Welding Tips and Tricks

Im new to tig welding and im not sure why i cant even lay a simple bead. ive used my AHP alphatig 200x about 5 times now and at first i was laying some decent beads but now i cant lay one to save my life. Im thinking its a gas problem because my welds have tons of holes and they bubble up as im going. My tungsten turns a dark blackish grey from just attempting to lay one bead and has small burrs on it. yet its still sharp.The gas is %100 flowing and i have it set on 15cf with 7 sec of post flow. right away i went and got a gas lens with a number 8 cup. I didn't even attempt to use the one that came with the machine. any help is appreciated its getting very frustrating not being able to lay down a bead.

gas flow ? positively... distance of tungsten from work piece ?? Is the torch put together properly ?? Stick out ?? Is a draft blowing the gas away ?? Torch angle correct ?? AC/DC ?? Amps ?? Base metal is ??

Pictures help ..

I keep the tungsten as close as I can to the workpiece and the stick out is around a quarter of it inch. No draft machine is on DC started at 120 amps and walked down to 90 thinking it was too high. And I’m practicing on a piece of 1/8” hot rolled steel that I sand blasted. The regulator is set on 15 Cf and I have 7 seconds of post flow. The torch is put together correctly but I took it apart last night and found that the collet is kinda warped and swollen but the tungsten still fits snug. Thank you for responding very much appreciated hopefully I can get this figured out.

Porosity, bubbling, exploding is definitely a gas problem. Do you have 100% argon? Let's start there. A crushed collet will block the gas flow in the collet body, or may cause other issues. Replace it.

Please post a picture of how you assembled your gas lens and cup. Dollar to a donut something is not correct.

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Yes %100 argon and I will replace the collet ASAP. That picture of the tungsten is how it looks after trying to run one bead and it’s done that since the first time I used the welder.


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Your Teflon gasket insulator setup looks incorrect. The one on the torch should be removed as it is for standard cups. My gas lens collet body looks different the the one you have your cup resting on. You should only have one Teflon insulator, I think.

Your tungsten should not be forming nodules/cauliflower. What are you using for tungsten? 2% Th?

Yes 2% if I take the standard cup insulator there would be a lot of brass showing.


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Oh ok, I'm not familiar with how that 2pc teflon insulator goes, my bad. Once you change the collet, then see if it gets any better. Are you trying to weld aluminum?

No problem I appreciate the advice and suggestions. No I’m just trying to weld regular carbon steel.


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If you plug the end of your torch, does regulator show any flow? The first time you activate gas the ball will float at first as it fills the hose, after that it should stay down.
Another idea, Some of those Chinese regulators are not accurate. Try 25-35cfh. It could be lying to you by 10cfh.
Good luck

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Simclardy wrote: Another idea, Some of those Chinese regulators are not accurate. Try 25-35cfh. It could be lying to you by 10cfh.

Could be in Lph too which would make it low as well.

If you wet your finger, then activate the argon, wave it over your finger and you should feel an immediate cold sensation. If not, you are not getting good gas flow.

Ok thank y’all I will give it a shot.


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