THE TIG WELDING STORY - Otherwise known as fiddling & fettlin'metal.
I read somewhere that utilizing tig welding, one has such accurate control that you could potentially weld a razor blade to a ship's anchor, or strike an arc and keep the pool of weld molten for hours. This precision type of welding is also used to keep the vacuum of space from entering the International Space Station way up there above the Earth - I like the sound of that. For me it's a constantly developing skill.
It's not a fast process, but one in which you are able to maintain control, back off, or add a little more heat by using the slider or foot control. Tig welding is also a very clean process, so all the parts must be spotless. (By the way TIG stands for Tungsten Inert Gas) I have successfully used tig welding to revive hundreds of Mercedes Benz heads along with countless other damaged castings since 1980.
I really wish I
could weld Space Stations but unfortunately I can't. All manner of broken castings like heads and broken fins seem to be
what I mainly repair with the aim to make the repair invisible. That's the fettling part - and it makes all the difference.
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| 4 Indian heads - arrived with many missing and bent fins. |
Broken Triple Clamp Repair
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| Click on photos to enlarge Triumph Broken Fin Repair Job |
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| Triumph cylinder head showing 3 broken fins |
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| Oversize replacement fin veed out and jigged in place |
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| Some time later, 3 new fins welded & fettled, ready for final blasting |
