Welding Tips and Tricks

Hey guys I am totally new to tig welding beside just trying it on my own. I have a Syncrowave 350 with a Diamond back wp26 torch I don't plan on welding anything to heavy any time soon. 1/16" (red) tungsten flowing 13 CFH and a #5 cup

Here is my question I am welding 14/16 Ga mild steel and I don't even have a clue on where to put what settings I am starting with this just to get my feet wet.
ARC Control: OFF
Start Amperage is :OFF
AC Balance: 5
Postflow time is around 12
Crater fill time is off
DC Electrodes negative is selected
for the High Frequency Where should it be such as START : OFF : CONTINUOUS?

I am new to this so "ANY INPUT" is greatly appreciated
Thanks,
Jason

Do you have a foot pedal?
You should be on DCEN and your post flow set.
that's about it.
HF on start for DC

Anyone else?

~John

Yes sorry I have the foot petal RC-14 hooked up, also just got done reading that I need to move AC balance to around 2 for square wave.

Also what is the easiest joint to practice on?

You shouldn't need AC anything, when you switch to DC all that stuff goes off.
You should be on DCEN, post flow set your preference, on remote foot control.
Set max amps, maybe 70-80.
I like to practice t-joints and lap-joints.

John~

Okay so report I moved ac balance into the balanced range... weather or not it has any difference im not sure... but I did also regrind my tungsten and cut off a 1/2" seamed to make a huge difference!!! apparently I had some contamination because when I would run a bead it would look oxidized after I got done welding it and the surface was ground to start with.

Like previously stated moving the AC balance will have no effect in DCEN. You can turn your post flow down a little and save some gas go to 9.. I weld with a 350LX every day nice machine

Thank you

Will do has been welding better I think some one scratch started with this tungsten.

One other thing the foot pedal is not turn the gas on and off.... is this normal or is there a valve that is not closing?

you should be in the remote mode. if you not in the remote mode the foot pedal is not doing the controlling.

~John

I Have Both Switches In Remote 14 And Gas JuSt Keep flowing

Can you snap a pic of the front of the machine running? Does it HF start or do you have to touch the work piece?

How old is this 350? The newer ones have a built in water cooler and i noticed you are running an air cooled torch. Wondering how the torch is hooked up? Maybe we can figure out you gas issue.

I had High frequency start in the continuous position and switched it to start only seamed to help a lot, not sure if it was just me though?

It is an older model and I do not think it has a water cooler, but it dose have a water in water out line im guessing to a valve? July 1991 ish KB076607 through KC258280 is the manual it comes up for. on miller welds website under manual.

It is an air cooled torch WP26 Miller diamond back torch right now I have the gas hose go from the bottle the the welder then from the welder to the power lug/torch connector.

I will grab some pictures of it Monday morning of the bottom part of the unit.

Thanks,
Jason

You'll mostly use HF start in DCEN and DCEP and then switch to continuous when you go to AC

I see note taken

Okay, after looking closer to make sure it was hooked up right the gas hoses where flipped. Now when I turn the welder off it will turn the gas off to, so so nice!!!

Gas hoses? plural?

Okay, now I'm confused.

It was wondering how the torch was hooked up. The machine is running a lot better now I have not sure what did it but all the changes have made the machine a ton better!

Otto Nobedder wrote:Gas hoses? plural?

Okay, now I'm confused.

Yeah me too..lol

How many hoses do you have with that torch?

It was when Arizona ask how the hoses where hooked up that I took a closer look. Here is the picture before I changed the gas hoses. (the one that goes under the welder is hooked up to the argon bottle.

I think all the problems are fixed with this welder I think it is all operator error now. I will check and make sure though.

Thanks,
Jason

Yes I got you know.
One of those black hoses comes from the bottle, into the machine, through a selanoid, and the one coming out of the machine goes to the torch... I don't think you can hook them up backwards, I think its just a door that opens.
What operator error did you find??
~John

Lol I am the operator error apparently you can hook them up backwards it was news to me.

So do you have it fixed?

Yes I think so... I know the arc is more controllable looks like most of it was steel that got into the tungsten, I have a lot to learn about tig but all and all it worked good except the gas dosnt shut off until the machine shuts off and I have it set to stop after a 6 second delay.

I'm glad i could be of some help on the issue but what do you mean about the gas shutting of when the machine does? When you power off it stops? If this is the case you may have a bad gas solenoid or it may need cleaning.

Thats what I am thinking that it to be replaced not sure exactly how to clean the valve. Or are you talking about the contacts?