Tig Welding Stailess Steel

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i am welding 16 and 18ga. 304 stainless tubing, every time i weld the weld is a grey color, and wont to stack up like dimes. i am using argon and 308 filler rods can anyone help me with this.
Reply:It sounds like maybe it's burning  more than welding. might need more argon flow, or maybe purging the inside of tubing with argon,or even nitrogen (cheaper gas ) . best bet is if you can get to watch a real expert show you how he (she) does it, might learn a good trick .[SIZE="5"Yardbird"
Reply:What are your parameters, tungsten size?_________________Chris
Reply:Sounds like your getting the weld too hot. Try and make the joint fit between the tubes as close as possible as chasing gaps in stainless is tricky and tends to result in more heat input .Regards from sunny Cornwall__________________www.iancarey.co.uk
Reply:Originally Posted by lorenzoWhat are your parameters, tungsten size?
Reply:I was having the same problem when putting in too much heat, going too slow and shoving in too much filler rod.  Go a bit faster, mess with your heat, dab quick and move on.
Reply:Originally Posted by Roy Hodgesmight need more argon flow, or maybe purging the inside of tubing with argon,or even nitrogen (cheaper gas ) .
Reply:Originally Posted by ZTFab..also, make sure you are keeping the filler "inside" the shielding gas while welding. Don't pull it back too far between dips...that can cause the weld to turn grey.
Reply:try a different scrap of stainless, i was trying to weld stainless boat rail, never could get a nice rainbow look, but a grey ugly appearance. finally switched to a scrap of stainless pipe and the difference was huge, nice rainbow color, went back to the taco metals stainless and the grey appearance was back....just a thought, i tied the filler in the gas, everything, also try to run a bead without filler......
Reply:..also, make sure you are keeping the filler "inside" the shielding gas while welding. Don't pull it back too far between dips...that can cause the weld to turn grey.
Reply:Originally Posted by ZTFabI'm pretty sure that you wouldn't want to use pure nitrogen as a shielding gas. In small amounts it can be added to gas mixtures for improved welding (the same goes for oxygen) but the point of shielding gases is to remove the high levels of oxygen and nitrogen from the ambient air that would contaminate the weld.- Paul