Last night in my sleep I too came up with what I thought was a brilliant
invention....  Patent pending.

Having realized a couple of weeks ago that my OA gas-welding failed to
meet my stringent QC standards, a friend suggested I invest in a TIG
welder.  After viewing tons of Youtube videos online demonstrating the
ease of TIG welding I bit-the-bullet and ordered a machine. The TIG
welder arrived a couple of days ago, but it is so far not what I was
expecting.

My problem(s) are that I cannot quite see the puddle; from behind my
face-mask there appears to be very little difference between an optimum
puddle on 4130 tubing and a big hole; I have not yet figured out how to
keep track of where the far end of the filler-rod is located when I'm
hiding behind inside a helmet, etc ...

All my problems appear to be related to seeing what is going on; things
don't appear at all like they do on Youtube.

So my brilliant invention of the wee hours of this morning was to adapt
a video camera to serve as my real-time video camera.  Using digital
filtering I could using a camera to monitor my welding environment. The
digital filtering software could use some sort of non-linear filtering
algorithm to show the work area in somewhat normal illumination, but
also display the TIG torch and associated arc/puddle in vivid detail.
It could be software adjusted to meet the exact melting temperatures of
whatever alloy I was using.

This morning I had the wind taken out of my sails ...

http://visiblewelding.com/


http://www.visiblewelding.com/Videos/Alum.TIG.closeup.avi


RBerglund

Not to worry Robin. The key is getting the right face shield
transparency (darkness).

The other thing you can do is increase the ambient light on the work with
a 200 watt spot light.  This allows you to see more of the work before
you strike a spark and reduces the contrast after you strike a spark
believe or not.


Also get yourself some magnifying reading glasses and get your face closer
to the weld.

Hang in there it is worth it.


Paul Lamar

Invest in a high quality auto-darkening welders helmet, and an appropriate diopter lens for your eyes. The harbor freight auto dark helmet is not up to TIG standards and is a waste of money (fine for just MIG and stick). It is well worth the investment, when you think that your welding is what will keep your airplane from falling apart.
Buy a couple of boxes of scrap 4130 tubing (Aircraft spruce occasionally sells them for around $20 for a 10 or 20lb box) If your machine is also AC you can get a box of aluminum to practice on also. Practice, practice, practice. Clean, Clean, Clean your joints prior to welding. Take notes of your settings and which ones work. Set the current limit with as little overhead to start your puddle as is practicable. Once the puddle forms, you will typically back off on the current, as heat builds up in the metal. Use some preheat to prevent warping. Weld in still air to prevent cracking, do not quench!

C. Smith

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