Welding Tips and Tricks

Well,

Got my new AlphaTig 200 up and running and went to throw some practice beads and had all sorts of trouble.

The first problem was my helmet, I kept getting flashed and was having a hard time seeing. I was using my old helmet I used to use for MIG and could not get the thing to work right no matter how I messed with the settings. It was either too dark or not dark enough and I couldn't differentiate between the end of the tip and the puddle or rod.

I'm using this right now: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BWA ... =hi&sr=1-4 It's cheap but got good reviews and worked okay for MIG.

Can someone recommend a good helmet in the $200 or less range?

One of the other problems I kept having was the arc seemed really dark and then it would instantly get brighter. Not sure if that's due to the tip position or what but I noticed it would get dark again as I went to add more rod. I could see the weld much better when it brightened but now I'm seeing spots.

I burned a few holes through my metal as well as left quite a few blobs

I need to get a better helmet before I do any more practicing as I don't want to ruin my eyes so any advice would be appreciated.

Once I get a new helmet and can try again, I'll post pics and settings for critique.

Thanks!

P.S. I saw one of Jody's videos where he recommends the Viking 3350 but the video is pretty old, not sure if the technology has gotten any better or if there are better helmets for the $$.

I weld with a 3350 too. I've had it since they were the new thing. I love it. I've worn out 2 head gears and I have the optional hard hat clips. It still works good and can be bought for less than 200$. There are better helmets out there that will still be less than 200$. Look for one with at least 4 sensors. I like my controls on the inside because I do a lot of posion work on site. But external controls would be nice if your doing bench work. Most helmets over 130$ will be pretty comparable on durability but have diferances like color and clarity. Make sure it's one you can get clear lenses for locally.

The Miller Digital Elite has 4 sensors and offers and their X mode, worth taking a look IMO

http://www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.com/m ... met-257213

LtBadd wrote:The Miller Digital Elite has 4 sensors and offers and their X mode, worth taking a look IMO

http://www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.com/m ... met-257213

I was looking at the Digital Elite as well as the Jackson SmarTIGer. There's a ton of choices out there so it's difficult deciding.

The 3350 is only $10 less than the Miller Digital Elite so it's tough to choose the 3350 over the Miller.

p40whk wrote:

LtBadd wrote:The Miller Digital Elite has 4 sensors and offers and their X mode, worth taking a look IMO

http://www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.com/m ... met-257213

I was looking at the Digital Elite as well as the Jackson SmarTIGer. There's a ton of choices out there so it's difficult deciding.

The 3350 is only $10 less than the Miller Digital Elite so it's tough to choose the 3350 over the Miller.

Here is a thread from the products review forum on the DE.

Thanks for that, Ordered the Miller and figured at that price point I couldn't go wrong with either the Miller of the Lincoln. The Jacksons were just too expensive for me right now.

p40whk wrote:Thanks for that, Ordered the Miller and figured at that price point I couldn't go wrong with either the Miller of the Lincoln. The Jacksons were just too expensive for me right now.

After you use it, report back and give your opinion, it will help others. BTW I think you made a good choice.

Can these flashes be caused by dipping the tungsten in the puddle?

chillrich wrote:Can these flashes be caused by dipping the tungsten in the puddle?

Not sure, not being able to see the puddle made it difficult to tell. Hopefully the new helmet will help with that.
I'll experiment with it some more this week.

p40whk wrote:Well,

Got my new AlphaTig 200 up and running and went to throw some practice beads and had all sorts of trouble.

The first problem was my helmet, I kept getting flashed and was having a hard time seeing. I was using my old helmet I used to use for MIG and could not get the thing to work right no matter how I messed with the settings.

Look up the specifications of this helmet to see what the lowest amperage it is specified for. The senor may be switching the lens off due to not being able to detect the arc.

When I got my Miller Dynasty 200 4 years ago, I too used a Jackson helmet I got using a rebate when I bought a Lincoln Pro-Mig 175. I was getting arc flashes randomly as well, so I purchased a Miller Digital Elite which solved the problem. The Digital Elite lists its "tig rating" as 5 amps and below.

dynasty200sd wrote: I was getting arc flashes randomly as well, so I purchased a Miller Digital Elite which solved the problem. The Digital Elite lists its "tig rating" as 5 amps and below.

And in X mode it uses some sort of sensor to detect the arc (electromagnetic ?), so if you're welding at low amps and maybe the sensors are blocked it will still actuate

I'm pretty sure the AlphaTig is rated down to 10 amps but I didn't check it, that number keeps popping into my head.

I was in my local welding store today (AirGas supply) because I think I'll be going through electrodes faster than I want to and I didn't have any 1/16 inch consumables. They had both the Lincoln Viking and the Miller Digital Elite on display so I was able to try both on. The Miller was definitely more comfortable to me but the Lincoln had a much bigger field of view.

Still glad I went with the Miller as that X-Mode seems to work well for TIG.

LtBadd wrote:

dynasty200sd wrote: I was getting arc flashes randomly as well, so I purchased a Miller Digital Elite which solved the problem. The Digital Elite lists its "tig rating" as 5 amps and below.

And in X mode it uses some sort of sensor to detect the arc (electromagnetic ?), so if you're welding at low amps and maybe the sensors are blocked it will still actuate

Yes, it Senses when voltage is in the line. I have the Miller Elite and the Infinity and as soon as the high frequency kicks in the lens darkens. I have never been flashed when using the X mode And i have done lots of playing around with low currant tig when I got my new machine.

Hi
I have got across maybe three of the cheap helmets with 2 sensors and my experience tells that proper setting of the sensitivity is the key (but not only), you have to adjust it depending on the ambient light. Even when welding in very bright conditions (sunshine) with low amperage it can be set properly. Another thing is how the objects around you are blocking or unblocking the ambient light when you moving your head or even when you block the light going to the sensor with your hand or even torch. You have to be very careful with the cheap 2 sensor helmets as they're tricky sometimes

Increasing delay will help

My helmet arrives tomorrow so I plan to do some practicing this weekend.

I've been reading through the forums a lot as well as watching many videos and reading many help documents from the various manufacturers.

From what I've learned just by my research, I've been doing a lot wrong!

Too small cup size for the size of electrode I was using,
Too big electrode size for the thickness of metal I was welding,
Too big filler rod for the same conditions above
Gas flow way too low for what I was using above,
Tungsten not in correct position in relation to the end of the cup,
And the typical mistakes Newbies make like dipping the tip, etc.

CK Welding has a nice info guide that I found helpful as a starting point http://www.ckworldwide.com/Solutions.pdf