New Tig Welder!

[performance]

Dipping the electrode and resharpening is part of a TIG welder's life.

[Rambozo]

I'm done. I practiced with steel and looks "little decent" but in AC with aluminum is horrible. I damage again the tip of the electrode and the arc is horrible, never stabilized. I saw videos, read books, comments in the forum and change setups but with bad results. I don't know why i have some problems with this. I used mig and stick machines for years and this tig machine make me feel so bad and furious.

Maybe you can take a TIG class. It's a lot easier to have someone watch you and point out what you need to do while you are welding.
Do you have any pictures?
It does take practice. MIG and stick experience doesn't translate as well. Oxy fuel experience does.

[alfweld]

Maybe you can take a TIG class. It's a lot easier to have someone watch you and point out what you need to do while you are welding.
Do you have any pictures?
It does take practice. MIG and stick experience doesn't translate as well. Oxy fuel experience does.

I need practice and practice and practice ;-)! I'm searching a local school to take class.

[alfweld]

Dipping the electrode and resharpening is part of a TIG welder's life.

I have familiarisation with... Hehehehe!!!

[Judgeless]

Maybe you can take a TIG class. It's a lot easier to have someone watch you and point out what you need to do while you are welding.
Do you have any pictures?
It does take practice. MIG and stick experience doesn't translate as well. Oxy fuel experience does.

I took a TIG class and learned my 210EXT lacks features like other comparable units. It does not support start amps, up slope, down slope and end current in 2T mode like Miller, Lincoln and the Everlast 250EXT.

[Rugar]

I took a TIG class and learned my 210EXT lacks features like other comparable units. It does not support start amps, up slope, down slope and end current in 2T mode like Miller, Lincoln and the Everlast 250EXT.

I don't use any of that with my 250EX. Start amps and end amps are set to 100%. Up slope and down slope are set to 0%. Control it all with the foot pedal.

[alfweld]

I have a question all time in my head... Why i can't have a good arc? I cleaned and used the red (recommended) electrode but with the same bad results. Other is why when i want add the rod to the fusion, the tip of the rod jump back. Why i can't thaw the rod correctly?

[performance]

Your torch angle is too much....the heat is being directed too far forward. Hold the torch more upright. (I think by thaw, you mean "melt"). You may also need a larger rod.

What are you using to clean the aluminum? Also you need to hold the torch abou 1/8" or less off the metal.

[alfweld]

Your torch angle is too much....the heat is being directed too far forward. Hold the torch more upright. (I think by thaw, you mean "melt"). You may also need a larger rod.

What are you using to clean the aluminum? Also you need to hold the torch abou 1/8" or less off the metal.

Sorry! Yes, is "melt". I have a 6 cup in my torch. Maybe i have too much gas flow (18 LPM) for this cup? I have 1/8" rods and for clean the aluminum i use a steel brush and acetone. Any other techniques? :-) I want practice again...

Thanks!

[alfweld]

Here is my argon tank:


Trying! Looks HORRIBLE I dont know why!


My brand new 7"electrode and 1/8" 4043 rod.

[Rambozo]

That does look horrible.
I think you do have some kind of gas problem. First off 18 LPM is a pretty high for that size cup. Start with half that and for alum, I would use a #7 or #8 cup. Please show some of your steel welds as that will help figure out what you have going on. Also check your torch to make sure there are no air leaks in the argon setup. There is also the chance that you got a bad tank of gas. It has happened more than once to people on this forum.

Also don't use a steel brush. It needs to be stainless steel and only used for aluminum.

[performance]

Yes...especially with it being Linde gas Puerto Rico. I would suspect that there's a higher probability that the gas got contaminated someway.

[alfweld]

I'm back and here is my first steel practice:

[Rambozo]

The brownish color indicates contamination or shielding gas problems. Same with some of the pitting. I've never seen what happens if you try to TIG with C25 gas, so maybe that's what you have there. Something is definitely not right. TIG is a process where everything needs to be clean, and the finished welds will also be clean. Not like MIG and stick where you can get away with a lot more.

[zoama]

Looks like no shielding gas. Do you hear gas come from the torch ? Does the tungsten stay shiny silver after a weld ? Post a clear picture of the tungsten after you've welded with it.

[Kempy]

The brownish color indicates contamination or shielding gas problems. Same with some of the pitting. I've never seen what happens if you try to TIG with C25 gas, so maybe that's what you have there. Something is definitely not right. TIG is a process where everything needs to be clean, and the finished welds will also be clean. Not like MIG and stick where you can get away with a lot more.

Rambozo
Your right about the color and the weld looks like C25, on my MTS250S I have C25/A75 and 100% Argon tanks on it and forgot to switch them and started to Tig weld and it looked like alfweld welding just a mess then I looked up to see what I set the gas flow too and saw it was the wrong bottle.

[alfweld]

My progress with steel

Before:


After:

[Kempy]

Alfweld
Looks like a lot of heat and you maybe holding the tungsten to faraway what angle do you have the tungsten at? The start of the weld was bad but it did get better. Can you find a good clean piece of steel to test on the piece you have looks like it might be contaminated with rust it is had to grind it off. Mig welding can stand dirty steel but not Tig. What rod are you using? If you want you can use a clothes hanger it is made of a very good steel if it has plastic coding on it just leave it on it will burn off. Good LUCK.

[DaveO]

If you want you can use a clothes hanger it is made of a very good steel if it has plastic coding on it just leave it on it will burn off.

A coat hanger with a plastic coating? This is unexpected information. Everything I've read says to prep for welding, TIG must be clean clean clean. Everything I've read about coat hangers is that they used to be steel but now they're "steel-ish" and not suitable for welding. Not challenging you, Kempy, because you're way more experienced than I, but a plastic coating on a filler rod that burns off seems like it would introduce a lot of impurities into a TIG weld.

[performance]

Actually coat hangers are made out of terrible steel and the plastic coating is detrimental to the weld, even if it burns off because it leave carbon behind.

The grinding you have done to the metal has not ground off the mill scale. It's just polished the mill scale up a little bit. Until you see bright silver, you haven't hit steel yet. That dark coating is mill scale. I can shine if the right grit is applied, but it is still a form of oxidation. Grind it some more.