New to tig and cant start a good bead

Luke686 · Tue Mar 10, 2015 10:39 pm

I just started tig today in welding school and it is going awful i cant even form a puddle im almost positive my machine is set up right and im just not sure what im doing wrong it will make the loud buzzing pulsating noise and then the arc will just go away im not sure whats going on any help is appreciated

Tue Mar 10, 2015 11:09 pm

So, your instructor is too much of a douchebag to assist you with this? You're "almost" positive the machine is set right?

How much are you paying? Can you get a refund? There are real schools that teach real skills.

You can learn a lot here for free, too.

Steve S

Jacked800 · Tue Mar 10, 2015 11:38 pm

Need to know what kind of machine you are running, what you are welding. Sounds like you could be in lift arc mode and losing contact if you get too far away. Or are you burning off the end of your tungsten ? Bad ground ? Could be so many things but can't really guess without more information.
Thanks Jack

AKweldshop · Wed Mar 11, 2015 3:01 am

This just makes me want to sit down and cry.

TRACKRANGER · Wed Mar 11, 2015 3:31 am

Luke, like some others have mentioned, give us some more details

What material?
What Amps?
What size tungsten?
What model welder?
Can you describe the position of the settings on the welder, switches, knobs, displays?

It could be that you are starting an arc, and then drawing it too long (moving the electrode too far away from the workpiece) until the arc extinguishes.

Give us some more details, the team here will be sure to get you going.

Best

Trevor

Luke686 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 12:10 pm

That is my machine i managed to get a bead going today but now its being built up too far and they knock right off

AKweldshop · Wed Mar 11, 2015 12:16 pm

This makes me want to puke.

TRACKRANGER · Wed Mar 11, 2015 4:33 pm

Luke686 wrote: That is my machine i managed to get a bead going today but now its being built up too far and they knock right off

Luke, re: "That is my machine i managed to get a bead going today but now its being built up too far and they knock right off":
If I understand correctly, you are laying some form of bead down, but it has no penetration into the parent metal, and therefore falls away. Is that correct?

What does your welding instructor offer? Not much from the sounds of it.

Can you get a photo of the weld bead?

This just sounds like really poor technique which will improve when you get the hang of it.

You mentioned "New to tig and cant start a good bead" Are you sure you are TIG welding and not SMAW (Stick) welding?
The reason I ask is that I noticed what looks to be a stick electrode holder on top of the machine.

PS: It would have been better if the machine was turned 'On' for the photo...

Wed Mar 11, 2015 8:21 pm

Luke,

That's the same machine I (and several others here) use every day.

We'll sort this out.

What designation is on your filler rod? What base metal are you trying to weld?

Steve S

Jacked800 · Wed Mar 11, 2015 9:55 pm

Take the picture of that machine when it's turned on and set for you to weld. I also have that same machine and one quick look might solve something. Also take a picture of your cable connections.
I was on that same machine 250DX and the power cable, running through a water cooler first before the torch, wouldn't allow the machine to get out of lift arc mode no matter what it was set to. Can't have you power cable running through an electrical devise and expect it to work properly. Guy ran it like that for years before giving up.

TRACKRANGER · Wed Mar 11, 2015 10:52 pm

Luke
Also take a picture of your torch and tungsten stick-out, shape etc.

Wes917 · Thu Mar 12, 2015 4:02 pm

So it's been multiple days and your "teacher" can't make their way over to help you out? I'd take my happy ass down to the registers office demand my $$$ back and go to a school were you can actually learn.

AKweldshop · Thu Mar 12, 2015 5:11 pm

Wes917 wrote:So it's been multiple days and your "teacher" can't make their way over to help you out? I'd take my happy ass down to the registers office demand my $$$ back and go to a school were you can actually learn.

What he said. ^^^^

Like,
Based on what your telling us,
I'd be out of that crap house before you can say smaw!!!