Welding Tips and Tricks

Now that I'm almost done with this project, I thought I'd post a couple pictures to share what I'm doing and how I'm doing it, and also to ask for suggestions to do it better. I can always do it better, right? When I clean it up, it suddenly looks inconsistent.

The job is welding 11ga stainless with an open corner. We are adding filler, rather than just fusing the corners. The job calls for TIG welding, so MIG isn't an option.

So far I have had the most success using pulse--my settings were 95A, .9pps, 50% on, 30% background (using miller 350). I'm holding the torch like I would if I were fusing, pointing across the corner, rather than directly into the corner. And of course I'm adding filler as I go. I've been using .045 filler.

Every guy at the shop has his own way of doing this, and now that I've been using pulse, I'm just one more guy with his own way of doing things. One guy does a "texas lace" weave--that seems enormously tedious for 100' of weld (yes that is feet!). A couple other guys just hold a 1/4" arc and jab it with filler...they've gotten good at it over the years, but it gets hot and generally looks scorched when they're done.

I'm trying to be relatively fast, consistent, and get good color in my welds. So far pulse is the ticket. But what else can I do? Would I get better results with different pulse settings? What do you think?

Why a open corner? If were me and I wanted a open style joint, I'd fit them like a step so the edges would be butted, lay 1/16" filler in, 2.5pps (if you want the ripple look, higher pulses would smooth it out) 70% on 30% background, 3/32" tung with a large gas lens, I'd start with 90amps see how it looked.

The reason I wouldnt do an open corner is sugaring on the backside unless you run backing tape, backer bar or purge. You really could butt it tight, speed tack every 1" or so then dial in pulse where you would nearly get through but the backside wouldn't be contaminated.

Can you say how it is used or what it is for? If strength is a concern you could stitch a fillet on the back then fuse the front pretty quick.

Granted this is 16g but same concept except smaller filler .035"

Rick_H wrote:Why a open corner? If were me and I wanted a open style joint, I'd fit them like a step so the edges would be butted, lay 1/16" filler in, 2.5pps (if you want the ripple look, higher pulses would smooth it out) 70% on 30% background, 3/32" tung with a large gas lens, I'd start with 90amps see how it looked.

The reason I wouldnt do an open corner is sugaring on the backside unless you run backing tape, backer bar or purge. You really could butt it tight, speed tack every 1" or so then dial in pulse where you would nearly get through but the backside wouldn't be contaminated.

Can you say how it is used or what it is for? If strength is a concern you could stitch a fillet on the back then fuse the front pretty quick.

Granted this is 16g but same concept except smaller filler .035"

Thanks for the photo. I just wish it was higher resolution so I could see more detail. This project is really my first time using pulse, so I stuck with the first thing that seemed to give a good result. I started at .7pps, because I was struggling to keep up with the filler rod. But I sped things up as I got more comfortable.

We do have bigger filler at the shop..now I think I could lay in 3/32 instead? I've never done that before... I was using .045 because 1) that's what the other guys would use and 2) 1/16 rod would stick more easily in my pre-pulse attempts. I didn't experiment with filler sizes after switching to pulse.

I don't know specifically what they're for. It's a guard or cover of some sort. Six of them make a complete circle.

The dimensions only work out if it is an open corner. the ends won't meet flush if I butted them.

I haven't had any burn through/sugaring inside.

If it's decorative or protective and all they care about is looks on the outside then a little sugaring is ok on the back side. That said if it's allowed you can get away with running a bit hotter. That will make it easier to use a 3/32 rod and flatten out your bead profile a bit. If that's the look you want. I tend to run scratch start at work and that machine doesn't have pulse. If I get a chance this afternoon I'll do a Rick and post a pic if I have any SS that thin in the garage.

This project is industrial but not food grade, and the appearance of the welds doesn't matter to my boss. I'm surprised by how much he doesn't care. (But he cares about food grade conveyors and such...) On the first order, I struggled to get a convex weld, and nobody cared. The welds I'm doing now are as good or better than what I've seen anybody else do. Granted I've done the majority of these, the same weld for days on end, probably 2 weeks in total. I know it is good practice, so instead of being bored, I'm challenging myself to make the best welds I possibly can.

Here is my corner weld. 11ga 304 SS. I don't know how many amps I used but the machine was set at 145. 3/32" lanthanated , gas lens, 15cfh, 1/16" 308l filler....no pulse just puddled and dabbed. I just touched the tips of the corners and used filler like Rick H does. No sugaring on the backside.

Only 11g we have is in a 8ft sheet so I grabbed some 13g scrap. I wasn't sure how much gap you had but I set my Maxstar up at 2.5pps, 50% on 50% off, 3/32" open root and with 1/16" filler, 3/32" tung gas lens #8 cup. The 3/32" filler cooled it down and I didn't want any more heat, and with a gap it sugars.

Had best success at 45-50amps. Only my front camera wants to work on my phone, guess it didn't survive falling 100ft out of my pocket..lol

If the material touches but it more of just an outside corner you can lay the wire and get a nice round beautiful edge, no sugar either

Hey Rick....do they make you wear that hair net all day? Mighty sexy I must say

Here's another very small gap .035" filler, 50amps, 2.5pps, 1/16" tung...

Swapped to my CK Flex-loc, my reg Miller 17 was welding awful gray, new bottle too...hmm something going on.

exnailpounder wrote:Hey Rick....do they make you wear that hair net all day? Mighty sexy I must say

Lol...you see that huh, what a pia taking pics with the front camera. Yeah hairnet all day, a lot of the time I put my welding cap over it, hardhats too.

Rick_H wrote:

exnailpounder wrote:Hey Rick....do they make you wear that hair net all day? Mighty sexy I must say

Lol...you see that huh, what a pia taking pics with the front camera. Yeah hairnet all day, a lot of the time I put my welding cap over it, hardhats too.

I was just makin sure it wasn't "funny hat" day at work

You need to wear a hair net when you got the curlers in.

but the hair net messes up the TV reception..
craig

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Crickets

I do have to get some work done...lol

You can't tell but I'm smiling in this pic for you bunch of smart asses.

Rick_H wrote:Here's another very small gap .035" filler, 50amps, 2.5pps, 1/16" tung...

Swapped to my CK Flex-loc, my reg Miller 17 was welding awful gray, new bottle too...hmm something going on.

There was no gap. There was just enough overlap to be able to easily tack the two pieces together.

I like the color on the last one...I've never had a weld look blue like that, except at the very end when I keep it shielded for a few seconds. It must be the big cup--is that a gas lens as well? I want one, but I know better than to ask my boss to buy me one.

From your previous post, I had some welds like your 80A example, must be extra filler beading up on the toes? I guess part of it is that I need to get better at recognizing if I need more or less filler. As I have been doing these I am starting to see how the filler washes across the puddle, kind of like a wave. But I'm feeding quite a bit of filler per pulse, which explains the lower frequency. I'm adding filler almost like I'm welding aluminum.

Without pulse I was using most of 55A.

fredygump wrote:

Rick_H wrote:Here's another very small gap .035" filler, 50amps, 2.5pps, 1/16" tung...

Swapped to my CK Flex-loc, my reg Miller 17 was welding awful gray, new bottle too...hmm something going on.

There was no gap. There was just enough overlap to be able to easily tack the two pieces together.

I like the color on the last one...I've never had a weld look blue like that, except at the very end when I keep it shielded for a few seconds. It must be the big cup--is that a gas lens as well? I want one, but I know better than to ask my boss to buy me one.

From your previous post, I had some welds like your 80A example, must be extra filler beading up on the toes? I guess part of it is that I need to get better at recognizing if I need more or less filler. As I have been doing these I am starting to see how the filler washes across the puddle, kind of like a wave. But I'm feeding quite a bit of filler per pulse, which explains the lower frequency. I'm adding filler almost like I'm welding aluminum.

Without pulse I was using most of 55A.

Yes that was with a gas lens and my CK gas saver setup (1-1/8" cup) the color is all gas cover and heat input. The thicker filler required more amps to allow it to flow I didn't like the amount of heat I was putting in. It brushed out shiny but I know it was to much.

If you do a lot of stainless work IMO a gas lens is a great investment, I bought my first stubby kit from HTP under $70 for 4 sizes. It sounds like that joint is setup like I would want, I'd lay the filler in the ledge, pulse at 55-60 amps and run smooth all the way across resting my hand on the round side, point the torch right at the joint and rock it out.... you'll get a nice round edge.

I saw this on IG earlier... for a 9, 20, etc I have never used is brand but for the price it might be worth checking out. http://www.riverweldstore.com/index.php ... ts_id=7886

http://www.riverweldstore.com/index.php ... ts_id=7815

I did find some scraps in the garage. Ran at 60 amps no pulse.

Josh looks good, you weld that in the orientation it was sitting for those pics? If so, rotate 45° so the top plate is parallel to the ground and try it again...see if you notice a difference.

Rick_H wrote: Yes that was with a gas lens and my CK gas saver setup (1-1/8" cup) the color is all gas cover and heat input. The thicker filler required more amps to allow it to flow I didn't like the amount of heat I was putting in. It brushed out shiny but I know it was to much.

If you do a lot of stainless work IMO a gas lens is a great investment, I bought my first stubby kit from HTP under $70 for 4 sizes. It sounds like that joint is setup like I would want, I'd lay the filler in the ledge, pulse at 55-60 amps and run smooth all the way across resting my hand on the round side, point the torch right at the joint and rock it out.... you'll get a nice round edge.

I saw this on IG earlier... for a 9, 20, etc I have never used is brand but for the price it might be worth checking out. http://www.riverweldstore.com/index.php ... ts_id=7886

http://www.riverweldstore.com/index.php ... ts_id=7815

Thanks again. I had one more piece to do on Monday, so I tried laying a 3/32 filler in the joint and pulsing over it.

It went okay, but I never really figure it out. I took a picture, but it isn't a thing of beauty. The center of the photo is what I ended up feeling most comfortable with, 1.5pps, and higher amps. I'll have to work on it.

And I've been using a #8 cup, the biggest available to me.

I asked my supervisor about a gas lens, and he dug an old one out of his tool box...but he doesn't have a cup for it. It hasn't been used in many years. But he seemed to think it would be a good idea to order one from our supply company, so with any luck...

I'll make sure I get one, even if I have to buy it myself. Atleast that way I eliminate the possibility of poor gas coverage.

Poland308 wrote:

image.jpeg

I did find some scraps in the garage. Ran at 60 amps no pulse.

Are you doing a little weave with the torch? And did you weld it in the position you photographed it in?

The weave was very small. No more than I needed to to get an even tie in. It was welded with one side vertical and one side horizontal.

I tried the same thing but with 1/8 filler. Same setup but I had to up the amps. I tried it at 65- 70- and 80 amps. It came out ok but I had to brush it to get it shiny. The 3/32 one was a pic as is after the weld with no cleanup. On the 1/8 I had to run fast. Im a bit rusty on my flat work so it didn't come out as nice. most everything I do is pipe.

What was the point of this thread?