help with stainless electrodes!

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Hey everyone, thanks for taking the time to read this, I'll get right to it...  I'm currently working on TIG/SMAW stainless at school; that is - 6G sch.80 2" mild steel pipe with a TIG stainless (308) root and a stick stainless hot/fill/cover.  The roots seem to be going smashingly (nicer than mild steel even I find) but I am making a complete mess of the stainless electrodes.  I cant seem to get the beads to lay down properly thus leaving me huge canyons on either side of my hot pass.  I've spoken to the instructors and they've advised me to simply weave the rod wider; up over the edges of the bevels but when i do that all I get for my trouble is undercut on the bevels.  Im using a slight leading angle per my instructors, running uphill using a side to side weave and cant seem to get it.  Any advice anyone has would be greatly appreciated.  I've spent the last day and a half going through textbooks and searches but cant seem to find anything on manipulation of stainless electrodes; only metalurgy related stuff.Thanks so much everyone!
Reply:Sounds like you may be running the electrodes a little hot. Also when you weave, pause a little on the tie inns. I try to count "one thousand one, one thousand two....and so on. This will give you a full second pause on the tie inns. Hope this helps ya.6"XX P5P8 6G
Reply:Cofe, thanks.  I'm running them right around the high 50's on our idealarc 250 machines and was hesitant to pause too long on the tie ins as I was worried about burnthrough on the root.  I'll try dropping the heat and holding a little longer on the sides; thanks for the advice!
Reply:I'd run a GTAW root and hot, then follow with SMAW.
Reply:Hey Martin, was just thinking of all the 308 electrodes I have ran. Brands of electrodes run real different for stainless steel. If a brand of electrode isn't working well, then try another brand if possible.6"XX P5P8 6G
Reply:For SMAW,Lincoln's Red Baron rods 309l will run much better.  A lot of stainless rods are junk.Lincoln says to run it about 20% coolerthan the equivalent size rod, if I remember right.  The ropy look is probably from too little current rather than too much.  I can run a RB 309L 3/32 in the mid 60's easily and the 1/8 in the high 80's.  Occasionally stopping about half way up the rod can preven the rod from overheating and dodging around like quicksilver.I have used some stainless that runs faster than a chicken with a case of E coli.Its all in the brand rod, well, most of it anyway...My opinion of course.Esab Migmaster 250Lincoln SA 200Lincoln Ranger 8Smith Oxy Fuel setupEverlast PowerPlasma 80Everlast Power iMIG 160Everlast Power iMIG 205 Everlast Power iMIG 140EEverlast PowerARC 300Everlast PowerARC 140STEverlast PowerTIG 255EXT
Reply:thanks for the replies everyone!  Unfortunately I'm at school right now and don't even know the brands of rods we are using; they dole them out like 5 at a time and are kept under lock and key in the office so what i'll do is take down any info i can get next time i'm in the shop and go from there.  I worked more with them on Thursday night and seemed to be able to get a decent hot and cover pass down so ill try a couple more welds tomorrow night and let everyone know how it goes.  Thanks again for all the help folks, it sure is appreciated!
Reply:Dont use 309 rods. I have not heard of any weld procedures that will alow you to run 309 on 304 pipe. 309 is a rod used more for joining carbon to stailess. With my hot passes at work i try to get the top of the hot pass about 1/16 or an 1/8 in below the surface of the pipe. If you try to fill too much at once you end up burning the bevel edges out due to heat input. Try filling with your hot pass more even just barely below flush with the pipe and try that. also with your edges. Dont weave all the way over to were the center of your rod covers the weld bevel edge. work just enough to where your puddle runs over the bevel edge about 1/64-1/32 of an inch. I like to work my s.s. much slower than carbon. If all else fails cool the machine off.Weldandpower 225Heliarc Rig for itTorchesect ect ectLifes Short WELD NAKEDLooking for a SA200
Reply:We heliarc 2" usually but to give you an idea when we stick out caps usually 4" and up i run a 5/32 s.s rod @ 150-160 and an 1/8" @ around 115-120. I have been told i run hot by some but its what ever works for youWeldandpower 225Heliarc Rig for itTorchesect ect ectLifes Short WELD NAKEDLooking for a SA200
Reply:I would turn your machine down alittle, and weave the hot pass.  Angle your rod up alittle also so that when your weaving into the top bevel you won't undercut it too much.  Go quick across the middle, and pause on your sides.  Also, I'd your having that much of a hard time, there's no reason why you can't run a quick hot pass, grind it down to exactly what you want, then do a 2 or 3 stringer cap.