Thread: Micro Tig. Could I do it myself ?

Originally Posted by hotbarrels

+1 to the above.
DO NOT overlook the need for low current control. Go for a lower amp machine and make sure that the supplier proves that it is controllable and can sustain an arc at the bottom end. Definitely go for a pulse machine.
Then you need to size your consumables accordingly - electrode dia and filler wire dia. All need to be in proportion to the weld current.
Very light gauge filler rod may be an issue to source, so you might have to look at a suitable solid MIG wire and cut your own.

Yeah, good points. That's something I struggle with a bit, I run pretty much one size of everything with a couple of filler wire sizes as it's just easier and make do at the extremes. For a 'hobby' guy it's bloody expensive feeding the thing the right bits if you're going to get the 'right' bit for each different job and you bloody near need an entire shed just for bits. It's a bit rougher and not as nice running one size fits all but it works for me. With the low current control, it's something the decent AC/DC machines seem to be better at from what I can tell. Some of them are rated to go low on the minimum amps but as he says are pretty ragged on the minimums. I have the manual Xcel-Arc 200A AC/DC welder, the manual one that pre-dated the current model Razor machine and it is rated I think for 10a minimum but actually does that and with the pulse it will weld craft knife blades together autogenous-mode (no filler wire). That's pretty much as thin as I need to do!

One thing I did do, is get some cheap diamond cut off discs in 40mm size off Aliexpress. They were supposed to come with a mandrel but didn't the buggers... I mounted them up on a cheap dremel type tool, make a housing out of box section steel with an adapter on the end to screw the box section onto the rotary tool's end thread and then set up holes at the right angle and various sizes for each tungsten diameter to be able to slide the tungsten in and turn it by hand until it is pointed and sharp. A lid keeps the dust in as well. That's a seriously cheap and feral quick way to sharpen tungstens, works mean and it's one of the hard bits to get sorted out quick - getting a repeatable sharp point on your tungstens with the grind lines aligned the 'right' way. Seems stupid, but having a tungsten grinder really helps with the repeatability and controlled arc and buying something off the shelf is brutal expensive for what they do.