how are my welds

[dgarnier]

1/8th thick not sure what type of steel it is so I just used er70s2 3/32 filler

A 80amps 1/16 tungsten Seemed cold
B 80amps 3/32 tungsten Seemed cold
C 115amps 3/32 tungsten Stopped too long at the end of the weld
D 100amps 3/32 tungsten Stopped too long at the end of the weld and got a crater
E 100amps 1/16 tungsten Seemed good but I jerked in the middle and didnt keep and even bead
F 115amps 1/16 tungsten I took too long to get going and got a puddle on the back side

Front


Back

[performance]

Too hot on all accounts. Non of those welds should have been above 70-80 amps with 3/32.

1/16 should be less than 50 or so.

You are going to fast. You should think in your mind about keeping about a credit card thickness between the base metal and the tungsten and THEN work your torch back and forth to open up the puddle. Yours is too narrow. IF you aren't getting penetration at 115 amps on 1/8", then you are holding too far off. See those heat lines? Too much heat. YES...What I have told you will seem painfully slow, but that's the nature of TIG. Its not a speed weld race.

[Mikeymetal]

I just tried TIG welding for the first time ever the other day. That info. would have left me with a lot fewer questions about the whole process. I will try to mess around with the credit card thickness next time I get a chance. Hope you post more pics after you try it.

[dgarnier]

I dropped the amps down..but in order to get a puddle going I get lots of heat lines. I then dropped the amps for to 25 and I can get a puddle to start but I still get heat lines. I will get some more pics later tonight. I think I have the distance ok, beacuse one the puddle forms its touching the tungsten....I have 20 tungsten and I have gotten really good at shapening them.

[Robert s]

Yes you will become a master of the tungsten sharpening arts. The heat is too high but hang in there when you get it, it will seem like you have been doing it all your life. It is not about speed it is about perfection. Tig may be slow but it is an art form.

[dgarnier]

Ok 3/23 tungsten same 1/8th steel

I started at 90amp and got a puddle then stopped, then did the same thing all the way down to 20amp. The first 70amp test something happened and the welder acted like I had let go of the switch, but I was still holding it in. At 20amp the puddle was so small that I would not even be able to get 1/16 filler in it. At the lower amps it takes a bit to get a puddle, but by then I have the same heat lines as the high amp settings. Not sure if it plays in but I am using a #8 cup



the 60amp looks like it had the smallest heat lines to get a puddle so I started at 60amps and ran a bead with 1/16 filler. I have the tungsten so close now that the 3/32 filler was hitting the tungsten as I was feeding it in. It still took a while to get the puddle going and each time I moved the torch forward I had to pause to let the puddle reform and then feed in some filler. Not sure what I am doing wrong but the head lines looks almost the same size as they did in the 80 - 115amp test.

30amp bead

60 and 40 amp beads - when I fed the last bit in on the 40amp the puddle jumped up just as I let go of the switch and the tungsten got stuck in the weld

50amp bead


I am out of cutting wheels and the kids are in bed, so no more cutting tonight....might try and take a video so you guys and tell me what I am doing wrong

[WaWelder]

I too am just starting out with the tig, and so far my welds look alot like yours. I have played a bit with the argon flow too. Not enough and the welds seem dirty and porous. Too much and its hard to get the puddle going. It might help the people with knowledge to know the flow settings as well.

[dgarnier]

I have the argon set at 12cfh

[performance]

These were done on a 3/8" beveled plate. You can see I made multiple passes. This is 3/32 tungsten with 3/32 filler. The last pass was hot at about 110 amps...But previous ones were at 70 or so. I was working with the EXT. But there is NO reason you can't get just as good. You have to manipulate the torch, swinging it across the area melting as you go along. You don't carry one large puddle with you, it moves across the weld. Trying to push the rod under the puddle is a bad technique. A slight nibbling off of the rod is all that is necessary, just enough to "wick" off the tip of the rod, not a big blob, all the time moving the tip of the torch across the seam, and rolling the rod with it, or in some cases against it. An opposite side/crossover technique can yield some smooth and beautiful welds. In this technique the rod and the torch move in opposite directions and pass in the middle of the weld. All along, the rod is lightly nipped off by the tip of the heat of the puddle. The rod is always kept at the FRONT edge or side of the puddle not under the arc directly. Pushing too much rod heavily into the puddle will give you the ropey look you have, as well as not allowing it to wet in (slowly).

[GWD]

Jody's site has lots of videos on TIG. It puts Mark's words into action.

http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/

[everlastsupport]

Looks like stainless steel to me. Also looks like way to much heat. Do you have any 316 filler? Or other steel. If you use anything with zinc/galvanized coating, grind it off good.

[dgarnier]

Ok dropped the amps down to 45 and ran another bead. This time I had to looping pattern to keep the puddle moving forward. I will have to make a call later today and find out just what kind of steel and I am working with. I get it free from a machine shop, but didnt think to ask what it was, the price was right. I am pretty sure its not stainless because its magnetic.

Here are the pics of the 45amp bead with 3/32 tungsten and 1/16 filler

[everlastsupport]

See if a magnet will stick to the metal. It is a good idea to keep a rare earth magnet stuck to the table or cart.

Can you snap a picture of the panel knobs? Straight Argon or a mix gas and what mix if so?

[dwdw]

Hi What tungsten are you using?
If you are using plain old tungsten its not good with the inverter unit only the older transformer type.
There are some stainless steels that are magnetic.
Thanks
dwdw

[everlastsupport]

Hi What tungsten are you using?
If you are using plain old tungsten its not good with the inverter unit only the older transformer type.
There are some stainless steels that are magnetic.
Thanks
dwdw

Just trying to narrow it down. And cheap SS is mildly magnetic, but looking to see what he is welding.

[dgarnier]

The steel is magnetic for sure even the magnetic weld postioner magnet sticks to this stuff

I have tried 2% Ceriated, Thoriated and Lanthanated

I am running 100% argon

A little more info on the steel - it is a mild steel, but its been heat treated so that it will hold an edge better, something about a rockwell 50 setting. So I am guess then big heat waves are due to the heat treating

[robx7fcna]

I may have missed it, but how many CFH is your regulator set at?

Looks to me like inadequate gas coverage giving a sugared weld which could be caused by either torch angle, too low of gas, obstruction in the gas lense or cup, or a combo of those.

heat settings and the weld itself looks great, just looks to me like a gas issue, but thats just my guess.

[Wookie]

looks like cold roll to me you are running way to hot for 1/8th set your argon gas to about 10-15 cfh depending on shop draft .. run a 6-8 cup orange band Ceriated or Red band Thoriated 3/32 electrode size and some er70s2or6 1/16th filler

The 45 amps is looking better but looks like you have lack of shielding or are moving to slow or both

[dgarnier]

I have the argon set to 12 cph no drafts running a #8 cup, I was going slow but as soon as the puddle moved fed some rod and moved forward. I can hear/feel gas coming out when I hut the button. I will try to pick up the pace a bit and turn up the argon a bit

[performance]

ARGON meter is in lph, not cfh if you are using ours.