Help...Tungsten Balling?

[Buggy Chief]

I have the PP205 and haven't typically had any issues with my Tungsten Balling on DC. I have been welding 1/8" steel plate at a max of about 125-140 amps with straight Argon at 10 l/min. Preflow at about 3 seconds and post flow at 7 seconds or so. 1/8" Lanthanated electrode and I was using #5 cup and switched to a #7 cup to hope let more gas flow. Tungsten still starts to ball after about 1 minute of welding.

Does anyone have a diagnosis and a remedy?

Thanks in advance for any help!!

[Rambozo]

Are you sure you don't have the leads swapped? Torch should be in negative. It takes a lot to ball an 1/8"

[Buggy Chief]

That's what I thought. Torch leads are correct. thanks.

[zoama]

Is the arc quiet like DC should be ?

[Buggy Chief]

Yes it is. Thanks..

[Rambozo]

Does the tungsten stay bright and shiny or does it get grey and blistered?

Out of curiosity you could try swapping the leads and see how it behaves.

[Buggy Chief]

The tungsten use to get dirty and black at 7 l/min argon, so I increased to 10 l/min argon and measured with a metered device at the tungsten (not sure what it is called, but looks like a little breaker with a bb in it to measure gas flow at the torch) and the tungsten now stays shiny. Thanks for your input.

[performance]

If that is the flow meter that came with your unit, that is not for the TIG torch. It is for the plasma. Won't work.

[Buggy Chief]

It's not. I bought the flow meter specifically to measure flow at my TIG torch. Thanks.

[Rambozo]

Well if it is staying clean, it's probably not a gas issue. The only thing left is somehow you have a substantial DCEP component going on there. Did you ever try swapping the leads?

[Buggy Chief]

not yet. I will try next weekend. Thanks for your help.