Welding Tips and Tricks

Sometimes my puddle just stays as a blob but won't melt in to the base metal. Is this because it's not hot enough?

Typically not enough amps. Can also be too long an arc. What thickness material and what amps are you running?

I am attempting to butt weld 1.5 dia ss pipe, 1/16 wall thickness.
Had it set for 60 amps.

Greg240 wrote:I am attempting to butt weld 1.5 dia ss pipe, 1/16 wall thickness.
Had it set for 60 amps.

Gotta go with arc length is the issue with those settings.

Try using a 6" pipe. Bevel the pipe
on both sides. No land just a feathered
edge. Set your gap slightly larger than 1/8"
Place pipe in a c channel to line it up. Tack it at
12, 6, 3, and 9 oclock. This is how I started to learn to
tig weld. Sharpen tungsten to a point using a grinding
wheel used only for tungsten. Stand pipe up. I started practicing in the 6g position because it includes all positions. When adding filler wire at 6 oclock it best to feed the wire to the back side of the puddle. When coming up the sides the wire should be half way out of the bevel. When welding the top the wire can be added to the outside of the bevel due to gravity. Feather your tacks before hand for better tie ins. Do not use heavy tacks. When welding your heat input should be adjusted so that your not sitting for a long time. Sit at your tack edge at heat it up so a good puddle forms. The wire should melt easily.
Good luck.

cj737 wrote:

Greg240 wrote:I am attempting to butt weld 1.5 dia ss pipe, 1/16 wall thickness.
Had it set for 60 amps.

Gotta go with arc length is the issue with those settings.

Another thing to note is that if you are butting the joint up, you could literally fuse weld the joint without filler. Purge the backside and run 60 amps (probably) and get a full penetration weld.

If you are getting "blobs", then you're adding too much filler, moving too fast without driving the filler into the weld, or as I said, have too long an arc length.

Can you post any pictures of your results and your torch setup?

cj737 wrote:

cj737 wrote:

Greg240 wrote:I am attempting to butt weld 1.5 dia ss pipe, 1/16 wall thickness.
Had it set for 60 amps.

Gotta go with arc length is the issue with those settings.

Another thing to note is that if you are butting the joint up, you could literally fuse weld the joint without filler. Purge the backside and run 60 amps (probably) and get a full penetration weld.

If you are getting "blobs", then you're adding too much filler, moving too fast without driving the filler into the weld, or as I said, have too long an arc length.

Can you post any pictures of your results and your torch setup?

I agree, with TIG there are so many variables it could literally be anything.

Oscar wrote: I agree, with TIG there are so many variables it could literally be anything.

Yup, the other day I was welding, everything perfect. Went off to lunch for a bit, came back, all hell broke loose. Tried everything. Finally, emptied my pockets and lo and behold, I discovered the girl behind the counter had slipped me Canadian coins in the change from lunch! I'll be damned, a couple of loonies threw my whole day out of whack...

cj737 wrote:....... had slipped me Canadian coins in the change from lunch! I'll be damned, a couple of loonies threw my whole day out of whack...

so that explains why you had your dick in a vice

(for those that don't know what that means go watch ave on utube).