[Arthurbl]

Hard to tell from the vid. Melted that drop of filler pretty good though. What size rod are you using?

3/32 tungsten and 1/16 rod tried 3/32 rod and 1/16 tungsten same thing .. how can I record a better video I was recording through a spare welding mask

I'm running out of ideas.

That's not good i have been trying to get it going for 4 days I need to finish my project. It's driving me crazy no idea what's wrong .. if I was getting contamination won't it happen on filler and no filler ? Or poor gass coverage ?

[exnailpounder]

One thing is when I add filler the filler melts and sags gets all soft even after it's dabbed into the puddle and sometimes leaves a string dangling off the filler

Try holding your filler a little further away from the arc and then dip. If you hold it too close, you get it rubbery. 3/32" filler is what you should be using but it melting off and getting stringy is strange. Maybe your shoving too much rod in there and cooling your puddle, hence the stringy thingy.

[Arthurbl]

One thing is when I add filler the filler melts and sags gets all soft even after it's dabbed into the puddle and sometimes leaves a string dangling off the filler

Try holding your filler a little further away from the arc and then dip. If you hold it too close, you get it rubbery. 3/32" filler is what you should be using but it melting off and getting stringy at that amperage is strange. Maybe your shoving too much rod in there and cooling your puddle, hence the stringy thingy.

If I just dab a hair if filler it don't get all contaminated but it would take me weeks to build a bead at that rate .. I'll try doing that once I'm home

[exnailpounder]

Try wiping down your filler with a scotch brite and acetone too. Is your filler old and oxidized?

[Arthurbl]

Try wiping down your filler with a scotch brite and acetone too. Is your filler old and oxidized?

Yes I have and no it's new and I was using it before without cleaning it with zero issues

[exnailpounder]

Well we have eliminated about everything there is....Okay...you never said what thickness your material is or what amperage you are welding at. The pics suggest contamination/gas issues/balance issues but only with filler. I'm stumped.

[electrode]

I was just gonna ask what is the thickness and what is the piece you are welding on? After watching the video it doesn't look like you are getting the part hot enough and starting the puddle so it appears you are just burning the filler rod. And what is the brand of the machine?? Don't use pure tungsten(green) on an inverter machine. And if you have some other aluminum laying around, try a thinner piece.

[exnailpounder]

I was just gonna ask what is the thickness and what is the piece you are welding on? After watching the video it doesn't look like you are getting the part hot enough and starting the puddle so it appears you are just burning the filler rod. And what is the brand of the machine??

He says he can do a bead with no filler. You take over for awhile

[electrode]

I was just gonna ask what is the thickness and what is the piece you are welding on? After watching the video it doesn't look like you are getting the part hot enough and starting the puddle so it appears you are just burning the filler rod. And what is the brand of the machine??

He says he can do a bead with no filler. You take over for awhile

Ok, but that's not much of a bead if you ask me. I would also wonder if he got some argon/co2 somehow instead of pure argon. That aside, try preheating the part in an oven or with a heat gun or even a propane torch in the area you are gonna weld and try again.

[Arthurbl]

I was just gonna ask what is the thickness and what is the piece you are welding on? After watching the video it doesn't look like you are getting the part hot enough and starting the puddle so it appears you are just burning the filler rod. And what is the brand of the machine??

He says he can do a bead with no filler. You take over for awhile

Ok, but that's not much of a bead if you ask me. I would also wonder if he got some argon/co2 somehow instead of pure argon. That aside, try preheating the part in an oven or with a heat gun or even a propane torch in the area you are gonna weld and try again.

I tried different thickness part the plate is 1/8 in and I was about 125 amps .. this is the second tank of argon I'm on. the first I was halfway through when this happend .. I am defiantly getting a nice shiney puddle before I try to add filler .. I tired red green and blue tungsten all the same .. that no filler bead was just to take a pic i had the part heated up and didn't help any

[exnailpounder]

You need to be at about 150 for .125" if your using a pedal...130 if your using a torch switch...sorry electrode, I was just checking in..

[Arthurbl]

You need to be at about 150 for .125" if your using a pedal...130 if your using a torch switch...sorry electrode, I was just checking in..

I am using a pedal I tried cranking it up to 200 and still don't help any

[exnailpounder]

You need to be at about 150 for .125" if your using a pedal...130 if your using a torch switch...sorry electrode, I was just checking in..

I am using a pedal I tried cranking it up to 200 and still don't help any

Did you get a nice shiny silver puddle at 200? Or other amperages? You only have a problem when you add filler, correct?

[electrode]

I tried different thickness part the plate is 1/8 in and I was about 125 amps .. this is the second tank of argon I'm on. the first I was halfway through when this happend .. I am defiantly getting a nice shiney puddle before I try to add filler .. I tired red green and blue tungsten all the same .. that no filler bead was just to take a pic i had the part heated up and didn't help any

What brand is the machine?? That will help us if we can look at a online manual for machine specific settings. But it looks like bad gas more and more. Is the aluminum new and is it 6061? Aluminum is porous and can trap crap in it so used unknown dirty aluminum can be trouble and require extra attention. Can you verify the gas solenoid is working? Does it weld steel ok? It still is looking like a gas issue more and more.

[Arthurbl]

You need to be at about 150 for .125" if your using a pedal...130 if your using a torch switch...sorry electrode, I was just checking in..

I am using a pedal I tried cranking it up to 200 and still don't help any

Did you get a nice shiny silver puddle at 200? Or other amperages? You only have a problem when you add filler, correct?

At around 125 I get a nice shiney puddle .. I only have an issue when I add filler correct

[electrode]

Ok, I guess you don't want to identify your machine but that's ok. Last advice I can give is to look at your tungsten and see if it has been contaminated and cut off the bad section and regrind it or use a new one and use the biggest diameter you have. Set your AC Balance to 70% Electrode Negative. Some machines display this correctly like the number "70" where others do it backwards or some other weird way so check your manual. If you have a frequency setting just try it at 60 or some other low number and then again at 200 to see if it is working as the sound will change. Make sure the amps are set high enough for the material and go higher than the 1 amp per thousandth's rule as you can vary that after you get it started. Make sure you have a good ground and the machine is set to AC and AC frequency is set to continuous and is on. And in case you contaminated your tungsten look at your alumina cup for contamination and also your collet holder for the same so no gas holes are plugged.
Carry on.

[exnailpounder]

Ok, I guess you don't want to identify your machine but that's ok. Last advice I can give is to look at your tungsten and see if it has been contaminated and cut off the bad section and regrind it or use a new one and use the biggest diameter you have. Set your AC Balance to 70% Electrode Negative. Some machines display this correctly like the number "70" where others do it backwards or some other weird way so check your manual. If you have a frequency setting just try it at 60 or some other low number and then again at 200 to see if it is working as the sound will change. Make sure the amps are set high enough for the material and go higher than the 1 amp per thousandth's rule as you can vary that after you get it started. Make sure you have a good ground and the machine is set to AC and AC frequency is set to continuous and is on. And in case you contaminated your tungsten look at your alumina cup for contamination and also your collet holder for the same so no gas holes are plugged.
Carry on.

you said gasholes

[exnailpounder]

Arthurbl...I am at a loss. We have covered everything and it boils down to filler material. Some guys hate Alcotec AL filler, and others don't care so there is a difference in filler. Try another filler if you have it and see what happens. Let us know.

[Arthurbl]

Ok, I guess you don't want to identify your machine but that's ok. Last advice I can give is to look at your tungsten and see if it has been contaminated and cut off the bad section and regrind it or use a new one and use the biggest diameter you have. Set your AC Balance to 70% Electrode Negative. Some machines display this correctly like the number "70" where others do it backwards or some other weird way so check your manual. If you have a frequency setting just try it at 60 or some other low number and then again at 200 to see if it is working as the sound will change. Make sure the amps are set high enough for the material and go higher than the 1 amp per thousandth's rule as you can vary that after you get it started. Make sure you have a good ground and the machine is set to AC and AC frequency is set to continuous and is on. And in case you contaminated your tungsten look at your alumina cup for contamination and also your collet holder for the same so no gas holes are plugged.
Carry on.

Sorry it's a off brand Chinese welder tig200p ac/D.C. Okay I'll try to adjust my setting to what you said and give it a shot thanks a lot !!

[Arthurbl]

Arthurbl...I am at a loss. We have covered everything and it boils down to filler material. Some guys hate Alcotec AL filler, and others don't care so there is a difference in filler. Try another filler if you have it and see what happens. Let us know.

Okay I'll try a different filler . It's got me stumped and everyone I talked to .. I'll report back as soon as I try it thanks !

[Arthurbl]

These are my settings

[Arthurbl]

Tungsten after welding with it

IMG_6247.JPG (26.62 KiB) Viewed 1070 times

[Oscar]

Turn. Pulse. Off.

[Arthurbl]

IMG_6248.JPG (49.41 KiB) Viewed 1070 times

IMG_6249.JPG (39.39 KiB) Viewed 1070 times

IMG_6250.JPG (35.07 KiB) Viewed 1070 times

IMG_6252.JPG (46.92 KiB) Viewed 1070 times

IMG_6255.JPG (43.75 KiB) Viewed 1070 times

IMG_6254.JPG (43.94 KiB) Viewed 1070 times

IMG_6256.JPG (66.1 KiB) Viewed 1070 times

IMG_6258.JPG (37.55 KiB) Viewed 1070 times

IMG_6257.JPG (46.67 KiB) Viewed 1070 times

here I am trying everything new besides argon .61 t6 pipe with 1/16 green tungsten and 1/16 4043 filler argon set at 16cfh

[Arthurbl]

Turn. Pulse. Off.

Pulse frequency ?