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.

[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.

[bnun12]

What kind of gas are you using?

Where did you get it?

[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.

[cbmkr]

Argon from Praxaire In North Kansas City Mo. ,Electrode is Neg, as shown in Manual, you go positive it will melt the Tungsten fast. Tried that.

I am leaning toward bad gas

[Brian Ski]

Argon from Praxaire In North Kansas City Mo. ,Electrode is Neg, as shown in Manual, you go positive it will melt the Tungsten fast. Tried that.

Ah reread your post... Electrode neg... Correct. Wasn't sure you mentioned electrode was melting earlier.

[cbmkr]

Just watched the everlast video on th 185 , There machine is setup exactly as mine is just welds the way it should, the sound is how it should be not jumpy like mine.

I am going to have to leave this for a while i am trying to go camping in Northern Iowa Southern Minnesota and play some Golf and have some cold ones.Need some RR and no 100 + Temps.

[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.

[Winky]

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.

That thought came to mind but I didn't mention it because points too far apart usually cause a hard start but when you get it going it will hold an arc ... but out of line? Yea that could be it. Jody (weldingtipsandtricks.com) had found some that were too far apart on an Everlast machine ... he reset them to .030 and that took care of it.

[performance]

That bluing on the pipe shows it is Stainless Steel, or steel and not aluminum! The way you were discussing it was that it was aluminum with the AC settings you gave. The settings of AC balance and frequency are moot. It doesn't matter if it's on DC. And you close to 70-80 amps at the least for .095...and of course DC.

HF point gaps would only affect it if you are not getting an arc transfer. They shut down after the start.

How far off are you holding your tungsten? Think about the tungsten coming about the thickness of a credit card off the puddle.

Make sure your gas is 100% argon. It is also possible it is contaminated.

[cbmkr]

Mark !!

Its not stainless, its mild steel tubing. ? Were did aluminum come from, I tried it on some 6063 and it burnt nozzles and and cones.AC Balance is not working HF point gap was .042, plastic mount they were in is warped not true. the nut that holds the screw adjustment on the left side of the point assy was not tight , points also were not parallel with each other .
Going in for service after 2 days of trying to get it to go , I am getting a bad felling about this deal.