a/c tig problem tungsten burning off

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I am trying to weld: aluminum 6061 1/4" thick butt weld. I'm using my syncrowave 300 with these settings:a/c250 amps on the main dial with remote finger controlhigh freq. continuousbalance: 3 (balanced)100% argon 18CFM1/8" ceriated tungstenWhen i get to about half throttle, which I think is about 150-200 amps (can't see the meters), the tungsten starts to burn off and emit smoke and an orange residue. I've done this exact same process before with total sucess. So, either I'm having a major brain fart and missed some setting, or something is wrong with my equipment. Also another symptom is that I can just get a puddle going before the burn off starts but I can't get the filler near it before it balls up and won't dip.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:My first thought is a shielding gas problem.  If properly shielded, the electrode would not produce smoke and orange residue, it may melt off if the current were too high or if the machine was set to DCEP, but it would remain shiny and clean protected by argon.Possibly a leak in the water cooled torch contaminating the arc.  As a joke, one of you buddies replace your tungsten with some other metal rod.How about some pictures of the weld joint, electrode, and torch?
Reply:Turn the balance up to 7.5 or 8.At 3 the machine is providing an equal (balanced) ratio of DC+ and DC-.As you advance the balance control you're getting more DC-, which puts the heat into the workpiece rather than the tungsten.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:I was welding steel all day today before switching to the aluminum just before I quit. I had no problems there. I thought a shielding gas problem would have arisen with steel even quicker than aluminum. I'll try to explain some of the phenomenon a little more: As i ramp up the power the normal jumpy a/c arc is present, but when i reach this threshold at about half throttle the arc starts to focus a lot more and starts to act almost as if i were trying to dc weld with the polarity swapped and then the tungsten starts to melt away and the smoke and residue appear.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:I could be way off, but is it possible you have the work and the ground leads swapped?Miller 330 a/bp water cooledI believe in gun control, I hold my gun with two hands.  If you want to know why, click here.Buy American or bye America.
Reply:Originally Posted by pinjasI could be way off, but is it possible you have the work and the ground leads swapped?
Reply:If you want help:1.  Read the freaking responses.2.  Turn the dang balance control up to 7.5-8.Hardheaded newbies.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Got any pics?Contaminated metals or filler rod, could weld OK until you get to a contaminated spot.  Then, very well could smoke or "flare up" and likely leave some kind of residue behind.I had a contaminated aluminum filler rod that would weld fine, until got to a contaminated spot, where it would cause the arc to flare up with a bright green color, and leave nasty residue behind.  On closer inspection, the rod was bright on some spots, but contaminated (uneven, etched darker gray) looking in others, I believe from being left for too long near some oxyacetylene aluminum welding flux that I had left out in the open. If you were to run a similar current for a similar length of time, on a different, *clean* piece of metal with same tungsten, cup, flow rate, gas, machine settings, etc, with no smoking issues, I think you would have the problem narrowed down to either your parent metals or your filler rod.
Reply:Thanks for all the responses. I finished the job after a trip to the welding store for fresh filler, pure tungsten and a gas lense. After switching everything I was back in business as usual. I think my problem may have been from two or three sources. 1. I was actually using 3/32" ceriated not 1/8" and was most likely contaminated.2. I was not holding the correct angle and preheating my filler too much3. Gas coverage may have not been idealI'm pretty sure that the balance was not an issue becasue I had already tried four different settings, 1 max cleaning, 10 max penetration, 5 more pentration, and 3 balanced, sorry I should have said that on the first post.When using the 1/8" pure tungsten it would start to melt at full throttle (250 amps on the dial), but it was clear what was happening, I've seen that before. So I think my problems were mostly associated with too much power on the ceriated tungsten. And the orange residue could have come from the aluminum burning off from contaminated tungsten?Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:Originally Posted by con_fuse93) as for Filler having issues.  You can always move up to 1/4" filler as well.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterAre you OK??I would be using 1/16" myself.....zap!
Reply:Originally Posted by fortyonethirty ...fresh filler, pure tungsten and a gas lense. ...I was back in business as usual............... I think my problems were mostly associated with too much power on the ceriated tungsten. And the orange residue could have come from the aluminum burning off from contaminated tungsten?