Why are my TIG welds looking like this...?

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I've been MIG welding for a few years now and decided to try out TIG welding. I picked up a Thermal Arc Fabricator 211i which does DC lift TIG. My setup is below:Powersorce: Thermal Arc Fabricator 211iGas: ArgonTorch: 26vTungsten: 3/32 2% Thoriated Gas Flow: 20 cfhI am not using a gas lens and I am using a foot pedal. So when I tried welding with low amperage, I keep getting these craters:When i up the amperage, the craters go away but the beads still looks werid...The base metal is just HR plates. I prepped some (sanded and cleaned with acetone) and didn't on others and the outcome were the same.I think my travel speed is a little fast since i'm used to MIG welding but I doubt that's the issue. I triple checked the settings on the machine and everything looks right since there isn't a whole lot to set (using foot pedal). The polarity is correct and the machine is only capable of DC. I even tried turning up the flow meter to 60 cfh and the outcomes were identical. I even tried welding w/ no gas and it sorta just popped so there is definitely gas flowing when the gas is on. Is my machine screwed up? Am I not doing something right? Or am I really just that bad?!
Reply:Also I know for TIG welding you're suppose to Push only but I tried pushing and pulling and it made no difference. Outcomes were still the same...Also, images above is w/o filler rod addedLast edited by minhster; 02-28-2013 at 10:56 AM.
Reply:You shouldn't need 60 CFH..... that much gas will cause problems...... 20 to 30 should be all you need.....Porousity looks like poor gas coverage..... make sure you have good connections and no leaks....... looks like air is getting sucked in......... or too much air movement and blowing your gas away.......Looks like 11 guage........ no more than about 90 - 95 amps should be all you need........Precision TIG 185 and MP 210Bobcat 225NTCutmaster 42O/A tanks.... 2 Argon tanks...... 2 C25 TanksFacebook...... F2 Metal WorksETSY....... https://www.etsy.com/shop/F2MetalWorksF2MetalWorks.com....... http://www.f2metalworks.com/
Reply:I've been running at 20 cfh for the most part, only upped it up to 60 cfh once to see if it was a gas issue. I'll try checking all the gas fittings again tonight with soapy water and see if there are any leaks. I also do have a gas lens, i just hasn't installed it yet, I can try that too and see if it helps...
Reply:Originally Posted by minhsterI've been running at 20 cfh for the most part, only upped it up to 60 cfh once to see if it was a gas issue. I'll try checking all the gas fittings again tonight with soapy water and see if there are any leaks. I also do have a gas lens, i just hasn't installed it yet, I can try that too and see if it helps...
Reply:thanks cruz, i was under the impression that I wasn't getting enough shielding gas so I went for the higher recommended gas setting. I did a quick search again and the miller site shows:"set the proper gas flow rate, which should be 15 to 20 cubic feet per hour (cfh). Welders commonly—and incorrectly—assume that a higher gas flow/pressure provides greater protection. In fact, excessive gas flow creates turbulence and swirling currents that pull in unwanted airborne contaminants (and it can cause arc wandering). Generally, err on the lower side of recommended shielding gas rates to ensure proper shielding coverage without turbulence." I will also check for leaks as well. Also when I start, should I purge the gas line? If so, for how long? Hopefully this will solve my problem, if not, at least i'll be saving a lot of gas. Thanks again.
Reply:As far as purging goes I usually just tap the pedal right before I weld which is just enough to clear the lines. What size cup, tungsten, and tungsten stick out you using?
Reply:What is your amperage set at too.
Reply:Dont remember off the top of my head what cup size but I believe it's a 6. I'm using 2% thoriated tungsten (red) in 3/32 with around 1/8'' - 1/4'' stick out. I'm using the foot pedal so I'm not actually looking at the panel for amperage reading. The wider beads above (2nd and 3rd picture) I would guess is around 100-115 amps just because when I tried not using the foot pedal and went off the machine, the 100-115 amperage beads looked close to those.
Reply:Next time use filler!  You maybe just boiling impurities out of the metal.
Reply:Sharpen your tungsten?  Also, try a fillet weld.  Laying a good looking bead on flat material is harder for me than doing a nice fillet or even a lap joint.
Reply:How far do you have the tungsten sticking out past the end of the ceramic nozzle?  1/8" to 1/4" should work with 15-20 CFH of gas flow and a #5 cup.  What does the tip of the tungsten look like when you stop welding?  Should be clean and bright.  If there's any color to it, then you have a gas coverage issue.  TIG doesn't tolerate any kind of breeze or airflow around the weld.  No fans, open doors, etc.If the tungsten is severely deformed you're running too much amperage(unlikely with that machine and 3/32" tungsten) or the wrong polarity.  Should be DCEN, that is the TIG torch is connected to the negative output terminal.  If you're coming from a MIG background, then the TIG torch uses the output stud normally used for your work clamp.If you have a loose gas connection it will suck air into the Argon gas stream, which will give you contaminated welds like those shown in your photos.  Too small a ceramic cup with too much distance between the tungsten and the work will also give this kind of problem.If everything else checks out, Is it possible that you didn't get a cylinder of pure Argon?Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:The brown soot on almost every single pic tells me that you had some kind of gas shielding problem (which itself could be traced to many things) or you had some very weird torch angle, which could also cause gas shielding problems. 1st on WeldingWeb to have a scrolling sig! HTP Invertig 400HTP Invertig 221HTP ProPulse 300HTP ProPulse 200 x2HTP ProPulse 220MTSHTP Inverarc 200TLP HTP Microcut 875SC
Reply:Still new to TIG so I haven't tried to feed in any filler rods yet. Just trying to start basic. I did sharpen the tungsten on a dedicated grinder that I use to grind tungsten only. I did a lap joint (without filler) and it held together just fine but appearances were more or less the same. After welding the tungsten is still sharp but the color of it is a bit darker i believe. Will have to check again as I didn't pay too much attention to it. Torch angle is normal, it's about 20 degrees and I even went as far as dong straight perpendicular with the same results. I am also pushing the puddle.The area that i am working in is the garage and all the doors are closed with absolutely no draft at all. Machine is definitely setup for DC-, the torch is plugged into the negative port and the clamp is in the positive port.I appreciate everyone's responses so far. It sounds like at least I know what I'm doing (enough) and everything is more or less correct. I'm starting to think it's a gas issue like many of you have mentioned. Will lower the flow a bit and check all the connections. I also have a gas lens that I haven't installed yet. Will have to try that later as well.
Reply:Originally Posted by minhsterStill new to TIG so I haven't tried to feed in any filler rods yet. Just trying to start basic. I did sharpen the tungsten on a dedicated grinder that I use to grind tungsten only. I did a lap joint (without filler) and it held together just fine but appearances were more or less the same. After welding the tungsten is still sharp but the color of it is a bit darker i believe. Will have to check again as I didn't pay too much attention to it. Torch angle is normal, it's about 20 degrees and I even went as far as dong straight perpendicular with the same results. I am also pushing the puddle.The area that i am working in is the garage and all the doors are closed with absolutely no draft at all. Machine is definitely setup for DC-, the torch is plugged into the negative port and the clamp is in the positive port.I appreciate everyone's responses so far. It sounds like at least I know what I'm doing (enough) and everything is more or less correct. I'm starting to think it's a gas issue like many of you have mentioned. Will lower the flow a bit and check all the connections. I also have a gas lens that I haven't installed yet. Will have to try that later as well.
Reply:Just running an arc on a piece of steel won't tell you how your machine is running, in fact it will never look good because no bead is formed because all you're doing is burning up your base metal, and if that metal your striking an arc too without filler isnt brand spanking new and the mill scale cleaned off that soot may be impurities from junk metal even if you cleaned it.  If you have no filler get a wire coat hanger, cleaning to bare metal and then try that.
Reply:I'm going to throw this out there. Some may come on and say otherwise but I've seen bad bottles of gas with my own two eyes. When I bought my htp invertig 221 I was having problem with shielding. As I am a welder by trade I did everything I could think of to correct the issue. Took the cover off, checked all connections, the whole bit, clean shiny steel, proper cfm... The list goes on. None of it worked so I blamed the welder and kicked myself for buying a brand other than Miller or Lincoln. I called Jeff at HTP and told him about my issues. He asked me all of his questions and we decided as a last ditch effort I should change gas bottles. So I did. Voila my little red race welder was kicking a$$. Just to be sure I switched between three different bottles of argon and only got the bad results from that one. In short... Don't completely rule it out. I had my bottle purged and refilled and all was well.
Reply:Some pictures of your setup might help to trouble shoot the problem.
Reply:Read most of the replies if I repeat Im sorry,  As mentioned a fouled tungsten wont work well....get in the habit NOW  before you learn BAD HABITS  to STOP when you dip the tungsten and reshape it correctly of course.......That porosity comes from not using any filler or crappy metal to start with......Some steel just welds bad and not much you can do to fix that other than maybe using some 308 stainless filler.....You need some lessons, the beads look like you are used to OA torch process......Tig is a whole different deal as you will see with some tips......Go to You Tube and watch welding tips and tricks.......there are a bunch of movies you can learn from.....Watching is a much better form of learning than listening to us....lol  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:Originally Posted by OscarThe brown soot on almost every single pic tells me that you had some kind of gas shielding problem (which itself could be traced to many things) or you had some very weird torch angle, which could also cause gas shielding problems.
Reply:Originally Posted by minhsterStill new to TIG so I haven't tried to feed in any filler rods yet. Just trying to start basic. I did sharpen the tungsten on a dedicated grinder that I use to grind tungsten only. I did a lap joint (without filler) and it held together just fine but appearances were more or less the same. After welding the tungsten is still sharp but the color of it is a bit darker i believe. Will have to check again as I didn't pay too much attention to it. Torch angle is normal, it's about 20 degrees and I even went as far as dong straight perpendicular with the same results. I am also pushing the puddle.The area that i am working in is the garage and all the doors are closed with absolutely no draft at all. Machine is definitely setup for DC-, the torch is plugged into the negative port and the clamp is in the positive port.I appreciate everyone's responses so far. It sounds like at least I know what I'm doing (enough) and everything is more or less correct. I'm starting to think it's a gas issue like many of you have mentioned. Will lower the flow a bit and check all the connections. I also have a gas lens that I haven't installed yet. Will have to try that later as well.
Reply:Great thread, I also am a boot tig welder did as minhster  has. Welding with a mig and decided to try something new. Seems us boots suffer from the same problems LOL . Not going to hijack the tread but will be reading, cause minhster is singing my tune. I am just also saying thanks for the information.Cheers Greg
Reply:Originally Posted by B_CIf you want to get the feel of melting the parent metal then get yourself a piece of 304 Stainless......It can be fused with no problem and you can get good results304 Stainless throttle shafts  pulsed with no filler
Reply:Originally Posted by B_CThe BROWN soot is from dipping the tungsten and running too high a flow...
Reply:look's like mill scale to meI don't think you're initiating an arc at low amperage.  Looks like HF is just wandering around.  The high amp beads are about what I'd expect from too much heat and mill scale. Nothing there points to a problem with the machine.  RE gas flow: less is more, especially when horizontal.  Think of the torch as a water hose.  You want the argon(water) to gently pour out of the hose and land on the work piece.  Because the argon is heavier than our atmosphere it'll lay there in a puddle protecting the weld.  If it sprays out of the hose it'll bounce off the work piece and tumble around mixing with the atmosphere.So... clean your metal, set your flow around 12cfm, grab a filler rod and get after it.  Initiate and arc let it grow in diamter to a bit smaller than a pencil, dab some filler into it, advance, dab... repeat.  You'll be GTAW welding.Syncrowave 300Maxtron 450, S-52E, 30A
Reply:Originally Posted by walker dlook's like mill scale to me
Reply:Clean your metal better