First time Tig welding...advice needed.

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So i finally got a chance to sit down and start welding. I started messing around on some scrap stainless. I can start the arc form a puddle and move it around without a problem. The problem i encountered was the filler rod balling up on me when i tried to add it in and sometimes it felt like it was sticking. I was using .045 308 filler rod. argon cfh was at 15-20 as i experimented with it, i was using a number 8 gas lens( biggest gas lens i currently have) and 1/16 red tungsten. I was trying to keep the filler rod as close as possible to the arc as to keep it covered with argon and it would just melt. The miller dynasty was set to 25-40 amps. What am i doing wrong?Last edited by superchargedv8; 09-30-2014 at 10:56 PM.Learning the ropes....
Reply:Material thickness? I can bet just by looking at it it's really way too thin for someone just starting out. 25-40 amps is below what is normally suggested for .045" material. That will make simply melting the filler alone tough. Your comment on filler balling tells me you are melting the filler with the arc, not the puddle ( if the low amps didn't tell me you can't get a puddle hot enough to melt the rod...) Stainless rod often is "sticky" if your amps are borderline low. The rod sticks because it freezes as soon as it hits cold material. Stainless isn't what I'd suggest people start out with.Here's just one of many threads where I suggest ho wto startto learn tig. I've done so amny variations on this same theme I just don't feel like retyping it all again.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...ng-to-tig-weldRead it and a few of the other ones I've done to help people and see if that points you in the right direction..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:What thickness of material are you using? Looks like your not using enough amps. That is most likely causing the sticking problem.As far the filler balling up both reaching the puddle, that sounds like a classic case of too much torch angle. Your torch should be tilted over about 10 degrees or so. Just enough to see the puddle. The filler should come in at 90 degrees to the torch, so about 10 degrees off your material. When you have too much torch angle, you blast the heat off the metal and the filler is catching it. That is causing the balling. Keep your torch up straighter and just keep at it. You'll figure it out.And if worst comes to worst, you can just go see that Zap! guy. He seems to know how to do this TIG stuff. kidtigger24Last edited by kidtigger24; 09-30-2014 at 11:10 PM.  They think I’m crazy, but I know better. It is not I who am crazy. It is I who am MAD!
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWMaterial thickness? I can bet just by looking at it it's really way too thin for someone just starting out. 25-40 amps is below what is normally suggested for .045" material. That will make simply melting the filler alone tough. Your comment on filler balling tells me you are melting the filler with the arc, not the puddle ( if the low amps didn't tell me you can't get a puddle hot enough to melt the rod...) Stainless rod often is "sticky" if your amps are borderline low. The rod sticks because it freezes as soon as it hits cold material. Stainless isn't what I'd suggest people start out with.Here's just one of many threads where I suggest ho wto startto learn tig. I've done so amny variations on this same theme I just don't feel like retyping it all again.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...ng-to-tig-weldRead it and a few of the other ones I've done to help people and see if that points you in the right direction.
Reply:I can delete my post and copy paste it here if it makes you feel better... .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:I don't think the torch angle was the problem because i was trying to keep the torch straight up...BUT i will keep that in mind for sure. The angle the filler was coming in at i can tell you was not 90 degrees to the torch...maybe thats where the problem is at. I didn't measure the thickness of the material but i will tomorrow. The reason i started with stainless is because i bought the welder to work primarily on stainless. This was my first time at it but I'm sure with help from members here ill be on my way. THANKS!Learning the ropes....
Reply:Stainless is much more heat sensitive than say mild steel is. Then there's things like sugaring where you have the back of an unshielded weld get all messed up because of contamination from the atmosphere.  that's not  areal issue with thicker stainless unless you are doing open roots, but with thin sheet, it becomes a significant issue that you need to address. Then there's simply cost...I'd suggest plain mild steel for the 1st few hundred hours..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:Originally Posted by DSWStainless is much more heat sensitive than say mild steel is. Then there's things like sugaring where you have the back of an unshielded weld get all messed up because of contamination from the atmosphere.  that's not  areal issue with thicker stainless unless you are doing open roots, but with thin sheet, it becomes a significant issue that you need to address. Then there's simply cost...I'd suggest plain mild steel for the 1st few hundred hours.
Reply:Lots of good info. I am semi-starting with tig also. I say semi, because I don't have a tank yet. lolDSW is a freaking Wizard.
Reply:Turn your flow down, you're wasting gas.  You can get away with 12 CFH with a lens and an 8.  If it looks like you need more gas, turn it up.  I get by with 8-10 with your combo if there's no draft.  As for the balling, keep the filler at a flatter angle to the sheet you're welding on.  Pull it away from the puddle when you're no dipping.  You're just melting it before the puddle.  I do get that from too much torch angle as well, but you say you've got that covered.  I usually get that "Sticky" filler feeling with stainless if the amps are too low, I'm moving to slow, or the fillers too big.  Your filler seems perfect and your colors are great.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Work on running in straight lines. Can't start that too early.Mike ZanconatoZanconato Custom Cycles @mzank on Instagram
Reply:The two biggest factors for achieving that "stacked dimes" look everyone is after (for me anyways) is:1. Clean material, this moves to a factor multiplied by 10 for necessity when welding aluminum2. tip to work material. The arc size and shape is controlled as much by this as the machine settings. if you want consistent welds, make this distance consistent. I found that a lap joint using 1/8th" AL was the easiest material and joint for successful practice runs. If you have a machine with AC balance and/or hertz adjustment the default settings will be fairly close to accurate for this material. Start out hotter than you think you will need and regulate using the pedal for peak voltage. Good luck. Practice makes perfect.I don't weld for a living but I sure feel like I'm living when I'm welding.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI can delete my post and copy paste it here if it makes you feel better...
Reply:Originally Posted by kidtigger24No, I'm a big boy now (40 years old) and need to learn to stop pouting when I don't get what I want. My damn 5 year old nephew is a bad influence on me. For the OP, one good exercise you may want to try is this: Get some 6 x 6 x 1/8" mild steel coupons. Clean with grinder until shiny and no mill scale. Scribe lines every 1/2". Do this with multiple coupons. Weld one line, then spin around and weld another line. Put that one aside to cool and use another coupon and do this again. After the coupons cool, hit with a stainless brush fast and weld the next line. Keep doing this until your welds meet in the center. After you weld all the lines, start over and weld in between the lines you just welded. You will warp the hell out of the plate, but you will get a ton of seat time. Play with the machine, see what works and what doesn't work. All it takes is a TON of seat time. Good Luck.kidtigger24
Reply:Start with simple lay wire.  Scribe some straight lines.  Bend a 1/8 ms filler to lie flat, 60-80 amps, just walk your torch at a speed that flattens the filler.  Then practice feeding wire straight on so that your bead doubles and triples in height.  Learn relationship to adding wire and how much it cools the puddle.  Then go back to one layer high but add wire one width each side so you widen your bead.  Make sure you blend in your edges and work on consistency.  Steady your hands by resting on deck.  At first you'll only be able to feed by rotating wrist but will have to learn to pass filler through fingers for longer beads.
Reply:Thanks for the help. I measured the stainless pieces i had and they came in at .057 inches. Im going to try and get some mild steel plate over the weekend and try some of the exercises. In the meantime i was messing around with some of the stainless scrap i have and playing with settings. It seems like i have to stop and wait for the ss scrap to cool all the way in order for me to be able to get some good color to it so i might just have to have a bucket full of water nearby. Today i was working on keeping a straight line and arc length consistency. Im also going to get a bigger gas lens. dunno if ck international makes a number 10 gas lens for a number nine torch or if i have to go straight to the large gas saver front end.Learning the ropes....
Reply:I think you are doing pretty good. Your color is pretty good, and that is difficult on thin material.  You only need to increase  amperage + travel speed the filler will flow more evenly into the puddle and ball up less.  You may also adjust the torch and feed angle. The more perpendicular the feed angle the less likely the filler is to ball up (more difficult), the more the filler is "layed in" the more likely the filler will ball (less difficult).  Torch angle will change the size and shape of the puddle,  more perpendicular to the work the more round the puddle, the more angle the more oblong the puddle. It looks like arc length is pretty good.  All this will improve with time, you  are off to a strong start. You are inevitably going to get filler on your nice sharp electrode,  but resist the urge to continue using it that way. Keep your tungsten sharp and clean all the time, especially when you are learning.Constant Current Weldor.
Reply:Originally Posted by DavidbrownI think you are doing pretty good. Your color is pretty good, and that is difficult on thin material.  You only need to increase  amperage + travel speed the filler will flow more evenly into the puddle and ball up less.  You may also adjust the torch and feed angle. The more p.pendicular the feed angle the less likely the filler is to ball up (more difficult), the more the filler is "layed in" the more likely the filler will ball (less difficult).  Torch angle will change the size and shaprpendicular to the work the more round the puddle, the more angle the more oblong the puddle. It looks like arc length is pretty good.  All this will improve with time, you  are off to a strong start. You are inevitably going to get filler on your nice sharp electrode,  but resist the urge to continue using it that way. Keep your tungsten sharp and clean all the time, especially when you are learning.
Reply:Really the minimum arc length you can consistently maintain will be good. As you noticed the longer the arc length the more heat is distributed to the piece part of the reason is that travel speed slows down (you lose color, turns grey). With a tight arc, the more concentrated those amps will be, and you will be traveling faster because your melting metal faster.  You can cheat by resting the cup at a constistent angle and adjust the stickout of the tungsten.  You can weld with parkinsons this way. Generally with TIG on SS, the faster you can go using more amps and tighter arcs and still getting pretty colors, the better your weld will be. Obviously this is really hard and takes allot of practice.Constant Current Weldor.
Reply:my theory with tig is, the closer, the better, and then you short it and ruin the whole thing.tight arc keeps filler from balling, no matter angle (as long as the portion you want to melt is touching base metal)close is control, and control is nice.get an arc started, and just look at it for a while, you'll notice it is a cone shape, narrow at tungsten, wide at material being welded. the closer you go, the smaller, and more focused it gets. with a nice, clean, tungsten, you'll see that you can even warp the puddle a bit. you can dent it before the ss jumps on.as others said, keep trying, just gotta sit down and playbosses stuff:trailblazer 325maxstar 200my stuff:sa 200fronius transpocket 180100 amp Lincoln w/f97 f350 DITKevin
Reply:Originally Posted by superchargedv8I'm adding filler as i go correct? or is it just working with torch.
Reply:Originally Posted by kidtigger24Yes, I forgot about that. Add filler. Play with feeding it. See what works and what doesn't. I'll give you one warning though: The first time you touch the filler to the tungsten and the whole thing lights up, and you're not wearing gloves, it hurts like HELL!  I didn't like that one at all, but it taught me to always wear gloves.Oh one more thing: When learning you will have to sharpen tungstens a lot. What I do is get I box of 3/32" Reds, cut them in half, and sharpen both ends. Now you have 40 points to mess up before having to sharpen anything.kidtigger24
Reply:Originally Posted by superchargedv8Funny you mentioned that...got lit up today but not by touching the tungsten. ..was sweating and touching my work table, was not bad at all but im guessing because I was using low amps. I want dedicated tig gloves...what are some of the best light duty tig gloves out there?
Reply:Originally Posted by superchargedv8Funny you mentioned that...got lit up today but not by touching the tungsten. ..was sweating and touching my work table, was not bad at all but im guessing because I was using low amps. I want dedicated tig gloves...what are some of the best light duty tig gloves out there?
Reply:I was looking at the tigster gloves....are the 750 similar?Learning the ropes....Originally Posted by superchargedv8I was looking at the tigster gloves....are the 750 similar?