trouble shoot tig torch, how to tell if gas is reaching the cup

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I have a lincoln square wave 175.  It was working well when put in storage, it sat for 3 years.  I mostly use it in a small engine shop for tigging up broken taps and eazy outs and making repairs to decks and thin sheet metal.I had the argon tank exchanged.  I blew out the hose between the bottle and the machine.  I hooked up everything. I turn gas on adjust for 15CFH and start to run some test beads.  I get a thick brown haze on the welds and crazy porosity.  I can hear the solenoid kick on and off but I can not tell if gas reaches the cup.  This is a real simple machine, no gas adjustments other than regulator on the bottle.So how can I tell if I am getting gas to the cup?  Thanks,Kunk
Reply:Hello and welcome. I usually pull the tungsten from the torch, then hold it up near my ear while I tap the pedal to activate the solenoid and see if I hear the gas flow. If not I turn up the gas a bit and try again.Most times I'm doing this to see if the cylinder has run out of gas at the tech school where the day school students have abused the regs. It's not uncommon to have regs that show gas in the cylinder but the cylinders empty because the needle is stuck..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:This is the reason I use a flowmeter and not a regulator. The ball will tell you your actual flow. Set it with the torch disconnected and start welding and see if it changes.Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:Put a balloon on the end and hit the petal, should enlarge.   Bob