Practical TIG Welding: Fusion Welding
Watch This Course
$199 USD
-OR-
Or
8 easy payments of only $24.88
Instant access. Easy checkout. No fees.
Learn more
Fusion Welding
03.21
| 00:00 | - We've talked a lot about the technique of TIG welding and the inclusion of filler rod as part of this process but fusion welding differs slightly here and allows the fusion of 2 parts together without the use of any filler rod at all. |
| 00:13 | The key to this process is having a perfect fit up between the parts you want to weld. |
| 00:18 | It can be common for parts to be specially produced or prepared for this process by leaving a sharp edge on the mating parts such as tube or pipe rather than the traditional bevelling of the edge that would be used to create a V that is then able to be filled with a filler rod. |
| 00:35 | Fusion welding is common in motorsports for parts such as intake pipes, brackets, fluid tanks, fittings or any other part that won't necessarily need to have a structural weld. |
| 00:46 | In this module, we'll show you the process and results that fusion welding can provide. |
| 00:51 | Because a fusion weld isn't necessarily a deep penetrating weld we may not require the amount of heat that we'd usually need for a structural weld. |
| 01:00 | We do however need to create enough of a molten weld pool to join the two parts together. |
| 01:05 | Using the pulse function here can be a great assistant so if you've skipped straight to this module, I'd suggest first checking out the pulse welding module in this practical skills section. |
| 01:16 | Using your pulse settings when fusion welding, can turn what would be a flat weld into a nice stacked dime appearing weld that you'd normally need filler rod inclusion to achieve. |
| 01:27 | Setting a short sharp pulse arc is done by adjusting the pulse balance or pulse time on. |
| 01:32 | By reducing the amount of pulse time on, we can get a quick burst of amperage to bridge our part and create the fluid weld. |
| 01:40 | A fusion weld requires a nice sharp tungsten in order to give good directional control of the arc. |
| 01:47 | The workpiece needs to be cleaned and have near perfect fit up and you'll need a steady hand and good vision of the weld pool to be able to keep a tight arc length to pinpoint your heat input. |
| 01:57 | Tacking a part that's set up for fusion welding should be straightforward as the gap free fit up should join instantly as soon as you initiate the arc. |
| 02:06 | When you're using this technique you'll want to keep your tacks as small as possible to make sure that they can't be seen in the final weld. |
| 02:14 | Because we're not feeding filler rod into the weld pool, we can use two hands to steady the part or the torch. |
| 02:21 | This allows us to rotate the part as we fusion weld the seam. |
| 02:25 | If your machine doesn't have a pulse setting then you can use the stop/start motion to create the desired weld appearance. |
| 02:31 | Alternatively you can also use a foot pedal and modulate the amperage to create the desired weld pattern. |
| 02:38 | Travel speed will have the greatest impact on fusion welding and like all TIG welding situations, this will have a lot to do with your amperage and material thickness. |
| 02:47 | Travel too fast and you won't get the amount of penetration you need, too slow and you may get too much causing burn through on the back side of the weld. |
| 02:57 | Fusion welding is a technique that relies heavily on part preparation as we've mentioned so the first module in this section is well worth a revisit before you get started. |
| 03:05 | The fusion welding technique won't give us the ability to bridge any gaps like we can when we're using filler rod so if you have any gaps in your part, it's important to rectify these before setting up for fusion welding. |
