“Rule of 33” and the HTP Tig Welder

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Is the HTP brand Tig Welder any good?

What is the “rule of 33”?

Where should I use high speed pulse tig?

I have been welding with this HTP 221h welder for quite a while now and I like it.

I have pushed its limits welding thick aluminum, I have welded thin aluminum too, and also some thin stainless.

In this video, I thought I would demonstrate the effects of high speed pulse welding near an edge… on jobs like tool and die repair, injection mold repair, and any other tig welding job where lots of control over the bead shape is desirable.

The “rule of 33” is a simple place to start for high speed pulse tig.

• 33 pulses per second
• 33% pulse time
• 33% background current.

Simple… easy to remember… and it works.

Don’t be afraid to tweak the settings but the rule of 33 is a great place to start for all kinds of “build up welding”, like repairs on tool and die, injection molds, building up metal that has been accidentally machined off… and a lot more.

The HTP 221h AC/DC Tig welder is up for the task.

IF you have read any of my rants about using pulse tig, you probably already know that I don’t really like pulse settings in the range of 2 to 30.

I like either slow speed pulse or high speed pulse.

Anything in between makes my head hurt.

That is why I typically either pulse at around 1 pps, or greater than 30pps.

IF you are thinking that 33 pulses per second has no effect, think about a roto hammer drill… a massage shower head… an impact wrench…

Get the picture? Pulse makes a difference.

Not like night and day. But pulse definitely makes a difference.

Especially when welding near an edge, filling a gap, doing precise build up welding on tool and die or injection molds, or any time where a focused arc with limited heat input is a help.

( As always, feel free to visit us at our sister site, WeldingTipsAndTricks.com. )

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