tig welds not shinny?

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I've got good argon flow. 1/4" cast aluminum is going well.Wanted to try some steel 16 ga and 1/8" steeltried 1/16" and 3/32" tungsten red20cfm 25cfm 10cfmneeded 100 amps with 3/4+ pedalwelds are grey and area around welds are grey Attached Images
Reply:filler rod ER706-2    1/16"    maybe  703?
Reply:It's mild steel right? That's about as good as you are ever going to get it to look.Two turn tables and a microphone.
Reply:I searched grey+weld, but found more with grey+shinny.I'm getting good penetration, but am used to looking at Zap's bright shinnies.My AL is shinny, even my mig on steel seems to shine a little more. I guess I'll get used to it
Reply:Hit the whole thing with a wire wheel on your grinder..  It will shine.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:The welds look a bit "hot". My guess is you are lingering a bit too long, going too slow at too low an amp setting. Upping the amps and moving faster will help even though it seems counter intuitive. 3/4 at 100 amps is roughly right for 1/16", but low for 1/8".All that aside, the welds are about what I usually see from newer students running on thinner flat plate. It's tough to get perfect shinny beads on flat plate with mild steel. From what I see here, I doubt your cast alum 1/4" thick is really "going well". My guess is it's running cold even though I can't see the beads. I don't see enough heat control on those steel beads to expect much on alum where you need to have a lot better control of the puddle. Also 1/4" alum usually needs a LOT of amps. Just from experience, most guys really don't have 250 amp plus machines capable of doing 1/4" alum..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:Syncrowave 250 set to 275 amps near full pedal on cast aluminum. Attached Images
Reply:Thanks for the encouragement. Just trying new things.
Reply:Originally Posted by David RHit the whole thing with a wire wheel on your grinder..  It will shine.David
Reply:I wear out the stainless brush on the inside of the fittings I do. Not sure why the outsides go better than the inside. Heat dissipation I think.  I'm learning to hate cast AL, you think your doing OK and bam.
Reply:dont pull your filler out of the shielded zone, steel with oxidize from the heat, but if you keeo it shielded it wont.
Reply:Wire wheel cleans em up just fine. I need to work on my DC on steel. Having trouble seeing the pool, and watching the fill in.Box hold water Attached Images
Reply:Shinny is a game similar to hockey.  I think you mean shiny.  Lincoln AC225 & MigPak 140, Lincoln Magnum SpoolGun, Miller Spectrum 375-X Plasma, Syncrowave 200 TIG, Millermatic 252 MIG, Miller Digital Elite, General 7x12" horiz/vert bandsaw, 3' box/pan brake, 20 ton press, milling machine, 12x28 lathe, etc.
Reply:Shiny, you are correct.
Reply:Moving too slow and "cooking" your filler will give those grey beads.As DSW said, bump your amps up and move faster.Those aluminum beads don't look very good to me.  Way too cold.  Doesn't look like you ever got a puddle established in the base metal.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:if your arc length is too long, you will sit and overheat the area and wait too long for a puddle.. Attached Images