Welding Tips and Tricks

Third time tig welding. Looking for some pointers. Beads were ran on 16g square tube at 60a. Was done with a 1/16th tungsten and filler rod. Use foot pedal set at 60a. I have an Everlast 185 inverter with ck17 with stubby gas lens.

are you using pure argon? what is your actual arc length while welding? what is your torch angle? What is your rod angle? What size cup? what is your flowrate? The information you posted is not enough, because many others can get perfectly good welds with those settings. It's all the other details that matter.

Machine:
Amperage: 60A
Tungsten blend/size: 1/16"
Filler rod/diameter:
Argon Flow CFH:
AC balance (if applicable):
Pulse Parameters if applicable):
EP/EN currents/ratios (if applicable):
material thickness: 16ga
joint configuration: flat on square tubing
pre-weld prep routine:
torch size/style + air or water cooled: air-cooled ck17
Std or gas lens collet body: stubby-17
cup size:
Tungsten stick-out past cup:
arc length:
pre-flow seconds:
post-flow seconds:
pictures/videos of torch angle, travel direction, speed descriptions:


Now fill in the rest

Pure Argon. Trying to maintain a 1/8" arc. Less than 90 degrees to piece being welded in a push angle. Filler 90 degrees to the torch. Size 6 cup. About 10 or 11 cfh. Steel tubing. 1/16 filler rod. Wipe down with acetone. Take dry runs for preparation. About 1/8 inch stick out. Machine is Everlast 185 AC/DC. Post flow at bout 10 seconds. Pre flow at .3 factory setting.

If you're *trying* to maintain a 1/8" arc length, that doesn't sound good. With a small #6 cup, you need to be consistent, preferably at 1/16" arc length. You might be using too much of the 60A because the piece you are practicing on is very small. If your hands shake up-n-down while scooting down the part, that will mess things up right there. Record yourself welding, and when you look at the recording, a varying arc length will look like it is flickering in brightness as if you were pulsing with the pedal, but it is from varying arc-length involuntarily from hand inconsistency. From the back-end of the puddles looking like side-ways V's, you might be traveling too fast and outrunning your argon coverage. Any draft will blow away the argon very easily as well. These could be some reasons.

That aside, it is not easily visible if you ground off the millscale off that tubing prior to welding. Most cheap 1018 mild carbon steel has a heavy millscale coating that MUST be removed prior to welding, otherwise the weld beads will exhibit symptoms that could be caused by the previously mentioned things, leading to ugly, dull, gray, grainy looking beads instead of nice clean shiny beads. Acetone wipedown on millscale will not do jack for you. Break out the angle grinder with a hard disk, or a very coarse 24-36 grit flap wheel, and get down to bright shiny bare steel.

watch a few of jody's TIG videos it will help you with arc length, torch
angle and dipping methods.
craig