TIG-ing...dirty metal???

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a few months ago I posted pics of a candle holder that I made:Well, I started making another one and when welding the feet onto the main vertical shaft, my beads were coming out very messy. As though there were impurities all over the place. But I was sure I cleaned it very well. Hit the weld areas up with a wire-wheel in the bench grinder, then wiped them down with acetone. Ground my tungsten nice & sharp. As I struck my arc and the puddle formed, there were embers spitting out of it and as the puddle solidified, there was a lot of porosity.I had to grind, regrind and lay a bead 3-4 times to get a nice one.can it be the metal has impurities in it? or did I just not clean it enough?I'm using a Harbour Freight TIG and I have goten MANY successful beads with it, but every once i a while, I get $hit.maybe it's me...
Reply:Could be just the material itself..Some stuff..All the cleaning in the world don't help..Too many ground up Toyota's and Nissan's in the mix.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I can't figure out why so many people wipe down with acetone after grinding to clean metal.
Reply:Originally Posted by EngloidI can't figure out why so many people wipe down with acetone after grinding to clean metal.
Reply:Did you grind off the mill-scale or just polish it up with the wire wheel?   Wire brushing mill scale doesn't help much, gotta grind it off.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I did grind the mill scale. I make it a habit to do so.
Reply:Great habit to be in!As for the question, I don't normally wipe down steel with acetone, but for aluminum I wire brush it real good with a stainless brush that is only allowed to be used for aluminum and wipe the filler wire with acetone if it's been outta the sealed tube for very long.   I don't wipe the base metal with acetone if I just got done brushing it.   I do try to blow the dust off it though.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I really do think that you may have better luck with another process. Do you have stick or wire feed capabilites?Last edited by Mark...; 03-22-2008 at 01:25 AM.
Reply:How was your gas flow?  Could be lack of shielding gas casing the porosity.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:What is it made out of? When you twisted it  like that, did you heat it to the point where it could have been contaminated? Or was it twisted on a machine with a chuck that could have ground crap into the end you were welding on?
Reply:I heat it to cherry with a torch, and bend it real easy...could be the problem? But that's why I clean it with the wire wheel & acetone.
Reply:I was really just curious more than anyhting, I really like the first one you did, nice work
Reply:Originally Posted by EngloidI can't figure out why so many people wipe down with acetone after grinding to clean metal.
Reply:I also plan on making a large one for the floor, perhaps 24-30" tall.
Reply:Nice looking job.  David Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:eastcoasteddie, sorry to change topic but how do you twist the bar stock like that so that the twists arent in a regular pattern?
Reply:sounds like a gas problem but it looks like you got it sorted out.I dont get the acetone thing either, Ive never used it and never needed it. Originally Posted by gnm109It's a good practice to get into and most agree that acetone is the best.
Reply:Originally Posted by gnm109After grinding, there are fine metal particles and abrasive dust all over the place (and especially on your workpiece) that will get melted into your TIG puddle and deposited on your tungsten.
Reply:if your going to chemical clean, do it BEFORE you grind or wire wheel it.The grinding and wire wheeling action can sometimes bury impurities in the metal.my procedure for tig welding is acetone, sand/grind/wire wheel, and acetone one more timebut thats just me
Reply:You do some nice work...
Reply:nice work!!