First TIG bead!

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FINALLY after a year of having my ESAB heliarc 252 sit there and collect dust the planets aligned and I got everything hooked up and running tonight. I can now move on from stick to TIG. ZAP's class really gave me a kick in the rear to get this thing going.I grabbed some steel today so I'll be having some fun over the next few daysFirst bead i ran without having any gas...and it looked like crud... Here's the second...not even sure of the settings... 150 amps with the pedal down and 20cfm of argon. brown or orange tungsten that was grinding on an old *** wheel that's prolly full of crap. Attached ImagesESAB Heliarc 252
Reply:looks like a worm! Turn your heat up.
Reply:Originally Posted by TimmyTIGlooks like a worm! Turn your heat up.
Reply:That can't be your first..You did that right in front of me..And it was VERY good to boot!Yeah you need more heat but settle your electrical problems first...Then have at it....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:Don't cut corners, prep your material correctly, eliminate variables and work on one aspect at a time. I paraphrase the sage advice of DSW, but truth is truth. Push to learn objectively.So far you have verified that your equipment is capable and I share your enthusiasm and exitement. The pros do this everyday, so its ho-hum to them. To us its like getting a look into the magic briefcase in the movie Pulp Fiction! The more you learn the more you see what you didn't even recognise at all, like a child's mental development.I really believe you need more than internet feedback to evaluate your skill as you progress. Zapster and others here offer if you are nearby; if you got schooled by Zap you are both lucky and brave! Find someone skilled and willing or take a VOTEC class (Sorry Zap!). I'm going to take the local class here again with specific goals to improve on now that I'm better able to evaluate where I am and where I want to go, which is:I kinda suck at welding considering the 3 process I am pursuing at varying levels based on my current skill at process and position, but not totally. I want to be proficient in everything I take from practice to practical at the level the job demands as a baseline. A man's got to know his limitations to quote. Then I want to go from there.Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 and WP17. 75A AC is for pipe thawing!HH 140 - new addtion 9/2012.I didn't agree, but hoped for Hope and Change.I got change for myself and my family: for the worse.This is the reality of: Barackalypse Now. Again.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterThat can't be your first..You did that right in front of me..And it was VERY good to boot!Yeah you need more heat but settle your electrical problems first...Then have at it....zap!
Reply:You have plenty of output to do 1/8" material, and I'd suggest starting with that. Most newer tig guys find 1/16" a bit too thin until they have built up their skill level some. 150 amps is more than enough to do 1/8" steel. I'd probably suggest setting the machine to 130 amps for 1/8" steel as it will give you slightly more control and help you from pumping in too much heat at first while learning..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:Originally Posted by DSWYou have plenty of output to do 1/8" material, and I'd suggest starting with that. Most newer tig guys find 1/16" a bit too thin until they have built up their skill level some. 150 amps is more than enough to do 1/8" steel. I'd probably suggest setting the machine to 130 amps for 1/8" steel as it will give you slightly more control and help you from pumping in too much heat at first while learning.
Reply:That's not uncommon with analog machines with dials. You will just need to learn what works. If you are correct, I'd strongly suggest you keep a note book at/near the machine and make notes about what settings work for what rod/ material thickness so you can duplicate them later in the future. 6-8 months from now you won't remember that the machine worked best at X amps with Y rod on 3/16" steel or whatever....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:Looking really good.
Reply:in my little experience , i had to put a long extension to my welder (100 ft) i need to turn the heat a little bit up in order to work fine if i connect directly without extension it works in the range specified and the extension its 10 AWG good for at least 60 amps
Reply:I read most of the post and picked up on a few statements the OP made that I would like to address.......On thin sheet metal as pictured 80 amps on the PANEL  would be more than enough to weld the sheet metal......Until you get a feel for your pedal set the weld current low enough that when its floored you don't burn through you parent metal.......small filler small tungsten's will keep you from getting in trouble  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:Had a couple hours or so today to run some beads on some thin 1/8" steel, and for the most part I think I have a decent handle on it. Need to tweak a bit and bet more uniform looking beads. I need to go back and spend more time on it before I start doing some joints.The allure of aluminum was too much today so I spent the an hour playing around with the settings on the Heliarc. It was first time using the machine on AC and I didn't have the manual so it took some time to get some workable settings. I remember about halfway through laying down (to me at least) a really nice bead and then I went and messed with the settings and ... oh well. A word about tungsten sharpening. I sharpened the points on a wheel that hasn't been leveled OR dressed in probably 30+ years. I need to get a dedicated wheel asap. Only the center of the wheel even looked clean.Pic 1) Took this pic for Zap because he likes his comfy seat. It's the best seat I could come up with. It sucks. Pic 2) Stick outPic 3) Cleaned Aluminum. Knew that it had to be clean... thought I cleaned it enough. Also, got bit by having crud on the filler rod. Started wiping that down before using it.Pic 4-5) A couple of beads. Yep, lots of crap. Used a dedicated steel brush and acetone. And gave it a swipe before welding. Guess something isn't clean enough. Attached ImagesLast edited by BlauSchuh; 11-20-2012 at 05:57 PM.ESAB Heliarc 252
Reply:cont'd First bead actually looked really good as far as a consistent width and spacing when feeding the filler rod.Some other random ones... Attached ImagesESAB Heliarc 252
Reply:BTW, this was all 1/8" material and I had the machine set for 150 amps or so (I bet its closer to 135). I cranked it down to around 125/130 and waited 30 seconds to get a puddle to form. on some of these towards the end i let off just a bit on the pedal as my hand felt like it was about to burst into flames. Or I let off on the peddle if I was running another bead right after the first as the plate's already hot as blazes.I think one of the things I need to work is the pedal. You can see in one of those pics the deflection in the plate. whoaaaa.ESAB Heliarc 252
Reply:Originally Posted by BlauSchuhI cranked it down to around 125/130 and waited 30 seconds to get a puddle to form.
Reply:Originally Posted by KelvinIf it's taking 30 seconds to form a puddle on alum, I think you need to put a little more coal on the fire. With alum you want to get in there fast with a lot of heat because alum conducts heat away from what you're trying to weld a lot faster than other metals. If you don't dump enough heat in there fast enough, you're just chasing your tail in circles.My instinct is to put the coal to her in the beginning, then back off some once the puddle is formed, then back off a little more as the alum soaks up more heat and gets hotter and hotter.
Reply:Originally Posted by BlauSchuhBTW, this was all 1/8" material and I had the machine set for 150 amps or so (I bet its closer to 135). I cranked it down to around 125/130 and waited 30 seconds to get a puddle to form. on some of these towards the end i let off just a bit on the pedal as my hand felt like it was about to burst into flames. Or I let off on the peddle if I was running another bead right after the first as the plate's already hot as blazes.I think one of the things I need to work is the pedal. You can see in one of those pics the deflection in the plate. whoaaaa.
Reply:Blau, you using 4043 filler?In some of those beads, it does look like you're cooking the silicon out of the filler metal.  Thats what those grainy beads are.Those are some nice consistent beads.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:If your machine is really running a bit low on amps vs what you set it at, don't be afraid to crank it up some more. After all, you have the pedal to control the actual amps you are using. I sometimes surprise students by setting the machine at 180 or 200 amps to do 1/8" alum. The reason we usually set the machine at 150 is so the students can simply mash the pedal to the floor when they are learning and haven't yet developed the fine control needed when the machine is set higher..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:Considering you just started, I think your doing very well and will be buzzing along in no time! I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Originally Posted by Drf255Blau, you using 4043 filler?In some of those beads, it does look like you're cooking the silicon out of the filler metal.  Thats what those grainy beads are.Those are some nice consistent beads.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWIf your machine is really running a bit low on amps vs what you set it at, don't be afraid to crank it up some more. After all, you have the pedal to control the actual amps you are using. I sometimes surprise students by setting the machine at 180 or 200 amps to do 1/8" alum. The reason we usually set the machine at 150 is so the students can simply mash the pedal to the floor when they are learning and haven't yet developed the fine control needed when the machine is set higher.
Reply:Aluminum Day 2: Practiced keeping the tip of the filler rod in the gas rather than pulling it too far away from the arc. Seemed to make a big difference, still not where I want to be as far as the contaminants go...Now hitting the aluminum with a flap disk to get 90% of the crud off, then acetone and a steel brush to get the rest... Still using the crap wheel to sharpen tungstens.Also, picked up the pace a bit and even with the pedal at full tilt I can sort of keep the 1/8 AL from warping into a tortilla. I'm doing about 2 dips a second for the beads in these pics. Broke out the 3/32 filler rod, but maybe I should go back to the thinner stuff. Some of these beads seem to be sitting up a bit. Pics:Steel Also played around with some really short lap joints on 1/16th thick steel. I think I was around 125 amps, but after a 3-4 dips I tried to let of a bit. I ran a couple before this one that were absolutely terrible. Found out I had the "ArcForce" dial on 9 when it should have been on 0 for DC. and I wasn't "dancing" between the two pieces in order to get the metal to flow.Had 3-4 decent joints ones, but all but this pic were blurry as hellESAB Heliarc 252
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterWelcome to tig welding!The beads look alright but as you can see clean is not clean enough..Remember how many times we "Cleaned" the aluminum only to find.....And another thing..It is real easy to.....believe it or not......."Overcook" the aluminum with the heat...Strange but true.No worries though..You have "It" now fine tune it....zap!Originally Posted by BlauSchuhThanks... how much could sharpening the tungsten on an old crappy wheel really make?I mean I beat the AL up with a flap wheel then scrubbed it with a steel brush and acetone. 3-4 of my latest beads look pretty clean and shiny.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterThe wheel should not make any difference as long as it's "Clean" and not used for anything but tungsten...STAINLESS  brush?You keep mentioning steel...And you are progressing VERY nicely!...zap!