I think it would be better to actually see the arc... but maybe just seeing the green glow "fly by" is the way to go and we have to get used to it? hmhm...
I bought my first TIG welder last week and I think with your tips I can build a trailer now! Just kidding, I'm welding the propeller of my neighbors plane. But in all seriousness, good stuff! I've been watching a lot of "tig welding for noobs" videos but they're all pretty much the same. This one is different and better for it. Keep it coming :)
I began TIG welding a few months ago. I couldn’t have done it without Jody’s videos, for which I owe him a huge debt of gratitude. It’s essential in any field, though, to master the utter fundamentals. That makes this sort of tiny, beginning detail immeasurably valuable, and I thank you for delving into this, Tony. There are many people who do many things extremely well, but can’t teach those things at all. You’re quite good at it, limiting your scope and planning your sequence beautifully. Many virtuosi also fail to teach fundamentals well because they have been experts too long and have lost a feel for their presentation. “Not being a welder” opens a clearer path. Well done. Your recommendations here are spot on. I began the same way-control the torch, follow a line, then learn the pedal, save filler wire for later. Learn one skill at a time and learn it well.
Or, you just need to understand what the heck is going on. Weld puddle has nanobots stitching the metal together like sewing! Don't leave them food like oil or oxides, or they'll take a break ;)
Hold on pause work this old Tony uploaded... Boss... "What are you doing...?" Me... "Watching this old Tony ramble about welding..." Boss... *Sits down...
I picked up a TIG machine a few months ago to so I could -fix my neighbor's lawn mower blades- waste some of my free time, and have definitely realized the learning curve. I really appreciate your video on this. Thanks!
As a guy who retired as a pipe welder,you know,bought the house and paid for the kids education,I'm a bit impressed at such worthwhile advice,especially from a "home taught" guy...good on ya!
Own a steel fabrication shop doing approximately 60,000 tons a year. We don't look at resumes. We give welding test that the applicant must set the machine and setup and produce the required weld in the required posistion in X amount of time on various alloys. Different jobs will require them to pass several destructive and non destructive test on the welds. Guys say a lot of stuff, I assume they would write a lot of stuff on a resume.
That's the best way to weed them out. We had a new hire who said, and I quote, "I'm a great tig welder". The boss ended up giving him a horizontal T for a "weld test", mind you we're a pressure vessel shop. This guy apparently came from one of the better cryo outfits in the area, the NB inspector who checks our stuff for insurance verified this, though he said he doesn't know him too well. We had about 50pcs of 2 1/2" 1000psi manifolds with 12pcs 1/2" thread-o-lets to tig weld on them. Simple enough for some one who talks a lot about his open root tig welds, right? Wrong... Every god damn one leaked. His starts and stops were piled up and not fused together. Guess who had to fix them? Me, the kid who had only been pipe welding for barely 4 years at that point. If the manifolds were code it never would've happened because I know he couldn't have possibly passed the 6g to get his cert.
Lot of guys are tackers not welders that apply. 95% of our steel is plate, such as precipitators, carbon catpture, duct, stacks, etc.. Everyone is a great welder until they are asked to perform a test on high nickel alloys like inconel and such. SOme of our year long bids require 100% testing of welds by x-ray and such. Weeds them out fast. Just off the top of my head I would say 1/4 or more of them are self taught, but this is a heavy industrialized area where large amounts of people will have a home shop and such and get it growing up and fine tune it along the way with on the job training. They also still teach welding in high school here.
Yea we still have a good tech school around here where I'm from. Lehigh Valley has always been pretty industrial with the old Bethlehem mill that used to run non stop. I pretty much learned everything that I use now while on the job, I still use some of the stuff I learned in tech school
worked for Martin Marietta years ago, aside from usual welding tests; the running joke/weld test was to have someone tig two soda pop cans together with 1/16'' rod. If you have the steady hand and patience for that, you can learn to weld just about anything...
borzak101 Me that’s how I just got a job, I’ve been out of the trade for 24 years, did a welding test and was given a go. Loving working with steel again. Found muscles I haven’t used for a long time, but the old skills are coming back. I’ve lasted two weeks so far so can’t be to bad. I am only doing easy stuff at the moment but again loving it.
Tony, I have to say I shouted 'yay' when I saw you had released a vid. Please keep them coming and shout for patreons if that's what you need to keep on keeping on. Love you (in a platonic way of course) fella :D
I taught myself to tig weld, am I any good at it is something I’d like to know (like get a coded welder to check and look at what I’ve done) but either way once you find the Tig....Mig just seems dirty lol. Great video ToT
Ayy, nice to see Colin and some other youtubers in this comment section. Anyway, while I'm here, I've got to ask if you've ever thought about revisiting some of your motorized contraptions and improving them? There may be other options, but I know of a company/website called "Ecotrons" where you can pick up all the parts you need not only to add electronic fuel injection to small engine, but to turbocharge them as well... At any rate, keep up the good work!
You joke, but my mum used to work in retail and she would "fix" plastic coat hangers by putting a small price sticker over the crack. If it was really badly damaged she'd put a price sticker on opposite sides of the split.
Learning OxyAcetylene at the moment and it's remarkable how translatable your form is to other processes and just how important it is to practice correctly. Thank you for sharing this video and giving us some wise words!
yep I learned oa before buying my own Tig set it really helped me get started in Tig alot transfers between the two. if you want a laugh, try welding aluminium with oa and a suitable flux.. that's a skill.
I’m a fairly miserable MIG welder, but I have been fighting trying to become at least a miserable TIG welder. Unfortunately, I cannot blame my foibles with “bad” equipment. Starting from the plug in the wall and the argon tank, to the end of my tungsten, I’ve got quite good equipment. I’ve never had the most stable hands and advancing age has certainly not made that any better. Just watching this video gives me some ideas to try to get relatively straight beads. Because at this point my beads wonder all over the place. Thanks for the tips.
Your videos, are a great compliment to all the great Welding videos out there, especially those of us that are just starting out! Thank you for your content and experience!
When I was learning to tig weld, we were started off on a steel plate just making beads without filler until it was done straight and with consistent width (think 12"x12" plate) then once that was mastered, we moved onto adding filler, and then repeated the same thing. A tip from my instructors that really stuck : for awkward positions, start out in an uncomfortable position and weld so that it gets more comfortable . ( like start out in the more difficult position you have to get in so that as you get tired , it gets easier) . Absolutely practice is key, we would have whole 6 hr days at "school" just sitting there welding bead after bead on a plate , until they were perfect before being allowed to progress.
Thank you Tony. When someone tells me how to do something e.g. "Hold the torch at this angle" I want to know "Why". Thanks to you I know now. You explain things so well and with the humour as well. Cheers Rob.
The only reason I started watching UA-cam 3-4 years ago was to learn welding basics when I bought a Hobart mig. In that time no one has explained the basics as well as you have and I’ve been researching tig welders and I am pretty close to buying a tig machine. This video explained a lot that I didn’t already discover with my 3+ years with mig. Well done TOT, looking forward to the rest of this series.
This is just about the most useful video I have watched recently as I learn TIG. Two months ago I enrolled in an evening welding course at a local college. (The instructor also teaches in their full-time day program.) This was largely a waste of money. I spent several evenings laying down beads without filler material, and it was a total mess. I finally decided that it wasn't me, but the welding machine - and I was correct. Something wrong with the argon flow, so I just kept burning through the coupon. But even when using a machine that worked properly, my beads wandered all over the place. The instructor's brilliant insight was to frown and say "try to go in a straight line". Ok, so it turns out this actually not very easy at first - as Tony shows. I stopped attending the course, and bought myself a TIG outfit (Everast 160 STH). Another thing - unlike at the welding course, I SIT DOWN at my welding table, which helps. So Tony's with insights on body position, fatigue, TIG finger (I just ordered one online) I should at last make some progress. Before coming to understand that welding straight lines isn't immediately easy, I just thought I was a hopeless idiot. Which maybe I am, but, you know....
NO,NO YOU ARE NOT! WELDING IS NOT AS EASY AS SPECTATORS MIGHT ASSUME. WELDING IS A MULTITUDE OF VARIABLES COMING TOGETHER (YOU'RE ALSO A VARIABLE) TO CREATE,REPAIR SOMETHING. IT'S EASY ENOUGH WHEN EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL,BUT THEN THINGS START GOING HAYWIRE, YOU AS THE WELDER,MUST BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE ISSUE AND OVERCOME. LIKE WHAT IS CAUSING ERRATIC ARC? HOW DO I CORRECT IT? WHY ARE MY RODS HUMMING? LOL? DONT THINK,JUST BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T MESS WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S MACHINE, THAT YOUR MACHINE IS SAFE. IT SEEMS YOU HAVE THE INITIATIVE AND DRIVE TO GET THERE,KEEP ON,YOU WILL. I MEAN YOU WENT AND BOUGHT A WELDER! ANOTHER THING,PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.IS TO PRODUCE QUALITY WELDS,YOU WILL HAVE TO BE(NO MATTER THE SITUATION OR CIRCUMSTANCES) COMFORTABLE. IF YOU'RE NOT,FORGET IT. BEST WISHES!
On the one hand, your insights are straight, and to the point. On the other hand, you can get a bit chatty. But, on the final hand, you take us to where we need to go. Thanks!
Perfect vid. You discuss a lot more that a lot of people rush over to get to the arc shots and the "look at this bead" bragging. Best advice ever is being comfortable. If you can't move from A to B steady without the welder on, the bead isn't going to hide it. Thanks, love your vids.
I think you might be the only youtuber I know of, who doesn't end every video with some form of "hit that subscribe button". I love you for that!! ... and your videos of course.!
Aha, it’s like where’s Wally? TOT has the messages subliminally hidden, I have hours of fun looking again through the videos to find them. Mmm less recently....
All your videos are outstanding. This one, especially with your ability to show the puddles with such clarity, is even better. I've been to welding classes and seen welding videos, but nothing of the quality of what you produce. Thank you for providing these; it's a really great service.
I have watched a ton of “basics of tig welding” videos and none of the pros or “experts” have explained the basics any where near as you or as understandable. Really great video, thanks for posting. BTW I for one would very much appreciate a part 2 and maybe 3&4....
This Old Tony I’m still amazed when someone like you replies to someone like me. You are known and respected throughout UA-cam and you’re often mentioned or referred to by other major UA-cam channels, AvE for example. I am just a drop in your ocean of subscribers. So thanks for taking the time to reply, as you can probably tell, I really do appreciate it.
This was probably one of the most helpful videos on TIG basics I’ve watched. Your explanations are to the point and the humor really helps it sink in. I’m really glad I’ve found your channel. Thank you
This has one of the best "Don't try (too much of) this at home" cautionary disclaimers I've seen. The examples (wheels, mower blades, trailer hitches) were exemplary examples. ;)
Honestly, it's fine, as long as you have a means of testing your product before returning it as "Welded". Can't think of a way I'd test a welded wheel though LOL not easy to spin it and put 2-3 tons of pressure on it (and some speed bumps) to see if it gives.
Thanks a million Tony. Bought the welder hired the gas had a go and cursed tig welding. After gathering dust for several months you got me back to trying tig. And finally the penny has dropped I can now tig weld due to the simple focus u gave on the puddle. Tig welding is everything I'd hoped it would be.
A great video and well worth posting. Yes I would like to see a follow up introducing the filler rod, plus thoughts on welding aluminium. I keep resisting the urge to buy a TIG welder and these videos are not making it any easier. Maybe I should give in and buy one and the problem will be solved !
You can make your own tig welder very cheaply for barely 100$. 20$ buzzbox, 5$ regulator, 5$ some hose, 5$ rectifier.. 5$ for a solenoid, relay, and other misc stuff to bundle it all together. Tig welding isn't super complex, it's about shoving argon to protect the little puddle while it does all the work.
routercnc, sometimes it's better to just dive into it and do it. The reason most DIYers are out of time is because they think too much and do too little. Looking for that perfect professional DIY with perfect modularity and allignment and such is somewhat of a dumb idea to chase after. Just do it so it's good enough. ;)
+Alucard Paepad: Speaking of argon, tell your supplier what you are planning to weld, different metals like a different mix of gasses, Aluminum likes straight argon, while steel prefers a little C02 thrown in.
More videos like this, please! I picked up an AHP welder for Christmas and I've been disheartened about the whole thing. My welds look really matte and mil-scaley afterwards. I've since dropped the torch and returned to MIG. This video's gotten my spark reignited. Keep'r goin!
I reckon it is in the planning and setting up. I cannot weld at all - but anything (engineering) requires thought before action. Yet again I like TOT style of presentation. Thanks Tony.
No one ever discusses liability with welding, so many people buy a harbor freight flux core welder and start trying to make trailer hitches and risky stuff for people without thinking about the possible consequences that could happen, very happy to hear that was the first piece of advice you gave
Tony - I've had a casual interest in learning tig for a half-dozen years and have watched probably a hundred videos without really paying much attention. This is the best video I've seen on the subject. It's the perfect content scope of "Don't tell me what shield gas is and a billion settings and technical stuff I have no context for and I'll retain nothing of" and "Tell me the things that are obvious once you say them, but I'd have screwed up if you didn't." Framing and scope of content is so critical to making a good video and, you bullseye every time. You've got a gift. Thanks for the lesson.
Appears to be some less than pleased in the rank and file about this being a "boring" video. Of course basics are boring if you already know them. Last time I tried stick welding was almost 50 yrs ago in high school and I did crap welds. I doubt at this point I'll ever buy any type of welder, but I'm sure not against learning what the basics are. Great video and it filled in a lot I hadn't considered about what good welding technique takes. I learned a lot I didn't know and any day you can say that isn't wasted.
TOT, I've always thought you were cooler than me cause you do the machinist thing and I'm just a dumb welder. Thanks for showing my trade some love. You're vids are the best. Keep it up
I've tried to explain TIG welding , First 20 seconds you might there attention , Then you realize you have lost them. IT is not easy to explain whats going on under the hood .But you my man have it covered .Great job , Alot of your videos are basic , But a large amount of info you put out there is very much needed in learning TIG.
As I sit watching this video, my 3D printer is humming away, making a knobby knob extension for the cleverly hidden, hard to access from the front, power switch on the Inverting 221. (I bought one after taking a class at their facility years ago.) Great peeps. Excellent advice, controlled torch movement. I know I have to be disciplined to practice those dry runs. (My welds resemble the hilly terrains of the Rocky Mountains.). Thanks, as always, for the fun vids!
At our makerspace (The MakerBarn) I'm usually the guy who gets to checkout folks who would like to start welding. The problem is they walk in with a project like a jet turbine engine they want to build. It is sometimes a bit hard to get them to understand that welding is much like playing a piano. You can read about piano playing , you can even watch hours of TOT playing a piano, but in the end, you have to play the piano, hit a few bad notes, and just get as much piano playing in as you can before you head to Carnegie Hall. Practice Practice Practice
Diameter correction is welded onto the tip of the blade an then re machined. You cant just chuck the blades out because they have gotten 3mm to short from abrasion.
That was a great video, I have never seen tig welding explained so well on you tube before. You can already tell I’m not a welder but tig interests me the most. That’s the most I’ve learned about it so far. Thanks for sharing.
Tony, thank you. I know this video is old but I’m just getting into welding. I’m a little old for going to school to learn especially since welding is just a hobby for my 48 year old self. Anyway, I find your methodology in terms of relating a complicated process very helpful and I’ll be watching more of the content you have on this topic. Whether or not you know, the work you put into making this material is helpful and appreciated!
A new TOT video . Between this vid and the last one I discovered this channel, watched every video (some like 10x) And now can cut metal just by staring at it using jedi mind tricks. Do I have a problem?
Welding is all about learning the language of the puddle. Once you do that you can set up and weld with any process. Idk if you're a welder as a job but you could pass for it. You have a great understanding of all the basics and knowledge that goes with it.
I already bought a cheap 20$ stick welder buzzbox, a 5$ power rectifier, a 5$ torch+hose, a 10$ regulator, and some other little bits and bobs (total $70-ish?) and I have a working tig welder. I'm trying to add arc start to it though. It even has a little button (12v) to activate a relay (at the ac input side) to turn the thing on and off AND turn on/off gas flow! (solenoid)
Very good videos! I took a stick welding class a couple of yeas ago and and have just started to get into TIG for my artistic expressive needs. Buying a basic machine knowing that I will be upgrading soon did not make any sense to me so I went with the Everlast Power Pro 256Si complete with cooler so I can weld anything when the time comes. There are lots of crappy "how to weld" videos but your channel is now in my top 10 on welding, thanks.
Buy one. A decent welder will cost you. Dont buy a cheapo just to get one. You want a welder good enough to encourage you to weld more. Some of the cheaper welders can have issues that can discourage you from wanting to weld. Since the advent of small inverter based units the used market has some very nice older larger units for relatively short change$
A stick welder setup from china complete with gear and everything is about 100$. And it welds good. TIG and MIG are about 250$ ore more. Stick welding is in my opinion the hardest to learn though, but it can weld so many different things with the different rods.
Pointless? No, not at all. I wouldn't even say, "Longwinded" Considering I've never once welded, yet I've always had some desire to learn. The one thing that held me back (besides finances) was there were no videos, or written welding tutorials that had this, "before the basics" Tig Welding advice that I could find. The major take away from this video that I understood, was preparation is absolutely essential. The best equipment in the world won't really put you ahead of the curve, you have to physically train yourself and learn the skills needed to be an accomplishment welder. Thank you Tony, I truly appreciate your time. So far I've learned an incredible amount of knowledge from watching your videos, and I hope you keep it up! They're truly an inspiration to many of us out here, especially myself... .)
You could not be more wrong. I will absolutely become a better TIG welder by watching your video. Practice I have had plenty of. Now I have precious knowledge. Thanks.
Watching your videos make me want to get a new tig rig. I did industrial pipe fitting and welding for years. 90% of everything was food grade stainless with the occasional structural brackets and waste lines. We didn't have the fancy machines you have though. Our argon was hooked straight to the bottle and you controlled it with a knob on the torch with 2 regulators for a purge. I like the somewhat automatic gas feed your machine has. I own a paving company so a tig torch isn't at all necessary for the repairs I do but I would like to have a reason to wear my monical and hold my pinky finger up high.
Another very entertaining and educational video with superb editing, Tony. Your videos never feel like they are as long as they actually are and I could watch for hours thinking only 10 minutes have passed.
It's exactly the same with soldering. I recommend trying soldering some pieces of lead/tin wire together to figure out how "puddle" welding works. Also get some supply of liquid flux so you can SEE the difference oxidation makes to a weld. No flux soldering makes the solder gunk up and no longer turn into neat shiny bubbles and is incredibly hard to heat up and re-melt. Add flux and the thing turns into water instantly.
I used to TIG weld on very thin gauge stainless & thicker aluminum battery cans that our military uses in missile guidance systems where I used to work. Personally I prefer my MIG welder at home. I've thought about buying a TIG welder but after watching TOT for a long time, I think he's convinced me to buy a metal lathe. Though I enjoy his welding videos a lot. His humor keeps bringing me back.
long winded or not, this is a great tig intro "how-to." i've been thru a lot of formal welding training, have a degree, and a fair share of certifications in several processes. you sir, do a stellar job of teaching this material. please continue to post more like this! even after having welded for as long as i have, i always want to keep learning more. its always fun to pick up tips from listening in on classes, watching someone else weld using their own techniques, etc. this is great stuff! thank you kindly.
This is great advice. We did 100hrs or more of straight lines on flat material at welding school. A lot of little nuggets of wisdom that only come from doing. Great vid bo 👍
How did you know I was trying to tig weld and old rusty bumber on a trailer with 3 mm of rust and only 2mm of metal? And how the hell did you figure out the weld didnt look good?!
I once had a lengthy argument with a relative about doing that very thing. They were going to weld a hitch carrying bumper back on to a truck. They had welded once or twice in their life. It didn't seem like it was a big deal to them. Makes you wonder who's done the same thing when you're going down an interstate highway.
I'm about to buy my first tig welder, so I've been watching lots of videos to learn what to look for and about technique. This has probably been *the* most useful. Thanks!
It was just a thought, I have more than I can handle here in Australia, looks like two lucky guys who made at least one great decision in their lives, well played sir.
Thanks again for posting GREAT video's that inspire (and bring the occasional smile too!) Going out to my shop to spend time with my new TIG welder (gift from my VERY special wife) with now maybe a bit more hope that I'll get somewhere!
My first management job ever was as a maintenance manager in a factory that made tank containers (the shipping container frame with a 27000 liter tank suspended inside) and I repaired many tig welding machines and tig torches, including water cooled torches. The one thing I always wanted to learn to tig weld but unfortunately the factory closed down and I lost my job with a 7month pregnant wife at home. When the factory closed down the GM gave me a water cooled tig torch head which I had literally a month ago decided to pull out of my tool cupboard, build a water cooler and hook up to the inverter DC welder I have to practice TIG welding with scratch start. So, as you can see, this video is perfectly timed. :-)
The new king of arc shots (sorry Jody)
I think it would be better to actually see the arc... but maybe just seeing the green glow "fly by" is the way to go and we have to get used to it? hmhm...
I lost it there, hard to film straight welds.
Arc Shorts - High tech masturbation gone wrong. (oh, arc 'shots'! Read it wrong)
Glad to see your comment here. Been meaning to ask if you are following TOT. Great channel, really enjoying the content.
Tony has amazing cinematography. I stumbled across one of his videos and was transfixed. He could be teaching people how to shoot and edit video.
I'm a journeyman welder and this is almost verbatim my "first day" lecture for apprentices. Excellent video Tony
Thanks OmidF!
This Old Tony the thanks is all mine to give you make excellent content.
Thank you! Now I can build a submarine for the family vacation!
Mikael Forsberg Your real name is Peter Madsen?
This comment hits different now 😂
I bought my first TIG welder last week and I think with your tips I can build a trailer now!
Just kidding, I'm welding the propeller of my neighbors plane.
But in all seriousness, good stuff! I've been watching a lot of "tig welding for noobs" videos but they're all pretty much the same. This one is different and better for it. Keep it coming :)
"If you're built anything like me, your arms will be attached at your shoulders"
🤣🤣🤣
I began TIG welding a few months ago. I couldn’t have done it without Jody’s videos, for which I owe him a huge debt of gratitude. It’s essential in any field, though, to master the utter fundamentals. That makes this sort of tiny, beginning detail immeasurably valuable, and I thank you for delving into this, Tony. There are many people who do many things extremely well, but can’t teach those things at all. You’re quite good at it, limiting your scope and planning your sequence beautifully. Many virtuosi also fail to teach fundamentals well because they have been experts too long and have lost a feel for their presentation. “Not being a welder” opens a clearer path. Well done. Your recommendations here are spot on. I began the same way-control the torch, follow a line, then learn the pedal, save filler wire for later. Learn one skill at a time and learn it well.
Or, you just need to understand what the heck is going on.
Weld puddle has nanobots stitching the metal together like sewing! Don't leave them food like oil or oxides, or they'll take a break ;)
Thanks Alan!
Alucard Pawpad Oil and paint gives 'em diarrhea spatters. Feeding them rust stains the porcelain.
Stan Ervin, Hahhahaa that's excellent! :'D Especially the porcelain bit :'DD
Hold on pause work this old Tony uploaded...
Boss... "What are you doing...?"
Me... "Watching this old Tony ramble about welding..."
Boss... *Sits down...
...that's literally screaming for a multi part series, thanks for sharing!
I picked up a TIG machine a few months ago to so I could -fix my neighbor's lawn mower blades- waste some of my free time, and have definitely realized the learning curve. I really appreciate your video on this. Thanks!
As a guy who retired as a pipe welder,you know,bought the house and paid for the kids education,I'm a bit impressed at such worthwhile advice,especially from a "home taught" guy...good on ya!
Thanks JoJo! means a lot...
Own a steel fabrication shop doing approximately 60,000 tons a year. We don't look at resumes. We give welding test that the applicant must set the machine and setup and produce the required weld in the required posistion in X amount of time on various alloys. Different jobs will require them to pass several destructive and non destructive test on the welds. Guys say a lot of stuff, I assume they would write a lot of stuff on a resume.
That's the best way to weed them out. We had a new hire who said, and I quote, "I'm a great tig welder". The boss ended up giving him a horizontal T for a "weld test", mind you we're a pressure vessel shop. This guy apparently came from one of the better cryo outfits in the area, the NB inspector who checks our stuff for insurance verified this, though he said he doesn't know him too well. We had about 50pcs of 2 1/2" 1000psi manifolds with 12pcs 1/2" thread-o-lets to tig weld on them. Simple enough for some one who talks a lot about his open root tig welds, right? Wrong... Every god damn one leaked. His starts and stops were piled up and not fused together. Guess who had to fix them? Me, the kid who had only been pipe welding for barely 4 years at that point. If the manifolds were code it never would've happened because I know he couldn't have possibly passed the 6g to get his cert.
Lot of guys are tackers not welders that apply. 95% of our steel is plate, such as precipitators, carbon catpture, duct, stacks, etc.. Everyone is a great welder until they are asked to perform a test on high nickel alloys like inconel and such. SOme of our year long bids require 100% testing of welds by x-ray and such. Weeds them out fast. Just off the top of my head I would say 1/4 or more of them are self taught, but this is a heavy industrialized area where large amounts of people will have a home shop and such and get it growing up and fine tune it along the way with on the job training. They also still teach welding in high school here.
Yea we still have a good tech school around here where I'm from. Lehigh Valley has always been pretty industrial with the old Bethlehem mill that used to run non stop. I pretty much learned everything that I use now while on the job, I still use some of the stuff I learned in tech school
worked for Martin Marietta years ago, aside from usual welding tests; the running joke/weld test was to have someone tig two soda pop cans together with 1/16'' rod. If you have the steady hand and patience for that, you can learn to weld just about anything...
borzak101 Me that’s how I just got a job, I’ve been out of the trade for 24 years, did a welding test and was given a go. Loving working with steel again. Found muscles I haven’t used for a long time, but the old skills are coming back. I’ve lasted two weeks so far so can’t be to bad. I am only doing easy stuff at the moment but again loving it.
I use a drawer slide to do long straight welds on aluminum, rest my wrist on it and slide along, Good video..
clever!
I'm gonna try that trick and take credit for it,thanks!
Good idea
Taxed, bumped, an mot'ed.
Your an amazing teacher Old Tony, I always learn something and have a laugh, I don’t care what Stefan or Adam say your a top notch fellow. 😬
Tony, I have to say I shouted 'yay' when I saw you had released a vid. Please keep them coming and shout for patreons if that's what you need to keep on keeping on. Love you (in a platonic way of course) fella :D
I taught myself to tig weld, am I any good at it is something I’d like to know (like get a coded welder to check and look at what I’ve done) but either way once you find the Tig....Mig just seems dirty lol. Great video ToT
You sir do very well for a self taught welder .
colinfurze Wait....Colin Furze watches ThisOldTony. Is this even real life?
Good enough to build the scariest 360 swing thing, I swear that gave me nightmares.
Weld up some stock. Slice and polish. Acid etch to reveal structure. Post a video.
Ayy, nice to see Colin and some other youtubers in this comment section. Anyway, while I'm here, I've got to ask if you've ever thought about revisiting some of your motorized contraptions and improving them? There may be other options, but I know of a company/website called "Ecotrons" where you can pick up all the parts you need not only to add electronic fuel injection to small engine, but to turbocharge them as well... At any rate, keep up the good work!
Where do I get that bumper sticker? I need it to hold this bumper on this trailer.
I need one for the airplane I just welded....😂
You mean this old trailer
You joke, but my mum used to work in retail and she would "fix" plastic coat hangers by putting a small price sticker over the crack. If it was really badly damaged she'd put a price sticker on opposite sides of the split.
Preaching to the choir Sonny Jim LoL
Learning OxyAcetylene at the moment and it's remarkable how translatable your form is to other processes and just how important it is to practice correctly. Thank you for sharing this video and giving us some wise words!
I learned on OA and it's a 1:1 correlation to tig.
yep I learned oa before buying my own Tig set it really helped me get started in Tig alot transfers between the two. if you want a laugh, try welding aluminium with oa and a suitable flux.. that's a skill.
I’m a fairly miserable MIG welder, but I have been fighting trying to become at least a miserable TIG welder. Unfortunately, I cannot blame my foibles with “bad” equipment. Starting from the plug in the wall and the argon tank, to the end of my tungsten, I’ve got quite good equipment. I’ve never had the most stable hands and advancing age has certainly not made that any better. Just watching this video gives me some ideas to try to get relatively straight beads. Because at this point my beads wonder all over the place. Thanks for the tips.
Your videos, are a great compliment to all the great Welding videos out there, especially those of us that are just starting out! Thank you for your content and experience!
When I was learning to tig weld, we were started off on a steel plate just making beads without filler until it was done straight and with consistent width (think 12"x12" plate) then once that was mastered, we moved onto adding filler, and then repeated the same thing. A tip from my instructors that really stuck : for awkward positions, start out in an uncomfortable position and weld so that it gets more comfortable . ( like start out in the more difficult position you have to get in so that as you get tired , it gets easier) . Absolutely practice is key, we would have whole 6 hr days at "school" just sitting there welding bead after bead on a plate , until they were perfect before being allowed to progress.
I have watched the poodle for hours now, and still nothing has happened. At one point it sniffed the part, but it did not stick together.
pf-
First Minute: Yeah! Orbital welding!
As long as it's grounded through the mill table - it should be OK? No?? Anyone??
orbital cutting is cooler
Second Minute: Yeah! Sub Orbital welding!
Unfortunately my torch has too much run-out. :)
So, a chuck and a TIG torch walk into a boring bar...
"People have been Tig welding like that since the middle ages" - This Old Tony - 2018
That Medieval guy holding the TIG Torch tho... LOL.
Thank you Tony. When someone tells me how to do something e.g. "Hold the torch at this angle" I want to know "Why". Thanks to you I know now. You explain things so well and with the humour as well. Cheers Rob.
Glad to hear, Rob!
Well received. Waiting for part two.
I appreciate your incites. Without an instructor and no time for a class; your my only hope TOT! Thanks!!
The only reason I started watching UA-cam 3-4 years ago was to learn welding basics when I bought a Hobart mig. In that time no one has explained the basics as well as you have and I’ve been researching tig welders and I am pretty close to buying a tig machine. This video explained a lot that I didn’t already discover with my 3+ years with mig.
Well done TOT, looking forward to the rest of this series.
Thanks Triple-M! Glad it helped.
Wise words grasshopper. Your green apprentice is most humbled wishing for more. Thank you oh sage one!
I find the biggest problem with levitation is altitude control. That, and when I'm welding outdoors, the wind can blow you around something chronic.
I have seen a lot of those learning to do weld videos here on UA-cam and I've got to say that you're by far the best teacher
This is just about the most useful video I have watched recently as I learn TIG. Two months ago I enrolled in an evening welding course at a local college. (The instructor also teaches in their full-time day program.) This was largely a waste of money.
I spent several evenings laying down beads without filler material, and it was a total mess. I finally decided that it wasn't me, but the welding machine - and I was correct. Something wrong with the argon flow, so I just kept burning through the coupon. But even when using a machine that worked properly, my beads wandered all over the place. The instructor's brilliant insight was to frown and say "try to go in a straight line". Ok, so it turns out this actually not very easy at first - as Tony shows. I stopped attending the course, and bought myself a TIG outfit (Everast 160 STH). Another thing - unlike at the welding course, I SIT DOWN at my welding table, which helps. So Tony's with insights on body position, fatigue, TIG finger (I just ordered one online) I should at last make some progress. Before coming to understand that welding straight lines isn't immediately easy, I just thought I was a hopeless idiot. Which maybe I am, but, you know....
NO,NO YOU ARE NOT!
WELDING IS NOT AS EASY AS SPECTATORS MIGHT ASSUME.
WELDING IS A MULTITUDE OF VARIABLES COMING TOGETHER (YOU'RE ALSO A VARIABLE) TO CREATE,REPAIR SOMETHING. IT'S EASY ENOUGH WHEN EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL,BUT THEN THINGS START GOING HAYWIRE, YOU AS THE WELDER,MUST BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE ISSUE AND OVERCOME.
LIKE WHAT IS CAUSING ERRATIC ARC? HOW DO I CORRECT IT?
WHY ARE MY RODS HUMMING? LOL?
DONT THINK,JUST BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T MESS WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S MACHINE, THAT YOUR MACHINE IS SAFE.
IT SEEMS YOU HAVE THE INITIATIVE AND DRIVE TO GET THERE,KEEP ON,YOU WILL. I MEAN YOU WENT AND BOUGHT A WELDER!
ANOTHER THING,PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.IS TO PRODUCE QUALITY WELDS,YOU WILL HAVE TO BE(NO MATTER THE SITUATION OR CIRCUMSTANCES) COMFORTABLE. IF YOU'RE NOT,FORGET IT.
BEST WISHES!
On the one hand, your insights are straight, and to the point. On the other hand, you can get a bit chatty. But, on the final hand, you take us to where we need to go. Thanks!
I finished the video where do I go to print my welding certificate
bryan gorski same place where you get the ability to marry people
@@Catchcheese Walmart???
Wesley223332 that or the internet’s
Was the link not in the description? That’s how I done mine.
A GOOD PLACE TO GO FOR YOUR CERTIFICATE,"WELDERS ARE US"! I BELIEVE THERE LOCATED OVER IN PEKING,CHINA...,GOOD LUCK!
Perfect vid. You discuss a lot more that a lot of people rush over to get to the arc shots and the "look at this bead" bragging. Best advice ever is being comfortable. If you can't move from A to B steady without the welder on, the bead isn't going to hide it. Thanks, love your vids.
I think you might be the only youtuber I know of, who doesn't end every video with some form of "hit that subscribe button". I love you for that!! ... and your videos of course.!
thanks den nis! (remember to share, like and subscribe!!!) ;)
Aha, it’s like where’s Wally? TOT has the messages subliminally hidden, I have hours of fun looking again through the videos to find them. Mmm less recently....
All your videos are outstanding. This one, especially with your ability to show the puddles with such clarity, is even better. I've been to welding classes and seen welding videos, but nothing of the quality of what you produce. Thank you for providing these; it's a really great service.
Glad you liked it Brian, thanks!
I have watched a ton of “basics of tig welding” videos and none of the pros or “experts” have explained the basics any where near as you or as understandable. Really great video, thanks for posting.
BTW I for one would very much appreciate a part 2 and maybe 3&4....
Gaz Pyrotechnics and 5 and 6 and 7
Thanks Gaz!
This Old Tony I’m still amazed when someone like you replies to someone like me. You are known and respected throughout UA-cam and you’re often mentioned or referred to by other major UA-cam channels, AvE for example. I am just a drop in your ocean of subscribers.
So thanks for taking the time to reply, as you can probably tell, I really do appreciate it.
This was probably one of the most helpful videos on TIG basics I’ve watched. Your explanations are to the point and the humor really helps it sink in. I’m really glad I’ve found your channel. Thank you
This has one of the best "Don't try (too much of) this at home" cautionary disclaimers I've seen. The examples (wheels, mower blades, trailer hitches) were exemplary examples. ;)
Honestly, it's fine, as long as you have a means of testing your product before returning it as "Welded". Can't think of a way I'd test a welded wheel though LOL not easy to spin it and put 2-3 tons of pressure on it (and some speed bumps) to see if it gives.
You just don't weld aluminium wheels, just don't.
Thanks a million Tony. Bought the welder hired the gas had a go and cursed tig welding. After gathering dust for several months you got me back to trying tig. And finally the penny has dropped I can now tig weld due to the simple focus u gave on the puddle. Tig welding is everything I'd hoped it would be.
A great video and well worth posting. Yes I would like to see a follow up introducing the filler rod, plus thoughts on welding aluminium. I keep resisting the urge to buy a TIG welder and these videos are not making it any easier. Maybe I should give in and buy one and the problem will be solved !
You can make your own tig welder very cheaply for barely 100$. 20$ buzzbox, 5$ regulator, 5$ some hose, 5$ rectifier.. 5$ for a solenoid, relay, and other misc stuff to bundle it all together. Tig welding isn't super complex, it's about shoving argon to protect the little puddle while it does all the work.
Good to know thank you. But too many projects and not enough time . . .
routercnc, sometimes it's better to just dive into it and do it. The reason most DIYers are out of time is because they think too much and do too little. Looking for that perfect professional DIY with perfect modularity and allignment and such is somewhat of a dumb idea to chase after. Just do it so it's good enough. ;)
+Alucard Paepad: Speaking of argon, tell your supplier what you are planning to weld, different metals like a different mix of gasses, Aluminum likes straight argon, while steel prefers a little C02 thrown in.
I like to keep things simple and get pure argon for everything.
Something about This Old Tony's videos really hits the spot and after a frustrating day at the shop it feels like zen meditation. Thanks!
Tony thank you for sharing - please post a part Deux
More videos like this, please! I picked up an AHP welder for Christmas and I've been disheartened about the whole thing. My welds look really matte and mil-scaley afterwards. I've since dropped the torch and returned to MIG. This video's gotten my spark reignited. Keep'r goin!
I would totally buy that bumper sticker. Where is your merchandise page? :P
I worked as a welder for twelve years, all of this is excellent information.
I reckon it is in the planning and setting up. I cannot weld at all - but anything (engineering) requires thought before action. Yet again I like TOT style of presentation. Thanks Tony.
No one ever discusses liability with welding, so many people buy a harbor freight flux core welder and start trying to make trailer hitches and risky stuff for people without thinking about the possible consequences that could happen, very happy to hear that was the first piece of advice you gave
In bulgaria, some people did that and they had the crappiest trailers with cracks in them forming near/at the welds. It was so cringy LOL
So we can safely conclude that Martin Luther did indeed TIG weld his 95 thesis to the Wittenberg door.
Tony - I've had a casual interest in learning tig for a half-dozen years and have watched probably a hundred videos without really paying much attention. This is the best video I've seen on the subject. It's the perfect content scope of "Don't tell me what shield gas is and a billion settings and technical stuff I have no context for and I'll retain nothing of" and "Tell me the things that are obvious once you say them, but I'd have screwed up if you didn't." Framing and scope of content is so critical to making a good video and, you bullseye every time. You've got a gift. Thanks for the lesson.
Thanks Matt, I appreciate that... glad you liked the video.
Appears to be some less than pleased in the rank and file about this being a "boring" video. Of course basics are boring if you already know them. Last time I tried stick welding was almost 50 yrs ago in high school and I did crap welds. I doubt at this point I'll ever buy any type of welder, but I'm sure not against learning what the basics are. Great video and it filled in a lot I hadn't considered about what good welding technique takes. I learned a lot I didn't know and any day you can say that isn't wasted.
TOT, I've always thought you were cooler than me cause you do the machinist thing and I'm just a dumb welder. Thanks for showing my trade some love. You're vids are the best. Keep it up
Well, tomorrow I'm getting myself a welder.
When part two comes out I'll be confident enough to build a trailer!
Let's say.. next week?
macbeth2354 LMAO good luck man, glad you set high goals.
Kidding man, I wouldn't dare building a trailer after watching just two videos. It's fairly obvious we need a *using filler rod* video in between!
macbeth2354 lol
From a coded welder, well done...
When you start dreaming about welding, your about halfway there
Yep I'm not a welder either. But I have welded superheated CrMo HP steam line before.
Nice coverage of a non -covered topic.
I bought a Lincoln Electric Square Wave last year. One of my best purchases ever. Thanks, TOT, you’re an inspiration
watching this old tony @ 3am and I'm not even a welder , I just love his "humor"
I've tried to explain TIG welding , First 20 seconds you might there attention , Then you realize you have lost them. IT is not easy to explain whats going on under the hood .But you my man have it covered .Great job , Alot of your videos are basic , But a large amount of info you put out there is very much needed in learning TIG.
"I'm not a welder." Tigga please...
Why are you acting arcsist??
never laughed so hard.
Im a tig welder and i can tell you this is a good video for the beginning welders out there!
This video is WELL RECEIVED.
Seconded!
_"All those in favour"_
✋ *Aye*
As I sit watching this video, my 3D printer is humming away, making a knobby knob extension for the cleverly hidden, hard to access from the front, power switch on the Inverting 221. (I bought one after taking a class at their facility years ago.) Great peeps. Excellent advice, controlled torch movement. I know I have to be disciplined to practice those dry runs. (My welds resemble the hilly terrains of the Rocky Mountains.). Thanks, as always, for the fun vids!
At our makerspace (The MakerBarn) I'm usually the guy who gets to checkout folks who would like to start welding. The problem is they walk in with a project like a jet turbine engine they want to build. It is sometimes a bit hard to get them to understand that welding is much like playing a piano. You can read about piano playing , you can even watch hours of TOT playing a piano, but in the end, you have to play the piano, hit a few bad notes, and just get as much piano playing in as you can before you head to Carnegie Hall. Practice Practice Practice
LMAO jet turbine engine with welding? Not even the industry does that.
Diameter correction is welded onto the tip of the blade an then re machined. You cant just chuck the blades out because they have gotten 3mm to short from abrasion.
That was a great video, I have never seen tig welding explained so well on you tube before. You can already tell I’m not a welder but tig interests me the most. That’s the most I’ve learned about it so far. Thanks for sharing.
Missed the shot ....also the funniest part! 😁😁
Most of these points are actually things that my welding-guru tried to teach me. Definitely recommended.
Thank you, Sir. I, for one, would buy a bumper sticker.
Tony, thank you. I know this video is old but I’m just getting into welding. I’m a little old for going to school to learn especially since welding is just a hobby for my 48 year old self. Anyway, I find your methodology in terms of relating a complicated process very helpful and I’ll be watching more of the content you have on this topic. Whether or not you know, the work you put into making this material is helpful and appreciated!
A new TOT video .
Between this vid and the last one I discovered this channel, watched every video (some like 10x) And now can cut metal just by staring at it using jedi mind tricks.
Do I have a problem?
Jon Doe no.
Have you snatched the marble from Tony's hand Grasshopper?
A problem?.. Mm no you.. pretty much got it figured out
Hmmmmm, Not at all, my friend, it seems NORMAL or NORMALISH.....
Welding is all about learning the language of the puddle. Once you do that you can set up and weld with any process. Idk if you're a welder as a job but you could pass for it. You have a great understanding of all the basics and knowledge that goes with it.
At First i had an AC/DC welder, then i turned to a GUNS N ROSES welder, so much Better but also the other one worked great
Doh! Everyone knows you need a Metallica welder for welding metal.
Michael Henriksen next step
A good old Sting welder will fit my skills and age much better
Guns n Roses welder? How many welds does that one cancel for no reason?
You gotta watch out with those AC/DC units, or you might end up Thunderstruck.
A great video for us beginners to TIG, your 'experienced amateur' perspective, approach to teaching is very enlightening.
Thanks from Paul in NZ
I found the most important step is to keep up with your kegel excercises.
Tony, you have an unbelievable talent for storytelling and for didactic. This is amazing and keeps getting better.
You sir are hilarious and are my biggest inspiration to buy a welder... Part 2!!
I already bought a cheap 20$ stick welder buzzbox, a 5$ power rectifier, a 5$ torch+hose, a 10$ regulator, and some other little bits and bobs (total $70-ish?) and I have a working tig welder. I'm trying to add arc start to it though. It even has a little button (12v) to activate a relay (at the ac input side) to turn the thing on and off AND turn on/off gas flow! (solenoid)
Very good videos! I took a stick welding class a couple of yeas ago and and have just started to get into TIG for my artistic expressive needs. Buying a basic machine knowing that I will be upgrading soon did not make any sense to me so I went with the Everlast Power Pro 256Si complete with cooler so I can weld anything when the time comes. There are lots of crappy "how to weld" videos but your channel is now in my top 10 on welding, thanks.
Man I wish I had a welder!
I don't know. Got one in the basement, it's great when I need it. But I just hate all the moaning and grumbling and I'm getting tired of feeding it.
Buy one. A decent welder will cost you. Dont buy a cheapo just to get one. You want a welder good enough to encourage you to weld more.
Some of the cheaper welders can have issues that can discourage you from wanting to weld. Since the advent of small inverter based units the used market has some very nice older larger units for relatively short change$
Max Maker' just be sure to check her credentials before you marry her.
A stick welder setup from china complete with gear and everything is about 100$. And it welds good. TIG and MIG are about 250$ ore more. Stick welding is in my opinion the hardest to learn though, but it can weld so many different things with the different rods.
Its easy. Just go in the street and catch one. There are plenty welders these days.
Pointless? No, not at all.
I wouldn't even say, "Longwinded" Considering I've never once welded, yet I've always had some desire to learn. The one thing that held me back (besides finances) was there were no videos, or written welding tutorials that had this, "before the basics" Tig Welding advice that I could find.
The major take away from this video that I understood, was preparation is absolutely essential.
The best equipment in the world won't really put you ahead of the curve, you have to physically train yourself and learn the skills needed to be an accomplishment welder.
Thank you Tony, I truly appreciate your time.
So far I've learned an incredible amount of knowledge from watching your videos, and I hope you keep it up!
They're truly an inspiration to many of us out here, especially myself...
.)
'I'm not a welder' whips out the big box of welding crap with more stuff than you could possibly need. You like buying tools don't you.
... don't we all?!
Guilty.
Guilty. I have tools I have not used since I bought them years ago. Seems though eventually they all come in handy. Even if just for bragging rights.
If the price is right and it looks cool yeah that's me.
Ditto.
You could not be more wrong. I will absolutely become a better TIG welder by watching your video. Practice I have had plenty of. Now I have precious knowledge. Thanks.
Watching your videos make me want to get a new tig rig. I did industrial pipe fitting and welding for years. 90% of everything was food grade stainless with the occasional structural brackets and waste lines. We didn't have the fancy machines you have though. Our argon was hooked straight to the bottle and you controlled it with a knob on the torch with 2 regulators for a purge. I like the somewhat automatic gas feed your machine has. I own a paving company so a tig torch isn't at all necessary for the repairs I do but I would like to have a reason to wear my monical and hold my pinky finger up high.
Another very entertaining and educational video with superb editing, Tony. Your videos never feel like they are as long as they actually are and I could watch for hours thinking only 10 minutes have passed.
Watching that puddle is the key. When doing a joint watch for the edges to melt and ‘slump’ into the puddle.
It's exactly the same with soldering. I recommend trying soldering some pieces of lead/tin wire together to figure out how "puddle" welding works.
Also get some supply of liquid flux so you can SEE the difference oxidation makes to a weld. No flux soldering makes the solder gunk up and no longer turn into neat shiny bubbles and is incredibly hard to heat up and re-melt. Add flux and the thing turns into water instantly.
I used to TIG weld on very thin gauge stainless & thicker aluminum battery cans that our military uses in missile guidance systems where I used to work. Personally I prefer my MIG welder at home. I've thought about buying a TIG welder but after watching TOT for a long time, I think he's convinced me to buy a metal lathe. Though I enjoy his welding videos a lot. His humor keeps bringing me back.
Hey Tony, how's the faucet doing?
My kids leave it running all the time. Other than that, doing pretty good, thanks for asking!
This is one of the best TIG starter videos on the WEB, (I've seen them all)
More please Tony, and thank your missus for the suggestion for us please : )
consider it done!
long winded or not, this is a great tig intro "how-to." i've been thru a lot of formal welding training, have a degree, and a fair share of certifications in several processes. you sir, do a stellar job of teaching this material. please continue to post more like this! even after having welded for as long as i have, i always want to keep learning more. its always fun to pick up tips from listening in on classes, watching someone else weld using their own techniques, etc. this is great stuff! thank you kindly.
thanks Blake!
Great, finally I get see how to measure weld runout :)
Hehehehehe.
This is great advice. We did 100hrs or more of straight lines on flat material at welding school. A lot of little nuggets of wisdom that only come from doing. Great vid bo 👍
Start learning in your local Community College. Typically pretty cheap and you will get lots of practice on stick, MIG and TIG.
This was incredibly helpful! I just upgraded from Mig to Tig and everyone skips these basic concepts, thank you!
my pleasure, thanks CC!
How did you know I was trying to tig weld and old rusty bumber on a trailer with 3 mm of rust and only 2mm of metal? And how the hell did you figure out the weld didnt look good?!
I once had a lengthy argument with a relative about doing that very thing. They were going to weld a hitch carrying bumper back on to a truck. They had welded once or twice in their life. It didn't seem like it was a big deal to them.
Makes you wonder who's done the same thing when you're going down an interstate highway.
Very good Video Tony. I have never TIG welded, just many years of heavy steel arc stick stuff. This gives me a new interest in TIG. Thank you.
We can weld elevator cable now? Sign me up!
I'm about to buy my first tig welder, so I've been watching lots of videos to learn what to look for and about technique. This has probably been *the* most useful. Thanks!
your wife sounds like a fantastic woman, is she married? :^)
thanks for the great vid, entertaining and informative as usual.
She is not... want her #?
It was just a thought, I have more than I can handle here in Australia, looks like two lucky guys who made at least one great decision in their lives, well played sir.
Peter Blackwood , plus1
@@ThisOldTony LOL
Thanks again for posting GREAT video's that inspire (and bring the occasional smile too!) Going out to my shop to spend time with my new TIG welder (gift from my VERY special wife) with now maybe a bit more hope that I'll get somewhere!
THANKS!! *last* weak I bought a TIG welding machine... how did you know that? :-)
TOT sees all. ;)
My first management job ever was as a maintenance manager in a factory that made tank containers (the shipping container frame with a 27000 liter tank suspended inside) and I repaired many tig welding machines and tig torches, including water cooled torches. The one thing I always wanted to learn to tig weld but unfortunately the factory closed down and I lost my job with a 7month pregnant wife at home. When the factory closed down the GM gave me a water cooled tig torch head which I had literally a month ago decided to pull out of my tool cupboard, build a water cooler and hook up to the inverter DC welder I have to practice TIG welding with scratch start.
So, as you can see, this video is perfectly timed. :-)