What is Causing My Tig Flame to Flare Up Like a Flashbulb?

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Lately, my tig flame has been "flaring" up as I'm running a bead.  I'm keeping a tight arc and not pulling back.  It's catching my welding helmet off guard and flashing my eyes.  I'm welding mild steel, about 120amps, about 18cfh, using an Everlast Lightning 275.  The flare is instantaneous, almost like a flashbulb.  It doesn't always happen; seems random.  The machine only about 6 months old.  Thx.
Reply:18 CFH using what cup size?   Are you absolutely positive you're not dipping the tungsten?  If you do, the arc will flare out and you'll get soot around the weld.Also how do you know it's not your hood that is for whatever reason going back to light-state (un-darkening)?    That would also look like the arc is flashing if the lens in your hood is low on battery or for whatever reason is un-darkening.Last edited by Oscar; 06-18-2021 at 11:24 AM.

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Reply:Is the material you're welding on plated? I needed some tabs and used some washers. Part way through my cup shattered(sha doobey). I found out that it was the electro plating that caused it.
Reply:I have had that happen on contaminated metal or something I didn't get 100% clean.  I can't recall exactly, but I think the last time was tack welding plated nuts and I didn't get all the plating off.  It's not likely a machine issue.Check out my bench vise website:  http://mivise.comMiller Syncrowave 250DXMillermatic 350P with XR AlumaProMiller Regency 200 with 22A feeder and Spoolmatic 3Hobart Champion EliteEverlast PowerTig 210EXT
Reply:The first time it happened, I used two different hoods.  Then today it happened again on a third hood.  Cup size is 6.  I've ground the pieces to bare shiny metal (but not cleaned with acetone).  Dipping?  hmmm....I thought about that so I've been consciously making sure the tungsten is the right distance.  But the tungsten (3/32) does get rounded over like it's overheated after the arc flashes, so it's definitely getting an extra jolt of current.
Reply:

Originally Posted by bigmaq

The first time it happened, I used two different hoods.  Then today it happened again on a third hood.  Cup size is 6.  I've ground the pieces to bare shiny metal (but not cleaned with acetone).  Dipping?  hmmm....I thought about that so I've been consciously making sure the tungsten is the right distance.  But the tungsten (3/32) does get rounded over like it's overheated after the arc flashes, so it's definitely getting an extra jolt of current.
Reply:

Originally Posted by bigmaq

The first time it happened, I used two different hoods.  Then today it happened again on a third hood.  Cup size is 6.  I've ground the pieces to bare shiny metal (but not cleaned with acetone).  Dipping?  hmmm....I thought about that so I've been consciously making sure the tungsten is the right distance.  But the tungsten (3/32) does get rounded over like it's overheated after the arc flashes, so it's definitely getting an extra jolt of current.
Reply:

Originally Posted by bigmaq

The first time it happened, I used two different hoods.  Then today it happened again on a third hood.  Cup size is 6.  I've ground the pieces to bare shiny metal (but not cleaned with acetone).  Dipping?  hmmm....I thought about that so I've been consciously making sure the tungsten is the right distance.  But the tungsten (3/32) does get rounded over like it's overheated after the arc flashes, so it's definitely getting an extra jolt of current.
Reply:Change it all up and see if you can weld without the same issue. I have had similar weird issue and never really knew what it was but since I could never find anything wrong just carried on and went away on it's own with next weld usually.
Reply:

Originally Posted by danielplace

Change it all up and see if you can weld without the same issue. I have had similar weird issue and never really knew what it was but since I could never find anything wrong just carried on and went away on it's own with next weld usually.
Reply:Do what dan said. Change everything. Tungsten, gas bottle metal, filler, etc. Then if it all works, start going back to your old setup 1 thing at a time.Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Reply:Any chance there's a trace of galvanizing left on anything you're welding, and the zinc is vaporizing and then igniting when it escapes the argon envelope?I forget what happened when I tried to TIG something that still had some zinc plating left on it, I just remember that I didn't like it much.
Reply:

Originally Posted by bigmaq

The first time it happened, I used two different hoods.  Then today it happened again on a third hood.  Cup size is 6.  I've ground the pieces to bare shiny metal (but not cleaned with acetone).  Dipping?  hmmm....I thought about that so I've been consciously making sure the tungsten is the right distance.  But the tungsten (3/32) does get rounded over like it's overheated after the arc flashes, so it's definitely getting an extra jolt of current.
Reply:If he means similar to what I was having happen it was not the lens opening. That would be bright flash and temp blindness. This is something you can actually see at least what I was describing was happening to me on few occasions. You could see a plasma like flame come up out of the arc and travel up in the cup. Really weird stuff. Haven't seen it happen in quite some time but not welding daily anymore either.