beads

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first, whats the physical reason why you get the stack of dimes look?second, i know it takes practice and such but any tips on methods of practice?
Reply:um, i'm a newby but i believe, it's because it's feeding wire and melting and hardening and it's basically stacking itself. i'm practicing right now. just keep making beads and playing around w/ the settings.
Reply:depends on the process... but mostly it's a move, pause, move pause movement...and seat time
Reply:the stack of dimes look is created several different ways.  with tig welding, it is every time you dip the filler wire.  with mig, it is when you make a motion like a z weave or a whip and pause.
Reply:The 'stack of dimes' look isn't reallly an indication of weld quality. It is a side effect of proper technique in some processes, like TIG. Often done for cosmetic reasons. Not an indicator of strength, often providing lots of little stress risers for failures to start at.
Reply:As I know it, the stack of dimes look is when a pulse option is used when welding. this can be with tig or mig. Tig welders have come with this option for awhile now but the migs is relatively new. I have done some mig welding on light sheet metal were I just stack spot welds tight together causing this lookbut I believe it more common to pulse tig welding. Sometimes when mig welding if you do a small side to side motion weave weld where you can also get a similar effect.Miller DVI2Lincoln Precision Tig 225Thermodynamics Cutmaster 38Everything else needed.
Reply:I believe the stacked look happens as you add filler and move forward. Pulse can't be the sole reason since I have been welding since 1977 and had never used a pulse machine until 3 weeks ago. While learning in the '70's, we were taught that welds, from o/a to 6010 to tig should look that way.
Reply:Originally Posted by YamahammerWhile learning in the '70's, we were taught that welds, from o/a to 6010 to tig should look that way.
Reply:Not an indicator of strength, often providing lots of little stress risers for failures to start at.
Reply:Here is a paragraph that I found that a welding instructor wrote, hope this helps. There are many ways to get the"dimes". And I realize that how people master that technique will vary but you can easily get the stacked look without any type of torch circles or "C" movements. The only time I use these methods is when I'm doing heavy weldments and I need to swirl the torch to get the toes to tie in. Otherwise just dab and move...dab and move. Most of my students when they start out, tend to add too much filler and not move the torch over far enough along the joint. The result is a bead that is higher and has too much filler overlap that all you did was stack your dimes too close. I cut some 1/8" Alum into 6" strips and welded them up with 3 different spacing. Keep in mind that the wider the spacing, the more chance of crater cracking or toe cracks because you do not have sufficient overlap to cover the crater of each bead. You see alot of these wide bead placements in racing seats or things that do not need to be structurally sound. Yea they look neat but in reality they are a bad weld. These seats will never break as there is so much material deposition around the whole seat. However, if this were a smaller critical weldment under stress, I could easily see a failure Attached ImagesMiller DVI2Lincoln Precision Tig 225Thermodynamics Cutmaster 38Everything else needed.
Reply:Now you need to work on your stops and starts.. The horseshoe at the start and the hole at the end.. ...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:ooo i think i know what did it.  my wire speed was where it was jus fast enough where it felt like the tip of the wire was able to bottom out in the pool and had pulsating feel to it.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterNow you need to work on your stops and starts.. The horseshoe at the start and the hole at the end.. ...zap!
Reply:I purposely left out the wire fed welds because I don't do them anymore. 50-60 hours per week welding on semi trailers made me want to forget.Methods of teaching have obviously changed in the 30 years since I went to welding school, and equipment has obviously improved.
Reply:Originally Posted by LSX89RSso make a ball of sorts at the beginning and end to cap off the welds?
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterWhen you weld in the middle of a piece as the illustration shows...Start the puddle where you want it..Get it HOT..Make your first dip..Then the natural thing to do is go go forward...thus the "Horseshoe" at the start..Go backwards instead and dip and dip again..Sorta like how to end a weld but in reverse..Then proceed forward over the original start point and just add slight dip over the start dip and keep going...At the end..Dip..Stop..Hit the pedal again and dip..Fill the crater in..and then it will be good...Thats what you want...Good.....zap!
Reply:Originally Posted by LSX89RSsounds simple enough
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterUntill you try it...But its easy.....zap!
Reply:with tig on aluminum, if you don't have the dimes look, it is not a good weld. You shouldn't have a smooth flat weld?
Reply:Hey Zap. I take it that the info I posted was good and was some help on this matter. I never got to try it yet but since my tig experience is very limited I want try to get it right.Miller DVI2Lincoln Precision Tig 225Thermodynamics Cutmaster 38Everything else needed.
Reply:Originally Posted by jamlitHey Zap. I take it that the info I posted was good and was some help on this matter. I never got to try it yet but since my tig experience is very limited I want try to get it right.