Mig or Tig

[john75]

Was standing the around the other day with an engineer and he was telling me that Mig welding is better than.

Was trying to remember the difference other than one use electricity and the other gas is that right ?

[wedg1e]

Er... they both use electricity. And gas

[Einion Yrth]

Inert gas

[klassiekerrally]

A MIG welder uses the material it adds (the metal wire) as an electrode.

A TIG welder uses a Tungsten (the 'T' in TIG IIRC) electrode to create an arc which melts the metal.
You don't have to add material, you can melt the pieces together.

I'm no expert and my english isn't exactly top notch, but I hope you know what I mean...

MIG - Metal Inert Gas
TIG - Tungsten Inert Gas

[denisb]

You still require a filler rod for Tig.

Tig puts less heat into the surrounding metal than Mig which is why it is used for 'critical' areas (like suspension wishbones).

However, a decent Tig set costs £2-10K whereas a perfectly acceptable Mig set for automotive use can cost a couple of hundred pounds.

I don't you can say that one is necessarily better than the other unless talking about a specific application.

[jagwirexkr]

as has been mentioned MIG puts loads more heat into the workpiece giving more distortion. getting an ideal weld with a TIG that looks cool is pretty tricky (after two years I only just manage to get neat circles and between 80 and 120% penetration.

on another note, it's loads easier to join two different thickness materials with a MIG than a TIG.

[catso]

MIG welding is much quicker, cheaper and easier in many applications, but for certain specialized or delicate stuff (alloy etc) you want TIG.

[Plotloss]

I thought you didnt need TIG unless you were doing Aluminium or other boutique (comparably) metals?

[slikk]

TIG will give you a far more accurate and tidy weld than MIG, which tends to be more "point and squirt". From a home application viewpoint, MIG is a lot cheaper and easier. TIG takes a LOT of practice as you have to maintain the condition of the electrode.

kim

[J1mmyD]

MIG's easier - general use

TIG's ... dammit ... now I'm trying to remember .... it's used for aluminium and stainless .... harder weld at lower temp? Fookit. Want me to ask one of the welders?

LOL

[Flat in Fifth]

To summarise pros/cons.

MIG
Positive factors
- High productivity
- Easy to mechanise
Negative factors
- Difficult to use outdoors

TIG
Positive factors
- High-quality weld deposits
- Easy to control the heat input
Negative factors
- Low productivity
- Difficult to use outdoors

MMA
Positive factors
- Good accessibility
- Inexpensive
- Good for outdoor welding
Negative factors
- Many starts and stops
- Average productivity

What else do you want to know?

[wedg1e]

I have all three, just need oxy-acetylene now

[klassiekerrally]

Flat in Fifth said:

What else do you want to know?

What is MMA?

[Coco H]

I use MIG but then again - I have never managed to weld anything properly. The MIG has been suitable for all the bodywork repairs needed on the MG recently

[vixpy1]

Coco H said:

I use MIG but then again - I have never managed to weld anything properly. The MIG has been suitable for all the bodywork repairs needed on the MG recently

stranger, not seen you around these parts for a while

[monkey boy 1]

MMA = Manual Metal Arc or otherwise known as Stick welding.

[gooby]

monkey boy 1 said:

MMA = Manual Metal Arc or otherwise known as Stick welding.

Or just ARC welding

[klassiekerrally]

monkey boy 1 said:

MMA = Manual Metal Arc or otherwise known as Stick welding.

Ok, so not suitable for doing some welding on your car I guess?
(Unless you own a truck and want to weld the chassis...)

[Coco H]

vixpy1 said:

Coco H said: I use MIG but then again - I have never managed to weld anything properly. The MIG has been suitable for all the bodywork repairs needed on the MG recently stranger, not seen you around these parts for a while

I should reply with some clever comment that I have been rebuilding my car for next season and welding but in all honesty I havent done the work myself

[wedg1e]

klassiekerrally said:

monkey boy 1 said: MMA = Manual Metal Arc or otherwise known as Stick welding. Ok, so not suitable for doing some welding on your car I guess? (Unless you own a truck and want to weld the chassis...)

Not generally: modern cars use high-strength steels and have to be MIG welded as it keeps the heat input down (gas or TIG can put too much heat in the panels that destroys the temper of the steel)... and MMA is not that easy on thin sheet anyway. Plus it's messy (slag to chip off)...