First time TIG welding today...need some help please

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So I ran my first TIG beads today. My new 17 torch, 1/16th tungsten, #6 cup, 15 CFH argon flow, 1/8th inch mild steel ground clean, ~120 amps DCEN (not DCEP as I previously wrote...that was a typo) on the ol' stickmate dial. It really hates it when I forget to turn on the gas ;-)I ran these without filler rod, just running the puddle across the plate. I think I am doing something wrong, as the welder is SCREAMING same as if I stuck a SMAW rod. After I finished it looks like I was maybe dragging the tungsten in the puddle? didn't look like it at the time but this is my first time out. This is much harder than it looks. More practice later. Last edited by Louie1961; 04-16-2014 at 07:57 PM.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Polarity should be torch on negative. Amps sounds high for 1-16 tungsten.Miller xmt304,  Miller S22 p12, Miier Maxstar SD, Miller 252 w 30A, Miller super32p12, Lincoln Ranger 9, Thermal Arc 181I with spoolgun, Hypertherm 10000 ,Smith torches. Esab 161lts miniarc.
Reply:Come to my clinic....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 am coming to your clinic as soon as you say when and where. You can bet your bottom dollar on that. Who in their right mind would say no to free training?? @MJD, you are correct. I mistyped it. I was using DCEN. I used the Miller calculator to come up with my settings. It calls for a 1/16 th electrode at 100-140 amps. It also recommends 2% ceriated or 1.5% lanthanated. I am using the gold band, 1.5% lanthanated electrodes.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Originally Posted by Louie1961I am coming to your clinic as soon as you say when and where. You can bet your bottom dollar on that. Who in their right mind would say no to free training??
Reply:Oh I am in, trust me. still waiting to hear the time and date from Zap. I ran another couple dozen beads after dinner. getting the hang of the arc starts, arc length and travel speed. The one thing that still bugs me is that my stickmate is so loud with the scratch TIG. Seems much louder than running 6011 or 7018 rods. I wonder why that is. I will have to give it a good cleaning, lube the shunt block and adjust noise screws.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:V shaped beads say you were moving a bit fast. Slumped beads and undercut tell me the material was too hot, possibly because you didn't cool the piece between beads. Also going too slow can cause this, but I see that V shap in atr least one of the slumped beads and that's a classic sign your travel speed was too high, so I'm going with the idea you over heated the piece from previous beads.Take  a look at my comments on this thread on learning to tig. I'd done any number of them, but this is the 1st one my search tonight pulled up.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...ng-to-tig-weld.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:Louie,I think you just get to hear the machine better when in TIG because the stick arc and slag burning noise isn't there.  My tranny's whined on DCEN tig as well.  No sound on AC cause the arc drowned the sound out.View and listen to one of chuckE2009's videos on scratch start tig.  You'll hear the difference.Last edited by Drf255; 04-17-2014 at 05:33 AM.Reason: Added content
Reply:Thanks for the input. This is fun!Miller Multimatic 255