1. Know Your Welding Machine

To properly hook up your TIG torch to your welding machine, the first thing you need to know is what kind of connection your machine supports.  With older power supplies the TIG torch bolts onto the machine via a threaded stud terminal on the front panel of the power supply.  Newer welding machines make use of an international style Dinse connector which is a twist-locking quick disconnect system.  There are two sizes of Dinse connectors:  small, which the pin size is 3/8″ (9.5mm) in diameter, or the more common large Dinse connector with a pin size of 1/2″ (12.7mm) in diameter.  Some machines allow for a Gas Through Dinse connection, whereby your torch’s shield gas supply flows through the Dinse connector, eliminating the need for an additional gas connection.  The gas flows from your tank and flowmeter/regulator through the machine to the connector and into the torch.  Some power supplies use a Tweco type (also called American style) split pin connector that also twists and locks into place.

The newest twist on machine connections is happening with the increasing prevalence of import machines using a quick-disconnect for gas and water connections.  And some cases, the female receptacle on the Dinse plug may be slightly shorter than the industry standard, and you may need to trim off a portion of the male pin on the Dinse connector.

Consult your welding machine manual to know which connector type you have.  Or, if you no longer have your manual, contact the manufacturer directly and have ready your machine’s model and serial number.

2. Know Your TIG Torch

Different TIG torches have different TIG torch adapter connections at the machine end.  A water cooled TIG torch has a 7/8” x 14 left-hand threaded male fitting on the end of the power/water return line.  Generally an air-cooled TIG torch rated 200 amps or above has a 7/8” x 14 right-hand threaded male fitting and an air-cooled torch rated 150 amps or below has a 3/8” x 24 right-hand threaded male fitting on the end.  Some specialty torches like the CK TrimLine series use a “B” size 5/8” x 18 right-hand thread. While these fittings may look like parts you can buy at your local hardware store, they are unique to the welding industry and available through welding suppliers only.

3. Standardize Your Connections

Upgrade your machine(s) to accept a Dinse style connector to make switching from one torch to another easy.  For a large corporation, this means you can standardize your connections and run different applications at different times, or accommodate different shifts, removing and storing torches to protect them from theft or damage.  Even a small fabrication shop will want to be able to use different torches on the same welding machine.  With the Dinse connectors you don’t need tools to change your torch, and all your torches will connect the same way.  Also, the connection is insulated with a rubber or plastic boot.

If you have an older style welding machine with the threaded stud, you can buy a stud-to-Dinse female converter to upgrade your machine’s stud connection.  A machine with a Tweco style connection can also be converted to accept a Dinse style plug with an adapter that mounts onto the machine as well.

4. Use Quick Release Gas And Water Hose Couplers

Standard gas and water hoses require the use of a wrench to tighten the mechanical connection.  If you’re in the field or in the shop and need to change torches frequently, this can be cumbersome.  Like the Dinse connectors, quick-release hose couplers are available and allow you to change torches without tools.  These quick-release couplers thread onto the male fitting at the end of your gas and water hoses then mate to a corresponding female adapter that is mounted on your water cooler or gas connection.  They are similar to air line quick release couplers, and connect by twisting and locking into place.

Heavy-duty gas hose couplers are also available for just a couple dollars more and are a better choice for welding in the field.

If you’re not sure what type of adapter you need, give Arc-Zone.com a call toll free, 800-944-2243 (US) or 1-760-931-1500 (worldwide).  We have welding experts on staff that can help you find what you’re looking for!

OSHA’s fall semi-annual regulatory agenda was published in the Federal Register Dec. 20, featuring updates on regulatory actions including the Injury and Illness Prevention Program, modernizing recording and reporting requirements, infectious diseases, hazard communication, combustible dust and more.

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At Arc-Zone.com we think safety is important also. In fact, you may have noticed that we have been enhancing our line of welding safety apparel and equipment–  from Miller’s Arc Armor and Weld X to Angelfire welding apparel for women, BSX Welding apparel, and some of the best welding helmets on the market.  We’ve also been working behind the scenes as well.   We’ve just put the finishing touches on a Technical Focus  paper, Eye Care for Welders (.pdf), also available in the Arc-Zone.com Welding Library.

And if you’re interested in the Covell videos– even if you are an expert, we’re pretty sure you’ll learn something (check out the Advanced TIG Welding DVD). You can get these welding DVDs direct from Arc-Zone.com, along with the performance proven MIG, TIG and Plasma Arc Welding accessories you’ll need for your welding application.

By Carl Smith

Metal production processes introduce flaws (dimensional and integral discontinuities) and cleaning requirements that affect welding.

Most metals actually are mined as minerals—metal combined with another element. Commonly used metals—not the exotic metals—are combined with nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur. Those combined with oxygen are called oxides. Metals combined with sulfur are called sulfides, and those containing nitrogen are called nitrides. (Some stainless steels are treated with nitrogen to harden the surface.)

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And don’t worry, Arc-Zone.com stands by every product we sell.  We’ve got your every Welding Accessory covered, from TIG Torches to TIG Rod, to all sorts of welding apparel, helmets and more.  We’ll get you dialed in, and ready to weld!

Cleveland – Lincoln Electric is offering a free Pipeline Welding Seminar intended for contractors and professionals in the pipeline industry. The three-day, in-depth session will take place on March 29-31, 2011, at Lincoln Electric’s corporate headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio.

With the growing demand in energy markets, rehabilitation of existing infrastructure and construction of new cross-country and subsea pipelines will continue to increase. The seminar will focus on these topics, as well as new solutions for overall improved safety, productivity and quality.

Topics will include:
• Solutions to common pipeline welding challenges
• Understanding hydrogen cracking and how to minimize it
• Effects of welding essential variables, including heat input, on weld metal properties

Sessions will be followed by welding demonstrations on the latest pipeline welding techniques, equipment and consumables. Tours of Lincoln’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities will also be included.

For more information on this free informational seminar or to reserve a spot, contact Lincoln Electric at (216) 383-8355. Space is limited, and the deadline to register is Tuesday, March 15, 2011.

The Lincoln Electric Company, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc welding systems, fume extraction equipment and plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment. The company holds a leading global position in the brazing and soldering alloys market. For more information, visit their Web site at www.lincolnelectric.com.

This would also be a good time to check out some of the performance proven pipe welding accessories at Arc-Zone.com like purge film and heat resistant purge bladders and purge baffle systems for localized purging…  not to mention our incredible stock of top performing CK TIG Torches and Weldcraft TIG torches, parts and accessories.

And because Joe Welder knows how hard it is for students to afford all the things a full-time education can require, Arc-Zone offers a 10% discount to all students, check it out on our website.  And another helpful place for welding students is The American Welding Society, which also offers plenty of welding scholarships.

In any region boasting a strong industrial base, the need for skilled welders is a given.  Erie, Pennsylvania, is no exception. This city on the shores of Lake Erie has thrived for years on a heavy manufacturing sector, including the presence of a General Electric locomotive factory – an industry that relies heavily on the latest advances in welding technology and other manufacturing skills.

In 2007, the Erie Institute of Technology (EIT) opened a new 50,000-square-foot training facility to help serve the needs of Erie’s manufacturing community. From the start, school administrators sought to provide a constant base of educated welders and other skilled labor to local manufacturers through its Advanced Manufacturing program.

This comprehensive training program includes not only welding technology but also courses for CNC/machinist technicians; electricians; refrigeration, heating, ventilating and air conditioning (RHVAC) practitioners; and maintenance technicians. The college typically has about 300 students enrolled at any given time.

Graduates from EIT’s welding program, which started in 2009, have learned the most common welding processes – MIG (GMAW), TIG (GTAW) and stick (SMAW) – and applications at the foundation, intermediate and advanced levels. They are qualified for such entry-level positions as welder, welding specialist, welding technologist and welding engineer. The school also provides specialized training programs for some of the area’s manufacturers, including General Electric.

“Local manufacturers recognize that a skilled, productive workforce is the key to keeping U.S. jobs,” says Rick Griffith, EIT’s owner. “It all comes down to industry specific training for the latest technologies on the most advanced equipment available.”

Latest Technology

The key to success for any welding training programs lies in the design – and quality – of the facility itself. EIT offers 15 welding booths equipped with a variety of welders from Lincoln Electric, including:

• Five POWER MIG® 350MP wire welder units
• Seven Invertec® V350-PRO and LF-72 wire feeder packages
• Invertec® V350-PRO and DH-10 wire feeder package
• Invertec® V310-T AC/DC TIG welder
• Precision TIG® 275 TIG welder
• Pro-Cut® 80 plasma cutter

Future equipment purchases, according to EIT officials, will include submerged arc welders and also Lincoln Electric’s VRTEX™ 360 virtual reality arc welding (VRAW™) training system.

“We wanted to install top quality equipment when we were planning the program, and Lincoln had exactly what we needed,” says Clayton Webber, an EIT instructor who has 20 years experience as a welder. “This equipment is easy to work with and easy to use. I’ve seen technology evolve over the years, and I believe in this technology.”

EIT’s Director Paul Fitzgerald says the local manufacturing base expects EIT graduates to know how to use the latest welding technology…and use it well.

“We use only high-end, state-of-the-art systems,” he says. “We have major manufacturers, such as General Electric, relying upon our training programs to provide students – either for new hires or their current employees – with the most up-to-date education. We have to have the best technology possible in order to achieve this.”

Fume Extraction

The Lincoln Electric technology at EIT extends beyond welding equipment. The college also installed a 15-booth Lincoln Electric low vacuum central system for welding fume control – a major benefit in a heavy welding environment like a welding school.

The system removes and extracts welding fume at the point of welding and transports it via ductwork to a central location for filtration, helping to keep welding fume away from the operator’s breathing zone and also reducing accumulation of welding fume in the facility.

Low vacuum systems draw air at a close proximity, between 6 and 15 inches, to the welding arc, thanks to an easy-to-position extraction arm. These energy-efficient systems are designed such that they remove a large volume of air at low transport velocity and low system pressure. Each system is custom engineered to meet facility and application requirements. They require minimal maintenance and have automatic filter cleaning. At EIT, each booth offers nearly 100 percent capture at 600 CFM.

What’s more, low vacuum central systems are quieter than traditional weld fume extraction methods, something that enhances instructors’ teaching ability.

“The old systems sounded like a jet engine,” Webber notes. “It would be hard to talk while students are welding. Plus a lot of welding is done by sound. For example, a good MIG weld sounds similar to the sound of bacon sizzling on a griddle. If you hear that sound, you know it’s going well. If it’s sputtering, you have problems and need to make adjustments to your wire speed, voltage or arc length. If you as an instructor can’t hear this because of a loud fume extraction system, you wouldn’t know which students might need help, or you would have to shut down the whole system, talk with the students and then power back up.”

It’s this kind of careful attention to training that makes EIT a go-to source when Erie-area manufacturers are looking for new skilled workers or want to upgrade the skill sets for their existing employees.

“The need for qualified welders is huge,” Griffiths says. “And we’re the ones training them. Our success hinges on having state-of-the-art equipment in our programs.  We can’t settle for anything less. No one else in the area or possibly even the state of Pennsylvania has this level of technology.”

Attempting to weld in the age of duct tape

Al Batt, Tales from Exit 22
Published Wednesday, March 10, 2010

I don’t like to wear socks.

I wear them but I don’t like it.

I consider socks to be a fire hazard.

I took a welding class at a college that once thrived in Waseca.

It wasn’t my idea. It was my employer’s idea. He felt that the duct tape I used wasn’t as strong as a weld. He was annoyingly conscientious. Welding started during the Bronze Age, and it survives into the Duct Tape Age. I went to college during the day and worked nights. The welding class gave me something to fill those hours that I had been wasting on sleep.

My father had taught me how to weld with a derelict welder he had rescued from a junkyard. It was a serious stapler that performed basic farm welding with little attention paid to aesthetics.

On the farm, I welded broken wagon tongues and tractor hitches. I gave up welding once I quit breaking wagon tongues and tractor hitches.

I would have been happy not knowing anything more about welding. Welding isn’t even an Olympic event. It could be in the Winter Olympics. Replacing the brooms with welders would make curling a little more exciting.

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CSUF students build a race car chassis
By DAMON LOWNEY
Daily Titan Online Editor
Published: February 08, 2010

One inch steel tubes were welded together over winter break to form a race car chassis as Cal State Fullerton engineering students toil to build a race car to compete in the annual Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) competition.

By May, the Yamaha R6 powered senior project, built to FSAE’s race car specifications, will be ready to race.

The steel tubular space-frame chassis was finished on Jan. 26, according to CSUF FSAE team director Fred Hogarth.

“During break I saw footage of other teams chassis completed … They finished by mid-January. We finished by late January.” He said he believes CSUF’s car is about even in the build phase with cars from other university FSAE teams.

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Donation of equipment welds together knowledge for students

By SEAN ELY, Argus-Press Staff Writer
Monday, February 1, 2010 10:17 AM EST

Terex Simplicity’s recent sales increases prompted the company to purchase new welding equipment to further improve their business.

That couldn’t have been better news for both Byron and Ovid-Elsie high schools.

“We had a number of pieces of welding equipment on reserve as backups, so we decided to find a home for them,” said Keith Shivnen, Terex general manager. “We reached out to the local schools to boost and supplement their classes.”

The high schools’ industrial arts and welding programs received the massive MIG and stick Lincoln welding machines, valued at about $500 apiece with Terex maintenance supervisor Neil Marshall coordinating pick up and delivery. Ovid-Elsie received eight machines while Byron requested two.

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Project puts Caledonia students in the limelight
By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor

While it’s not quite Orange County Choppers or the hit TV reality show American Chopper starring Paul Teutul, Sr. and his two sons Paul, Jr. and Mike, a group of motorcycle builders from Caledonia are basking in the limelight just the same.

Eight students of Caledonia Area High School industrial education instructor Scott Martin hit the big time last week when it was announced the Caledonia Chopper Club has been selected as one of just five school groups in the United States to compete in a national motorcycle building contest.

The eight students include Ricky Pitts, Rebecca Sabo, Ben Schoh, Bill Ranzenberger, Elliot Breeser, Brandon and Lyndon Becker and Albert Kilger.

The contest is called the 2010 Donnie Smith Chopper Class Challenge. Judging for the motorcycle-building challenge will take place March 27 and 28 at the St. Paul River Centre, St. Paul, Minn.

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