When welding, how do you achieve this weld?

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When TIG/MIG welding steel/aluminum, is the "bead" created by oscillating the torch in circles as you pull/push?  Or, rather is the torch pulled/pushed and paused to create the stack of dimes look.  I don't fully understand and my welding is not quite perfect at all.That diagram I made kind of displays what I am asking.  A or B?
Reply:Judging by the point in the center of each "dime", the arc was stopped and started for every dime.
Reply:To be honest, lots of practice and getting accustomed to your torch and material. Those aren't the best beads, too far apart IMO.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Originally Posted by MicroZoneTo be honest, lots of practice and getting accustomed to your torch and material. Those aren't the best beads, too far apart IMO.
Reply:Different welders use different techniques. I personally just push the puddle when GTAW welding. John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:What I do is almost what you describe. It all is used depending on the situation. There are no hard,fast rules. (ok, some) Sometimes it is an inline push a half inch, pull back a quarter inch and let it fill, wriggling it a little so it wets out or gets the edges good. Other times it needs to be a little different,like pull, then a  swirl and let it fill, then pull, then swirl etc. Experiment for each situation and see for yourself. Real thin material ,butt welds , are going to be different than 1/4" knife edge or lap welds. Do not do like the pic and trigger weld, or make many,many individual spot welds. This is not welding, and real welders would be ashamed of that.
Reply:Originally Posted by Jon KWhen TIG/MIG welding steel/aluminum, is the "bead" created by oscillating the torch in circles as you pull/push?  Or, rather is the torch pulled/pushed and paused to create the stack of dimes look.  I don't fully understand and my welding is not quite perfect at all.
Reply:Like phila.renewal stated consistant bead width, filler application, and travel speed is the key.
Reply:That's a SS TiG weld, and not a very good one IMO.  As stated before, the "dimes" are too far apart.This is better, and it is achieved with lots of practice. (not my work, by the way!) Attached ImagesLast edited by TSOR; 05-13-2007 at 11:58 AM.
Reply:oooo, stainless to mild in that last pic.  very nice.Various GrindersVictor Journeyman torch200cf Acet. 250cf oxygenLincoln 175 plus/alpha2 gunLincoln v205t tigLincoln 350mpEsab 650 plasmaWhen you can get up in the morning, Its a good day.Live each day like its your last.
Reply:I'm pretty sure it's stainless.  I believe someone on this board or the Miller board did those welds, very good work!
Reply:The push and pause will give a closer appearance to what's pictured than oscillation.
Reply:Sometimes it is an inline push a half inch, pull back a quarter inch and let it fill, wriggling it a little so it wets out or gets the edges good. Other times it needs to be a little different,like pull, then a swirl and let it fill, then pull, then swirl etc.
Reply:For Tig it's mostly in how you put your filler in.  In mig I've noticed that it depends on which way I'm moving as to which way I move the gun, one way it's clockwise the other way it's counter-clockwise.  I think when I'm moving right to left I'm going clockwise and left to right it's counter-clockwise.DewayneDixieland WeldingMM350PLincoln 100Some torchesOther misc. tools
Reply:Originally Posted by WelderDaddyVery similar to something I once read in the Penthouse forum!
Reply:Engloid is a member here also....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:Beautiful work, man.
Reply:It looks like the original picture has the arrows going in the wrong direction.  The stacking appears to be moving from top to bottom, not from bottom to top.  It also looks like someone used a spot timer on a mig machine.  I have seen this same weld appearence on cheap go carts and 4-wheelers.  At first glance, it looks like a nice tig weld, but upon closer inspection, you can easily see the difference.  Tig welds would not have a pinhole in the center of each "dime," and the stacking is more fluid at constant heat for both mig and tig.  The pinhole is a pretty serious flaw in the weld if a lot of stress was going into the joint...however, I don't think this is the case, given it appears to be the end of a muffler.  I would venture to guess that the spot timer was used to prevent burn-through, heat distortion or heat discoloration on exhaust material thinner than the opperator could weld with continuous heat.  In other words, it was done to look good at a reasonable distance, but not be much stronger than a bunch of tack welds...which is what it is...a bunch of tack welds.  I would also guess that NO weaving pattern was used at all on those welds.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:Pulsing, orbital welders pulse and you can pulse using your foot control.  With out pulsing you can do a forward retreat type of torch movement.
Reply:most of the foreign companys pulse..super fast highheat pulse..thats how they acheve the look...but there are a few that acheive the look and maximum penetration,for strength,espeacially when there building headers!
Reply:Okay, I'll say it.  The first photo looks like a failure waiting to happen.  Just a bunch of TIG tacking that is set VERY far apart.  I'll be learning for years to come, but would rather have a good weld that looks bad than a bad weld that looks good.  Fortunately SS is awesome to get both...the weldor was going the opposite direction as the arrow indicates BTW.Ive been creating the same "tacks" with my Dynasty to recreate "feathers" for some metal art...Last edited by DirtyLittleSecret; 05-19-2007 at 04:04 AM.ThermalArc 185MillerMatic 180 w/ AutosetVictor Cutskill Oxy/AcetyleneThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38and spite!
Reply:Damm krypto, at least put a shine on that before you post the pic! Nice work.If you don't have the time to do it right, then you definitely don't have the time to do it over.
Reply:Krypto - I might know someone who could bend that tube for ya and cut out one or two of those joints...  Actually, before I got my mandrel bender I did a lot of segmented bends like that myself.  It works great and the flow is not bad at all.I've been meaning to ask you where you are located.  Looks like you do some really nice work on so really cool projects!And back on topic - a tuner shop located next to where I work recently put a new pair of mufflers on a stupid fast brand new Mercedes convertible.  The mufflers were ridiculously expensive and had welds just like those in the first pic.  The guys installing them got offended when they tried to show them off to me and I told them they were horrible welds!  Every single circular bead had a crater in the middle.  Looked cool from 10 feet but I was not impressed...
Reply:as i would like to say i made that..i didnt...  we deal with a korean exhaust company...that actually does nice work..i had my doughts about foreign mass production,but these guys know there stuff..and when they design an system with muffler they design it to make power.there really on there game.  as ive seen craters in a few of there welds i though thats not going to work...  looking on the inside they acheived maximum penetration which tells me it will hold...TF.. were they RENNTech mufflers??
Reply:I never heard whether they made them themselves or had them made, but that's where they came from all right...The more I look at that first pic the more familiar it looks.  Jon - what was that system built to fit?So Krypto, where are you located?Last edited by TubularFab; 05-19-2007 at 12:22 PM.im located in northeast ohio  i work for Switzer Performance Innovation   in oberlin..
Reply:Looking at that pic Krypto posted, isn't that a WHOLE lot of cutting, fitting tacking, measuring, and labor? Looks like the whole thing could have been made with a few nice clean mandrel bends. Why would a company waste so much resources to achieve that? Wouldn't it be more economical to just pay for some bends? I'm curious...
Reply:Originally Posted by yellowLooking at that pic Krypto posted, isn't that a WHOLE lot of cutting, fitting tacking, measuring, and labor? Looks like the whole thing could have been made with a few nice clean mandrel bends. Why would a company waste so much resources to achieve that? Wouldn't it be more economical to just pay for some bends? I'm curious...
Reply:Fellas, I'm sure we all know a tighter radius mandrel bend would suffice here. However, we also all know that sometimes we have to work with what we have. It's not as simple as running down to the corner store and picking up some mandrel bends or mandrel donuts. Although you CAN pick up regular donuts. John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Mmmm,  mandrel donuts.  A bit hard on the teeth compared to Krispy Kreme's
Reply:John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:i totally agree but the foreigners always want that JDM look!