What Is Wrong With My TIG Beads??

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hello all this is my first post, ive been reading articles from the site for some time and finally joined. I bought a Thermal Arc Fabricator 181i MigTigStick machine. I love the versatility kinda shotty you cant use 6010 on the stick but that's ok, that's what the old RoundTop Lincoln 250/250 is for  So I been running tig beads pretty much everyday for the last few hitches off ran through about 115cu ft of Ar. My issue is that when I try and run a flat stringer bead on some 3/16 the puddle seems to deform once I inch forward using the dip pause technique, it seems I can run a decent bead for a beginning tig welder on a 3/16 lap or grooved butt weld im using 135amps for almost all those beads in the pictures, I laid a bead on some 14ga stainless using about 65amps and a 3/32 308 rod, and it looked great perfect color height very consistent but I haven't been able to get them to look right on the steel, im hoping someone can look at the pictures and tell me what I am doing wrongusing a #8 cup with about 15-20cfh it almost looks like the gas flow is blowing the puddle around but I lowered the flow rate and tried a standard collet body with a #7cup no change
Reply:Be like OJ....Motorboating...in the Cleavage of the Tetons
Reply:The tiny picts make it a bit hard to tell on the 3/16" plate. My guess is you aren't getting enough fill and are having some under cut issues from the sharp edges that I can see.  Some of what I can see might be do to using too small of a filler rod or not adding enough filler. Torch angle might also play a part in some of what I see. 3/16" is a bit big for learning, but doable. 1/8" is a bit easier to get good fill on. I don't see what size filler you are using with this. I'd use 3/32" or possibly even 1/8" filler working on 3/16" material.14 ga stainless. 3/32" filler is quite large for that thickness. 3/32" is just about the same thickness as your plate. the nice color might be partially due to the fact you are cooling the puddle quite a bit with filler that large. However many guys have issues with joints when the rod size matches or exceeds the base material. To get the filler to melt, you are almost past the point for the edge of the base material to support the puddle and not melt back. 1/16" filler or smaller might be a better choice.As far as your issues in the 2nd pict. you need to work on your consistency. You need to do everything the same all the time. Same travel speed, same size dip, same side to side motion etc. Sounds easy, but if the base material isn't consistent for some reason, gap in the joint, plate bowed slightly opening up the lap joint etc, you have to alter what you are doing so the end result is consistent. That might mean adding just a touch more filler, increasing or decreasing your arc length just slightly in one area, speeding up or slowing down your speed or any number of things. From what I see, you haven't yet gotten your basic controls down to the point where they are instinctive and can read the puddle well. Most of this is just lots and lots of hood time until it all clicks. Also if this pict is of plate 1, then the lap joint I see dead center is definitely under filled.A few thoughts. Post plenty of large clear picts, usually with some reference ( Zao uses his dime) so we can get scale. Also it helps some times to post picts both head on, and at an angle from the side. This is usually true with fillet joints like laps and T's so we can see both bead shape as well as how much fill you got. A straight on shot shows the toes and ripples well, but doesn't often show how good your fill was. Good picts can be tricky with a flash some times. Using good lighting can often help.Good luck..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:A little low on filler addition, (EDIT: Hard to really tell from pic. Not as bad as first thought)  and the consistency of the location of the problem for you tells me this is when you either reset your filler in your hand, or when you slow to adjust your toch position or angle; ie you run out of good up and down angle, and roll the torch too much as you are 'reaching' rather than moving or traveling along. Rolling the torch by just a few degrees can really change the arc length and cause a puddle shape to lose its' consistency. To me, that is what it looks like. The longer arc when rolling the torch makes a wider, erratic or too hot puddle.And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:135 amps on a 3/16" lap is a bit high but you seem to be handling it pretty well.  If you're concerned about stringer appearance you could try grinding/scribing some lines to follow.  Time for you to move on to other challenges.
Reply:Are you left handed? That might be a right handed torch........Your welds look fine don't beat yourself up so bad.........lol  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:SOUTHPAW!! thanks for the advice the pictures on my computer were bigger but the forum resized them because the data was too large it says up there that I used 3/32 filler for all of it, but I will keep on keepin on until I get it right I spose it seems that when I was doing a a bunch of dips and a steady movement on the stainless (dipdipdipdipdipdipdip compared to dip dip dip dip dip) it was a lot more uniform thanks again fellasoh yeah, I don't reach I slide on my homemade tig finger lol, I make it a point not to reachtorch angle, and arc length, I pay close attention to keeping them in the recommended ranges but never thought about having to change to compensate, so I will try that out thanksLast edited by chevydyl; 05-11-2013 at 10:24 PM.