Practical TIG Welding: Step 6: Cooling
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Step 6: Cooling
02.30
| 00:00 | - With the weld complete, we can flip up our mask and take a look at the weld area for any signs of issues that may need addressing while the part is still hot. |
| 00:08 | The most common problem that you're going to find will be inclusions in the weld from either dirty materials or a lack of shielding gas. |
| 00:15 | These will present themselves as discolouration or porosity which is seen in the weld as little air holes in the bead. |
| 00:22 | It can be tempting to try and rectify these inclusions by welding back over them but this usually makes the situation worse so it's best to grind the weld back and reweld the affected area. |
| 00:32 | We've given you examples of what a quality weld should look like for each type of material that you're welding as well as examples of what a poor weld will look like and the likely reasons for any issues you may be experiencing. |
| 00:45 | While you're perfecting your welding technique, I recommend you make frequent use of this section until you can consistently produce a quality weld. |
| 00:54 | It should go without saying but a careful inspection is also required to make sure that we haven't inadvertently missed a section of our weld. |
| 01:02 | This might sound like an unlikely oversight but trust me, it happens more often than you'd think, particularly when performing multiple welds on tube. |
| 01:11 | With our weld complete, we also need to let the part cool. |
| 01:15 | A lot of novice welders get impatient at this stage and quench the welded part in water to speed up the process. |
| 01:21 | This isn't recommended though as the rapid quenching will affect the molecular structure of the material causing strength and integrity issues, particularly in high carbon steels like chromoly. |
| 01:32 | To maintain the structure of all metals and prevent pulling or distortion, it's best to leave these to air cool on the bench. |
| 01:39 | If you're using a heat sink to aid heat dissipation during the welding process, then you'll want to leave the part clamped to the heat sink until it's returned to room temperature. |
| 01:49 | It should go without saying but it's easy to end up with a nasty burn if you inadvertently touch the workpiece while it's cooling so some care is required. |
| 01:57 | This brings us to the end of our 6 step process and if you've followed each step and absorbed the rest of the information presented in this course, you should be ready to produce high quality welds that you can be proud of, regardless of the material you're working with. |
| 02:12 | Remember though, practice makes perfect and you're going to need to put in the time behind the TIG torch to master these techniques. |
| 02:20 | If you continue to have issues with your welds then don't hesitate to ask questions on our forum, we're happy to help. |
