Welding Tips and Tricks

Hi guys,

I'm new here, so I'll give a brief history. I've always wanted to get into welding, and finally took a class over the summer. It was mainly a hands-on survey course, and I've been itching to get back to it ever since it ended.

I finally decided on an HTP invertig, but haven't gotten everything together yet...

My question is about this torch fit-up. It's the standard CK17 that comes with the welder, and USAweld's consumable kit, not sure the quality, but figured it should be decent? I think the issue is in the cup itself- it looks like it's slightly 'warped' along its ;ength. I've fitted other size cups to the same collet body and they look to line up.

See how the tungsten is closer to the left side? Is this within the realm of 'normal'? Just go ahead and burn it up?








Sorry for the newbie question, I've just got too much time to oogle this stuff without being able to fire it up yet!

TT,

Look straight down at the tungsten from the end and loosen the cup and see if it stays straight as you loosen it. If it does do the same thing with the collet body. Whichever one is crooked will not not be concentric as you loosen it. It's more likely it's the collet body. Either way there's no reason other than annoyance that would keep you from welding with it.

Len

Tavlor welcome to the forum.

As you shorten up the electrode the offset will reduce, but just be careful as you may end up with the gas not covering the arc properly and end up with a crook weld, I would be checking as per the other reply to see where the problem is at least that way you know there is not something else in the head of the torch that is out of wack.
And welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the replies! Yes, that is my primary concern, to make sure it's not the torch or something I should address / send back, before I use it. Also wondering if it would affect gas coverage to a negative degree. I pulled the tungsten out so much just to make it more visible in the pics.

I've put a different size consumables on the torch, and everything lines up. So I think (hope) I'm ok there.

I literally think the cup itself kinda bows to one side. Check out that second picture again.. maybe you don't see it in the photo if you haven't looked at it in person, but there is kind of a concave curve along the length of the right side.

I'm just curious, too, if this is the mark of a 'cheap' consumable. I would have hoped the USAweld consumable stuff was pretty decent, as all their accessories seemed to be better quality than anything that comes with the chinese machines. I would figure if you are selling CK torches as upgrades for other machines, the consumables offered would be good. I'm just getting my feet wet here, and don't really have a point of reference!

Based on the pictures, it does look like a defective cup. The HTP stuff is good, maybe you just got a bad cup. In any case, give them a call. Their service is top notch, so if the cup is bad, I'm sure they will have anothor one out to you in short order.

i have found that the cheap no name brand cups do that sometimes. however, i have never got a CK cup that was like that!

get used to it, regardless of the brand of cup you buy they'll all exhibit that tendancy to some extent or another at times. Just weld away and don't worry about it.

poptm,

Are you known on another forum as "pappytom"?

Steve S

This is a common occurrence for me and I've found I usually just snug up the collet body firmly and screw down the ceramic till it seals but not too tightly and just push the ceramic till it centralises with the Tungsten.
Regards Andrew from Oz.

To the OP ... get a gas lens set up for that torch. Never had that off center problem with a gas lens set up (yet anyway). Once you get a gas lens setup up you won't go back unless you absolutely have to and there will be times that you will have to.

To Steve S:

poptm,

Are you known on another forum as "pappytom"?

Steve S

No just poptm (except for the miller site where its ttppoopp).