Tig welding copper ferrules/pipe

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JamesL73
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Tig welding copper ferrules/pipe

Post by JamesL73 »

No luck in the search bar so has anyone here tig welded copper ferrules to copper pipe? If so, can I get away with just using 14 awg bare copper wire or do I need to spend money on the de oxidized tig rod? Orrr, do I even need any filler, can I just blend??


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StillerBoy
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Re: Tig welding copper ferrules/pipe

Post by StillerBoy »

Why not use lead free solder with some silver content used with a good flux will do the trick , and be plenty strong, and easy to clean..

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shadylane
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Re: Tig welding copper ferrules/pipe

Post by shadylane »

Tig welding with copper wire works :thumbup:
Pre-heating the copper parts helps
OtisT
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Re: Tig welding copper ferrules/pipe

Post by OtisT »

StillerBoy wrote:Why not use lead free solder with some silver content used with a good flux will do the trick , and be plenty strong, and easy to clean..

Mars
Because when God gives you the means to TIG weld, you do it. ;-)

James,
I’ve MIG welded all my life and just bought my first TIG welder to learn myself. I’m a bit excited about it. Would love to see your work and hear about your experience when you are done.

+1 to pre-heating the copper from all I’ve read. Cu takes a relatively long time to heat up from the arc. For the same reason, when joining copper to SS, the arc starts on the copper and you drag the weld into the SS. I plan to weld copper pipe to SS ferrules and have been doing some research. All theory so far, until this project moves up my list. :-)
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StillerBoy
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Re: Tig welding copper ferrules/pipe

Post by StillerBoy »

OtisT wrote:Because when God gives you the means to TIG weld, you do it.
Otis.. I stand to be corrected..

Here what I found by Googling tig copper welding.. hope it helps.. best to you..
https://www.google.ca/search?q=tig+weld ... e&ie=UTF-8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Mars
" I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent. Curiosity, Obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me to my knowledge and understanding "

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Re: Tig welding copper ferrules/pipe

Post by brewbob »

I have tig welded copper to SS in the past, using both de-oxidized filler and copper scraps. There are several ways but what I like best is as follows.

Amperage about 20% higher than required for the SS.
Helium
1/16" 2% thoriated tungsten, balled up
#4 cup, no gas lens

Hope this helps. You are correct with starting arc on the copper. Feel free to ask anything I left out.
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johnsparrow
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Re: Tig welding copper ferrules/pipe

Post by johnsparrow »

brewbob wrote:I have tig welded copper to SS in the past, using both de-oxidized filler and copper scraps. There are several ways but what I like best is as follows.

Amperage about 20% higher than required for the SS.
Helium
1/16" 2% thoriated tungsten, balled up
#4 cup, no gas lens

Hope this helps. You are correct with starting arc on the copper. Feel free to ask anything I left out.
Do you find it cracks easy? The coefficient of temperature difference between the two materials is massive.
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heynonny
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Re: Tig welding copper ferrules/pipe

Post by heynonny »

Tig welded with #14 copper wire:
1-welded-ends2-800.jpg
½" copper tubing, I had machine at max '185 amps' got it hot & lowered temp (foot pedal) to weld.
Third or so copper weld, not too bad, , , ,

-h-

Some other copper welds posted here, I dont know where, , ,
  
 
 
       Oh,look!! Its a hole in the space-time contuum!!
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