Mastering Tig Welding: A Beginners Guide on 2mm Steel

We’ve got a comprehensive beginner’s guide to get you started with TIG welding. In this tutorial, we’ll focus on welding on 2mm steel, providing valuable insights into machine settings, body positioning, torch angles, and more. Let’s break down the key steps to help you kickstart your TIG welding journey.

Choosing the Right Steel Thickness:

We encourage complete beginners to begin their TIG welding journey on 2mm or 3mm steel. The larger and more manageable weld pool on thicker steel makes it easier to develop essential techniques. For this tutorial, we’ll be working specifically with 2mm steel, with the welder set to 50 amps, using a 1.6mm tungsten, and matching filler rod.

Establishing a Steady Position:

Controlling the distance between the tungsten and the work within 1mm requires you to have a solid welding position. To help you with this, this article gives valuable tips, including utilising a bench, maintaining a flexible torch head angle, and torch lead placement. 

•  Hold the torch in your dominant hand (left or right). In the first picture the welder is holding the torch in their left hand. 
• The welder is sitting down and working on a bench. His upper body weight is not supported by the bench – the bench is only used for positioning.
• In the photo a flexible torch head (very handy) is being used to maintain the angle of the torch with the hand resting lightly on the bench. The hand would need to rest on a piece of wood for the correct angle with a standard torch.
• The torch lead is wrapped around his arm. This takes the weight of the lead away from the torch and reduces the chance of the lead snagging as the weld progresses.
• The head is positioned to the side for a good view of the weld pool. It is very common for beginners to hide the weld behind the gas shroud.
• The lighting is from the side as well as overhead – it allows the welder to see the tungsten position before starting the weld.
• Relaxed muscles will aid control of the torch – try not to TIG weld directly after hammering or other physical activity, and ensure the workshop is at a comfortable temperature.

Torch Angle and Movement:

Learning the delicate art of torch movement and maintaining a steady hand takes practice. The video below emphasises a torch angle of about 20 degrees from vertical. It is also tilted to encourage the weld pool to form ahead of the torch. Practice moving the torch across the work in a dry run to ensure natural positioning and freedom of movement.

Key Things to take away from this video:

-The tungsten is positioned about 2mm from the steel

-The torch is kept stationary for a few seconds to allow a weld pool to form. This is because the size of the initial weld pool sets up the width of the weld. Keep in mind that a large pool will tend to result in a wide weld with a lot of penetration. However a small pool in a narrower weld with less penetration.

-You can see the tip of the tungsten reflected in the weld pool. This helps when it comes to arc length. The arc length can be judged by the distance between the end of the tungsten and the reflection in the pool. As you become more familiar with TIG it becomes easier to judge the arc length by the width and height of the arc itself.

-The filler rod is added to the very front of the weld pool – it is the weld pool that melts the filler rod not the arc. Adding a filler rod will cool the weld pool.

-The filler rod is kept low -too high and the arc would ball it back. If the arc length is too long the filler wire will tend to melt back before it reaches the puddle.

-The filler rod is kept under the gas shroud at all times. This keeps it close to the arc to keep it warm and make it easier to melt, and also prevents it from oxidising.

-At the end of the weld the torch is brought back a little and switched off. The torch is held in position until the post flow gas has stopped. The post flow protects the tungsten and the end of the weld pool.

Learning to TIG Weld:

We recommend that you begin your TIG welding journey by starting the arc on steel to familiarise yourself with the arc and weld puddle. Then, progress to welding on sheet surfaces without filler rod. Doing this will help you to understand how the puddle moves and practice maintaining a tight arc length. Finally, graduate to adding filler wire, with the option to use 1.0mm filler rod for easier feeding.

Arc Length Control:

Arc length controls the amount of heat in the weld. TIG is a constant current process (the amps you set on the machine are the amps you get), but increasing the arc length will increase the voltage which in turn puts more heat into the weld.

Beginners will tend to have their arc length too long for fear of contaminating the tungsten. It should be maintained at between 1 and 1.5 times the diameter of the tungsten (that’s between 1.6mm and 2.4mm arc length for the 1.6mm tungsten we are using).

Excessive arc length will make the arc difficult to control. It will also make the tungsten very hot so if you do touch down into the weld pool the tungsten will suck up a fair bit of steel. With a tight arc the tungsten stays cool and touching down hardly even takes the point off the tungsten.

Size and Speed:

Keep in mind that the videos and photos do not give a sense of scale. The weld in the video is only 4mm wide which is perhaps half the width of a MIG or Arc bead for the same material thickness.

The travel speed was about 1 mm per second. Again this is much slower than MIG or Arc, but faster than you might imagine while you are distracted by all the other things involved in learning to TIG weld.

The weld is quite flat – less than 0.5mm tall. An ideal for a joint would be to have the reinforcing thickness of weld above the work about 10% of the material thickness.

Feeding TIG Filler Rods:

Feeding filler rods may seem daunting initially but we recommend  holding off during initial practice. Once you’ve mastered other aspects, feeding the filler rod becomes a natural part of the process. 

Final Thoughts:

Tig welding is a complicated process and takes time and practice to balance everything at once. It’s best to start with getting the arc gap right. After some practice it will become natural and you can focus on the weld pool and adding the filler rod. Once that’s there look at how wide the weld pool is and adjust speed of travel to control penetration. Only when all of that is in place will you start to achieve the neat welds that TIG is capable of.

If you find yourself struggling, ensure you started with 2 or 3mm steel for a smoother learning curve. Thicker material provides a larger, more manageable weld pool, boosting confidence and making it easier to understand and develop your technique.

Now equipped with these valuable tips, you’re ready to embark on your TIG welding journey. Remember, practice makes perfect, so take your time to hone your skills and enjoy the rewarding art of TIG welding. 

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