Thread: Micro Tig. Could I do it myself ?

So I'm pretty handy at precision engineering but I don't do my own micro tig welding and I live 1.5 hours from CHCH.
And I only go to the big smoke fortnightly or less which means sometimes I do a restoration project in a day and then its a month to get a tiny part to town, leave to be tig welded, next trip pick it up and back to finish the project.

How realistic would it be to buy and learn how to use my own micro tig welding unit ?
And what should I be looking for and how much should I be looking to spend ?

This is for small parts, extractors, stubs to barrels, quarter rib tabs and hanger blocks on to double rifles etc
I have one job on the go in the workshop that will need 4 trips to town to tig weld, with machining and set up between every tig weld application.
If the mill or lathe is set up for that part from prepping it and the weld is added it can go straight back in to be tidied up and finished.

I have some great tig and laser welding operators who do work for me in CHCH.
But there is no one in my area and I want to take control of this part of the process to be able to complete these projects without loosing the thread of where I'm at.
I have plenty of junk and off cuts I can practice on

Mainly working with
4140
4340
P20
#1 plate
416
Lots of old unknown steel on vintage rifles

Thoughts and advice appreciated

@veitnamcam might be of help here with knowledge of all things welding

Originally Posted by Mathias

@veitnamcam might be of help here with knowledge of all things welding

Micro tig is not something I have experience with.
I have welded some pretty small tricky bits with just a pretty basic Tig tho.
I think a micro Tig is pretty much set up like a spot welder set amps and run time and push go?
Regardless I'm sure it's something a man of @akaroa1 skills would be able to pick up.

And @MSL is here next week and I will be picking his brains

Originally Posted by akaroa1

And @MSL is here next week and I will be picking his brains

Won't take long!

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Originally Posted by andyanimal31

Won't take long!

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Took my line. Just an advisory: my welding was crap after a lesson from @MSL.

Originally Posted by Tikka7mm08

Took my line. Just an advisory: my welding was crap after a lesson from @MSL.

Ahhh, what was it like before? Gotta ask that, having been accused of similar in the past haha.

Originally Posted by Tikka7mm08

Took my line. Just an advisory: my welding was crap after a lesson from @MSL.

Ah but I've seen your hole tapping !

Originally Posted by Tikka7mm08

Took my line. Just an advisory: my welding was crap after a lesson from @MSL.

I was teaching you how not to weld, and man were you good at it!


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Originally Posted by MSL

I was teaching you how not to weld, and man were you good at it!


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Now correct me if I'm wrong but I recall @MSL was also teaching you whisky appreciation
Was he a crap teacher on that

I’ll bring a machine


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If you can neatly gas weld small items then Tig should be easy enough to pick up.

@akaroa1 Do you mean Micro Tig with a binocular microscope like is used for tool and die work?

Originally Posted by Shamus_

@akaroa1 Do you mean Micro Tig with a binocular microscope like is used for tool and die work?

Well micro maybe not the correct term

But pretty small parts and wanting to limit the heat transfer
So more correctly tig welding small parts in very small bursts

If you can pat your head and rub your belly at the same time I am sure you would have no trouble ...