Power Tig 185 Micro Eratic Arc

[cbmkr]

Trying to setup my new 185 Micro, I am getting an erratic arc that is not centralized at the tip of the tungsten, The tungsten also gets to hot.
Welds on Aluminum are not clean either they are black.Gas flow 5-7 lpm, have tried up to 10 lpm no help.Tried some mild steel same problem.Gas Flow seems good at the torch.I am going to check the torch for a lose hose.

[DaveO]

What size tungsten are you using, and what are your settings? What thickness of material?

[cbmkr]

3/32 2% Lanthanated, 90 amps Fre 20 Balance 30

[performance]

Frequency at 20? That would be erratic. Put it around 2-3 o'clock position.

[cbmkr]

I had worked my way up to that area on the setting and a little better, I will mess with this later this evening when it cools off.I checked the hose in the gun and line might of had a little kink in the argon hose from shipping i worked it out and seems like it is staying round. Just cracked the nozzle on my torch moving stuff around.Go check our welding parts inventory this afternoon for parts.

PS:
Thanks for the Reply Mark

This welds a little different than a 40 year old Linde Machine.

[Winky]

3/32 2% Lanthanated, 90 amps Fre 20 Balance 30

Freq @ 20 is low ... for aluminum I run my 200DX @ 100hz and balance around a 35% sometimes a little higher and have good luck ... of course mine is a completely different machine but I know it works well at those settings. If you are having the same problem with steel (DCEN) you might want to send a PM to support ... (feq and bal do not apply to DCEN).

[cbmkr]

Noticed one thing last night when checking the gas flow, the noise it makes when trying to weld is there when you press the trigger, you can hear it inside the machine. It sounds like a contact is not staying closed and is just chattering from open to closed.

[cbmkr]

Might have found the problem, The HF points in the front,( look like a new style) are approx .060 apart and are not in line . They are mounted to a plastic bracket that looks like it is warped one is setting forward more than the other. For Sure not at .025 now way.

I will let the machine set and discharge then adjust and them see what happens.

[sportbike]

Alot of teh machines we have are fixed at 60hz, non adjustable welding frequency. If you get it really low, it will dance. If you turn it up high, it pretty much focuses the arc, and makes teh sound a little annoying, but it shoudl stay very stable.

If you grind teh electrode in anything but the longitudinal direction or if you have too long of an arc length, it may wander around as well.

The kinked hose shouldn't matter much as it will just make make the pressure drop higher. If the flowmeter is showing flow, it should be flowing.

[performance]

Lower frequency could possibly heat the tungsten up as well, since it doesn't shift the heat from EP as often...even if the balance is set right.

[cbmkr]

Had some nozzles in our welding supplies going to try it this evening. Had a guy that tigs everyday come by and try it he had no luck. I will give it a shot tonight and then later next week.
Thanks

Temp 107 F @ 6:54 pm

Going out after dark to start to pump water onto our water trailer and see if we can save some of our trees and garden. We have had less than .25 inches of rain since early June.

[cbmkr]

No luck same thing it comes and goes you can sometimes get that good sound as if it is a spray, but most of the time it is just a buzz sounds like a bee about the size of a large dog.

You cannot get any type of shine in the steel or puddle at all, i have tried to raise and lower the amps but no luck.

Material 3" od seamless .095 wall tube , new and clean, the best it will do is the arc just dances around and almost etches the top of the metal.
It shows a heat mark even on both sides but no puddle. Machine settings are in the picture.I added a picture of what the tig is doing and a gas weld i just did with a piece of cr?P wire.

[Brian Ski]

No luck same thing it comes and goes you can sometimes get that good sound as if it is a spray, but most of the time it is just a buzz sounds like a bee about the size of a large dog.

I have to ask... Is the electrode Negative???? I have seen several make that mistake. Positive to the workpiece. Seems to go against my grain but from what I hear it will smoke a tungsten fast.

[bnun12]

What kind of gas are you using?

Where did you get it?