Welding Tips and Tricks

First I will state I am no professional welder, just a passionate hobbyist; and self taught/teaching to make it more fun:)

I bought a lincoln Tig175 and started learning on Aluminun. Got fairly decent. Then Decided that using a Gas Lense might help me. Now here is the part that has me messed up. I started using the Gas Lense with a 3/32 electrode. Verified all gas flow and amp settings for the pieces I was testing on... and could not weld shit. Troubled, I returned to the setup and rechecked everything. It was almost like the gas was not flowing, although I could here it and it did not sound any different. Still could not weld shit. For a better definition of this I get massively unstable arc and can not get any form of a pool.

So I stepped back and thought about it, and decided I will try a smaller electrode. moved down to 1/16 and everything started working, not well but workable. I then moved to 1/8 and again it would not work.

As I am typing this the thought comes to mind that perhaps the two gas lenses I have for the 3/32 and 1/8 tungsten are messed up? They were purchased new as a set... but I will admit that means nothing...

One of the reasons I am trying the gas lense was in hopes it would help me in corder welds.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

What is your gas flow? A gas lens works at rates as low as 5 CFH in calm air.

Can you trust your flowmeter? Someone recently had a problem with a failed flowmeter.

Are you actually using a flowmeter? Or a Hi-Lo regulator combo? Too much flow will cause as many problems as inadequate flow.

Failing any of that, do your gas lenses fit your stinger the same way as the collet bodies you were using before? Are the threads longer, and partially obstructing the gas flow? (More hissing sound, less actual flow?)

A gas lens should improve performance, not degrade it, so something's not right.

Steve

Show us a picture of your torch so we can see cup size and how much your tungsten is extended. Also tell us what your flow rate is. I'll always use a gas lens when it's an option. I'm sure you just need some fine tuning.

I would be sure the lens is the right one for the torch you have.It may be letting air mix with your argon,but it almost sounds like a current flow,ground,or conductivity problem.I am not familier with the machine you have.If it has a water cooled torch or air cooled.This is what i would do-take off the gas lens and put in a 3/32 collet body,collet,and thoriated tungsten and set the machine at 80-120 amps and fire off on a thin piece of clean aluminum.If it welds ok ,then the gas lense is the problem.If it does not weld ok i would make sure all connections are tight and the ground is good.If this does not solve it you probably have a bad power cable or foot pedal problem.Also would ask if you put on a new bottle of argon before trying the gas lenses,if so it may be contaminated. Best of luck

Are you using the same flow rate with the gas lens as you were before? I may be wrong but, you should be using less flow rate on the shielding gas.