Tig Welding
Submitted by iana on Thu, 2012-02-16 21:30
Went to a welding supplies shop asking about Pickling paste / Pasivating paste (cleaning up welds on stainless steel). Was told you need a licence to buy that now. Is that true?
biggerfish
Posts: 669
Date Joined: 02/03/09
yeah mate you cant buy that
yeah mate you cant buy that stuff anymore last time i worked in the workshop we had to buy a stainless cleaning machine not sure how much they cost but it did a good job. What or how much have u got to clean
Play hard fish harder
iana
Posts: 652
Date Joined: 21/09/09
Looking at doing some welding
Looking at doing some welding on my boat in the future. Just getting costs etc. Have access to an inverter welder now, just need the tig gear. Looking at the handpieces and gauges/flow meters on Ebay. Chinese most likely. Not looking at much welding. Canopy frame and seat frames, maybe an anchor sprit.
Did Tig welding for 20 years, never had to have a licence to get that stuff.
dan1
Posts: 379
Date Joined: 11/07/07
ebay !!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Pickling-Paste-Stainless-Steel-Cleaner-1kg-Container-/140458083472?pt=AU_Welding&hash=item20b3f44490
piston broke
Posts: 776
Date Joined: 05/11/08
The old stuff
Had Hydro fluoric acid in it, seriously dangerous gear. cheers Pete.
iana
Posts: 652
Date Joined: 21/09/09
I first started using nitric
I first started using nitric acid, until the company chemist came by and observed the brush I was using was smoking. Said to be careful it becomes unstable.
Did a quick count still have 10 fingers and thumbs and all my toes. What was interesting was I went and saw a doctor who made me send a hair sample to UWA for testing. Just about every chemical I've worked with read high.
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
I have here at home a
I have here at home a complete TIG & MIG set up including Gsize Argon bottle, that I seldom use.
We could work something out if you are that way inclined in borrowing it or using it here.
iana
Posts: 652
Date Joined: 21/09/09
That is really a kind offer,
That is really a kind offer, would'nt it be great if we could as a small group get together and have a workshop where we could pool each others skills to do some of the dreams we have on each others boats?
biggerfish
Posts: 669
Date Joined: 02/03/09
Yeah I was going to suggest
Yeah I was going to suggest hiring or borrowing one as they aren't cheap and they aren't cheap to fix either
Play hard fish harder
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17919
Date Joined: 11/03/08
from my understanding you
from my understanding you can get the stainless wire for a gassless mig, not cheap but.you can also use the old arch welders with stainless rods, well you used to anyway.
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
iana
Posts: 652
Date Joined: 21/09/09
Different types of welding
Different types of welding lend themselves to different situations. Stick stainless is messy and rough. Mig for production, new materials or just lazy welders ( that will get them going) tig is just like gas welding, controlable, neat and slow. Repairs, tubing and a neat finish is where the TIG is best.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17919
Date Joined: 11/03/08
that means i am a messy and
that means i am a messy and a lazy welder
. fair call. just an option. never done tig but yeah it is neater
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
biggerfish
Posts: 669
Date Joined: 02/03/09
Snake skin finish with the
Snake skin finish with the tig. Just a thought u could always go to Wilson's pipe fabrication in jandakot and ask if u could rent there passivating machine I know Mick wouldn't knock bak a few cartons of beer either borrow or get them to do it for u
Play hard fish harder
iana
Posts: 652
Date Joined: 21/09/09
Thanks Guys.
My origional question was "do you need an licence for buying pickling paste", from the answers it looks like you do here in WA.
Still sitting on the fence over the projects, having brought a house has sort of stuffed up our financial position, but they are still on the cards, my plans havn't changed.
As far as "Lazy welders" I really meant that one (my self) tends to use the MIG over the stick, when there are times the stick will do a better job. I.e. welding over rust, paint and other grap.
scottnofish
Posts: 1617
Date Joined: 28/08/07
i did some tig welding
on my hand rails a few weeks ago and just used some sugar soap on a rag with a bit of elbow grease and the welds came up sweet then just a little auto sol or similar polish ,I hire the passavating macheins at work as well as anything else you may need there only $35.00 bucks a day
iana
Posts: 652
Date Joined: 21/09/09
Excuse my ignorance,
But I don't know what a passivating machine is, only used the brush on paste.
Re-hiring, I only will need a TIG torch, regulator/flow meter and gas. I guess one would pay for a new bottle of gas and just use the hirers account.
sea-kem
Posts: 14897
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Hi Iana, I ahve a
Hi Iana, I have a passivating machine and it uses a citric acid to work. It's very effective for stainless and ally. The original macines are about $3500 to buy. Yes you need a licence for the pickling gel as the issue is more about the disposal not the use. Saying that the stuff is highly corrosive and the fumes and vapours are horrific. I only use MIG at the moment for all my stainless work as it's more on an industrial level for offshore use. I am toying with the idea of buy a TIG as you can basically weld any metal with them. There is less distortion in the job and a lot cleaner,no scale etc.
Love the West!
iana
Posts: 652
Date Joined: 21/09/09
Hi Sea-kem
I did 20 years at a winery and did a fair amount of tig welding during the period. Worked for Wynn's Coonawarra Estate. We used citric acid to wash our hands, did a good job too. Like I said started off using Nitric (on the stainless welds)and then moved to the paste. had no trouble getting rid of it, just hosed it of down the drain.
How would I treat the welds on say a rocket launcher, or seat frames, is your machine for hire?
iana
Posts: 652
Date Joined: 21/09/09
Tig welding up-date.
I now have at work the inverter welder, TIG torch & gas. Happened to have a job come in that required a Tig job when the boss was away. I'm a bad boy with the order book. Had a 15 amp supply put in at home, and had an eye operation so I can see what I'm doing now.
Looking at fabricating a bow sprit, rocket launcher & hand rails from it around the windscreen, and new seat frames that I can slide my eski's under.
Now all I need is more time, motivation and the stainless tube, flat bar and RHS. Where can you get that south of the river?
holth
Posts: 812
Date Joined: 09/10/06
Stirlings
Stirlings
iana
Posts: 652
Date Joined: 21/09/09
Thanks holth
Stirlings is on my way home from work, I shall pass by and check them out. They also have a comprehensive catalogue on the net.