"Yar, you need some TIG welding lessons.
A stick welder?!?
Do you typically measure with a micrometer, mark the line with a floor mop soaked in paint, and cut with a dull hatchet?"
Good morning Carl.
Why the sarcasm? Is your buddy's computer not working?
I will admit that I have no computer skills so I don't know how to send you a photo on this forum. But if you give me your email address I'll send you some photos of my tig welds, I have actually taken tig "lessons". When I was getting my education as a geologist in the 1960s I also took a welding class in the industrial arts department and the class included tig. In the summer of 1967, while still a graduate student in geology, I had a summer job at Doug's Headers that included some oxy-acetylene welding but was mostly tig doing the welds that join the tubes to the flanges. That summer at Doug's and the headers I've built at home in the intervening 50+ years for myself, family and friends show conclusively that quality headers do not leak, as often stated here.
If you haven't tried welding thin (16 gauge) mild steel with 1/16" 6013 stick electrodes you will be pleasantly surprised how well the stick electrodes work if you have a good fit up, good welding skills and follow the old welders slogan of welding "hot, close and fast". The stick method is not as fast as mig, because you have to stop occasionally to change electrodes, but it definitely works really well. At Doug's Headers time was money and I was taught to move fast with a lot of heat without doing any harm.
As for marking metal I usually do it with blue Dykem using the applicator in the cap, mark the cuts with a scriber point and make the cuts with a hand or power hack saw, band saw, slitting saw or end mills on my milling machine, or square HSS tool bits using my lathe. If you are still doing it "with a floor mop soaked in paint, and cut with a dull hatchet" as you describe in your question to me I would be glad to recommend a good machining text book from my machining class.
Thank you for your inquiry. If you have any other questions I'll be glad to try to answer them.
I appreciate your interest.
Last edited by yar; 03/18/2018 3:16 PM.
