The Double Tapping Technique when Tig Welding Stainless Steel

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When starting to work with Tig Welding thicker Stainless Steel base material it is common knowledge that someone will switch to using a thicker filler material to match. While this can absolutely get great results for some, this can sometimes present some nagging problems that make it trickier for beginners to learn and get good results.

When I was first learning I found it much easier to work with thin diameter filler material. The filler went into the puddle much more smoothly, and it stuck to the workpiece much less, making it easier to feed and control as I was welding. The welding work that I learned to do with this smaller stuff was turning out really consistent with a great finish and good looking consistency. But when I started to do work with projects that involved a thicker base material I was frequently told to switch to a thicker diameter of filler material. When I began working with this combination of a thicker base material and filler diameter, I could never get good results like I could when working with thinner material.

I would try and make adjustments with switching machine settings, torch consumables and cups, and even changing my gas level profusely to try and improve things. With every adjustment I tried to make I could never get things as good as I could when working with thinner material.

After years of working in the trade I begin to understand What was causing these problems to happen, and why I was struggling so much working with thicker filler material. While the common knowledge was to ditch the thin filler and grab some thicker stuff, I began to learn that breaking the rules and doing things I wasn't supposed to was actually getting me better results…

This is when I developed the technique called “Double Tapping." This technique allows me to use a really thin diameter filler material (the stuff I LOVED,) without having to fumble around with a thicker diameter filler material. No more filler rod sticking, easier to feed, and getting way better welds…

Sounds great right? But not so fast, there’s a catch.  There's some really important things that you have to go over here first.

In order to make laser focussed and consistent passes, we need to really consider some important variables that we need to do to set the stage, and this is the key to getting the results we want.

I go over all of these tips in THIS TRAINING VIDEO HERE. To accompany the training video you can also download this PDF TEXTBOOK HERE. This will go over all of the variables that you need to know, and more importantly some really helpful tips to get through some troubleshooting in the event that you encounter any problems.

As welders we are always out to get the best results we can. Whether working professionally or for a hobby, not only do we want great looking stuff but we want to understand what is happening as we do it. The training video as well as the accompanying PDF pages will absolutely help you get some better and cleaner results, and help build the understanding behind my nonconventional thinking behind this technique.

Enjoy, and happy welding!

Dusty