Welding Tips and Tricks

Back to the weld issues for me after getting time to see whats going on. I'll try and keep as short as possible. Had a push through issue...After 2 weeks I stopped to investigate any problems with machine. Cleaned everything...torch...tungsten grinder...table...filler rod...degreased and wiped clean with acetone and paint grade wipe down towels from 3M. Prepped 2 fillet joints after a lot of scrap pile additions. Same material...everything is kept identical...the way that it was cleaned and prepped...filler rod...tungsten...gas...nothing changed accept for setting up and immediately welding the joint on the right in the pic. I always snip the filler end off on a restart. The cone tries to stray up the tungsten and takes more amps to wet out...then its too hot. Sometimes a resharpen/cut off helps...but always ends up with same crap....wandering arc...mostly up and off the sides. Big plume because more amps needed to wet out into root of joint....ruined parts. I am stumped. Went to LWS and got a Radnor 1.5% Lanthanated... all they had no 2%..and lit up and wow...puddle control like never before. But after welding about a minute it started the same thing. I am just before getting out the .50 BMG and taking this machine to the field and repairing it. I hope someone can offer something to look at besides my wanting to repair the welder. Any help here will be much appreciated....
I have some Diamond ground 2% lanth coming.....but my old ceriated did not do this until lately or was it that sometimes and I just didn't notice being so bad...gas near half bottle pressure. Checked good on my titanium gas checker plate..straw all the way. I am lost here with this. Need to have machine checked out?

Is your ground clamp directly on the part?

I have a work table gnd. Cleaned and sanded whole table to p to bright metal. You think a poor or weak ground is causing this ? Will try clamping to a part this evening and see if that helps.

Poland308 wrote:Is your ground clamp directly on the part?

That right there is a good question. Many problems arise from a bad ground and for some reason , it's the last place anyone looks. Like Poland says, if you can clamp directly to you piece, you should and get yourself a good old fashioned copper ground clamp and throw out those cheapie ones that come with all welders. Unless you ground to directly to the work piece, you introduce another variable. I have grounded the table and had pieces weld themselves to the table because there was some metal dust under it. It makes a difference in your arc.

what size tungstens are you using and how are you sharpening them?

jumpinjackflash wrote:I am just before getting out the .50 BMG and taking this machine to the field and repairing it.

Can't knowledgeably comment on your welding issue since I'm still learning to TIG myself -- but I gotta say I sure do admire your repair tactics.

Which welding machine?

Tungstens are ground on a diamond wheel and a set 30 deg angle with about .020" flat on the end of 1/16" 1.5% Lanth. and 2% ceriated. Machine is Miller maxstar 150 STH. Set for 60 PPS at 65 amps- .040" molly sheet - 15 cfh gas lens #8 cup has worked good for me. This is the results after grounding right on the parts in pic. A lot better but still seems to want to cone out unless I keep the tip just outside the puddle...I mean so close if I move my leg I have dipped. I know I didn't used to have to be right next to dipping to get a good bead. Machine always unplugged when I leave the shop and I am the only user of it from new. Think I will get some .020" molly here to just weld on smaller pieces. Seems when I move to something larger the welding gets real easy. I need to nail down if it is me or something I need to change...diamond ground tungstens to try this weekend.Noticed on the Radnor box they are made in china. I am sure there is QC in making those...
If I go up to thicker material it is not a problem. Low amps and thin parts are all I have an interest in and use though.

I'd try going to a dead sharp point, esp doing thin stuff on DC-. Only time I leave a small flat is for AC'ing alum, which ends up balling itself as needed. Short arc length is also more critical the thinner you go. my .02.

As already said here:

-First make sure you clamp your ground into the part itself! It's very important to have good ground due to fact that 70% of the current flows trough the ground.

-Don't flatten tungstens tip. Flat tip is used on high amps to avoid wearing. On low amps you need very sharp tungsten and perhaps even sharper than 30 degrees.

Good luck!

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Each persons manual technique varies, so the shape of the tungsten will too for the job/material at hand. Tungsten type will also influence the shape style of the working end of tungsten. Type of machine is also a factor.
Good advice will get one close,then it is experiment/practice .

When I get back to The diamond grinder in the fab shop it is set for 20 deg. But we mostly use 1/8 tungsten on pipe at probably an average of 130 amps on carbon. I use a bench grinder for mine and most days I get pretty close to the 20 deg but sometimes more like 15 deg.

Ha, your troubleshooting welds look better than my good TIG welds. Says a lot about my tigging. I should probably use it more. I'm still welding my 1.6mm sheeting with 2mm rods. Somehow I end up with better welds with the stick than the tig. Shame

OK I have made a lot of mistakes...changing a bunch of things at once...but it turned out well. Switched the welder over from 115v to 230 v with a new cord adapter. Also made a tungsten grinder....a previous conversation with DGP guy stated a few changes I needed to make. One was consistency in electrode grinds. Couldn't afford their machine at near the price of another welder. So that left me scrounging the metal box and making my own. Will post pix and info in projects section. All these things have made an improvement. Just not sure which one did. Now I can resume learning to weld.