Can You TIG Weld With a Stick Welder?

A stick welding machine helps welders weld much different metal and alloy materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, magnesium, copper alloys, nickel and nickel alloys, and low carbon steel of different thicknesses. 

In that case, can you TIG weld with a stick welder? The short and simple answer is, that the welding method can use for different alloys. So, as compared to using a welding machine, a tig welder can be turned into a stick welder. But there are some ways to turn it that we are telling you in this article.

However, TIG welding produces beautiful welds with high weld quality, so it is more and more widely used. However, in the process of use, the welder often has questions about whether the stick welding machine can do tig welding. This is also a common question that many people are interested in.

Can a Stick Welding Machine do TIG Welding?

TIG welding method can use for welding iron, stainless steel, and many different alloys. Compared with using a stick welding machine, TIG welds have high aesthetics and better quality. So that they are often used in thin welding iron, stainless steel, household appliances, and products with strict requirements for welding.

So can the stick welding machine do tig welding? The answer is yes. Using the tig welding method will make the weld more beautiful.

Required Tools To TIG Weld With A Stick Welder

A few tools are required to get started with TIG welding with a stick welder. These tools include;

• Agas supply
• The TIG torch
• Welding rods 
• Clamps

Basic Operations Before Welding – How to Set up a Stick Welder for TIG

Some notes before welding:

• Soldering irons must be placed away from the solder so that they do not arc when you are not ready to weld.
• The air valve should open slowly to prevent damage to the pressure relief valve.
• Hold the soldering iron in your hand and then turn on the machine.
• When the welder is on, check the return water line to ensure that the coolant has flowed. (if any)
• Recheck the Argon airflow by turning the air valve on/off.
• After opening the air valve, adjust the flow according to the need for use.

How to TIG Weld With a Stick Machine

After preparing the above steps, we can start arcing and welding.

Usually, there are 3 methods of causing arcing:

+ Flashing (By swiping the tip of the electrode against the solder to cause an arc). This is the method that has been used for a long time. Note that this method is prone to perforation when arcing on thin metal.

+ Touch/lift method. The action is taken: When touching the electrode down, press the switch; lifting it will create an arc. This method is more difficult than priming the arc by brushing.

+ Arc priming by the high-frequency method. This is a high-frequency method to generate a voltage of about 4.5-6kv. After ignition, the main arc current will maintain, and the auxiliary arc current will be turned off.

Turn off the device after soldering is complete.

The welder must understand the safety shutdown procedure after welding is complete:

• Place the soldering iron in a safe location.
• Close the protective air valve on the air tank tightly.
• Turn off the power to the cooling water system. (if applicable)
• Let the water drain out by opening the water valve on the machine.
• Turn off the power or turn off the switch on the machine to turn off the welding machine.

What Does it Make Sense to Turn a Stick Welder into a TIG Welder? – Pros and Cons

When we deal with things like welding or cutting, tools help us do the job quickly without taking much effort. However, when we need to cut something from a material that is hard to cut, it makes more sense to turn a stick welder into a TIG welder.

However, the TIG welder may offer some advantages to other welders and is particularly good for the safety requirements for electrical arcs and the use of non-compliant materials such as steel.

The problem with any TIG welder is that it is much more expensive than a stick welder and not as versatile. While there are many reasons why someone would want to turn a stick welder into a TIG welder, none of them are ethical, and they require us to be unethical.

Advantages and Drawbacks of Using the TIG Welder and a Stick Welding Machine

Pros of using a Tig Welder

Tig Welders have some advantages over traditional welders. 

• It consumes less gas and electricity, produces less heat, and has a much quieter sound when it works.
• A Tig Welder is a portable electric welder used to rapidly weld metal components.
• It works by either heating the metal and creating a plasma arc or using a tungsten filament, which is heated to 3100 degrees Fahrenheit.
• They have a small footprint and can be used in places where it would be difficult to use an older-style Welder.
• The main advantage of using a Tig Welder is that they can slot into tight spaces than the traditional Welder. 

Cons of using a Tig Welder

• The drawbacks of using a Tig Welder include the waste of metal and time spent.
• The most important drawback is that it can cause the weld material to vibrate and spread, which leads to a poor weld.

Pros of using the Stick Welding Machine

• It is the most exploited welding machine, and it is used for the welding of most things. 
• It does not require any training, but almost anyone can operate this machine.
• They make sure that we don’t burn ourselves with molten metal and cause permanent damage to our hands and arms, thus reducing injury risk in our daily activities.
• It saves time spent setting up and dismantling equipment.
• Using a stick welding machine allows us to save time when setting up the equipment for setting up an accurate measurement setup on a table or other suitable surface.

Cons of using the Stick Welding Machine

• The most limiting factor of the stick welding machine is the limitation of the power it can produce. 
• It cannot handle high-pressure materials like aluminum. 
• There are also drawbacks such as bulky and inefficient construction, limited uses, and complex controls that make it difficult to use in production lines.

Conclusion

Above, we have answered whether can you TIG weld with a stick welder. The above instructions only help welders use TIG welding machines safely and properly. To have a beautiful weld, the welder needs to practice skillfully for a long time.