Here is my setup:
Miller Dynasty 200 DX
foot pedal
120 amps
freq 120
balance 67
3/32 2% Lanthanated tungsten
3/32 4043 filler
Problem:
When I light up on aluminum it wet fine with a nice defined puddle. The problem begins when I try to add filler. The filler will become a ball with a grey coating to it or it will ad a ton of dirt to the puddle and I will get beads like I have in the attached pics. I don't know what I am doing wrong. Any help from the experts would be great. I have to weld a new coolant tank for on of our cars and it will be right out there for everybody to see, so I want to get this down before I start on the good pieces.
Last edited by vwmann1 on Sat Nov 30, 2013 7:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Easiest spot is at welding-tv.com. "Watch stuff" menu is in the upper left corner.
You could be doing several things wrong, or could be a shielding gas or machine problem. Try the videos out and see if they answer any questions for you.
Dave J.
Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~
Syncro 350
Invertec v250-s
Thermal Arc 161 and 300
MM210
Dialarc
Tried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Others with more aluminum experience will likely chime in on this one - but from the appearance of some limited cleaning action at the start of the run & relatively shiny metal then getting dirtier & smoky I would think it likely you have restricted gas flow - some but not much is there as you start but it reduces to the point it is not fully shielding the puddle & nowhere near enough to shield the filler rod - hence the balling - so 1st thing to check is adequate gas flow ( 20 CFH should be OK )
Quick check list.
clean & degrease parent metal
clean & degrease filler rods unless new / clean & stored well
Check gas flow at the cup - do not trust what gauge says - safest method is floating ball test gauge on the ceramic & suitable size ceramic - if gas lens check this for contamination / blockage
Check parent metal is a type that is weldable ! & filler rod is compatible ( 4043 should do most common stuff )
Check torch angle / stickout & drafts in weld area ( also thermal convection flow on vertical / corner joints
Check you are keeping end of filler close enough within gas shielded zone between dips
Clean or change tungsten to rule out contamination of electrode
Less likely - check moisture / contamination of gas flow / water / steam contamination on damaged / leaking water cooled torch - bad bottle of gas from supplier.
MinnesotaDave wrote:Watch some of Jody's videos and then try again.
Easiest spot is at welding-tv.com. "Watch stuff" menu is in the upper left corner.
You could be doing several things wrong, or could be a shielding gas or machine problem. Try the videos out and see if they answer any questions for you.
noddybrian wrote:Others with more aluminum experience will likely chime in on this one - but from the appearance of some limited cleaning action at the start of the run & relatively shiny metal then getting dirtier & smoky I would think it likely you have restricted gas flow - some but not much is there as you start but it reduces to the point it is not fully shielding the puddle & nowhere near enough to shield the filler rod - hence the balling - so 1st thing to check is adequate gas flow ( 20 CFH should be OK )
Quick check list.
clean & degrease parent metal
clean & degrease filler rods unless new / clean & stored well
Check gas flow at the cup - do not trust what gauge says - safest method is floating ball test gauge on the ceramic & suitable size ceramic - if gas lens check this for contamination / blockage
Check parent metal is a type that is weldable ! & filler rod is compatible ( 4043 should do most common stuff )
Check torch angle / stickout & drafts in weld area ( also thermal convection flow on vertical / corner joints
Check you are keeping end of filler close enough within gas shielded zone between dips
Clean or change tungsten to rule out contamination of electrode
Less likely - check moisture / contamination of gas flow / water / steam contamination on damaged / leaking water cooled torch - bad bottle of gas from supplier.
Hope some of this helps.
Just tried to turn up the gas flow, I had been running 15 cfh, to 20 and it didn't help. This is an off the cuff idea. My bottle is down to 200psi, could that be the problem with flow at the end of the bottle?
Also, does anybody do anything special to store the filler rod? Mine just hangs out in the box in a corner of the shop.
I did make sure everything was clean along with brushing with a clean SS brush.
This is not good. Some things to look at:
Is the torch plugged into the negative terminal?
Can you hear argon gas flowing out of the torch?
Are all the torch fittings and collet, cap, etc.. tight?
Cuz it looks like you got some nasty gook on your metal or you're fighting the oxide layer big time. Don't see any frosty cleaning on the edges of your beads. Inadequate gas presence is also a possibility. How close is your machine to your work? If close, is there a breeze from your cooling fans blowing across your table? Check with a lighter's flame.
This is not good. Some things to look at:
Is the torch plugged into the negative terminal?
Can you hear argon gas flowing out of the torch?
Are all the torch fittings and collet, cap, etc.. tight?
Cuz it looks like you got some nasty gook on your metal or you're fighting the oxide layer big time. Don't see any frosty cleaning on the edges of your beads. Inadequate gas presence is also a possibility. How close is your machine to your work? If close, is there a breeze from your cooling fans blowing across your table? Check with a lighter's flame.
What does the tungsten look like?
I store all my rod in air-tight tubes.
Nils
Nils
Negative terminal? He should be on AC for aluminum.
Lots of people store in nice containers and it's good practice - mine are in the open though.
I just wipe them off (usually I remember).
Dave J.
Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~
Syncro 350
Invertec v250-s
Thermal Arc 161 and 300
MM210
Dialarc
Tried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
The fact your low on gas does suggest my original comment on gas flow is likely the cause - some regulators are better than others maintaining flow at low bottle pressures - for stability a 2stage reg is the best - but no one seems to pay that bit extra to have one - I'm " old school" & set gas flow by holding the torch to my ear as when I learned to weld nobody had flow gauges - but I think if you listen to the flow it will start when you hit the pedal & then fade away to nothing ( I have had results similar but not as bad as yours trying to finish a job knowing the cylinder was almost empty but on a weekend could'nt get a replacement )- below is an Ebay link for a flow gauge that you sit on the ceramic of the torch ( or mig shroud ) & tells you what is actually getting where it's needed - I've recommended this to a few people & it's surprising the difference between the reading from this & what a gauge on a bottle reads.
Oh - we all forgot to mention the leak on argon line / venturi effect thing as a possible - and as I don't have a dynasty is the balance + or - as not all makes express this the same way - just asking due to very little cleaning action .find it harder to write about something than actually doing it !
Now I don't want to offend you - but just to clarify - are the pictures we're looking at.
1 -just bought the same welder as Jodie - never welded aluminum before so why don't my welds look like his straight away !
2 Had a dynasty for some time - can weld ( nearly ) like Jodie usually - but fired it up today & made this pile of poo ! ( what changed )
Negative terminal? He should be on AC for aluminum.
Lots of people store in nice containers and it's good practice - mine are in the open though.
I just wipe them off (usually I remember). [/quote]
Yes, AC is (I'd hope) the mode for aluminum welding. However, balance is based on the torch being plugged in correctly. Additionally, the manual requires it. In AC, theoretically, it should not make any difference, but when you start to add complexities to the circuit, such as balance control, AC Frequency, and pulse, and then start to deviate from the proper configuration, there may begin subtle differences to optimal performance. Don't know for sure, but...
noddybrian wrote:Oh - we all forgot to mention the leak on argon line / venturi effect thing as a possible - and as I don't have a dynasty is the balance + or - as not all makes express this the same way - just asking due to very little cleaning action .find it harder to write about something than actually doing it !
Now I don't want to offend you - but just to clarify - are the pictures we're looking at.
1 -just bought the same welder as Jodie - never welded aluminum before so why don't my welds look like his straight away !
2 Had a dynasty for some time - can weld ( nearly ) like Jodie usually - but fired it up today & made this pile of poo ! ( what changed )
owned this welder for 7 years. I'm no Jody, but I don't suck either. So, what changed. I have always run my machine at the settings that Jody recommends and have good luck. I still am nowhere near as good at aluminum as i am at steel and SS but way better than the results I am getting now
OK - well at least that narrows it down - your using the same settings as normal that have previously given good results for you & you have enough experience to rule out a bunch of beginner things -so the obvious things that can have changed are
1 got hold of a weird alloy that does'nt weld - try same settings on any off cut of something you welded OK previously
2 Gas issue - check for leaks / constrictions - get flow meter to test AT CERAMIC or listen to flow - at worst change cylinder
3 Hopefully not - but machine fault is an outside chance.
That's the obvious things out from my experience though I find it more difficult to get it down on paper than if I was there to see what's going on ! I'm sure one of the aluminum gurus will chime in on this once the weekend beer haze clears !
Negative terminal? He should be on AC for aluminum.
Lots of people store in nice containers and it's good practice - mine are in the open though.
I just wipe them off (usually I remember). [/quote]
Yes, AC is (I'd hope) the mode for aluminum welding. However, balance is based on the torch being plugged in correctly. Additionally, the manual requires it. In AC, theoretically, it should not make any difference, but when you start to add complexities to the circuit, such as balance control, AC Frequency, and pulse, and then start to deviate from the proper configuration, there may begin subtle differences to optimal performance. Don't know for sure, but...[/quote]
Actually it makes a huge difference which terminal it is plugged into on most modern machines. That is because the shielding gas is delivered only through the EN terminal. Also if you are serious about any gas shielded welding then pay a little extra and get a flow-meter, then you will know if gas is flowing so you only have to check between the flow-meter and the torch for problems. Oh and A/C is picked by a mode selection on this machine rather than a terminal.
My bet is the gas pressure. I have had similar happen at low pressure. I have been told not use gas once pressure gets to 500 psi as there are contaminates in the gas that will come up at lower pressure.
I'm having some issues myself. I'm doing what I always have and my welds are looking like crap. I got the job done, but it was one miserable day of welding. I've changed electrodes, changed cups, changed flow rate, and even changed electrode diameter. The weld beads are coming out kind of dull grey, and the electrodes are turning grey. I really do think its the gas because I can see a wide frost line as I'm welding, and that does not normally occur. Usually the puddle is so clean & shiny, its like a mirror. I can actually see up inside the cup. .Thats no longer happening. This is a fresh new bottle of gas, and this seems to have started at the same time.
Now I'm even beginning to second guess the mix. The empty that I traded in was 75argon/25helium. With the slowdown in business, that last bottle has been here for a loooong time. Some how, in the back of my mind, I'm wondering if I took that mix instead of 75helium/25argon. My LWS has changed hands and their computer system is screwed up so I can't even back track to see if I ever used 75 helium. I really don't remember. I guess I'll see if that is a readily available mix and then try it.
The bottle pressure so low will magnify a moisture problem if your gas is "humid". A small leak in the head of a water-cooled torch will have a similar result. I won't rule it out, but it doesn't look like a line-leak to me.
Keyboard is down, typing with my mouse, so will add more tomorrow if you've not solved it.
@vwman1, When you buy Argon do you exchange your cylinder or do they fill yours?
The reason I'm asking is if they fill your cylinder (as some small welding supply co.'s do) and it only takes about 10 minutes to get your cylinder back, they are filling it off a bank of large cylinders. Why is this important you might ask. Every time you use the cylinder down to near empty you take in a small amount of moisture. Their cylinders contain very dry gas but your cylinder is now collecting moisture from the atmosphere. The cylinder has to be brought down to a near perfect vacuum to take this moisture out and if you get it back in short order they didn't pull a vacuum on it.
I explained this in an earlier post in which I think it says something about black (maybe pepper) flakes in the title. I don't know how to find and attach the link though, computers are not my strongest attribute.
I have the same setup... Miller Dynasty 200 DX.... I bought it used.. Machine is about 7 years old!! Tested good at seller location.... Got it home Welded like your pictures! I tried to check pressure at torch.. Looked and sounded ok! Cranked up pressure to 30cfh.... Welded a little better! Finally took torch off my Thermal Arc machine that uses a value at the torch!! This set up bypasses the "Gas adapter" Miller uses!! Night and day difference... Welding was normal ( for an amateur like me)! I even turned the gas down to 15 CFH from 20 CFH and things were still good, some pepper in the weld!! I ordered a new gas adapter from WeldFabulous ( best price I found) and things are great now!! I inspected the hose on the "Gas adapter" and discovered that the outer covering looks great while the inside rubber house was rotten and cracked!!
This may not be your problem but it's worth swapping it out to test it with another torch setup! Free tests are the best before you spend the money!! Here is a picture of the "Gas adapter".......
