i building my own header for a car out of 304ss (wall thickness is approx
3/32"). my 1st few attempts to tak pieces together were not easy. i would
start tig on low (via pedal) but when the edges got hot enough to melt they
would melt away from each other. the at one point i tried to tack with a
quick high current, and that seemd to work better.

is tacking cold tubes suppose to be done without getting the spot hot slowly
with a low rising current? do i just blast a tack fast with high current?
i'm using 100% argon with typical flow.

any thoughts on this?

thanks

In article
9l3vh.477654$Fi1.349113@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>,
"Kryptoknight" <kryptoknight@att.net> wrote:

i building my own header for a car out of 304ss (wall thickness is approx
3/32"). my 1st few attempts to tak pieces together were not easy. i would
start tig on low (via pedal) but when the edges got hot enough to melt
they
would melt away from each other. the at one point i tried to tack with a
quick high current, and that seemd to work better.

is tacking cold tubes suppose to be done without getting the spot hot
slowly
with a low rising current? do i just blast a tack fast with high current?
i'm using 100% argon with typical flow.

any thoughts on this?

thanks

The best tacking technique is to bring up the heat slowly with the
filler rod in between the tungsten and the base metal.

Melt the end of the filer rod into a little ball and try to place the
ball right in the joint so it touches both pieces.
Then heat the ball directly until it flows out to both pieces.

"Ernie Leimkuhler" <stagesmith@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:stagesmith-A296E1.11151428012007@news.west.earthlink.net...
In article
9l3vh.477654$Fi1.349113@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>,
"Kryptoknight" <kryptoknight@att.net> wrote:

i building my own header for a car out of 304ss (wall thickness is
approx
3/32"). my 1st few attempts to tak pieces together were not easy. i
would
start tig on low (via pedal) but when the edges got hot enough to melt
they
would melt away from each other. the at one point i tried to tack with a
quick high current, and that seemd to work better.

is tacking cold tubes suppose to be done without getting the spot hot
slowly
with a low rising current? do i just blast a tack fast with high
current?
i'm using 100% argon with typical flow.

any thoughts on this?

thanks

The best tacking technique is to bring up the heat slowly with the
filler rod in between the tungsten and the base metal.

Melt the end of the filer rod into a little ball and try to place the
ball right in the joint so it touches both pieces.
Then heat the ball directly until it flows out to both pieces.

I know this is easier said than done but extra time spent on fit up to
minimize gap goes a long way.
Dixon

how does one hold pieces in place tightly while holding torch in one
hand and filler in the other?


Duct tape ? Seriously , screw type hose clamps and some tie wire might work

how does one hold pieces in place tightly while holding torch in one hand
and filler in the other?

"Dixon" <dixon263@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:OoednS7YPpF2ZSHYnZ2dnUVZ_riknZ2d@comcast.com...

"Ernie Leimkuhler" <stagesmith@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:stagesmith-A296E1.11151428012007@news.west.earthlink.net...
In article
9l3vh.477654$Fi1.349113@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>,
"Kryptoknight" <kryptoknight@att.net> wrote:

i building my own header for a car out of 304ss (wall thickness is
approx
3/32"). my 1st few attempts to tak pieces together were not easy. i
would
start tig on low (via pedal) but when the edges got hot enough to melt
they
would melt away from each other. the at one point i tried to tack with a
quick high current, and that seemd to work better.

is tacking cold tubes suppose to be done without getting the spot hot
slowly
with a low rising current? do i just blast a tack fast with high
current?
i'm using 100% argon with typical flow.

any thoughts on this?

thanks

The best tacking technique is to bring up the heat slowly with the
filler rod in between the tungsten and the base metal.

Melt the end of the filer rod into a little ball and try to place the
ball right in the joint so it touches both pieces.
Then heat the ball directly until it flows out to both pieces.

I know this is easier said than done but extra time spent on fit up to
minimize gap goes a long way.
Dixon

how does one hold pieces in place tightly while holding torch in one hand
and filler in the other?

"Dixon" <dixon263@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:OoednS7YPpF2ZSHYnZ2dnUVZ_riknZ2d@comcast.com...

"Ernie Leimkuhler" <stagesmith@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:stagesmith-A296E1.11151428012007@news.west.earthlink.net...
In article
9l3vh.477654$Fi1.349113@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>,
"Kryptoknight" <kryptoknight@att.net> wrote:

i building my own header for a car out of 304ss (wall thickness is
approx
3/32"). my 1st few attempts to tak pieces together were not easy. i
would
start tig on low (via pedal) but when the edges got hot enough to melt
they
would melt away from each other. the at one point i tried to tack with a
quick high current, and that seemd to work better.

is tacking cold tubes suppose to be done without getting the spot hot
slowly
with a low rising current? do i just blast a tack fast with high
current?
i'm using 100% argon with typical flow.

any thoughts on this?

thanks

The best tacking technique is to bring up the heat slowly with the
filler rod in between the tungsten and the base metal.

Melt the end of the filer rod into a little ball and try to place the
ball right in the joint so it touches both pieces.
Then heat the ball directly until it flows out to both pieces.

I know this is easier said than done but extra time spent on fit up to
minimize gap goes a long way.
Dixon

how does one hold pieces in place tightly while holding torch in one hand
and filler in the other?

....between your knees of course!

You've gotten a couple good suggestions already, first, spend time to
get joint fitup without a gap, second, get a dab of wire in there to
bridge the gap.

One more thing to try, rather than slowly heating the joint, try a
quick zap of high current to make your tack weld.
If the two pieces are actually touching each other, this technique
allows both sides of the joint to melt, and wet together, into a tack
weld, without adding filler, and without burn though.
By using the other, slow heating approach, the melt on each side of
the joint want to "ball up" and melt back away from the edge, because
of surface tension, so filler has to be added to bring the separate
melts together.
I have used this "zap" technique to join the butted ends of 0.035"
stainless wire together, and to tack almost any very thin materials.
To do this zap tack:
Set the current to 100 amps or more, depending on the material
thickness.
Position the tip of the sharped tungsten very close to the joint,
maybe 0.030", no more than 0.060 gap, rest the ceramic gas nozzle on
weld joint to steady the torch, point the tungsten equally at both
sides of the joint unless one side is thicker, then bias the aim more
to the thicker part.
When you're all set, give the foot pedal a quick tap to full throttle
and then off.
You don't need to watch the weld, besides it's too quick probably,
just block the arc with your free hand (with glove), or turn your head
and close your eyes.

how does one hold pieces in place tightly while holding torch in one hand
and filler in the other?

You've gotten a couple good suggestions already, first, spend time to
get joint fitup without a gap, second, get a dab of wire in there to
bridge the gap.

One more thing to try, rather than slowly heating the joint, try a
quick zap of high current to make your tack weld.
If the two pieces are actually touching each other, this technique
allows both sides of the joint to melt, and wet together, into a tack
weld, without adding filler, and without burn though.
By using the other, slow heating approach, the melt on each side of
the joint want to "ball up" and melt back away from the edge, because
of surface tension, so filler has to be added to bring the separate
melts together.
I have used this "zap" technique to join the butted ends of 0.035"
stainless wire together, and to tack almost any very thin materials.
To do this zap tack:
Set the current to 100 amps or more, depending on the material
thickness.
Position the tip of the sharped tungsten very close to the joint,
maybe 0.030", no more than 0.060 gap, rest the ceramic gas nozzle on
weld joint to steady the torch, point the tungsten equally at both
sides of the joint unless one side is thicker, then bias the aim more
to the thicker part.
When you're all set, give the foot pedal a quick tap to full throttle
and then off.
You don't need to watch the weld, besides it's too quick probably,
just block the arc with your free hand (with glove), or turn your head
and close your eyes.