The Fabrication Series if only I had that code last week. Jumped on their tig starter pack right when they posted them. Just got my first tig machine last week after watching a TON of your videos.
Just tried your 5 weld drills using the 1/16th coupons from weldmetals. Could not get an autogenous tacks nor could I get a decent weld; everyone of them went through the coupons and made a mess of the top weld and backside. zzz Definitely need to practice practice practice
Try to set up descent for 2 seconds, set up 140 amps and press trigger like pulse during welding more at the begining less at the end this is my technic also for stainlesssteel more amps and look for streight edge of puddle
As a nuclear tig welder working on submarines, we work in pairs, one man acting as the welder and one man is the 'button man', and we say 'on please, off please' when we want to arc up, this gives us the ability to concentrate completely on the job at hand and hold the torch any way we like without worrying about using the button, its also extremely helpful when needing to use a mirror. Just thought id share this 👍
@@LilFish0 because it was on submarines and most of the welds are restricted a mirror is used I'd say 1/4 of the time, I do everything I can not to use a mirror to increase chance of passing xray, the standard is ridiculous on subs so even a pore as small as 0.2 mm can result in a cutout
@@inhardwarewetrust3057 welding in a mirror is hard. And yeah I can only imagine the weld restrictions on submarines, it’s probably a pain, but props to those who take on those welds.
Hey guys we’ve been tig welding with out foot pedals in Australia for years!!! Good to see you Americans have finally come around..... I learnt to weld with a foot pedal it much easier with a trigger....👍👍😁😁
Always ran with a thumb wheel. Learned on it, and used it for years. I've never understood any benefit of a foot pedal or a switch. Everything is right there at your thumb.
Learned on foot pedal and I love it. People say it slows you down and can't be used unless sitting but i have no problems keeping up and even working the pedal with my knees if i have to weld on the floor. I can lift arc too and am pretty good at that. But fuck thumb wheels, too much extra stuff to do with my hand for my brain to register. Like patting your head and rubbing your tummy.
Although I’ve only had my R-Tech 170 Digital TIG for a week, I am learning soooo much from these videos and the way you explain things (as our mindset is definitely the same)! The first 2 days after it was delivered, I just looked at it thinking ‘what the hell have I done!?’ ‘Why don’t I return it and get a nice new MIG instead and stick to what I know?’... But now - and thanks to countless videos of yours - and practice, practice, practice, I love being part of this TIG world! Justin, I thank you!!! Roll on tomorrow morning, when I can practice, practice, practice some more! :-)
Would love to see your take on if you can use 4T to have a higher start amps then settle on a lower consistent setting the drop off lower again at the end to prevent blowing out, great content love seing options for less than ideal situations 👍
Id have to guess at least 80-90% of us down here in Australia use the button, I don’t know many people at all that use a foot pedal.. pretty sure majority of the welders we buy down here also only come with tig torches that have the button
I'm in the US and work in a fab shop. We have one pedal in the shop but all of our machines have button triggers. A pedal is just impractical when your moving around or standing on a stool or ladder! I've TiG welded for years with nothing but a trigger button and I actually prefer a button now!
Blakkbiird iv never tried a foot pedal, for that same reason it’s not practical if your always moving around climbing ect..I would like to give it a go though just to see how much more difficult/easier it is compared to the button..
James Swanson if I do a long run and I’m comfortable I’ll use 4t, but I do like 2t cause I can feather the down sloap if I’m a bit hot (sort of like pulse but using the button) without having to restart the arc
@@JSC-c a foot pedal is great if your working at a bench and doing tedious stuff. its also nice because you can slope off the amps at the end of your run so you dont crater!
Thanks for posting this up. I have REALLY struggled to learn TIG as a beginner. Years of MIG welding have given me a lot of counter productive bad habits. This at least gives me a "Process" to work on before I try to weld something that it will matter on. Thanks again!
I went and did a weld test with the boilermakers union and they had scratch start, I've never used one and it seemed like it went against everything I knew about tig welding, heat control and most importantly tungsten contamination... It was a 2" heavy wall coupon, tig root, 7018 fill. I had a LOT of "figuring out" in a short time. I ended up passing with flying colors to the point that the hall tossed their "example coupon" and put mine in its place. They sent me out on my very first job as a Forman 👍. This was my second card, now I'm medically retired Iron worker/boilermaker. I wish I could recover and get back at it. Loved my job.
I'm really glad to see you do a video off the pedal. Nobody uses a pedal in the field. I hope you will do a stainless steel no pedal video for tubing and plate soon
Years back when I was welding and the shop manager involved very intricate and detailed welding. My welding test for new applicant's was to weld Two sheets of aluminum foil back together.. 😬👏 When they said that's impossible, I showed them how. 😁 Only met Three other people who were able to do it besides me. 😳 Would love to challenge you and see it done again. 👍👍👍
when i was at college,many years ago, our welding instructor's party trick was to fold 2 milk bottle tops in half,and weld them back together down the middle
C'mon it's not a test. I know how, and it's kinda cheating ;) For any on one who doesn't know. You take two thick polished plates of mild steel or stainless (the thicker the better), put two squares of aluminum foil between them, so only quarter inch of aluminum foil is outside. (Plate - Foil - Foil - Plate) Put in wises and just melt the foil.
If you ever weld out of position or in tight spaces you can’t beat it. I weld on my back and side a lot so a trigger gets used 60% of the time. Just don’t buy a cheap one, they break pretty quick
I approve a lot of what you said, nonetheless I would like to leave a few words of mine about the topic. Towards my background, professional with TIGer, sheet metals 0.8 -3 mm (0.0315 - 0.11 inch) mostly stainless, but also aluminium and copper. We use torches with integrated switches, 2 of them, one for switching modes, the second to start or end the arc. As you probably already realized, this presupposes a digital welding machine... Our Machines cost about 10k per piece, due to them being top notch digital welding machines, you can define 2-4Stroke, HF or Arc, Startingpower, Endpower, Postgas duration etc and save them so you can simply reload your settings later. But if you don't have a digital welder, a foot pedal gives you the ability to modulate your arc and you need that to start/end your arc or lower your heat midwelding. There lies the weakness of digital/switch Welders, you can't adjust amperage midweld, so you have to adjust your speed instead. Absolutely possible, but as mentioned it needs a bit of training to adjust. All in all there isn't a good or bad welding setup in my opinion, just different ways to do things that have to suit to the needs of the user. Still I wouldn't use switches without digital welding machines. ^^
Hey Justin: Tjanks for the instruction! This is the situation that boat builders run into. When you are lying on your side or back in the bowels of a boat structure, foot pedals just won't work. In these conditions, a torch switch may be your only option.
If you ain't skeered of a little wiring you can and I did add a potentiometer of the same spec (I forget the rating as I did it about ten years back) as that in my ESAB TIG pedal inside the pedal housing and a SPDT toggle switch. That turns the TIG pedal into an adjustable remote amperage control. Tack weld ~1 inch long pieces of tubing to the housing to protect the pot and the toggle. That avoids buying an expensive remote which may not be available for some machines. Guitar pots are reliable and cheap. (Do some reading on whatever musicians currently use as they are very hard on their equipment.)
Whenever I have to do multiple welds on a relatively small piece, I preheat the piece and start at a lower amperage. This creates great uniformity and repeatability from weld to weld.
Great video Justin! I'm an avid watch and a big fan. Would suggest you make a video that's focused on heat and the effects of heat. To your credit, you're always bringing up heat management but this is such an important factor that I think it deserves its own video. Beginners can get really thrown off by poor heat management and not even understand what's happening. That would be my suggestion. Keep up the terrific content!
I watch your videos along with others, I have used the things many have shown! What I havent seen, is what I do on most fab projects. When i have to replumb a tanker trailer, or truck. I have to blow it down and mock up piping. I tack up the piping with a push/ pull mig pulse miller machine. Even though i grind back the tacks, clean everything with a new brush, I still get the pepper in the puddle near the tacks.
Don't forget 4T setting. You can have 2 levels at your fingertip. But honestly, the tig button from 6061 is just fantastic. It took less than 3 or 4 hours to get used to it. I may never use a pedal again.
Depending on the machine but alot of machines use downslope these days or have I can weld pretty much as good as a footpedal with about 1 to 3 seconds of downslope dialed in and you just pulse the switch. I used a footpedal once or twice in 20 years of welding and hated the things unless your at a bench welding they are hopeless.
I agree with all these comments. I don't have foot pedal. My boat builder mate doesn't either. Everything by trigger. Up slop and down slope is where it is at. Americans never talk about this.
I've only used pedal and I use them everywhere not just on a bench done it upside down 5ft in the air inside an HVAC unit balancing the pedal in my foot and the top of the frames roof still layed down good welds you have way way more control with pedal
Here in Denmark (prob same in EU) we learn to weld with continous amps and i was amazed to even see a footcontroller for the first time. but to be fair its only a "problem" when welding aluminium.
I always looked at tig like gas welding, and I grew up with gas. With gas, you have a few tip sizes to choose from and you can adjust your flame a bit. Your travel speed changes as you weld. Tig is the same way without a pedal. The stuff I weld on doesn't really allow a foot pedal, so "no pedal tig" makes me right at home.
I personally use the Steady Grip from CK. Im in a wheelchair and can't use my legs/feet. I can only use a finger controller for welding. For the past 2 years of self taught welding, im finally starting to make some ground up.
@@tomwagemans1872 I've contacted him about one for my machine, but sadly his button isn't compatible with mine. Which is a real bummer. His looks super comfy.
@@quartfeira funny, I JUST got the Tig Button for Christmas from my lovely wife. I'm going to try to use it this weekend, depending on if I clean the garage like I said I would haha
@@jensonhartmann3630 lol that's awesome man... your wife must be an amazing woman understanding such a deep and peculiar male need 😊👍🏻, you're lucky! I wonder hom much time you'll need to really connect the button with the brain without processing everything, it doesn't really look so straightforward to me! I'd love to try it out one day. I'm rooting for you man, go and enjoy it!
If you use the switch in 4 strokes, with most machines you can set a start current, a main current, a secondary current and an ending current: it's not as accurate as a foot pedal, but if you work on the field it's more confortable. Not to mention that if you have a machine in with you can set and save jobs and switch between it with a dedicated button on your torch, you can litterally emulate the foot pedal, without using it
Being that pretty much all the tig welding ive done is steel or stainless im use to a scratch start set up. when i was at Tafe (welding school) we had torches with thumb wheel variable control, and I found them so much easier to use than the foot control i used the following year.
I'm building my 2003 S10. I just recently heard about these switches. My welder is a Matco with both the 110 and 220 adapters. I'm definitely looking forward to trying out the switch.
Thank you for the tips on TIG welding with a switch. A few months ago, I bought an old Miller 330A/BP that has a switch and a foot pedal. It works but needs some TLC to get operational. It already has the switch wired into the torch; not knowing how to TIG (yet), I wasn't sure which option would be the best to use. Having watched this video, I now realize depending what I'm trying to do (welding overhead, out of position, on the table, etc.) will be the best way to figure out which control method will work best. Time=heat is a pointer I hadn't heard before and will not forget.
I would have it on 4T with a hot start and cool finish. Initiate the arc and hold the trigger for a hot start, say 125 Release the trigger for your base amperage, say 100 Press again for cool amperage, say 60, good for crater fill Release to terminate arc The thing i don't like about the pedal is welding while standing one leg.
This was AMAZINGLY informative -- I'm still just looking at all the videos I can *before* buying a TIG welder and this really locks in the *CONTINUUM* of choices and how they affect things (the "if there's more of this factor, then you want less of that factor"). Really starting to feel like I'm getting some understanding of the process. THANKS for ALL your vids!
I've been using the Miller rotary switch for years. it's the only way to crawl around and repair aluminum boats. I don't think I could go back to a foot petal at this point.
This is how I was taught to TIG, the college didn't have a single peddle in the place 🤣 but just about to get my own basic kit, and one of the first things I am going to get is a peddle lol
Thanks for this great info, I am new at tig just bought myself a machine not new at welding but new at tig, and I love a challenge to do better,and your videos have helped me out alot, thanks!!🤘
Thank you for the advice. My welder has an option for variable amp pedal, but I'm cheap and decided to forego purchasing it at first. I'll probably end up buying it, as having that control seems very handy, especially in the real world where metals aren't as consistent as practice coupons. Since I'm just learning though, I think I can learn to grasp the basics like this, it'll probably be good to strengthen my understanding of how the process works. Time to burn some coupons :D
if you have slope up or down you can control the heat with a button,throttling on and off to control the heat,useful for site work where a footpedal would be impractical
Definitely find myself pulling out more bells and whistles on my machine(pulse, high/low%, frequency) when using the switch. It is great for out of position stuff where you can't stay planted on a pedal
As someone who picked up a TIG for the first time ever using a trigger control, it really isn't advised for beginners. Getting a pedal changed everything for me.
Thanks Justin, good info, especially where you're happy at a certain speed, and you slightly increase Amps to get better penetration, whthout changing anything else.
In 4T, can't the amps be adjusted by tapping the switch? This is from the Everlast manual: "In 4T mode, if the puddle becomes too hot, it can be cooled by lightly tapping the switch to begin downslope and tapping again to restart upslope before the end current is reached. Setting a long downslope helps improve heat control in 4T as the torch switch is cycled between downslope and upslope before the arc is terminated"
Hello Justin! Im Andrew, thanks for sharing this awesome video. It really is.I very much appreciate all of you informative videos, especially for Tig welding procedures .
Still working on the skill of watching the puddle and adjusting. Unfortunately I also do alot of welding that needs to just get it done. Cleaning is not always a choice also. I still use the peddle for Tig though.
No mention of pulse settings on a machine here, seems to be a good place to cover it and show how it could be used with a hand switch. Totally agree about the practice element though, no substitution for time with rods!
Switch is all i've ever used. Foot pedal wouldn't work for my line of fabrication as it's mostly in-position welds on stainless. The one big advantage that I can see from using the pedal is that gripping the torch is much easier in awkward positions as you don't have to reach and press a switch with your finger or thumb.
Same here, restoring cars so a pedal is impossible to use (standing, kneeling or laying), but with a good torch that control the machine and not just an on/off switch it makes it easier, a flex head is a great help also.
Same here up until the very latest welder I never had a foot pedal,the new machine came with one tried it and put it away as after nearly forty years I cannot get on with it, I do like the multiple click switc systems on some machines though where you program several settings and click through them on the button.
It's funny hearing it from the other side. It seems like it's the same comments just flipped. I want to try the tig button since you can vary your amps like a foot pedal without moving your thumb or fingers all around.
@@brandyquad my one experience of using a pedal had me pressing the pedal almost as a knee jerk reaction to nodding my shield down, meaning I got a lovely flash of the welder every time :)
@@adrianco1978 haha it's funny how that works. I never push my foot down until the hood is down. It's just muscle memory at this point. I have used the pedal is some awkward ass positions amd flashed myself because I pressed on accident. That sucks. I hate getting flashed
Enjoyed that video. So true practice practice practice. Get the feel. Going to win the 80 million this Thursday and first I’m buying is a AC tig welder 👨🏭.
Great informative video right up my street. I use a mig with a 4 metre (12 foot) torch to get around my bench. There are some welds I would like to try using a tig machine but a pedal is out of the question. Thanks from UK 🇬🇧
Hi Justine l am also from Aust, we are so far behind the rest of the world with our domestic welding machines still donot have pedals on the magority just scratch start. problem if you buy U.S made warrenty is an issue, we will just have to like everyone says practise more love your channel.
There is a technique when you can adjust you amperage on the fly using switch on torch. You need to configure your up-slope and down-slope for longer time and kinda surf between them, put in 4T. It's not really convenient, but in some cases can help. For example welding stainless thin tubing.
Your on to it Justin Practice,practice,practice I’m a new bunny 🐰 at welding and I have the small Miller trig machine I don’t have the foot pedal,but I like the switch method you have which is more constant ✅ Great 👍 videos Justin Thanks Frank
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All your videos are great, helpful, understandable and even medium to good visibility. One question I have is don't they sell a better/adjustable trigger? 2nd question is, won't you please do some videos on older style machines, transformer style, 1997 old toy's? HELP PLEASE. And as always thanks for the videos.
Learning Tig is like golf. You get one or two nice shots and the rest is crap, lost balls = dipped tungsten (I dip a lot) Will be visiting soon for a class before I have too many bad habits.
I would like to see some steel Tig how to action on smaller parts or pieces and such. Love how he teaches, everyone related different but he's my style wish I lived closer to hit up his classes
@@SessoDeluca was welding some landing gear on a air plane. In the gravel cover. A switch would of been really nice. But got it, with a foot pedal, using elbows and knees.
I don’t get why people hate on switches so much, I use a switch 50-60% of the time. If you can dial settings or are stuck in a tight spot you can’t beat it. Especially when I have to lay down and weld above head.
I like both for different purposes. When I'm out of position and can't use my foot all that well, the switch is amazing. If I can use a foot pedal I'll use the pedal.
No need for a footpedal what so ever unless welding aluminium, so you can get plenty of heat into the weld at the beginning to get it flowing, then back off once you're moving.
I suppose that time/amp variation would be valid if you had to go over or close to the same weld area a number of times but normally you'd just do a single run at whatever setting you felt like and that's it. I would agree that a small piece of ally would significantly heat up at the end of the run and require different amp settings for another run close by, but a job with more surface area and a single run probably would draw the heat and be cold for the next run area.....good to know the characteristics though Why not preheat the work piece so that it's hot and you don't need to adjust the amps at all?.
Very helpful video. Would you consider doing a video where the slope up and down is set to 2-3 seconds and you trigger the switch on and off to control the heat.
When I use my torch switch I just flip the pulse switch on and set the max and min amps and pulse time to what works for me and go for it. I know it may be cheating but I didn't see anything in the rule book that said I couldn't.
What cheating that would be? Here in Finland I know personally roughly about 20 skilled TIG-welding guys, most working with tubing, but many other applications too. Not a single one of them uses pedal. Heck if I'd like to get one for my TIG at work, I wouldn't even know where I could buy one for 100% certainty. I have quite good ideas who might be able to supply me one, but nah. I couldn't care less. For instance on my working Fronius I just change everything from the machine and I can do power changes also from secondary switches with 1A increments. Can even do it on fly when using 4T-mode. Obviously not as quickly as pedal could allow it. But why on earth would you have to change amps so drastically? Unless your general settings would be absolute sh*t?
I would like to see any of you guys do a video on welding aluminum fuel piping, like I have to, with multiple pieces tacked up in different directions. 2",3", or 4". Most of my couplings are sch80 aluminum pipe to say 16th".
I use the switch 98% of the time at home and scratch start at work 100% of the time with an ideal arc 250 on stainless pipe. The pedal is fine for small alum projects, band saw blades, and other pocket sized projects you do sitting on your butt. However standing at the top of a 10' ladder to weld a joint in a 4" stainless pipe like I did yesterday. or just moving around the table a lot to weld on a larger part. I have no use for a pedal.
Thanks for the valuable information! I just got my first TIG welder...of course, it has a switch (couldn't find one that has a pedal in my price range). I feel much better about the chances of being able to do a good job with it until I can afford a machine that has more "bells and whistles."
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The Fabrication Series if only I had that code last week. Jumped on their tig starter pack right when they posted them. Just got my first tig machine last week after watching a TON of your videos.
Just tried your 5 weld drills using the 1/16th coupons from weldmetals. Could not get an autogenous tacks nor could I get a decent weld; everyone of them went through the coupons and made a mess of the top weld and backside.
zzz Definitely need to practice practice practice
@@andrewsturgess2033 Its all practice 👍
Have you tried one of those pressure sensitive buttons that youtuber 6160 was promoting?
Try to set up descent for 2 seconds, set up 140 amps and press trigger like pulse during welding more at the begining less at the end this is my technic also for stainlesssteel more amps and look for streight edge of puddle
As a nuclear tig welder working on submarines, we work in pairs, one man acting as the welder and one man is the 'button man', and we say 'on please, off please' when we want to arc up, this gives us the ability to concentrate completely on the job at hand and hold the torch any way we like without worrying about using the button, its also extremely helpful when needing to use a mirror. Just thought id share this 👍
Thats really interesting, what a great thing i learnt today, cheers for the info
Mirror?
@@LilFish0 because it was on submarines and most of the welds are restricted a mirror is used I'd say 1/4 of the time, I do everything I can not to use a mirror to increase chance of passing xray, the standard is ridiculous on subs so even a pore as small as 0.2 mm can result in a cutout
@@inhardwarewetrust3057 welding in a mirror is hard. And yeah I can only imagine the weld restrictions on submarines, it’s probably a pain, but props to those who take on those welds.
@@Only_Cans_101 f
Hey guys we’ve been tig welding with out foot pedals in Australia for years!!! Good to see you Americans have finally come around..... I learnt to weld with a foot pedal it much easier with a trigger....👍👍😁😁
Always ran with a thumb wheel. Learned on it, and used it for years. I've never understood any benefit of a foot pedal or a switch. Everything is right there at your thumb.
You can even DIY it with guitar potentiometers
I've used both. But my legs shake like a crack head so I'd rather just use my thumbs lol.
The wheel control actually is a potentiometer, with the right value and connection on the machine it work
Learned on foot pedal and I love it. People say it slows you down and can't be used unless sitting but i have no problems keeping up and even working the pedal with my knees if i have to weld on the floor. I can lift arc too and am pretty good at that. But fuck thumb wheels, too much extra stuff to do with my hand for my brain to register. Like patting your head and rubbing your tummy.
Although I’ve only had my R-Tech 170 Digital TIG for a week, I am learning soooo much from these videos and the way you explain things (as our mindset is definitely the same)! The first 2 days after it was delivered, I just looked at it thinking ‘what the hell have I done!?’ ‘Why don’t I return it and get a nice new MIG instead and stick to what I know?’... But now - and thanks to countless videos of yours - and practice, practice, practice, I love being part of this TIG world! Justin, I thank you!!! Roll on tomorrow morning, when I can practice, practice, practice some more! :-)
Perfect timing! I've just bought a tig without a pedal, so this was just the video I needed! 👍😁
Good luck with this dudes vids
Would love to see your take on if you can use 4T to have a higher start amps then settle on a lower consistent setting the drop off lower again at the end to prevent blowing out, great content love seing options for less than ideal situations 👍
Id have to guess at least 80-90% of us down here in Australia use the button, I don’t know many people at all that use a foot pedal.. pretty sure majority of the welders we buy down here also only come with tig torches that have the button
I'm in the US and work in a fab shop. We have one pedal in the shop but all of our machines have button triggers. A pedal is just impractical when your moving around or standing on a stool or ladder! I've TiG welded for years with nothing but a trigger button and I actually prefer a button now!
Blakkbiird iv never tried a foot pedal, for that same reason it’s not practical if your always moving around climbing ect..I would like to give it a go though just to see how much more difficult/easier it is compared to the button..
Do you use the 4T mode or do you normally use the switch as on/off?
James Swanson if I do a long run and I’m comfortable I’ll use 4t, but I do like 2t cause I can feather the down sloap if I’m a bit hot (sort of like pulse but using the button) without having to restart the arc
@@JSC-c a foot pedal is great if your working at a bench and doing tedious stuff. its also nice because you can slope off the amps at the end of your run so you dont crater!
Thanks for posting this up. I have REALLY struggled to learn TIG as a beginner. Years of MIG welding have given me a lot of counter productive bad habits. This at least gives me a "Process" to work on before I try to weld something that it will matter on. Thanks again!
I have only MIG welded in the past but became paralyzed and lost my business. I want to learn to TIG weld and this has helped me, thank you.
You can reach a pretty high level of control just with a switch. Just choose your machine carefully
It still a joy to watch this knowledge.
I went and did a weld test with the boilermakers union and they had scratch start, I've never used one and it seemed like it went against everything I knew about tig welding, heat control and most importantly tungsten contamination... It was a 2" heavy wall coupon, tig root, 7018 fill. I had a LOT of "figuring out" in a short time. I ended up passing with flying colors to the point that the hall tossed their "example coupon" and put mine in its place. They sent me out on my very first job as a Forman 👍. This was my second card, now I'm medically retired Iron worker/boilermaker. I wish I could recover and get back at it. Loved my job.
I'm really glad to see you do a video off the pedal. Nobody uses a pedal in the field. I hope you will do a stainless steel no pedal video for tubing and plate soon
You’re welding super fast and its looking good man
Years back when I was welding and the shop manager involved very intricate and detailed welding.
My welding test for new applicant's was to weld Two sheets of aluminum foil back together.. 😬👏
When they said that's impossible, I showed them how. 😁
Only met Three other people who were able to do it besides me. 😳
Would love to challenge you and see it done again. 👍👍👍
I don't believe it
when i was at college,many years ago, our welding instructor's party trick was to fold 2 milk bottle tops in half,and weld them back together down the middle
There are tricks to doing it.
C'mon it's not a test. I know how, and it's kinda cheating ;) For any on one who doesn't know. You take two thick polished plates of mild steel or stainless (the thicker the better), put two squares of aluminum foil between them, so only quarter inch of aluminum foil is outside. (Plate - Foil - Foil - Plate) Put in wises and just melt the foil.
This Old Tony has had a switch on his tig for ages.
Defo something I want to try 👍🏻
If you ever weld out of position or in tight spaces you can’t beat it. I weld on my back and side a lot so a trigger gets used 60% of the time.
Just don’t buy a cheap one, they break pretty quick
I think Tony uses a pressure sensitive switch that varies the amperage. Not 100% sure.
Me too. Just setup ramp down time and amperage to use the trigger for a pulse type weld to keep it lower when needed
6061 definitely uses a pressure sensitive switch on his channel, I’d love to try one someday.
@@limitlessbuilds this is what I do also, works well!
I approve a lot of what you said, nonetheless I would like to leave a few words of mine about the topic.
Towards my background, professional with TIGer, sheet metals 0.8 -3 mm (0.0315 - 0.11 inch) mostly stainless, but also aluminium and copper.
We use torches with integrated switches, 2 of them, one for switching modes, the second to start or end the arc.
As you probably already realized, this presupposes a digital welding machine... Our Machines cost about 10k per piece, due to them being top notch digital welding machines, you can define 2-4Stroke, HF or Arc, Startingpower, Endpower, Postgas duration etc and save them so you can simply reload your settings later.
But if you don't have a digital welder, a foot pedal gives you the ability to modulate your arc and you need that to start/end your arc or lower your heat midwelding. There lies the weakness of digital/switch Welders, you can't adjust amperage midweld, so you have to adjust your speed instead. Absolutely possible, but as mentioned it needs a bit of training to adjust.
All in all there isn't a good or bad welding setup in my opinion, just different ways to do things that have to suit to the needs of the user. Still I wouldn't use switches without digital welding machines. ^^
Hey Justin: Tjanks for the instruction! This is the situation that boat builders run into. When you are lying on your side or back in the bowels of a boat structure, foot pedals just won't work. In these conditions, a torch switch may be your only option.
If you ain't skeered of a little wiring you can and I did add a potentiometer of the same spec (I forget the rating as I did it about ten years back) as that in my ESAB TIG pedal inside the pedal housing and a SPDT toggle switch. That turns the TIG pedal into an adjustable remote amperage control. Tack weld ~1 inch long pieces of tubing to the housing to protect the pot and the toggle. That avoids buying an expensive remote which may not be available for some machines. Guitar pots are reliable and cheap. (Do some reading on whatever musicians currently use as they are very hard on their equipment.)
Whenever I have to do multiple welds on a relatively small piece, I preheat the piece and start at a lower amperage. This creates great uniformity and repeatability from weld to weld.
This was very helpful since I only have a fixed current TIG. Thanks Justin.
Great videos straight to the point, facts and information spot on no unnecessary conversational drivelling done.
Great video Justin! I'm an avid watch and a big fan. Would suggest you make a video that's focused on heat and the effects of heat. To your credit, you're always bringing up heat management but this is such an important factor that I think it deserves its own video. Beginners can get really thrown off by poor heat management and not even understand what's happening. That would be my suggestion. Keep up the terrific content!
I watch your videos along with others, I have used the things many have shown! What I havent seen, is what I do on most fab projects. When i have to replumb a tanker trailer, or truck. I have to blow it down and mock up piping. I tack up the piping with a push/ pull mig pulse miller machine. Even though i grind back the tacks, clean everything with a new brush, I still get the pepper in the puddle near the tacks.
Don't forget 4T setting. You can have 2 levels at your fingertip. But honestly, the tig button from 6061 is just fantastic. It took less than 3 or 4 hours to get used to it. I may never use a pedal again.
Keep the good work up man I'm learning a lot from your videos
Depending on the machine but alot of machines use downslope these days or have I can weld pretty much as good as a footpedal with about 1 to 3 seconds of downslope dialed in and you just pulse the switch. I used a footpedal once or twice in 20 years of welding and hated the things unless your at a bench welding they are hopeless.
Yeah upslope and downslope are key to welding with a trigger
My words, exactly....
Foot pedals are for benchwork only.
Seems like most americans have never heard of this... here in scandinavia almost noone use a pedal.. try use ut on a paper mill etc.
I agree with all these comments. I don't have foot pedal. My boat builder mate doesn't either. Everything by trigger. Up slop and down slope is where it is at. Americans never talk about this.
I've only used pedal and I use them everywhere not just on a bench done it upside down 5ft in the air inside an HVAC unit balancing the pedal in my foot and the top of the frames roof still layed down good welds you have way way more control with pedal
Here in Denmark (prob same in EU) we learn to weld with continous amps and i was amazed to even see a footcontroller for the first time. but to be fair its only a "problem" when welding aluminium.
Here in Belgium it is the same. Just bought a foot pedal. Not easy but I think a can get the hang of it.
I always looked at tig like gas welding, and I grew up with gas.
With gas, you have a few tip sizes to choose from and you can adjust your flame a bit. Your travel speed changes as you weld.
Tig is the same way without a pedal. The stuff I weld on doesn't really allow a foot pedal, so "no pedal tig" makes me right at home.
I personally use the Steady Grip from CK. Im in a wheelchair and can't use my legs/feet. I can only use a finger controller for welding. For the past 2 years of self taught welding, im finally starting to make some ground up.
Maybe check 6160 here on YT. He sells a variable switch which seems to work. Sadly not cheap.
@@tomwagemans1872 I've contacted him about one for my machine, but sadly his button isn't compatible with mine. Which is a real bummer. His looks super comfy.
@@jensonhartmann3630 same. I've got a pretty expensive machine but I'm European and he didn't know the brand
@@quartfeira funny, I JUST got the Tig Button for Christmas from my lovely wife. I'm going to try to use it this weekend, depending on if I clean the garage like I said I would haha
@@jensonhartmann3630 lol that's awesome man... your wife must be an amazing woman understanding such a deep and peculiar male need 😊👍🏻, you're lucky! I wonder hom much time you'll need to really connect the button with the brain without processing everything, it doesn't really look so straightforward to me! I'd love to try it out one day. I'm rooting for you man, go and enjoy it!
At my last welding job, all the machines were set up for finger buttons. I learned how to use the pulse settings to my advantage for heat control.
If you use the switch in 4 strokes, with most machines you can set a start current, a main current, a secondary current and an ending current: it's not as accurate as a foot pedal, but if you work on the field it's more confortable.
Not to mention that if you have a machine in with you can set and save jobs and switch between it with a dedicated button on your torch, you can litterally emulate the foot pedal, without using it
Being that pretty much all the tig welding ive done is steel or stainless im use to a scratch start set up. when i was at Tafe (welding school) we had torches with thumb wheel variable control, and I found them so much easier to use than the foot control i used the following year.
I'm building my 2003 S10. I just recently heard about these switches. My welder is a Matco with both the 110 and 220 adapters. I'm definitely looking forward to trying out the switch.
Thank you for the tips on TIG welding with a switch. A few months ago, I bought an old Miller 330A/BP that has a switch and a foot pedal. It works but needs some TLC to get operational. It already has the switch wired into the torch; not knowing how to TIG (yet), I wasn't sure which option would be the best to use. Having watched this video, I now realize depending what I'm trying to do (welding overhead, out of position, on the table, etc.) will be the best way to figure out which control method will work best.
Time=heat is a pointer I hadn't heard before and will not forget.
I would have it on 4T with a hot start and cool finish.
Initiate the arc and hold the trigger for a hot start, say 125
Release the trigger for your base amperage, say 100
Press again for cool amperage, say 60, good for crater fill
Release to terminate arc
The thing i don't like about the pedal is welding while standing one leg.
This was AMAZINGLY informative -- I'm still just looking at all the videos I can *before* buying a TIG welder and this really locks in the *CONTINUUM* of choices and how they affect things (the "if there's more of this factor, then you want less of that factor"). Really starting to feel like I'm getting some understanding of the process. THANKS for ALL your vids!
thx for the heads up on temp control , and just I'm my welds have improved thank you.
I've been using the Miller rotary switch for years. it's the only way to crawl around and repair aluminum boats. I don't think I could go back to a foot petal at this point.
i want to give that a try i can't get the hang of the pedal ..heavy foot
the switch is the only way if you are welding anodized aluminum /teetops railings marine related products
I use a trigger every day at work! it makes life so much easier than driving to work to drive at work, to drive home from work XD
This is how I was taught to TIG, the college didn't have a single peddle in the place 🤣 but just about to get my own basic kit, and one of the first things I am going to get is a peddle lol
Thank you so much for the tips! Definitely going to need this when we start welding!
What does this teach us? Even the Pros shop and use Harbor Freight tools. :P. The Store we all love to hate. But I love it. Its my favorite store.
Thanks for this great info, I am new at tig just bought myself a machine not new at welding but new at tig, and I love a challenge to do better,and your videos have helped me out alot, thanks!!🤘
Thank you for the advice. My welder has an option for variable amp pedal, but I'm cheap and decided to forego purchasing it at first. I'll probably end up buying it, as having that control seems very handy, especially in the real world where metals aren't as consistent as practice coupons. Since I'm just learning though, I think I can learn to grasp the basics like this, it'll probably be good to strengthen my understanding of how the process works. Time to burn some coupons :D
if you have slope up or down you can control the heat with a button,throttling on and off to control the heat,useful for site work where a footpedal would be impractical
Definitely find myself pulling out more bells and whistles on my machine(pulse, high/low%, frequency) when using the switch. It is great for out of position stuff where you can't stay planted on a pedal
As someone who picked up a TIG for the first time ever using a trigger control, it really isn't advised for beginners. Getting a pedal changed everything for me.
Thanks Justin, good info, especially where you're happy at a certain speed, and you slightly increase Amps to get better penetration, whthout changing anything else.
Thanks great lesson .
Could really use a Lesson on budding Up then sheet-metal
Thanks! I have an old Miller 250 that won't take a foot pedal so this is how I had to learn. Your tips will no doubt make me better :)
Forgot to say that I have learned lots from your videos! Never doubt that.
In 4T, can't the amps be adjusted by tapping the switch? This is from the Everlast manual:
"In 4T mode, if the puddle becomes too hot, it can be cooled by lightly tapping the switch to begin downslope and tapping again to
restart upslope before the end current is reached. Setting a long downslope helps improve heat control in 4T as the torch switch is
cycled between downslope and upslope before the arc is terminated"
Have you ever tried the "tig button" from 6061? Never tried it but having used a switch a bunch before I could see it being really convenient
Hello Justin! Im Andrew, thanks for sharing this awesome video. It really is.I very much appreciate all of you informative videos, especially for Tig welding procedures .
I just started to use a switch which has 4 level adjustment. It is very useful when you’d have to stand on one leg and use pedal with the other
Still working on the skill of watching the puddle and adjusting.
Unfortunately I also do alot of welding that needs to just get it done. Cleaning is not always a choice also.
I still use the peddle for Tig though.
Can't thankyou enough for sharing your knowledge .The way you execute your information along with the clips is bloody fantastic !! Thank you
No mention of pulse settings on a machine here, seems to be a good place to cover it and show how it could be used with a hand switch. Totally agree about the practice element though, no substitution for time with rods!
Switch is all i've ever used. Foot pedal wouldn't work for my line of fabrication as it's mostly in-position welds on stainless. The one big advantage that I can see from using the pedal is that gripping the torch is much easier in awkward positions as you don't have to reach and press a switch with your finger or thumb.
Same here, restoring cars so a pedal is impossible to use (standing, kneeling or laying), but with a good torch that control the machine and not just an on/off switch it makes it easier, a flex head is a great help also.
Same here up until the very latest welder I never had a foot pedal,the new machine came with one tried it and put it away as after nearly forty years I cannot get on with it, I do like the multiple click switc systems on some machines though where you program several settings and click through them on the button.
It's funny hearing it from the other side. It seems like it's the same comments just flipped. I want to try the tig button since you can vary your amps like a foot pedal without moving your thumb or fingers all around.
@@brandyquad my one experience of using a pedal had me pressing the pedal almost as a knee jerk reaction to nodding my shield down, meaning I got a lovely flash of the welder every time :)
@@adrianco1978 haha it's funny how that works. I never push my foot down until the hood is down. It's just muscle memory at this point. I have used the pedal is some awkward ass positions amd flashed myself because I pressed on accident. That sucks. I hate getting flashed
Enjoyed that video. So true practice practice practice. Get the feel. Going to win the 80 million this Thursday and first I’m buying is a AC tig welder 👨🏭.
Great informative video right up my street. I use a mig with a 4 metre (12 foot) torch to get around my bench. There are some welds I would like to try using a tig machine but a pedal is out of the question. Thanks from UK 🇬🇧
Hi Justine l am also from Aust, we are so far behind the rest of the world with our domestic welding machines still donot have pedals on the magority just scratch start. problem if you buy U.S made warrenty is an issue, we will just have to like everyone says practise more love your channel.
There is a technique when you can adjust you amperage on the fly using switch on torch. You need to configure your up-slope and down-slope for longer time and kinda surf between them, put in 4T. It's not really convenient, but in some cases can help. For example welding stainless thin tubing.
Great footage of an operator in action. Cheers for the lesson.
Your on to it Justin
Practice,practice,practice
I’m a new bunny 🐰 at welding and I have the small Miller trig machine
I don’t have the foot pedal,but I like the switch method you have which is more constant ✅
Great 👍 videos Justin
Thanks Frank
Thanks Justin I’ve been looking for this demo ! Your advice is best because I can 100% use it , cheers Pete
I like how he drops his hood like it's not autodarkening
Position: reverse cowgirl
Amps: 110
Penetration: 220%
pre flow: 1 minute
post flow: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Nobody:
Will it fit in my Honda?
Hold my beer
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Everybody gangsta
End this man’s whole career
He protecc, he attacc …
Sexual/genitalia innuendo
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Question of quantity answered yes
Plot twist
Left/entered the chat
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Dislikes are from
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Last time I was this early
Legend has it
That’ll buff right out
Punch line below read more
@@onemoremisfit keep smoking that meth 🤣🤣
All your videos are great, helpful, understandable and even medium to good visibility.
One question I have is don't they sell a better/adjustable trigger?
2nd question is, won't you please do some videos on older style machines, transformer style, 1997 old toy's? HELP PLEASE. And as always thanks for the videos.
Learning Tig is like golf. You get one or two nice shots and the rest is crap, lost balls = dipped tungsten (I dip a lot) Will be visiting soon for a class before I have too many bad habits.
I'va just got myself a little TIG w/o a pedal!! SUper timming!!! THANKS!
Can’t wait to get out there for your classes.. 👍🏻👍🏻
I have a CK sliding switch. Really like it.
we love you Justin.....
Good job explaining how and why... Thank you!!!
I would like to see some steel Tig how to action on smaller parts or pieces and such.
Love how he teaches, everyone related different but he's my style wish I lived closer to hit up his classes
Good info, nice arc shots, and making use of a handy tool.
switch is a must for anodized aluminum/ most of the time your bumping the weld. try it its fun lol
You need to check out 6061, his switch is variable, the harder you push the more amperage you get.
Called "The TIG Button" and would make a great video!
Can you do a tutorial on feeding rod showing how to use the whole rod without stopping while keeping your feed hand away from the heat?
And why do you bend the filler rod - haven't seen anyone else do that? ps, love the shop setup.
Love these types of videos. Keep up the awesome work.
Great explanations, this is very helpful
I've got a switch and a hand slider, I might try doing it with the switch for a little.
I tried learning with a switch. I instantly got better when I switched to a foot pedal. I stopped using a switch all together
@@SessoDeluca was welding some landing gear on a air plane. In the gravel cover. A switch would of been really nice. But got it, with a foot pedal, using elbows and knees.
@@wcmwfab935 yeah that is one good thing about a switch. I've done a lot of laying on my side to use my knee hah
I don’t get why people hate on switches so much, I use a switch 50-60% of the time. If you can dial settings or are stuck in a tight spot you can’t beat it.
Especially when I have to lay down and weld above head.
I like both for different purposes.
When I'm out of position and can't use my foot all that well, the switch is amazing.
If I can use a foot pedal I'll use the pedal.
I only use a trigger for mine! I also set a ramp down on mine so that I can use the trigger to to lower the amperage by pulsing it if needed
No need for a footpedal what so ever unless welding aluminium, so you can get plenty of heat into the weld at the beginning to get it flowing, then back off once you're moving.
I suppose that time/amp variation would be valid if you had to go over or close to the same weld area a number of times but normally you'd just do a single run at whatever setting you felt like and that's it.
I would agree that a small piece of ally would significantly heat up at the end of the run and require different amp settings for another run close by, but a job with more surface area and a single run probably would draw the heat and be cold for the next run area.....good to know the characteristics though
Why not preheat the work piece so that it's hot and you don't need to adjust the amps at all?.
Awesome and concise video as usual! Thanks Justin!
What is the Very Best Tig Welder for the Money . Thank You .
Very helpful video. Would you consider doing a video where the slope up and down is set to 2-3 seconds and you trigger the switch on and off to control the heat.
When I use my torch switch I just flip the pulse switch on and set the max and min amps and pulse time to what works for me and go for it. I know it may be cheating but I didn't see anything in the rule book that said I couldn't.
pedals are only ideal when working at a bench. otherwise a trigger is better.
What cheating that would be? Here in Finland I know personally roughly about 20 skilled TIG-welding guys, most working with tubing, but many other applications too. Not a single one of them uses pedal. Heck if I'd like to get one for my TIG at work, I wouldn't even know where I could buy one for 100% certainty. I have quite good ideas who might be able to supply me one, but nah. I couldn't care less. For instance on my working Fronius I just change everything from the machine and I can do power changes also from secondary switches with 1A increments. Can even do it on fly when using 4T-mode. Obviously not as quickly as pedal could allow it. But why on earth would you have to change amps so drastically? Unless your general settings would be absolute sh*t?
Have you tried 6061.com's variable finger switch? Its pressure controlled, like a foot pedal.
I've got to try that!
I've got one. Its sweet
I would like to see any of you guys do a video on welding aluminum fuel piping, like I have to, with multiple pieces tacked up in different directions. 2",3", or 4". Most of my couplings are sch80 aluminum pipe to say 16th".
Dig in deeper!
thanks for that quick lesson.
I use the switch 98% of the time at home and scratch start at work 100% of the time with an ideal arc 250 on stainless pipe.
The pedal is fine for small alum projects, band saw blades, and other pocket sized projects you do sitting on your butt.
However standing at the top of a 10' ladder to weld a joint in a 4" stainless pipe like I did yesterday. or just moving around the table a lot to weld on a larger part. I have no use for a pedal.
just noticed the ZOJAN POWER OF LEADER in the background
allways learn something from your videos
Thanks for the valuable information! I just got my first TIG welder...of course, it has a switch (couldn't find one that has a pedal in my price range). I feel much better about the chances of being able to do a good job with it until I can afford a machine that has more "bells and whistles."
You can weld just as well with a trigger as you can with a foot pedal.
@@daskiier Knowing me, I can run a lousy bead with either...lol
Nice explanation bro