Tig gray welds

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Sorry,  another whats going on tig weld question.ive tried search and seen different response, but im still having problems pin pointing the causesometimes my tig welds are grayish and looks like layers of corn flakes.. lol..at times, i can wire brush the welds and theyre shinny, other times just a light gray.i understand it maybe a sign of too much heat or poor gas spread.and also understand with too much heat its exposing minor contamination in my metal..heres what i tried.more gas 25-30, either it dont make a difference or get to much porosity in the weld.different size cups , no difference .less heat , but then the metal not melting wide enough and taking alot longer to melt , and leaving the filler rod high and cold looking..so i try just enough heat to melt the metal and dip, but seems less gray, but still corn flake looking...im wondering if its my torch? i dont hear any leaks..   also i tried different bottles...heres what i have..Old Airco 250 tig machine,weldcraft flex head tig torch about 10' lenght#8 cup3/32 2%thi red tip tungsten 3/32 filler rod welding on carbon metal cr steel.  cleaned and acidtoned metal been beveled heres some pics of my problem...this is 2x4 box tub'n 1/8" , with inner fish plates of 1/8" thick..  holes drilled on outside joints mig welded then grind .. then seams tig welded ..i understand, i have a little valley in the seam, prob because i wasnt feeding it enough filler wire, i would guess...    i may clean it and go over it with a wider bead but further apart puddles . unless its not recommended...heres where i held the torch straight up and down and smash the pedal .the top one i used alot of amps to melt all the way thru..the lower lines, i wasnt try'n to make it pretty, i was doing it blindly, with the torch straight up and down and no filler wire, just moving right to left..  i was seeing if it may have been the gas problem ..still seems gray..i really wish i could get close to that rainbow effect...    and i cant tell you what amps im using on the machine, its the old dial and lever control, then i use the pedal..    sorry so long of a first post, im try'n to explain everything....   thanks
Reply:That is about as clean as you get on carbon steel. You probably have seen cleaner beads on some stainless steel projects.What is happening is your moving off of the metal while it's still hot enough to discolor when the air hits it.Try this  ... fire up and just run a small round puddle. Leave your torch over the puddle and ease off on the amps while keeping the shielding gas over the bead until it cools down to about 150 degrees. Then remove the shielding gas and see how the small round bead looks. Basically keep it shielded until it cools. Basically impossible to weld (travel) that slow. I'd just hot brush those carbon steel beads while there still warm....Thanks,HoboLincoln SA200's... at least 15 - 20. They come and go. Growing partial to the "Short Hoods" in my old age. Last count on Short Hoods was 13 in possession.
Reply:Cram your rod in more to plump it up and make the rod take some of that heat. The deoxidizers in the filler will help keep the grey down.Looks like you are doing little baby dabs.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 hobohiltonThat is about as clean as you get on carbon steel. You probably have seen cleaner beads on some stainless steel projects.What is happening is your moving off of the metal while it's still hot enough to discolor when the air hits it.Try this  ... fire up and just run a small round puddle. Leave your torch over the puddle and ease off on the amps while keeping the shielding gas over the bead until it cools down to about 150 degrees. Then remove the shielding gas and see how the small round bead looks. Basically keep it shielded until it cools. Basically impossible to weld (travel) that slow. I'd just hot brush those carbon steel beads while there still warm....Thanks,Hobo
Reply:As usual, Shovelon is correct again.  Not feeding enough filler seems to be a common mistake of newbie TIG welders.  Looks like u may be moving to fast too which gives u the arrow type bead instead of a nice round dime look to your bead.Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:feel like im moving slow already.. LOL...  so maybe slower and more filler maybe the key?thanks
Reply:how many amps are you running at? It looks a bit too hot.  Other than lowering the heat and moving a little slower with more filler, there's really not much you can do.  The geometry of the joint allows the argon to spread out more rapidly.  You'll notice if you try a t joint fillet weld it should be much shinier.  This is because the 2 plates are angled together so it kind of traps the argon in, thus better shielding the weld.  A gas lens might help too.
Reply:U could hit up ebay for a gas lens setup.   I just got a Complete setup of all 4 sizes for under $30.Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Originally Posted by larry08how many amps are you running at? It looks a bit too hot.  Other than lowering the heat and moving a little slower with more filler, there's really not much you can do.  The geometry of the joint allows the argon to spread out more rapidly.  You'll notice if you try a t joint fillet weld it should be much shinier.  This is because the 2 plates are angled together so it kind of traps the argon in, thus better shielding the weld.  A gas lens might help too.
Reply:Looks too hot to me. The grey color and arrow shaped beads both mean too hot. Gas lens won't change anything. Looks to me like you need to pulse (pump the pedal) or change the joint design. If you put more of a groove in the joint it will take less heat to burn in properly then add more filler. Maybe switch to 1/16" filler for a little more control on how much you add.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools