Is a TIG welder the same as a stick welder?

Gonzo get to know Ron Hackney as well as you can,he is a welding god!I think he is still there almost all of my welding sucess is due to him.And,take a machine skills cl*** it makes a lot of sense for a welder to be able to run a lathe.sorrry to adhock hijack your thread

 

Only someone who can't MIG weld or has never used a good one would say that, welding header flanges for instance there's no contest.

It's called an oxy acetylene torch, they sell blue lenses so you can see what you're doing and you use the material you're welding rather than a rod for filler if you don't want it to be a different color.

 

eastwood sells them and thy are mush more then a acetylene torch. And you use a filler rod. And blue or green or gold makes no difference. Thy look like pistol grip torch and use yery little gas

 

I very much doubt you've ever tried blue lenses for aluminium or seen how unsightly different colored filler can look and simply took exception to my comments. I've used Henrob torches or whatever Eastwood calls them and yes they do work well with low pressures which is important for aluminium. The worst welders seem to get best results with them but others don't have any problem with an ordinary torch. They were invented in Australia and have been around in this part of the world forever.

 

Only someone who can't MIG weld or has never used a good one would say that, welding header flanges for instance there's no contest.

Really? Never had a problem with that. Feel free to use whatever you like best. Just remember though before migs we still did all this stuff just fine.

 

I use an orange lens to torch weld Aluminum,and a gold shade 11 for tig welding.A Mig welder is by far the most all a round useful welding system, i n my opinion.You can weld steel, aluminum, stainless, bronze,& hard wire.It has a good learning curve and is,if done properly,high quality

 

like said before, baby steps, the least you can do is get a book on different welders and or technique, find a friend with a welder and maybe theyll let you practice with theirs, or better yet let you watch them and give you pointers and direction. hobart also makes nice welders that are resonably priced for a beginer

 

I'm new on this forum, and a welder by trade. I am now retired but still welding always something to fix or build. The Lincoln model (SP-125 PLUS), (SP-135 PLUS) or the newer models like the (170-C) or (180-C) are the best machines you can find bar none they can handle from 20 gage to 1/4" with no problem these are professional quality machines, anywhere from $300.00 used for the sp-125 Plus and the sp-135 Plus- machines they were made some 8 or more years ago the models ending with the letter "C" have replaced them new for around $800.00.

Stay away from Home Depot or Lowes Lincoln machines the will not hold a candle to the SP-Plus machines these or the newer -C line machines and yes these are all Pro. machines and 115 volt units.

The mother boards on the new ones are mounted on the front under the plastic cover break a Knob and your looking at a $200.00 bill just for the new part as they are intergrated with the mother board. The older modles are easer and cheaper to maintain. The mother boards are under the top of the metal box and the knobs are seperate under the front plate go figure and they last many years. These machines can also be used as Tig welders just open the door and wire the whip in, under 5 min your ready to Tig weld. You can weld with flux core outside use gas and you have to put up wind shields. Tig welding uses High intensity pinpoint heat and hardly no sparks and no distorting of the metal you can weld in a tux. Mig will distort as will stick welding. School will get you the basics, Videos will show you more as far as technique the rest is practice and Knoweldge. I am certified on light gage with a mig, light gage with a stick, and 1/2" plate unlimited with a stick, I als do many other types of welding just didnt need the certs. I hope you enjoy welding in the future. and if you learn under water welding later that pays the best other than having your own shop. Stick welding is the easiest of all if you are welding only somewhat hever metal and use the FleetWeld rods or as they are termed Drag rods, once you strike them as a match they will cup at the end and that gives you the drag point.