Tig Welding 101

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Ok boys and girls..time for a little lesson on how NOT to leave the ends of welds...now we sent these (2) weldments (316 ss) out for tigging because i dont have my machine running yet...(still waiting on the gas mixer..however today i did order the argon and the helium)... however when they came back..i was  just look at the pics below..good examples of welds that just plain suck..note the end of the weld...EVERY ONE HAS A "FACTORY" HOLE IN THE END AND THATS WHERE THE CRACKING/BREAKING BEGINS!!!someones gotta teach whoever did this how to do a proper tie off!!! ...zap!Attachment 4069Attachment 4070Attachment 4071Attachment 4072Last edited by zapster; 12-27-2007 at 05:20 PM.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 think someone - the weldor, was in a big hurry, wouldn't take an extra second, to fill the crater. Bad  BOSS. (usually a GOOD welder will do as good as he (she) is allowed . )[SIZE="5"Yardbird"
Reply:Zap,Thats what some weldor's call the "money hole" or to phrase it "screw-ups pay double time" paid to do it once, then paid to fix it & do it the right way when it comes back.  Its a pitty to think how many days that happens. when a extra 2 seconds could have done the job right the first time around.
Reply:Zap,Thats what some weldor's call the "money hole" or to phrase it "screw-ups pay double time" paid to do it once, then paid to fix it & do it the right way when it comes back. thats what i call incompetence... there is no way in hell that would go out the door "done" if i had anything to say about itunbelievable..just think...what else out there is like that?and whats it "doing"if your going to do it then DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!!...remember we're all here to learn and the pics show the wrong way to "do it"ok...sorry i raised my keyboard but..thats awfultake a deep breath.... ..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:As a hobby weldor who is looking forward to learning to tig, what would one do to prevent this?Sure, I can fix it... I got a welder!!!
Reply:Hi fwalz3!What you see in the pic's at the end of the weld is known as lack of crater fill...It's also some very unstable TIG welding if that's the process being used... In order to correct this condition, one MUST come back to the crater and fuse it/fill it together while simultaneously lowering your current while doing so and holding the torch in place to achieve the crater fill, and to protect the crater from contamination provided that the appropriate postflow is set on the power source...  It sounds simple enough to do but, you'd be amazed how many improperly trained Tig welder wannabee's are out there practicing what "Zapster" Justifiably mentioned as being inexcusable in not using this simple technique primarily used in welding Stainless but, also on other metals too!!! Nice lesson "Zapster"!!! Gotta get some sleep!! Respectfully,SSBN727"Run Silent...  Run Deep!!!
Reply:if any of the boys in our shop did that they would be be doing again or looking for a new job I for one and think 99.9 percent of us here take pride in our welding its our rep does not take long to get a bad name in the welding circle if some welders call that the money hole I would call them azzholes all they are doing is give our trade a bad name  Creative metal Creative metal Facebook
Reply:Thanks for the lesson SSBN727, that's what I'm here for...Sure, I can fix it... I got a welder!!!
Reply:I see something else in those welds.Looking at the second and third photo's the bead looks as though it was formed with a triangular puddle. (For lack of better description) What cased this? Is this acceptable? What's it called? Is this an issue with speed or heat?In the second Photo' the bead with the crater in it has what looks like another bead directly under it. Did this welder lay a bead right on top of another? It seems to me that a second pass should be right next to, but overlapping, the first pass. Not directly on top of it. Why would this welder lay a second bead DIRECTLY on top of the first?In the third photo' The lower piece has a "scalloped" edge at the edge of the bead. Isn't that "Undercut"?Patrick
Reply:Zap,      Sorry I didnt mean to make you burst into a fit of rage, I agree with you 100%, It is incompetence, and It does happen quite often.  It was a good example for you to put on here, look how many people will learn the right way from it.  I used to work for a small construction company and the crew there had the same moto. and did alot of stuff wrong on purpose. they were doing it just to screw the owner and not because they didnt know any better.   Its in alot of trades, I didnt work there very long thankfullly.Wello well put statement about 99.9% of the people here taking pride in there work.  That was very obvious to me when I first found this fourm and the major reason I joined and am glad to be apart of it now.
Reply:Zap,Sorry I didnt mean to make you burst into a fit of rage, I agree with you 100%, It is incompetence, and It does happen quite often. It was a good example for you to put on here, look how many people will learn the right way from it.i understand that there are alot of "hobby" welders here that really could care less..but if you want to be a real pro..its the little things that set you apart from someone that just sticks metal together..and i know all the little things.... ...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:here is maybe a different twist on the subject: At Kaiser steel,we usually had to put out the best quality welding, the welder foremen saw to that, but once , i was welding on some large piece of machinery going to India, i believe , & a company MECHANICAL engineer came over to me and said ," don't do it too good , we need repeat business ".  !!! I hoped he was joking .[SIZE="5"Yardbird"
Reply:I think the triangular puddle if from the puddle cooling too slowly (if Im wrong please correct me its a little early for this 2nd shifter) but then again the HAZ is not real large.  But it looks like its covered in oxides(havent done any 316 mostly 308 and 400 series so I dunno)I need coffee
Reply:How do you prevent that crater from forming when one is welding with a wire feed with flux core (Lincoln sp135t)? I have tried and can't seem to get rid of that little crater completely.
Reply:Is this "factory hole" only created in tig welding?  I have never seen that with stick rod welding.  If you pull out too quick you can leave a crater but that can be fixed by pausing slightly and going back over the weld before you pull out.
Reply:Originally Posted by andreasHow do you prevent that crater from forming when one is welding with a wire feed with flux core (Lincoln sp135t)? I have tried and can't seem to get rid of that little crater completely.
Reply:Any of you guys ever use run off tabs on the ends of fillet welds. ?   then when they are cut off- perfect ends - also on V-butts , i guess . it's been so long , i tend to forget some of those things[SIZE="5"Yardbird"