Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello I am Thomas, I work as a Industrial Electrician/millwright at a plywood mill here. currently I have a new AHP ALPHATIG201XD, Miller 140, cheap cut50, and a Miller bobcat 250. This AHP is my introduction to TIG. So far it has been alot of fun learning! However I do have a question.

I am trying to weld some 1/4" plate steel I am using a 3/32 2% lanthanated tungsten, 1/4" stickout #8 cup w/ gas lense, 20cfh (tried down to 10 and up to 30 cfh) and 3/32 er70s-2 along with er70s-6 metal cleaned with flap disc to shiny and then wipped off with acetone. I have the welder set to 150 amps (puddles within 3 sec.) and on foot control.

Here is my problem:

After welding the weld bead looks good in shape with good penetration but the weld colour is the color of the millscale I removed. Thinking this was a coverage issue I turned the gas up and ran another. Same result. Does anyone have any ideas? I welded some berring races I took out of my truck to check on a different type of steel and those looked fantastic it's just on mild steel.

If the steel is getting heat soaked ( possible that your using too low of amps or moving too slow). or if your running too hot it can cause what your seeing.

Poland308 wrote:If the steel is getting heat soaked ( possible that your using too low of amps or moving too slow). or if your running too hot it can cause what your seeing.

Thank for for the response, I do believe you are correct, I think I was a little hot and possibly going to slow. when I get off work in the morning i am going to try again.

I would bump up your heat and go faster. Also, make sure you clean the edges and backside of hot rolled material. Then a decent wipe with Acetone or equivalent.

figured it out, it was turned up to hot and moving too slow, finally fount my rythem with background music and I'm good to go, thank yall for the assistance.