are there angled frame insert slugs out there folks? plenty of straight ones with differing diameters but wonder if there was like a 20 degree bend slug? cheers.
That's just because you're slow.Even though probably 75% of my welding is done by MIG, I use almost three times as much gas per year in my TIG. At $65 per cylinder.
..some cast steels are perfectly weldable with MIG but "cast steel" encompasses a wide range of materials
Generally speaking, castings really need a filler with a high nickel content. I've used 308L in a pinch. Yes, you can MIG it, just doesn't usually hold up too well.
I'm surprised at your statement of 70% the travel speed, I would've guessed more like 1/3 to 1/2 in most cases. this of course has a big impact on gas consumption.
I mean it's heavily dependent on the job of course... fitup, joint type, position, etc. But yeah, it's not that crazy of a number. Most people run too slow with TIG.
I agree that cups last forever if you don't throw them around, and tungstens last a VERY long time. a 1/16 tungsten costs a couple bucks and unless you're really awful you won't manage to go through it in a solid day's welding... and once you're better, it'll be way less than that. not enough cost to worry about vs gas (the big one), filler, power, etc.
for MIG to do stainless and have it stay stainless you need the right gas too, which is way more money than most gasses
You're right, I forgot about the gas. Same with aluminum. You'll want straight argon for both... most MIG tanks are filled with C25 (75% argon/25% C02). Expect to pay 1.5-2x the cost for straight vs C25.
I agree that the big one is the learning curve: with an hour or two of training, someone good with their hands can lay down somewhat tolerable MIG. the same with TIG will take at least several times as much training.
I'd say getting the basics down is pretty close to the same between both of them. The difference is with MIG that's all there is, with TIG you've got a lot of finesse and muscle memory to figure out to get from basics to making pretty welds.