Welding Tips and Tricks

I am new to the Forum and have a question regarding preventing porosity. I'll do my best to be brief, but can supply additional details if needed.
I have a ~ 2006 Miller Syncrowave 200 TIG machine and have been TIG Welding for about 13 years. I do a lot of Race Car Fab work for myself. I have been having sporadic problems with porosity on various projects. Here is a recent project and parameters. Just not sure what I'm doing wrong??
Welding 3/8-16 Nuts to mild steel plate. Nuts were zinc-plated and I sanded away the zinc plating from the sides and bottom of the nut. Nut and plate were then wiped down with acetone.
Settings: Approx. 100 amps**, approx. 15 cfh on the 100% Argon, using a #8 clear cup and gas lens, 3/32" tungsten and 1/16" filler rod.
**I realize the amps are probably way too high for a small job, but i usually set the machine at a higher setting to make sure I have enough power available and then only use "just enough foot pedal" to manipulate the puddle.
I also install a zinc plated bolt into the nut prior to welding to help minimize the chance of deforming the thread in the nut from the heat.
The problem comes when I get started. I may run 3-4 nice beads (clean, silver color, good & calm puddle flow, consistent arc, etc.)...all working well. Then I stop and may re-position. Then all of a sudden on the next 3-4 bead run to continue the weld, porosity starts popping through the bead puddle and leave a mess. Then I have to grind out the porosity and try again. What should be a 2 minute job for a "smart" welder, turns into a 30 minute, uncontrollable problem for me....I'm still learning.
I have good luck in TIG welding all kinds of parts in the past (4130 tube & plate, mild steel, aluminum, etc.) and about 80-90% of the time, everything goes pretty well. Occasionally I'll have a porosity issue, but as I've gotten better at TIG welding, the problems aren't as often. I do a better job of cleaning, not only the outside of tubes, etc., but also the inside as weel to minimize the chances of pulling trash into the puddle.....But this sporadic porosity is killing me! Just don't know what to do?
I've heard too much gas flow with a gas lens is bad (i.e., @ 20+CFH), because it can cause the arc to be blown around and un-shield the puddle. I also try to clip off the end of my filler rod every time I start a new arc...just in case it helps. I recently bought a new #10 and #12 furick gas cup set from Jody, hoping it will help me correct the issues I'm having. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Harold

OkieWelder wrote:I am new to the Forum and have a question regarding preventing porosity. I'll do my best to be brief, but can supply additional details if needed.
I have a ~ 2006 Miller Syncrowave 200 TIG machine and have been TIG Welding for about 13 years. I do a lot of Race Car Fab work for myself. I have been having sporadic problems with porosity on various projects. Here is a recent project and parameters. Just not sure what I'm doing wrong??
Welding 3/8-16 Nuts to mild steel plate. Nuts were zinc-plated and I sanded away the zinc plating from the sides and bottom of the nut. Nut and plate were then wiped down with acetone.
Settings: Approx. 100 amps**, approx. 15 cfh on the 100% Argon, using a #8 clear cup and gas lens, 3/32" tungsten and 1/16" filler rod.
**I realize the amps are probably way too high for a small job, but i usually set the machine at a higher setting to make sure I have enough power available and then only use "just enough foot pedal" to manipulate the puddle.
I also install a zinc plated bolt into the nut prior to welding to help minimize the chance of deforming the thread in the nut from the heat.
The problem comes when I get started. I may run 3-4 nice beads (clean, silver color, good & calm puddle flow, consistent arc, etc.)...all working well. Then I stop and may re-position. Then all of a sudden on the next 3-4 bead run to continue the weld, porosity starts popping through the bead puddle and leave a mess. Then I have to grind out the porosity and try again. What should be a 2 minute job for a "smart" welder, turns into a 30 minute, uncontrollable problem for me....I'm still learning.
I have good luck in TIG welding all kinds of parts in the past (4130 tube & plate, mild steel, aluminum, etc.) and about 80-90% of the time, everything goes pretty well. Occasionally I'll have a porosity issue, but as I've gotten better at TIG welding, the problems aren't as often. I do a better job of cleaning, not only the outside of tubes, etc., but also the inside as weel to minimize the chances of pulling trash into the puddle.....But this sporadic porosity is killing me! Just don't know what to do?
I've heard too much gas flow with a gas lens is bad (i.e., @ 20+CFH), because it can cause the arc to be blown around and un-shield the puddle. I also try to clip off the end of my filler rod every time I start a new arc...just in case it helps. I recently bought a new #10 and #12 furick gas cup set from Jody, hoping it will help me correct the issues I'm having. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Harold

Talk to me about what you see at the puddle and at the tungsten. Do you a "mini sparkler show" right when the porosity happens, and also, do you end up with an orange brown soot on the tungsten and around the weld bead?

i suspect the bolt is sealing in the zinc fume and its forcing it to come out through the weld.
i would be inclined to use a bolt with a hole drilled through it length wise and don't run it all the way in, assuming its not over a hole. basically make a vent for it.

You could also try stainless bolts, although they cost more, I spend the extra in most cases so I don't need to worry about zinc fumes...I've done the grinding on zinc in the past, but seem to get better results using stainless.

Buy uncoated nuts. Like these.

https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/52593365

Oscar wrote:

OkieWelder wrote:I am new to the Forum and have a question regarding preventing porosity. I'll do my best to be brief, but can supply additional details if needed.
I have a ~ 2006 Miller Syncrowave 200 TIG machine and have been TIG Welding for about 13 years. I do a lot of Race Car Fab work for myself. I have been having sporadic problems with porosity on various projects. Here is a recent project and parameters. Just not sure what I'm doing wrong??
Welding 3/8-16 Nuts to mild steel plate. Nuts were zinc-plated and I sanded away the zinc plating from the sides and bottom of the nut. Nut and plate were then wiped down with acetone.
Settings: Approx. 100 amps**, approx. 15 cfh on the 100% Argon, using a #8 clear cup and gas lens, 3/32" tungsten and 1/16" filler rod.
**I realize the amps are probably way too high for a small job, but i usually set the machine at a higher setting to make sure I have enough power available and then only use "just enough foot pedal" to manipulate the puddle.
I also install a zinc plated bolt into the nut prior to welding to help minimize the chance of deforming the thread in the nut from the heat.
The problem comes when I get started. I may run 3-4 nice beads (clean, silver color, good & calm puddle flow, consistent arc, etc.)...all working well. Then I stop and may re-position. Then all of a sudden on the next 3-4 bead run to continue the weld, porosity starts popping through the bead puddle and leave a mess. Then I have to grind out the porosity and try again. What should be a 2 minute job for a "smart" welder, turns into a 30 minute, uncontrollable problem for me....I'm still learning.
I have good luck in TIG welding all kinds of parts in the past (4130 tube & plate, mild steel, aluminum, etc.) and about 80-90% of the time, everything goes pretty well. Occasionally I'll have a porosity issue, but as I've gotten better at TIG welding, the problems aren't as often. I do a better job of cleaning, not only the outside of tubes, etc., but also the inside as weel to minimize the chances of pulling trash into the puddle.....But this sporadic porosity is killing me! Just don't know what to do?
I've heard too much gas flow with a gas lens is bad (i.e., @ 20+CFH), because it can cause the arc to be blown around and un-shield the puddle. I also try to clip off the end of my filler rod every time I start a new arc...just in case it helps. I recently bought a new #10 and #12 furick gas cup set from Jody, hoping it will help me correct the issues I'm having. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Harold

Talk to me about what you see at the puddle and at the tungsten. Do you a "mini sparkler show" right when the porosity happens, and also, do you end up with an orange brown soot on the tungsten and around the weld bead?

I have a similar problem with a "mini sparkler show" as you describe, the puddle is dancing and it sounds like bacon frying. I have noticed the orange residue around the weld on some occasions but I don't think i see it every time i have this problem. I have experimented with shield gas flow rates, and they seem to make no difference. If I push the pedal further and flood with more filler rod it seems to help but I don't think I have the experience and knowledge to know if I am changing something by doing that or if I am just covering up the trash/porosity. I am welding square tube (1" cheap stuff from lowes) and thought I was just not cleaning the insides well enough but after some serious effort with a wire brush, scotchbrite and then acetone rinse/wipe I still have the same issues. On the outside surfaces I am sanding the mill scale off down to bright silver metal with a 120grit sand disc or flapper wheel on a 1/4" die grinder. Every once in a while, seemingly random, i'll get a nice, porosity free weld. I am welding mild steel, so not the same as OP. Another thing I notice is that the tungsten is black and sooty looking after I have the problems described.

Equipment is a relatively new Everlast PowerTig 200DV, ER70S 1/8" filler, #7 cup, 15-20CFH argon, 1/8" tungsten (red 2% thoriated) - would a 1/8 tungsten with a smallish cup cause shielding gas problems? I'd ideally be using 3/32 and maybe a little larger cup but getting supplies is not easily done with the current situation.

GrundleJuice wrote:I have a similar problem with a "mini sparkler show" as you describe, the puddle is dancing and it sounds like bacon frying. I have noticed the orange residue around the weld on some occasions but I don't think i see it every time i have this problem. I have experimented with shield gas flow rates, and they seem to make no difference. If I push the pedal further and flood with more filler rod it seems to help but I don't think I have the experience and knowledge to know if I am changing something by doing that or if I am just covering up the trash/porosity. I am welding square tube (1" cheap stuff from lowes) and thought I was just not cleaning the insides well enough but after some serious effort with a wire brush, scotchbrite and then acetone rinse/wipe I still have the same issues. On the outside surfaces I am sanding the mill scale off down to bright silver metal with a 120grit sand disc or flapper wheel on a 1/4" die grinder. Every once in a while, seemingly random, i'll get a nice, porosity free weld. I am welding mild steel, so not the same as OP. Another thing I notice is that the tungsten is black and sooty looking after I have the problems described.

Equipment is a relatively new Everlast PowerTig 200DV, ER70S 1/8" filler, #7 cup, 15-20CFH argon, 1/8" tungsten (red 2% thoriated) - would a 1/8 tungsten with a smallish cup cause shielding gas problems? I'd ideally be using 3/32 and maybe a little larger cup but getting supplies is not easily done with the current situation.

A 1/8" tungsten is not too problematic IF you know to put a long sharp taper on it. We're not there to see what you're doing in that respect, so that's up in the air. A #7 cup is fine, so is 15-20 CFH of Argon flowrate. The problem is most likely you have too much tungsten stick-out AND you are using too much torch angle (you have not described this, nor posted a pic, so I'm assuming the worst). You have the tungsten extended way too far and are leaning the torch too much. The black/orange soot is due to either loss of shielding gas coverage or contamination within the shielding gas in combination with too much stick out and too much torch angle.

Another issue I do see a problem is you're likely trying to weld 1/16" thick tubing with a 1/8" filler rod. Ideally you need to be using 0.045" filler rod. You are 4 sized too big on the filler rod. Pictures on your part would greatly help.

Oscar wrote:
A 1/8" tungsten is not too problematic IF you know to put a long sharp taper on it. We're not there to see what you're doing in that respect, so that's up in the air. A #7 cup is fine, so is 15-20 CFH of Argon flowrate. The problem is most likely you have too much tungsten stick-out AND you are using too much torch angle (you have not described this, nor posted a pic, so I'm assuming the worst). You have the tungsten extended way too far and are leaning the torch too much. The black/orange soot is due to either loss of shielding gas coverage or contamination within the shielding gas in combination with too much stick out and too much torch angle.

Another issue I do see a problem is you're likely trying to weld 1/16" thick tubing with a 1/8" filler rod. Ideally you need to be using 0.045" filler rod. You are 4 sized too big on the filler rod. Pictures on your part would greatly help.

Thanks for your reply and advice.

I already have some 1/16 filler on the way. Also will have some 3/32 tungsten soon. I hope both are helpful. As far as stick out, I'm thinking it's about 1/2" with a nice sharp needle point. Torch angle is about 70° by my best guess. I'm trying to keep close to 90° but my skill mostly does not allow.

Edit: link below to higher res versions of attached pics

https://imgur.com/a/8UvuMSu

Double post!

I blame Tapatalk

The stickout by itself doesn't look too bad, but we can't see how far you actually have the tip from the puddle. Even so, I'd say you have contamination entering the shielding gas one way or another. That's why you have porosity and the orange dust of death. With your telephone-pole sized filler rod, your cup-to-work distance is likely too long (which is why you should use 0.045" filler rod for 1/16" gauge steel). First and foremost, you are using 100% argon and not MIG gas (75/25 aka C25), correct? Then I would ask how you assembled the torch (people have actually done this wrong before). Assuming the gas inside the tank is 100% argon, and it is not contaminated internally when it was filled, there is oxygen coming into contact with the weld puddle, or you are not flowing the amount of shielding gas you think you are. Could be due to regulator faulty, loose fittings, dry rotted tig power/gas hose, collet damage, o-ring damage, the list goes on and on and on as to what it could be. The more thorough you are with your entire set-up the more quickly the issue can be diagnosed. One very important question: have you ever been successfult at TIG welding with this exact setup that you have, or is this your very first time ever TIG welding? This could perhaps narrow down a few things.

how much pressure is left in the gas bottle?

i would be inclined to go up a cup size. i'm not a fan of big tungsten with smallish cups.

Oscar wrote:The stickout by itself doesn't look too bad, but we can't see how far you actually have the tip from the puddle. Even so, I'd say you have contamination entering the shielding gas one way or another. That's why you have porosity and the orange dust of death. With your telephone-pole sized filler rod, your cup-to-work distance is likely too long (which is why you should use 0.045" filler rod for 1/16" gauge steel). First and foremost, you are using 100% argon and not MIG gas (75/25 aka C25), correct? Then I would ask how you assembled the torch (people have actually done this wrong before). Assuming the gas inside the tank is 100% argon, and it is not contaminated internally when it was filled, there is oxygen coming into contact with the weld puddle, or you are not flowing the amount of shielding gas you think you are. Could be due to regulator faulty, loose fittings, dry rotted tig power/gas hose, collet damage, o-ring damage, the list goes on and on and on as to what it could be. The more thorough you are with your entire set-up the more quickly the issue can be diagnosed. One very important question: have you ever been successfult at TIG welding with this exact setup that you have, or is this your very first time ever TIG welding? This could perhaps narrow down a few things.

I'm dipping every so often so I think I'm keeping very close, but as of obvious, I am very much a novice. Yes 100% argon. You bring up a very good point with your last question. I have not been successfully Tig wedding with this current setup, though I have some limited experience welding stainless tubing with a Hobart 165i and had good results. Everything with my current setup is new besides the table. I am pretty mechanically inclined but I should tear down the torch and check that it's correctly assembled and all seals are present. Thanks again.

tweake wrote:how much pressure is left in the gas bottle?

i would be inclined to go up a cup size. i'm not a fan of big tungsten with smallish cups.

Bottle is about 1400lbs. The welding supply place could only fill it to about 1600 with their bottle manifold at the time. I am going down to 3/32 tungsten and I think I have a #8 cup I can go up to.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

GrundleJuice wrote:I'm dipping every so often so I think I'm keeping very close, but as of obvious, I am very much a novice. Yes 100% argon. You bring up a very good point with your last question. I have not been successfully Tig wedding with this current setup, though I have some limited experience welding stainless tubing with a Hobart 165i and had good results. Everything with my current setup is new besides the table. I am pretty mechanically inclined but I should tear down the torch and check that it's correctly assembled and all seals are present. Thanks again.

Check everything and try to create just one single circular puddle on mill scale free mild steel. If you immediately get a sparkler show and orange dust of death, there is contamination in some way shape or form. No need to continue until you resolve that first.

I think you have porosity in your camera lens...

Anyway to get better pics?

TraditionalToolworks wrote:I think you have porosity in your camera lens...

Anyway to get better pics?

open them in a new tab

you stated that you are using a #8 clear cup, I see a 5 alumina in the picture. Also, I see the everlast machine,,,I have one and had a problem with the gas solenoid intermittently sticking... when you light up, can you hear the solenoid opening up? Also, you state that the problem starts after you reposition...are you putting a kink in the power cable??

BillE.Dee wrote:you stated that you are using a #8 clear cup, I see a 5 alumina in the picture. Also, I see the everlast machine,,,I have one and had a problem with the gas solenoid intermittently sticking... when you light up, can you hear the solenoid opening up? Also, you state that the problem starts after you reposition...are you putting a kink in the power cable??

I don't remember stating anything about a clear cup and can't find where I said that. I don't have any of those clear cups.

I do hear the solenoid click and can hear the gas coming through the torch.

It doesn't always start after I reposition, sometimes it starts on the first weld of the joint. In fact, it usually does. It's rare that I get a clean bead at all.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

Just jumping back in from my original post....
I've done a lot of thinking of the last few days and have been watching the posts and gaining a lot of good information.
I do think that some of my issues with porosity, when welding steel nuts to steel plate, comes from the zinc plating on the inside of the nuts and the resultant gases from it creeping under and around the nut and getting into my weld puddle. No matter how much I "think" I've sufficiently cleaned the nuts (i.e., by sanding the zinc plating from the "outside" of the nut), I've done nothing to deal with the "inside" of the nut. The zinc fumes and zinc material are simply contaminating my puddle (from the inside of the nut) and no amount of extra shielding gas will correct my issue......Hence the orange-ish color, dark-ish gray puddle after the weld and the small "sparkler show" that Oscar had mentioned.
After contemplating my situation further, I came up with a thought that I think also causes "new," or "semi-experienced" TIG welders, like myself, to "cause some of our own problems" in many different TIG Welding Applications....I probably won't state this exactly right, but here goes.....
As we are learning TIG welding, we are usually a little nervous and unsteady, have looser fit ups, and have other variables in the process that we are not quite proficient at yet. As we start to learn to weld, in dealing with our poor/looser fit ups, etc, we tend to "add more heat" and produce larger puddles/weld beads to "cover up" the poor fit and, hopefully, keep ourselves from melting away the edges of our parts. I'm thinking the use of "larger puddles" causes us a lot of problems, as when we do this, the higher heat of the puddle burns through the front side of our material and starts pulling in trash, or other contaminants from the "back" side of the material (i.e., the inside of the tube, or the back side of a flat, etc.). When I watch videos of long time, experienced TIG Welders, I notice that they always seem to have a narrower bead than some of us.....i.e., they keep the heat from burning through too much to the back side of the weld and thus avoid the type of contamination I am describing from the back side of their part.....Not sure if I'm totally on track and correct with my ideas on this, but I really think it could be happening to many of us??......Basically. Too much heat causes us to pull in too much contamination from the back side....
Back to my welding nuts application. I am definitely going to start using a stainless steel bolt to support the nut when TIG welding nuts to steel plate in the future (as recommended) and am also going to keep in mind that I need to "vent" the nut in some way (with a hole through it) to get rid of the built up gases that were being trapped inside of the nut.
THANKS to everyone for their input and comments. I really do appreciate it!
Harold

TraditionalToolworks wrote:I think you have porosity in your camera lens...

Anyway to get better pics?

Its the forum that has porosity with pics. It doesnt resize automatically. Its actually pretty horrible here with pics. Sucks that no one can adjust that.

tweake wrote:

TraditionalToolworks wrote:I think you have porosity in your camera lens...

Anyway to get better pics?

open them in a new tab

I have to admit my ignorance here, amazing how clear the pics are in a new window when I "view image".

On many of the pics I upload you can click on the pic, but those can't, not sure why. Now I see they're not on the on the forum site.

I think it's better to upload them to this site so that in the future they're not lost, but none the less, thanks for letting me know that tweake.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

tweake wrote:

TraditionalToolworks wrote:I think you have porosity in your camera lens...

Anyway to get better pics?

open them in a new tab

I have to admit my ignorance here, amazing how clear the pics are in a new window when I "view image".

On many of the pics I upload you can click on the pic, but those can't, not sure why. Now I see they're not on the on the forum site.

I think it's better to upload them to this site so that in the future they're not lost, but none the less, thanks for letting me know that tweake.

I did not realize that this forum would host images and I could upload them directly in the thread. Good to know. I'll see about replacing those IMG linked pictures with uploads.

Edit: I have attached pictures directly to my post and also left the imgur link to the full res versions.

GrundleJuice wrote:I did not realize that this forum would host images and I could upload them directly in the thread. Good to know. I'll see about replacing those IMG linked pictures with uploads.

GrundleJuice, (I like that name! )

As you may know, when some of these hosting sites started to crack down on folks hosting their images, it turned into a huge problem, notably Photo Bucket. They started to ban people from third party hosting and BAM! much of the woodworking and metalworking communities were hit really hard.

Even if you upload them here it doesn't guarantee that the site won't crash and they will loose them, but as long as sites backup on a regular basis, that shouldn't happen. Anyway, those are great pics once opened in another window!

i recommend downsizing the pics before hand. there is a few handy apps for that.
also crop them to show what you need to.
that makes life a bit easier on the forum.

TraditionalToolworks wrote: GrundleJuice, (I like that name! )

As you may know, when some of these hosting sites started to crack down on folks hosting their images, it turned into a huge problem, notably Photo Bucket. They started to ban people from third party hosting and BAM! much of the woodworking and metalworking communities were hit really hard.

Even if you upload them here it doesn't guarantee that the site won't crash and they will loose them, but as long as sites backup on a regular basis, that shouldn't happen. Anyway, those are great pics once opened in another window!

Yes, imgur recently did that to an auto forum I frequent. On that site, uploading directly to the forum database is a premium member only perk so I had no idea it was an option for me here.

tweake wrote:i recommend downsizing the pics before hand. there is a few handy apps for that.
also crop them to show what you need to.
that makes life a bit easier on the forum.

The Tapatalk mobile app downsized it for me to about 1/3 the resolution, so that was easy.

On topic, I went through my torch and lines and pulled the cover on my machine. Both the lines between the tank and solenoid hold pressure, and the internal line hold pressure so no leaks there. Didn't have a good way to pressure test the line up to the torch but I put a wrench on the fittings and everything is tight.

I assume there is no good way to test the argon for contamination without some sort of lab equipment and swapping bottles is probably the easiest thing to do.

One thing I thought of while trying to figure out ways the argon could have been contaminated is that the bottle was a freshly refurbed/hydro tested bottle from WeldUSA. Would the filling person need to purge the bottle with argon before pressurising to displace any atmosphere and moisture? I didn't watch them fill it, just dropped it off and picked it up the next day. It had a fresh hydro stamp and new paint but I didn't specifically make a point to tell them it was just out of hydro test.

OkieWelder wrote:Just jumping back in from my original post....
I've done a lot of thinking of the last few days and have been watching the posts and gaining a lot of good information.
I do think that some of my issues with porosity, when welding steel nuts to steel plate, comes from the zinc plating on the inside of the nuts and the resultant gases from it creeping under and around the nut and getting into my weld puddle. No matter how much I "think" I've sufficiently cleaned the nuts (i.e., by sanding the zinc plating from the "outside" of the nut), I've done nothing to deal with the "inside" of the nut. The zinc fumes and zinc material are simply contaminating my puddle (from the inside of the nut) and no amount of extra shielding gas will correct my issue......Hence the orange-ish color, dark-ish gray puddle after the weld and the small "sparkler show" that Oscar had mentioned.
After contemplating my situation further, I came up with a thought that I think also causes "new," or "semi-experienced" TIG welders, like myself, to "cause some of our own problems" in many different TIG Welding Applications....I probably won't state this exactly right, but here goes.....
As we are learning TIG welding, we are usually a little nervous and unsteady, have looser fit ups, and have other variables in the process that we are not quite proficient at yet. As we start to learn to weld, in dealing with our poor/looser fit ups, etc, we tend to "add more heat" and produce larger puddles/weld beads to "cover up" the poor fit and, hopefully, keep ourselves from melting away the edges of our parts. I'm thinking the use of "larger puddles" causes us a lot of problems, as when we do this, the higher heat of the puddle burns through the front side of our material and starts pulling in trash, or other contaminants from the "back" side of the material (i.e., the inside of the tube, or the back side of a flat, etc.). When I watch videos of long time, experienced TIG Welders, I notice that they always seem to have a narrower bead than some of us.....i.e., they keep the heat from burning through too much to the back side of the weld and thus avoid the type of contamination I am describing from the back side of their part.....Not sure if I'm totally on track and correct with my ideas on this, but I really think it could be happening to many of us??......Basically. Too much heat causes us to pull in too much contamination from the back side....
Back to my welding nuts application. I am definitely going to start using a stainless steel bolt to support the nut when TIG welding nuts to steel plate in the future (as recommended) and am also going to keep in mind that I need to "vent" the nut in some way (with a hole through it) to get rid of the built up gases that were being trapped inside of the nut.
THANKS to everyone for their input and comments. I really do appreciate it!
Harold

I think you are probably not wrong about pulling in trash from the back side/inside of the tube. I had similar thought and did everything I could to clean the inside but, for me, I saw no real improvement. Would a back purge would be necessary to completely eliminate contamination from over penetration?

Also, sorry about hijacking your thread. I was torn between starting a new thread for something that I'm sure there are dozens of threads about already or piggybacking on yours. I was hoping for someone wiser than I to say something obvious and I would feel foolish for a minute but resolve my issue and did not anticipate this being as stubborn a problem as it is.