Tool Reviews

Stainless steel does not need exotic equipment to TIG weld cleanly, but it does punish poor gas coverage. The rough, black, crystallized material that forms on the back of a…

A damaged tungsten electrode usually does not need to be discarded. In most cases, you can grind away the contaminated or deformed section and restore the tip. The important part…

A TIG gas lens changes how shielding gas reaches the weld. Instead of directing gas through the torch’s standard collet body, it spreads the flow through a porous diffuser and…

TIG welding an outside corner on sheet metal looks simple because the joint is easy to reach. The challenge is keeping the thin edges aligned while adding enough filler to…

Thin sheet and long seams are where TIG welding most often turns a neat fit-up into a wavy panel. The heat expands the metal near the weld; as it cools,…

Choosing TIG filler rod diameter is mainly a matter of matching the rod to the joint, the base metal thickness and the size of the weld you need. Too large…

Why tungsten gets dirty when TIG welding aluminum Aluminum TIG welding normally uses AC. The electrode’s positive portion of the AC cycle helps clean oxide from the work; the negative…

Preflow and postflow control when shielding gas reaches the TIG torch. Preflow sends gas before the arc starts; postflow keeps gas flowing after it stops. Set them too short and…

Heat tint is the straw, purple, blue, or gray discoloration that forms beside a stainless steel TIG weld. It is not just cosmetic: heat and oxygen create a chromium-depleted layer…

What makes this joint different A stainless steel lap joint puts one piece of metal over another, with a fillet weld along an edge. It is a practical joint for…