TIG Welding
TIG Welding (Tungsten Inert Gas) or GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding) uses an electric current to generate an arc between the work and a tungsten electrode. A gas is used to shield the joint from oxidisation. Typically this is the inert gas argon but it may also have additives to increase the temperature of change the shape of the weld. The operator can then optionally add metal with a filler rod. TIG requires more skill than other types of welding as the gas between electrode and work needs to be kept constant and there are more controls to setup. These additional controls allow you to weld a wide variety of sizes and types of metal such as thin sheet or aluminium.
Metal sculpture in brass, mounted on an 1800s French Coin
thanks Andy for your tips on Tig welding
The average person’s impression of how metal is welded is that you simply fire-up a blow torch and run it along the edge of a metal seam to weld it together.
TIG is just one of many welding techniques, it is possible to weld using a gas torch although that’s probably now just used for more specialist jobs or for workshops who already use such a torch for cutting or brazing.