Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello.
I have been welding off and on for over 27 years. I have really picked it up a lot in the past two years. growing into some side work coming my way.
I have always liked to watch tig welding. However, I never had to pick it up. I'm totally inexperienced when it comes to Tig. with some recent side jobs coming in I found a need for some precise clean welds of steel and Alum. I decided to pick up and learn tig. I purchased an Everlast PowerTig -250ex on 8-17-17.
I Just opened the box 11-7-17I tried my first practice weld this evening.
Material: 16 gauge mild steel, 4" x 4" small sheets. This is for practice only. I placed them on a 1/2" thick x 4" wide x 16" long piece of copper, as a heat sink to help me out. I'm having an issue and I'm not sure why. I have not even got the tacks in place yet. Tungsten is just burning up. (melting back very quickly)
ISSUE:

1st attempt at placing the tacks. I first started out using 2t on torch trigger with (Spot Timer)
SETTINGS.
Arc Start (HF)
spot time 0.5 sec
Amps 110
Tungsten 2% Length 3/32 sharpened to point.
Pre Flow 0 sec: Tried 1 & 2 sec as well.
Post flow 3 sec
Ground tested with fluke, clean ground to the workpiece.
Issue: Tungsten tip burning up instantly. '
I was looking for a quick high amp tack. the workpiece called for 60 amp so I though spot time 110 quick tack weld should be easy. No, I did not touch tungsten to work peace. at least not yet. lol

2nd Atemp.
SETTINGS:
removed spot timer. Added foot pedal.
settings
Arc start (HF)
Amps 1 amp per thou. 16 gauge= 60 amps. set 80 amps to have some play in the peddle.
Tungsten 2% Length sharpened to point.
Pre-flow 1 sec tried 0 sec as well thinking spot T and Pre worked against each other.
Post flow 3 sec. still just trying to tack not run a bead.
start and stop left at 0 because foot peddle is my control.

Issue:
I can see HF starting if I get into the peddle 1/4 or so.
Arc start all over the place for a split sec or two. Tungsten melts instantly
I have tried turning amps down to 55 and I have tried getting into the peddle just a little. it's like the (Hf) start & arc is weak then I give it just a little more to get the arc to bite and bam no tungsten (melted).

I tried removing the copper heat sink. clamping down to the 1/4" x 36" x 36" work table. to double check clean ground.
Still, same issue arc just doesn't look right. The 250ex does have a lot of featured. I did not plan to use them until my skill level called for it. I was thinking maybe I have something out of whack.
In DC with HF start and foot peddle there really isn't any setting needed. I have everything off or turned to 0 except pre and post. and I even tried setting them to 0 as well with same results.

Any ideas if this issue is user error or machine error. don't want to return to everlast without troubleshooting the machine or myself.
I have read the entire manual, twice!

Have you ever been so sure that you did something right? When you double check it and its wrong, it still appears to be right your mind's eye. Even though your eyes are looking at something you know to be incorrect. This is called a (Brain Fart).

Had the dam torch on the positive side. I double checked this a couple times. This was a frustrating issue I worked on for about two hours double checking the polarity setting of workpiece and torch. For some reason, My brain farted out. I just could not see that it was backasswards.
The next morning I could see it from a mile away. I was on a schedule did not have much time. did a quick swap of workpiece and torch completed a quick test and she fixed right up. Nice tight arc Now just have to work on technique.

hope this forum helps another that has a gassy brain one day.

Was going to tell you to swap the cables so the gas could flow through You're not the first, nor will you be the last to make my mistake...

cj737 wrote:Was going to tell you to swap the cables so the gas could flow through You're not the first, nor will you be the last to make my mistake...

I really would not have wasted a post on this forum if it was not for the fact that I double check it more then once. Like I said my brain just would not turn that page. It was not until the next morning and I just happen to glance over at the tig and it jumps right out at me. Like you said I won't be the last person to drive down this road.

Thanks for your reply!

Here is my first tig weld. I have a long way to go. However, I didn't stick the tungsten, I would have bet that I was going to. Anyway happy with my first tig weld. Excited to gain some experience. I learned in just that 3-inch weld that the gun angle really helps with control of the puddle. You can see I started letting off at the end a little too early. I didn't get a creator, just a small nipple. Next I'm going to fill that hole you see right above the weld. Hope everyone has a great night!