus penetration levels on
oxidizing the metal.
aluminum. The higher the balance, the
more penetration you'll get. Typical
settings range from 70 to 80 percent, or
7-8.
You can also select normal or pulsed mode. When using pulsed mode on aluminum, the
amperage is automatically varied. This can reduce the heat into the workpiece and help
you achieve a better weld, as well as reduce the heat-affected zone. Pulsing
automatically produces a stacked dimes look or a rippled wave pattern in the weld.

TIG Welding Basics

Now, let's get ready to weld. The TIG
process is not unlike welding with an
oxy-acetylene torch. You hold the torch
in one hand and feed a filler rod with the
other. An auto-darkening welding
hood makes starting the weld more
accurate. For years I welded with a
simple dark fixed-shade helmet. It must
have taken me seven or eight seconds
to adapt to the auto-darkening hood.
A common available filler rod for welding
aluminum is the 4043 alloy. If you are
trying to color match welds on parts to These are the internal parts of the electric
be anodized, use 5356, which will torch. The collet holder holds the collet on
match better than most others. Use a one end and a ceramic cup on the other.
filler material guide to better match the The collet holds and clamps the tungsten in
base material to the filler material. position. The holes in the collet holder allow
When TIG welding steel, use a filler the gas to flow around the tungsten to
material with a thin copper coating to prevent contamination of the weld.
inhibit rusting, similar to the filler rod
used in oxy-acetylene welding. I've been
told by welding professionals that the
copper coating is not detrimental to the welds even on chrome-moly. However, a non-
coated filler rod is available and must be kept rust free.

Getting started
To start, gather up some clean metal scraps. You should have a metal top table or at
least a metal plate clamped firmly to the table. Pull up a stool. Place the foot pedal
within easy reach once you are seated. It is important to wear the proper protective
welding gear, such as a long-sleeved shirt or coveralls, a welding helmet, and leather
gloves and shoes — even when TIG welding.

Set the welder to the correct polarity for the base material type — AC for aluminum or
DC for steels. Select the appropriate welding rod. Make sure the gas bottle is turned
on. I set the regulator at about 20 cubic feet per hour (cfh). Check that the tungsten
has the correct point for the metal you are welding. It should stick out of the cup by
about 1/8 inch. Hold the torch up, away from your body, and depress and release the
foot pedal. You should hear the gas flow. If not, then find out why. Did you turn on both
the welder and the bottle?
 A ceramic cup
shrouds the
tungsten
electrode
directing the
gas flow.
These cups
come in
several sizes
for different
welding
applications.

TIG tips and tricks

TIG Welding Tips and Techniques

You are ready to weld. Let me explain a few TIG pitfalls to make your learning process
easier. The tungsten should never touch the workpiece. When it does, you will notice a
different sound and color, which means the tungsten is contaminated. Loosen the back
cap and slip the tungsten (it is hot) out. Go to the grinder, preferably one with a wheel
dedicated to tungsten, and clean the end of the tungsten. Reshape the end as
necessary. You will dip the tungsten many times as you learn, but with more practice
you'll be steadier and it will happen less.
 This is the tungsten
electrode. It has been
ground to a ball shape
on one end and a point
on the other. Each
shape has its
application. The
tungsten is considered
a consumable item and
will be used up over
time.

Back at the welding table, get some practice. Use different heats and different feeds of
the rod on your scraps.
This article won't make you a proficient TIG welder, but it should give you a good
understanding of how a TIG welder works and why you might need one. A good machine
has the capacity to weld up to 1/4-inch aluminum and 3/8-inch steel or stainless steel.

This is a very nice tool if you do a Just the thing for race-car welders!
lot of TIG welding. Its a hand-held This is a foot control for the
unit that automatically grinds amperage control of the Miller TIG
tungsten to a point. machine. 
 
 
 
Part of a weld joint has been
completed. Too much heat directed
to the thin edge has burned a hole
in the metal of this .035-in. steel
tube. With the foot amperage
control, the heat can be controlled
enough to repair this flaw. With a
bit of practice, this won't happen
again.
The TIG welder in action. The rod is
being fed with one hand while the
other guides the torch. A
comfortable position here means a
lot to weld quality.
Preparing to start a weld: the torch
with the tungsten in place. The
welding rod is ready to be added.
With an auto-darkening helmet,
everything can be positioned
without having to shake your head
to flip the hood down.
This is the type of weld joint you
should avoid. All these tubes
converged at one point and were
tack welded into place. It is
virtually impossible to reach the
inside edges of the tubes. The part
should have been welded in
sections that were stacked so that
the last welds were properly
positioned for welding.
 Here the welder is using the soft A finished weld? No. This joint has
stop technique. He finished the been welded as much on the
weld and slowly reduced the bottom as on the top. It is
amperage. The gas flow remains on advantageous to weld a joint from
for a few seconds to prevent weld side to side to control warpage.
contamination. This technique is Turn the workpiece as necessary.
reversed when beginning a weld by
slowly bringing the heat up. All of
this prevents thermal shock, which
you must prevent on chrome-moly
steels.

 
Originally written in 2007 by Sleepy Gomez, publisher and technical director, Oval Trak
Digest.com. Parts of this article have been updated in 2018. 

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