My learning and critique thread

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Im a newbie to TIG welding and im excited to start practicing. Im going to use this thread to post my progress, ask questions, and attach pictures of my welds for critique. I am using a dynasty 200dxJust a couple welds tonight on mild steel. I didnt have a lot of time to weld but I was able to run a couple "beads".  These are my first ever tig welds and I uh... kinda suck. lolI set the amps on the dynasty to 90 and I was using the foot pedal. How should the foot pedal action be? Do you just bring in the heat and keep it on or do you need to oscillate the pedal down and up? I couldnt seem to get a nice puddle action going and it was kind of hard to see under/past the torch to the puddle.'
Reply:1st give us all the info. Material thickness, filler size, tungsten size and type, amps, gas flow and what gas you are using... the more we know, the better our replies can be.You need to regrind your tungsten as soon as you foul it. That's what all that reddish dust is from. Get yourself a gas lens. It will allow you to extend out your tungsten a bit farther and make it easier to see. The pedal controls your amps. You depress it as needed to get the results you want, just like with the accelerator pedal on your car. It's impossible to tell you how far down to press the gas pedal in your car to go say 45 miles an hour. The same applies with the pedal in tig. It's something you learn by doing. "Pumping" the pedal is sometimes used in certain situations.RaAther than retype what I've posted up several times, I'll simply put up the link. Take a look at it. It covers the basics that we use at the tech school for teaching tig. It should get you started.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...21#post2421421.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:my first guess by looking at it would be your arc length is way to longMiller Xmt 350Lincoln Ln-25Ahp 200xSmith Gas Mixer AR/HTig is my Kung FuThrowing down dimes and weaving aboutInstagram http://instagram.com/[email protected]
Reply:Is that bolt galvanized/zinc coated? If so you would need to grind it all off. I would really avoid things like that for now any way since it's not a common joint you will need to work with. Start running fusion beads without filler on flat plate. Once they look good start adding filler. Once they look good move to butt welds. Once you are rocking all that stuff comfortably move on to lap, T and corner welds. Also with TIG cleaning and prep is everything.Lincoln precision TIG 275Millermatic 140 MIG
Reply:This is a very cluttered site but might give you some help. Jody is a good tig man and he makes lots of great videos. Also has MIG and Stick in there too. http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/Hobart Stickmate LX235AC/160DCRanger 305GVictor 315 O/A rigHope to acquire in the next couple of years: Hypertherm PM45 and Dynasty 200DX
Reply:I see you have a Dynasty200. So do I.The best thing I can advise at this point is to list your parameters. I see you are welding on 1/16th steel and filler. What is your gas flow, cup size, and machine settings? I assume your pulse mode is off?Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:The metal plate im welding on is about 1/16" thick. Im using 3/32 red tungsten and 3/32 filler, air cooled torch with size 7 cup. Not sure on the amps, i set the machine to 90amps but im using a miller foot pedal at probably half pedal. No pulsing and about 18cfh gas flow. I practiced some more today and my biggest issue is getting a good arc length, I try to keep a tight arc and keep the torch close but I keep accidentally touching the metal with the tungsten and then I have to grind it Im not sure what the argon mix is, I had it filled years ago for my mig welder and havent welded much with it since then.That bolt is coated, I figured it would cause issues but I just wanted to try it really quick and didnt have a lot of time to prep stuff.Ive been watching a ton of weldingtipsandtricks videos, they are awesome and have been a huge help.I tried doing aluminum today and something is definitely wrong, this is an aluminum bar about 1/4" thick that I ran over the wire wheel to clean up. It wouldn't strike a good arc, and just pitted the metal and started sporadically wandering after about 10secs of arc time. Could it be my argon mix, im not sure what the mix is as it was originally for my mig machine? I was using 3/32 red tungsten, 18cfh gas flow, set the dynasty to AC polarity with 66% balance and 120hz freq. Also, im running the welder on 110v if that matters.Here are some more practice welds from today, biggest problem has been keeping the arc length tight without touching the tungsten to the puddle.
Reply:Originally Posted by CSXRT4Im not sure what the argon mix is, I had it filled years ago for my mig welder and havent welded much with it since then.
Reply:I had been wondering why it looked like you weren't getting good shielding coverage. Hopefully some pure argon will make a world of difference and put you a long ways towards getting some nice welds.Lincoln precision TIG 275Millermatic 140 MIG
Reply:Ok, I was hoping it might be something with the gas. Ill go get a refill on 100% argon this week, should I get any helium mix?I have a gas lens but the cup for it broke. Ill see if I can pick up a new cup when I get the new gas.Thanks!
Reply:Originally Posted by CSXRT4Ok, I was hoping it might be something with the gas. Ill go get a refill on 100% argon this week, should I get any helium mix?
Reply:Ok I grabbed some 100% argon today and played with some aluminum for a bit. First impression is that it is much easier than steel, the puddle just coasts right along with the torch. One issue I had every once in a while was the tip of the filler melting a bit before I got near the puddle, but it only happened a couple times. Another issue is that my beads seem to have some "grit" to them, like little bits of spatter or something on top. They are also not as shiny as I would have thought they should be. Gas @ 18-20cfh, 3/32 4043HQ filler, amps were 160 on the machine probably 3/4 down on the foot pedal, 65% balance, 120hz frequencyThis is about 1/16" thick aluminum plateI also did a little bit of steel and it definitely seemed like I needed a lot more amps than with the argon/co2 mix. My biggest issue is that the puddle keeps wanting to wander around and roll up or down across the top of the plate. Straightening the torch up seemed to help but not completely alleviate the issue. Another issue is that my filler rod keeps wanting to stick to the edge of the puddle and I have to kind of twist/pull it away. Same gas flow, 3/32 er70s-2 filler, 110amps on the machine at about 3/4 pedal. My phone died so I couldn't grab any photos :/I had to borrow a small tank for the new 100% argon. Its just a 3.6L tank and cost me $36 to fill! I figured it would last me for a while but I started out at 2000psi and its already down to 1000psi. Am I running too much CFH or is this tank just too small to last a decent amount of time? How much does it usually cost to fill a large tank (say a 4ft tall one, not sure the liters).
Reply:How much does it usually cost to fill a large tank (say a 4ft tall one, not sure the liters).
Reply:That grainy look usually comes from overheating the material.  4043 tends to show this more than say 5356. 160 amps is way too low for the material in the 1st pict. My guess is it took a bit before you got a puddle to form. It seems counter intuitive, but with alum, lower amps means you pump more heat into the work than you do if you use more amps. The reason is alum is such a great heat sink. Instead of just heating the area where you want the bead to form, the material sucks away the heat and the whole thing heats up. When you get it finally hot enough for a bead to form, the whole thing is way too hot. More amps applied faster means that just the area right at the weld melts. Then it cools rapidly as the rest of the material wicks away the excess heat. When the whole thing is hot, it can't cool down properly and you get that grainy look.The beads on 1/16" plate look better, but  I'm going to guess you ran all three beads almost back to back with no cool down between. Thus the heat from the other beads helped overheat the material.If I was going to guess, I'd think the top bead was run 1st from the smoother look on the right hand side. Your consistency looks pretty good, especially the top bead of the three on the right. There are a few small inconsistencies here and there, but overall not bad once you get the heat under control a bit more..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 CSXRT4Ok I grabbed some 100% argon today and played with some aluminum for a bit. First impression is that it is much easier than steel, the puddle just coasts right along with the torch. One issue I had every once in a while was the tip of the filler melting a bit before I got near the puddle, but it only happened a couple times. Another issue is that my beads seem to have some "grit" to them, like little bits of spatter or something on top. They are also not as shiny as I would have thought they should be. Gas @ 18-20cfh, 3/32 4043HQ filler, amps were 160 on the machine probably 3/4 down on the foot pedal, 65% balance, 120hz frequency
Reply:Ha Doug, you are Johnny-on-the-spot.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:^^^Yeah good gas made a huge difference. Today I was working on heat control with the aluminum and letting it cool between runs like DSW said. It seems like hitting it hard quick doesn't make much of a difference but ill keep messing with it. I did get some shinier beads by being heavy on the filler and getting the puddle higher off the surface. Ill just keep running beads until im really comfortable. Ive been playing with different filler intervals, different heat, different torch speed, pulsing the heat, just trying to get all around familiar and comfortable with it. I will order some 5356 filler to try out.My bigger issue is on steel, I cant get a nice overlapping bead like on aluminum. Adding more heat and filler seems to help, but the puddle usually has more hard/oblong edges and they don't flow out nice and round like aluminum does. I ran my tiny argon tank dry already so I had to cut practice short :/BTW, welding around a pipe is really hard lolThe plate in these photos is about 1/8" thick mild steel same general settings as above. Probably about 120-130 amps thoughLast edited by CSXRT4; 09-18-2013 at 07:53 PM.
Reply:I see a lot of mill scale on that steel. That will greatly affect what your beads look like. Get out the grinder or sanding disk and loose the mill scale. Note a wire wheel will just polish the scale, not remove it..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:You could try to weave around the pipe.Or walk the cup >_>When I was doing aluminum, I was told to start the arc relatively slow, then floor the pedal to get up to the right amperage before starting the bead.Someone commented previously about taking too long to get the puddle started.. it gets the work too hot to weld properly.
Reply:I grabbed some more argon today and ground the mill scale off the plate I was working with. It did help a bit but im still having some issues with the steel. I probably just need a lot more practice, but the puddle seems like it wants to wander around and the filler rod keeps sticking to the puddle. I think I might need to try 1/16" filler rod. Sometimes it feels like a have a good rhythm and puddle flow but when I get done welding it still doesn't look that great :/Heres a picture of a couple from today. I think it was getting too hot on the last couple beads, I didnt let it cool down enough between welding.Last edited by CSXRT4; 09-20-2013 at 01:15 AM.
Reply:1/16th is what I've always used for 1/8" steel. Usually stainless.. but I imagine it would work just as well on carbon steel. Gotta move quicker, though.I also had a bucket of water to quench the material every couple of passes. This was during school.
Reply:Im not sure why but I was able to get some better results today. Switched to ceriated tungsten and grabbed some different scrap metal. I sharpened the tungsten a little more narrow. This is about 1/8" thick angle iron, ground it clean before welding. Maybe the other metal was just garbage?I had a little bit of an issue with arc wander with these welds, it would be fine when the arc was going to the metal but once a puddle formed it would kind of wander around the puddle. It would also get a blue hue to the color of the arc flame, I thought maybe I was dipping the tungsten but I kept re-grinding it and the blue didn't really go away. Trying my best to maintain a good torch angle, arc length, and puddle control. Definitely need to work on heat control though.
Reply:Not sure about the blue flame, but you're pretty darn good for a guy just starting out.  Your bead width is very consistent as you travel. Try a different piece of metal and see if the blue goes away.  I use a Nexgen lens and the arcs slightly amber. Turns bright orange when I dip.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Looks like you are making progress.Ditch that silly steel and jump back to some alum. They are different enough that you will learn from one to apply to another.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Originally Posted by Drf255Not sure about the blue flame, but you're pretty darn good for a guy just starting out.  Your bead width is very consistent as you travel. Try a different piece of metal and see if the blue goes away.  I use a Nexgen lens and the arcs slightly amber. Turns bright orange when I dip.Too much heat I think. But you are doing remarkably well, all things considered. Much better than I did, which is probably why I stuck to pipe.I used Ceriated throughout school and never had problems with it. I prefer Lathanated now.Set up a few lap and tee joints.
Reply:Remember to keep a short arc length Lincoln precision TIG 275Millermatic 140 MIG
Reply:Originally Posted by akabadnewsToo much heat I think. But you are doing remarkably well, all things considered. Much better than I did, which is probably why I stuck to pipe.I used Ceriated throughout school and never had problems with it. I prefer Lathanated now.Set up a few lap and tee joints.
Reply:Originally Posted by CSXRT4What are the main signs of too long of an arc length? I think im keeping it tight but maybe not? I have found myself pulling away towards the end of the weld, usually because I get so far to the left that I cant see as well.
Reply:Originally Posted by yoshimitsuspeedDid you watch the video? He explains it better than I could. Basically a big HAZ, and a non shiny weld. Pretty much exactly what is in the above pics.
Reply:Originally Posted by CSXRT4Ok I see where he explains that at the very end now. Ill try a tighter arc length but I swear any closer and ill be dragging the tungsten through the puddle lol.
Reply:Played around some more today. I paid more attention to my arc length, I was dipping left and right trying to keep it as close as possible (re-ground after dipping). I couldnt really get a shiny look to any of the steel welds but I was able to decrease the HAZ a little bit. I know what you mean about switching back and forth between steel/aluminum, after welding on the steel for a bit I went to aluminum and I had a hard time readjusting to keeping a longer arc length and kept growing the puddle into my tungsten when I added filler. I usually try to use the technique that weldingtipsandtricks shows with pulling the torch up a little when adding filler.Here are some pics from the dayPlayed around with weaving the puddle around. You can see a bunch of red from when I dipped a tad bit in a few spotsTried some 1/16" filler I had but I think its some sort of stainless and not compatible with mild steelMessing with some aluminum again, weird to readjust to aluminum after doing steel for a whileLast edited by CSXRT4; 09-22-2013 at 11:49 PM.
Reply:Awesome!Already much better. I school my newbies on alum mostly because that is the majority of work we do. Like you they struggle with steel but work through it pretty fast. Switching back and forth you can apply your observations to each metal. Just remember that alum is big and bad, and your arc length needs to be enough to cram the rod into the puddle. With DC you keep it tight. I even taper my tungsten back as much as 5 times the tungsten diameter to get in tight. DC arc does not dribble your weld rod back like AC and alum. Good luck and keep going. Play with your Freq on alum. I prefer 100htz as opposed to 120 myself. The puddle wets in faster. For steel try the high speed pulse. I believe 100 pps is standard and it will give you an arc profile much like AC and alum.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Ok ive just been practicing on different things. Getting a feel for different things. I tried to play with some stainless and I cant get good color on the beginning of the weld, its nice and gold at the end though. Ive tried more gas flow (anywhere from 18cfh to 30cfh), more heat w/faster travel, low heat fast travel, cups from 5-7, super tiny arc length, pulsing, all kinds of things but cant get color anywhere except the end of the weld. Is it just required to have a gas lens? This material is probably 1/16" thick stainless exhaust piping 3" diameter. Using 308 filler.
Reply:I am learning TIG right now too. It looks like you are teaching yourself. I am so jealous that you get to jump into the fun things! Good job! Keep posting things and I will try not to thread jack with pictures of my crap.
Reply:Bump for the SS question
Reply:You need to understand WHY you get colors on stainless. The colors come from how hot the material is when it looses it's gas shielding. if you get a gray weld, chances are it was way too hot when you lostr the gas shield. If you have almost no color, then it had cooled down signifigantly before it lost the shielding.You can accomplish this a couple of ways. 1) mange your heat input, and 2) extend the gas shielding time. To manage your heat, you want to try and keep total heat input down. Some times it can help to use more amps, and weld faster. Other times it might simply mean turning down the amps a bit. It's really hard to make guesses on this without more info, preferably watching the person do the weld. Extending the gas shild could be as simple as more gas, though some times more isn't better as you can create turbulance and suck in air vs trying to exculude it. A gas lens usually does a couple of things. Often when guys go to a lens, they also jump up the cup size at the same time. In that case you gain both by having a cleaner gas flow as well as having a larger area of gas coverage.I can't really see those welds well enough in those picts to make any real conclusions on what your issue is right now I'm afraid..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:^ thanks for the input. Sorry about the pic, my phone refused to focus on it. Do you think it could have too much gas coverage? The end of the weld stays the same color as the beginning until the post flow shuts off and it flashes gold.I think I can tell when I overheat it, the weld gets muddy and crackly.
Reply:I have never been able to do a long weld on thin stainless while keeping proper coloration. People on here swear you can and I have asked many times for them to show pics with good coloration on the front side and full penetration on the back but have never seen proof. If I am welding with cup shielding on SS I use the biggest lens I have. I have this kit http://www.arc-zone.com/index.php?ma...oducts_id=5028. I don't think that's the right one for my torch but it's the same brand and style. I use the 1 1/8 lens and I weld about an inch and pause with post flow till it cools enough and then I weld the next inch. Post flow time will depend on the thickness of the metal and your welding speed. They do make things like this. http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Straight-G...-/350451852210I have never tried them but it's supposed to help stretch the flow behind you as you weld shielding the bead longer. The downside aside from cost is that they work best on specific contours. The one above will work well on flat straight welds but would not work as well on tubing or for sharp radius.Lincoln precision TIG 275Millermatic 140 MIG
Reply:If I ever get back on stainless again I'll show you. How long is long for you? The longest bead I've run doing HF was maybe 6". It's not hard to maintain a blue/gold color on a stainless bead, no matter the length. I usually cool off the plate between passes too.
Reply:Originally Posted by akabadnewsIf I ever get back on stainless again I'll show you. How long is long for you?
Reply:Yosh: Mass is your friend when trying to get colour on SS. If you're welding .040" you'll need some copper or aluminum backing to suck that heat away. Ever tried Solar Flux for full pen?CSX: Your Aluminum is looking great, the SS and Mild are showing better control. My best advice for SS is to use a magnifier in the hood and as small a tungsten and filler as possible. A tiny, needle sharp tungsten under magnification looks normal but your arc length will be smaller. Try fewer amps (~15% less than 1 amp per thou) and an almost 90 deg torch angle. Don't buy any more front end parts for your torch until you get a gas lens, sooooooo much better, for SS especially. When you go from SS to mild you should start to see some shiny beads.SqWave 200Millermatic 190Airco 200 ACHypertherm PM45Boice-Crane Band SawVictor O/A
Reply:You have heard from the experts here.  My only recommendation is once you run consistent beads,  run the same bead but intentionally change only one parameter... such as slow your travel speed or change arc length, use diff diameter filler, tungsten, increase gas flow by 10cfh etc.  Then you will become more familiar with what each parameter does and how it effects the weld.  Hopefully this will help u better diagnose weld problems in the future.  Sent w/ Tapatalk using Swype, pls excuse typosTiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:I see what you mean now. I've only ever done it on 1/8 as the thinnest. Never worked on thinner stuff.Using some sort of heat sink like Brazin said sounds like the ticket though.
Reply:Thanks again for the pointers. I need to grab some more scrap SS so I can keep practicing with it. Ive been practicing as much as can find time for, I figure the more filler I blast through the better lol.Ive been working on welding aluminum intercooler piping. Its been difficult trying to keep the torch angled correctly around a circle and keeping steady while repositioning constantly. Slowly getting more comfortable with it. I have a hard time making the bead look good when I start/stop or weld over a tack weld. Ive noticed that stopping kind of dulls the end of the weld and starting seems to blast some nastiness into the weld momentarily. I adjusted the pre-flow a little bit but no big change.Heres one of my recent intercooler pipe welds, I just cut it and welded back together. About a 3" diameter pipe, maybe 1/16" thick.
Reply:If you are not rolling it, you're already doing it wrong. Set it in some angle iron or between two blocks of wood, whatever. As for positioning, I put the side of my palm right at the top/center of the pipe and stretch or roll my hand back towards the start point. That way I can cover the entire side without having to reposition. You just roll your hand all the down until the downslope of the pipe prevents you from going any further.I also prefer to set it up so the groove is vertical, and I weld from top to bottom. Unless it's not possible, obviously.. it's just easier for me. Then roll it, and start again. Get the arc going right on top of the crater, dab, and go from there. I suppose, that's how I would do it. You'd be better off if zap comes in here or that other guy. What'shisname. The beads aren't bad. Idk about that jacked up line you got going though lol.
Reply:I thought about trying to roll it but I wanted to focus practicing with the pipe stationary so I know I am able to weld where the pipe may be bent/curved in ways that wouldn't allow me to roll it. The line is crooked because I just hacked it apart with a hack saw really quick and it didn't cut straight. Are you saying you pull the torch backward down the pipe and follow with the filler? Ive been starting at the bottom and welding to the top so far.Last edited by CSXRT4; 10-18-2013 at 01:31 AM.
Reply:For sho. I understand. You are doing well. There isn't much I would change. If you are having issues with contaminants on your restarts, maybe wipe down the weld before you start, and flip your tungsten to a fresh side. I go for about 5-15 degrees pointed in the direction of travel. Some kind of tig finger/double glove apparatus would help you to just slide your torch hand around instead of having to stop. If you don't want to dish out the $ for a tig finger, you can buy a pack of spark plug insulators. Just know you have to change the way you hold the torch as you round the corners. You might start out with the torch parallel to the pipe on the bottom, then shift it perpendicular as you come up the side. Took me a while to get that part. Unless you hold it upside down, anyway. I think you can run it all the way around without changing angles that way. This is what I was talking about. The torch is going down, tungsten pointed towards you, and you add the filler rod from the bottom, in front of the tungsten. This is mainly for 1G/flat position welding, which is what I thought you were doing.You are correct in going from bottom to top, though.
Reply:Did my first actual project today! My buddy needed some parts welded for his DSM (Eagle Talon TSI AWD) and asked me to do it. Not perfect but ive seen worse, it should hold up well. I was excited to put what ive been practicing to use.The cast piece seemed to have a lot of pitting in the weld, is this just the nature of welding cast? All of the welds had a couple small areas of black spots in them, is this from not cleaning the metal well enough? Im still getting dull spots on stop/starts, you can see one in the third pic.
Reply:Cast is a crap shoot. In some cases the castings are relatively clean and you can make nice welds. In other cases there is so much crud in the casting itself that it can be impossible to make a good weld. Then you can add in the fact that "used" castings are in many cases oil soaked and the oil is down in the pours of the metal. Even a good casting can be a real PITA if it's heavily oil soaked.Best bet is to clean, clean, clean the casting. Some times running the tig torch over the material, like running a "bead" with no filler, will help pull all that crud to the surface. Stop, reclean, and do it again until you get a clean puddle. Now you can start welding..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