Miller Lift Arc

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A question for those with lift arc Millers who use it in conjunction with a foot pedal... I notice that my torch will  initiate arc if I accidentally touch my tungsten to the workpiece even though my foot is not on the pedal. The problem is that I have to be careful doing dry runs and also handling the torch much like I would have to if it were just scratch start. Since I have no other machine to compare it to, I just kind of took it in stride..but it is annoying... Also, let's say I get a bad start and for whatever reason my tungsten sticks..even with pedal "off" I get an ugly long arc as I snap away to start over. I thought the pedal was supposed to function as on/off as well as amp control. I'm running a 14 pin ssc pedal on a Maxstar 200 STR. This is how I've interpreted Millers lift arc procedure.. Contact 1-2 secs, then lift.. with the pedal going down after initial contact. Starts can be a bit inconsistent..sometimes stick..with resultant long arc scenario..usually when tungsten cold. I'm here to compare notes! Thank you. Oh and yes pedal will kill arc no problem after tapering down amperage.as expected.
Reply:A bad start/stuck tungsten will result in an arc strike as I rip it away. Not cool! I'm also wondering if I have to make certain I'm using a good firm contact before lift..not just a touch...I can always hear the machine sense the initial contact but the lift side of things is where it can go wonky.
Reply:With lift arc you should be able to hold the pedal down and then touch the tungsten to the steel. You don't have to wait until lifting the torch to add amperage. There should be no amperage if you don't push on the foot pedal.Airco Ac/Dc 300 HeliwelderMillerMatic 200 (stolen)Miller Maxstar 150STLMiller AEAD200LE (welding and generating power) Hobart MIG
Reply:Lift it to far and the shutdown sequence starts either shut down/crater fill...I make this mistake often as i don't do a lot of tig off the TB but it does great if i do it often enoughit just takes getting used to ...I still like it better than scratch start...one of these days i will get a 251-D boxBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:This implies something isn't right with my machine? So with pedal untouched I should be able to touch tungsten to work and have nothing happen? Definitely not the case for me. I think I might be calling Miller to ask some questions. I can do the exact same thing every time and have it start perfectly on lift 80% of time. The other times it sticks and when I break away I'm like a wizard with a lightning rod. I'm wondering if it will ever decide to jump on my filler hand. Takes a second to break arc and the whole deal seems ridiculous. If I was working on something nice it would be jacked up with an small divot. I haven't tried pedal first then touch...I have a couple things seem off here. I always give it some pedal before I lift. I usually go about 1/4 range just to start..maybe i try giving a little moreLast edited by KennethD; 01-21-2015 at 01:30 AM.
Reply:I always touch the workpiece.  Depress the pedal then slowly bring the tungsten up and weld.
Reply:Originally Posted by KennethDThis implies something isn't right with my machine? So with pedal untouched I should be able to touch tungsten to work and have nothing happen? Definitely not the case for me. I think I might be calling Miller to ask some questions. I can do the exact same thing every time and have it start perfectly on lift 80% of time. The other times it sticks and when I break away I'm like a wizard with a lightning rod. I'm wondering if it will ever decide to jump on my filler hand. Takes a second to break arc and the whole deal seems ridiculous. If I was working on something nice it would be jacked up with an small divot. I haven't tried pedal first then touch...I have a couple things seem off here. I always give it some pedal before I lift. I usually go about 1/4 range just to start..maybe i try giving a little more
Reply:That sounds about like what I have going on. Meaning..the machine will start at minimum..making it always ready for the lift arc initiation even without pressing pedal. Thanks for your observations killdozerd.