SportAir TIG Workshop

[Chris In Marshfield]

Completed the first day of the EAA SportAir Workshop for TIG welding. A fella learns a lot about himself when stuck behind a darkened mask for eight hours. This course had previously been taught at Lincoln Electric in Griffin, GA, but has been moved to Oshkosh.

Taught by Mr TIG himself, Wyatt Swaim, a wealth of information was distributed by the man who is probably the leading expert on the technology. Best thing is that he’s approachable, loves to tell stories about his own welding experiences, and a joy to be around. If you’ve watched the EAA TIG Welding video, or watched TIG Time on YouTube, that’s the guy.

We did the usual stuff, like creating tacks, doing weld runs, etc. Then lap welds, butt welds, T joints, and the other routines that humble you in a hurry. Then had some fun with tubing.

They plan to create an advanced class that centers more around fabrication, as this course is meant to cover the basics. That should be fun when it comes about. But I just took matters into my own hands toward the end of the day as I simulated a strap hinge and did some other fun things that I’d learned from Earl Luce during gas welding workshops.

Saturday was mild steel and chromoly tubing. Sunday will be aluminum and stainless.

I can see why folks are fans of building with this technique. The amount of control is pretty spectacular. Now I just have to figure out the right combination of shade darkness and reading glass magnification to see well.














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[robert l]

As far as the darkness of the welding lens, here's what I have found. Although I haven't welded in years and never did Tig, the ability to see what you're doing is the same. If you are welding in bright light, for example, outside in the bright sun shine, you will need a lighter shade lens. Perhaps as light as a #9. If you are in a dark spot, tucked away in some dark corner, you will need a darker lens, maybe as much as a # 12 because the arc will be much brighter the darker it is. This may or may not make sense to you but it always worked for me. I kept lens shades, 9, 10, 11 and 12 in my welding bucket.
Bob

[Chris In Marshfield]

Fun with aluminum.



Quick note: stainless and aluminum look a lot alike. No matter how hard you try, they won’t weld together worth a hoot


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[Mike Switzer]

I got several magnifying lens plates in different strengths to use in the goggles I use to torch weld, I can swap them out depending on how close I am to the work or as my reading prescription changes between eye dr visits. For arc welding I have an auto darkening hood & I have cheap Walmart readers from 1.00 to 3.00. I need trifocals but usually use single vision contacts when working as the trifocals irritate me, (fog over, get sweat on them, are upside down for what I am doing, etc) and I just change the strength of the readers as needed for whatever I am doing.

[Chris In Marshfield]

I got several magnifying lens plates in different strengths to use in the goggles I use to torch weld, I can swap them out depending on how close I am to the work or as my reading prescription changes between eye dr visits. For arc welding I have an auto darkening hood & I have cheap Walmart readers from 1.00 to 3.00. I need trifocals but usually use single vision contacts when working as the trifocals irritate me, (fog over, get sweat on them, are upside down for what I am doing, etc) and I just change the strength of the readers as needed for whatever I am doing.

I found I didn’t care for the inserts as much as I’d hoped. I brought three pairs of readers with me, and those feel right for me. Just change as needed.


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[Mike Switzer]

I found I didn’t care for the inserts as much as I’d hoped. I brought three pairs of readers with me, and those feel right for me. Just change as needed.

I tend to run warm, readers under the goggles fog over too easily for me. As long as I have the AC on in the shop they are usually OK under the welding hood, but occasionally it is still a problem. One of the pieces of equipment on my wish list is a supplied air system (which I really need anyway for sandblasting & painting) I am going to either get a welding hood with it or adapt what I have to keep cool air coming over my face.

[Chris In Marshfield]

I haven’t yet welded when it was hot and humid. Pretty much just a couple of times when it was cooler, like this weekend. Sounds like I’ll have to adapt for the seasons.

[Chris In Marshfield]

Stainless is painless. Sorta.




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