How t o use this book

This book covers most of the aspects of mold, tool and die repair
TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding at shop floor level as well as the
relative technical areas. In time, it will help you to understand the dif-
ference between tool steels and why they need to be repaired dif-
ferently, and aspects such as what your tool is made of, whether you
need to pre-heat and what type of welding rods you should
use, or even how do you weld and what should you weld with! Hope-
fully this book will answer most, if not all, of these questions. So,
whatever stage of welding competence you are at, this is your
starting point.

Can you TIG weld?

No: if you cannot TIG weld, Chapter 7 discusses welding equipment,
the types of accessory you will need and how to set them up. Chapter
7 also discusses safety, which is essential when dealing with welding.
Chapter 8 goes on to tell you how to use your equipment and it also
gives you welding exercises to help you develop your hand skills. Go
to Chapter 7 then carry on to Chapter 8.
Yes: read through Chapters 7 and 8 to make sure that you have
suitable equipment and that it is set up correctly, and that you fully
understand the weld techniques you may need to master before you
undertake tool repairs. Go to Chapters 7 and 8.
2 Handbook of mold, tool and die repair welding
Weld procedure
Now you should be as comfortable and happy as possible with your
equipment, so the next step is to understand what you are welding
and how you are going to weld it.
I will assume that you have a tool that needs repair either in front
of you or in mind. Your first step is to gather as much information as
possible about the tool and what welding work is required. Write this
all down in a format that you can understand. This will be called your
'weld procedure'; Go to Chapter 2.
Once you understand why all the information is put down in a
format that is easy to understand, you will have learned that the basis
for all quality welding is the 'weld procedure'.

Review
0 What type of equipment you should use and how to set it up: Go
to Chapter 7.
0 How to TIG weld: Go to Chapter 8.
e Where to start when you are happy with your equipment and
welding ability: Go to Chapter 2.
0 What material your tool is made from: Go to Chapter 3.
0 Whether you need to pre-heat, and if so, how much: Go to
Chapter 5.
0 What filler wires you should use: Go to Chapter 4.
e Where to go for practical advice on weld techniques: Go to
Chapter 6.
Once you understand how to use the chapters to complete your weld
procedure, and how to put into practice the weld techniques outlined
in Chapter 6, the rest is a matter of practice. Reading this book alone
will not make you a good tool welder, but it will put you in a position
to become one.