Got My TIG Welder Running, First Attempt At TIG Welding, Comments Please

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I'll say from the start that I know I'm doing things quite differently from what most of you do; I'm in Japan, they do a lot of TIG welding here, but mostly industrial, factory stuff, they don't use the foot pedal, at least I've never seen anything but a cheap Chinese import machine with a foot pedal, never a good Japanese machine.I'm learning completely from books, and the net, so sort of self taught, I don't even know anyone else here that welds, let alone TIG welds. I'm using a machine that I would bet most everyone has never seen before, but I think the controls are the same or similar, once I translated them! The controls are still kind of a mystery to me, but I am learning. I bought a book.........and I'm reading it as quickly as I can, but I could not resist sparking up the welder once my consumables arrived.This is the control panel of the welder....This is the grind I have on the tungsten and the stick out.I'm welding on a pice of mild steel, 6mm thick (1/4") that I ground shinny.The welder is set on;DC TIG 150 Starting Amps 150 Welding AmpsMid Range Pulse 40HzCrater OffCleaning was right in the middle, neither wide or narrow.I just kind of set things what looked like the middle and started, I have no real rational for setting things where I set them.First I just fired up the machine and melted some metal, no filler rod....Sorry that second pic is not great.Next I got some filler rod out and tried that....1st and 2nd attempt, yeah, I contaminated the tungsten and had to grind it again.3rd attempt, I'm pointing at it with the end of the filler rod4th attempt.After that I just ran a bunch of beads, fooling with the machine settings.Lots of mistakes, lots of bobbles, some blobs, and some tungsten dips, that needed to be reground.Tons to learn yet, but I think I'm going to like this, a lot quieter and cleaner than stick welding in my small shop in downtown Tokyo for sure.Well, in a nutshell, what am I doing wrong?Suggestions on settings?I'll have more and more questions as I learn more and more about what I'm doing, thank you very much for your time.Cheers!Dragon D-150 Arc WelderHobart Handler 175 Set up with 100% CO²WT-60 Plasma Arc Panasonic TIG Star YC-300TWX-2 Panasonic YX-0092UW Water Cooler for the TIG
Reply:Only thing wrong those is lack of hood time.  Wonderful job, and most importantly - you have the tempo well on your way to being in control.Feeds and speeds....... feeds and speeds.Keep up the good work!Miller Dynasty 200DXMiller Spectrum 250DMiller Millermatic 200Bunch of old blue dinosaurs....
Reply:Amazing first attempts stu, don't overwhelm yourself with literature, watch some YouTube videos and continue practicing.
Reply:Looks good. Your grind looks a bit short to me, but still well within 1-1.5x electrode diameter.
Reply:Awesome work man.A lil Saki, some fried chicken from Namole.Watch closely. The secret to $ is there. Yes ! For a welder too.Last edited by Burpee; 02-18-2014 at 06:02 PM.Bubble gumTooth pixDuct tapeBlack glueGBMF hammerScrew gun --bad battery (see above)
Reply:Waiting on " that tharza bigascz Goldfish. Or, to the more "illuminated"..." 'taint nuttin but a carp.Bubble gumTooth pixDuct tapeBlack glueGBMF hammerScrew gun --bad battery (see above)
Reply:Awesome Stu!Looks like you are off and running. So you are scratch starting?  I don't see any remote switches. What is MIXTIG?Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Originally Posted by jontheturboguyOnly thing wrong those is lack of hood time.  Wonderful job, and most importantly - you have the tempo well on your way to being in control.Feeds and speeds....... feeds and speeds.Keep up the good work!
Reply:On most (American/European) TIG welders, there is a switch called 2T/4T that selects whether you hold the switch down or click to start and click to stop. I don't see such a switch in your picture of the front panel- does the manual have anything to say on this subject?Your beads do look quite good for a beginner, the only problem I see is some pretty nasty craters. On a machine with a foot pedal, you would want to hold the tungsten over the end of the weld while tapering off the current. Since you don't have a pedal, you may want to turn the Crater Fill switch to On and set the Down-slope control to 1 or 2 seconds to simulate what you would do with a pedal. I would set the Crater Current to 30 - 50 A but use what ever works best.Also, turn off the pulse; it is useful for welding thin metal but is a needless distraction while you are learning the basics.Neat machine you have there- enjoy!JohnA few weldersA lot of hammersA whole lot of C-clamps
Reply:Thanks John that answers some questions I have.Dragon D-150 Arc WelderHobart Handler 175 Set up with 100% CO²WT-60 Plasma Arc Panasonic TIG Star YC-300TWX-2 Panasonic YX-0092UW Water Cooler for the TIG
Reply:As said already I think they look good for a first time.  One thing I notice is you mentioning the cleaning dial. If that works the way I think it does then it shouldn't affect DC welding at all. I think it's likely a balance control for AC.Millermatic 252XMT 304'sDynasty 280DXHypertherm PowerMax 1250Miller Trailblazer 302 EFIOptima PulserXR feeder and XR Edge gun and more athttp://members.dslextreme.com/users/waynecook/index.htm
Reply:OK, some questions, I don't understand a few things....First here are some scans out of the Panasonic manual of the control panel functions.Now here is what I'm a bit confused about, the crater control, I understand how it is supposed to work, when you finish a bead the crater control lowers the amps to the weld gradually allowing the crater to fill in.My welder does not have a foot pedal, it has a torch mounted switch.I guess you can sort of see the switch in this picture.Here is the scanned page from the manual about the crater control.In the left hand column the "Crater Control Switch" I'm assuming this is the three position switch on the control panel of the machine.The positions are On-Off-Repeat The right hand column is the operation of the torch switch.The torch switch has two positions, On-Off. When the switch is depressed I'm assuming that is the On position, when I let go of the switch that is the "Off" position, sound correct?OK three scenariosCrater Switch On:Press the torch switch ON get the Initial current, this would be the start up current.Release the torch switch to the OFF position and I get the welding current and I weld away to my hearts content.Press the torch switch ON and the current is reduced to the crater current level, the time for this is set by the down slope setting.Release the torch switch to the OFF position and the current is cut.This should fill in the craters at the ends of my welds.Crater Switch Off:There is no up or down slope.This is the simplest way to weld, press the torch switch ON and you get full welding current. Release the torch switch to the OFF position the the welder cuts the current instantly.Crater Switch Repeat:This is the one that I'm very confused about the manual does not make sense to me, but I'm not a pro weldor, this manual was not written for hobbyist, it was written for weldors.Press the torch switch ON then release it, and the welder follows the Up-Slope setting from the starting Amps to the welding Amps.Press the torch switch ON again and release it and the welder follows the Down-Slope setting from the welding Amps to the Starting Amps.I guess this means that the starting Amps and the welding amps need to be different, and I'm also guessing that the starting amps should be lower, does that sound about right?Thanks in advance, I'm sure that once I suss out the controls I should be able to get some good practice done and get a better handle on this machine.Cheers!Dragon D-150 Arc WelderHobart Handler 175 Set up with 100% CO²WT-60 Plasma Arc Panasonic TIG Star YC-300TWX-2 Panasonic YX-0092UW Water Cooler for the TIG
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749For first attempts with no foot control, it's looking great Stu!Like Jon said, practice will improve an already good start.Looks like you have a 2-4T control which will allow you to preset upslope, welding amps & downslope with a few taps of a button. You'll notice the control knobs you have added the english translation for (thanks ) I'm not super familiar with it, my Dynasty 350 has it but I use a foot control. It will basically allow you to have a ramp up amperage, a welding amperage  & a ramp down amperage by clicking your control button on the torch. One click to start & to ramp up, one to weld at top amps, one to ramp down, one to stop... Great for repetitive welding or use without a foot control. Just have to dial in your heat with some experimenting. That may not be exactly how it works, but its pretty close anyways.Your users manual should cover it, but its pretty well just turn on the feature & make adjustments until you get it dialed in. Im thinking maybe the REPEAT setting may activate it. Usually, if your machine has up & down slope, it has some form of active trigger control to activate it.... I guess anyways Looking good Stu!
Reply:Not bad at all. I'd suggest you find thinner material though. I think the 1/4" is giving you a false sense of accomplishment. It's easy to do pretty beads on thicker material, but you don't have enough amps to do joints on 1/4".I'd suggest dropping down to 1/8". Thinnest I'd go is 1/16" for now. With 1/8" it's thin enough you have to have some control of your amps, however it's thick enough you don't blow holes in things right away. Generic rule of thumb is 1 amp per .001" of material, so for 1/8" you'd be about 125 amps. It's possible to be a bit above or below that number, but you are way low for 1/4"..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Thanks, I did switch to 1/8" steel. I have 300 Amps, doesn't that translate to .3" or 5/16" ?CheersDragon D-150 Arc WelderHobart Handler 175 Set up with 100% CO²WT-60 Plasma Arc Panasonic TIG Star YC-300TWX-2 Panasonic YX-0092UW Water Cooler for the TIG
Reply:Originally Posted by Stu In TokyoThanks, I did switch to 1/8" steel. I have 300 Amps, doesn't that translate to .3" or 5/16" ?Cheers
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonNo, and yes.  You should be able to weld 6" thick steel with 300 amps DC. The bead width will be limited though, so stringer beads or weaves will work. The 1 amp per thickness of metal is quite true for AC, or alum if you will. But there are tricks to get around that as well. Helium and preheat help quite a bit.Gotta say I am quite impressed at your progress.
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749The REPEAT setting looks like how you activate it. The instructions are quite detailed. You shouldn't have a problem once you figure the current out for each "click" of the torch. Yes, your starting & down slope amps will be lower. It will automatically transition between them for the time limit you select with the dial. The crater setting allows 4 T amps control, the repeat setting, 2 T or two step amps control. The repeat just combines the ramp up & ramp down to the weld current. Basically saves two steps is all.It's basically a simple sequencer, allowing you to Pre set a start, weld & ramp down current individually which will work incrementally each time you press your control button. The first click starts the weld & ramps up to the maximum weld amperage you Pre set. Another click does the opposite. A simple T2 or two step operation of the control button. Some guys like this over a pedal & once you get used to it, I'm sure you'll really like how it works.Good luck with it Stu!
Reply:Thanks Irish!I am making a little cart for this welder and the water cooler, the water will sit below the welder, a big THANK YOU SIR to weldermike for pointing out that the water cooler should NOT be above the welder.... I cut the parts, and was just going to spark up the MIG welder when I thought maybe I should give the TIG a go on these joints, of course I'd try on some scrap first, but why not give it a go, how else will I learn, right?First try at this butt weld, because of the rounded edge of the tubing, there is a bit of a gap, I was not moving fast enough and I was not adding enough filler rod, and I was too hot, so I burned a hole which I filled, OK next try.This went better, dialed down the power a bit and moved a bit faster, not great, but no holes burned.Next up are some fillets, this one went OK, but lots to learn here too.I would think it would hold, but it is neither pretty nor well done, but I am learning.What comments and or criticisms can you all give?Thanks!Dragon D-150 Arc WelderHobart Handler 175 Set up with 100% CO²WT-60 Plasma Arc Panasonic TIG Star YC-300TWX-2 Panasonic YX-0092UW Water Cooler for the TIG
Reply:No pro here, so take with a grain of salt.  Looks like you're going too slow and cooking the beads.  Look cold and overheated in some areas and not enough filler in others.  Beads very gray.  With mild steel, you should still get some color on the beads if they cool before the shielding gas is gone. Stu,  is there anyway to get a pedal for your machine?  There's a guy here who makes amazing welds, even on Alum, with no pedal.  I forget his name.  It's gotta be tough as hell though.Look at the color of my beads on 1" steel.  Just for the color and height.  My consistency isn't there for sure. http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...able+pic+heavyhttp://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...ht=60sx+mountsLast edited by Drf255; 02-21-2014 at 04:28 PM.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum