welds appear "flat" and very wide, end up tweaking the plate no matter what amperage im at (less than 75),

it is 308 and i am using 316L supplied filler. the actual apperance of the finished weld looks like mild steel and not that rainbow colored ****.

CFH 10
gas lens
3/32" thoriated
316L 1/16" filler
308 base
75 amps/ foot control never passes "half way point"
water cooled torch if it matters

 

How thick is the base metal? Any pics?

 

Post a pic!

Are you holding your torch over the hot puddle for post flow?

 

not enough gas. bump it up to 17 or 18 cfh.

 

It depends on the size of the gas lens. For a medium gas lens, 10-12 should be enough. Large gas lens should be ~20 ...

 

If it looks grey and dull its too much heat plain and simple. Inadequate gas flow can contribute but most of the time you either need to use less heat or move faster.

 

Sounds to me like your bevel might be to big. Nothing is wrong with a flat weld provided you have a good amount of filler in that weld and got the root. Grey welds could be because his moving to fast as well. Without pics this is a guessing game. As far as the pulling, metal will pull all the time. You want to use more tacks around the piece or do smaller welds (maybe an inch of weld, then move to the other side. Keep moving around)

 

You are hot or you're welding to slow or you have a lack of gas coverage or you are pulling contamination into the puddle with your filler or the base material is contaminated or all of the above or just one of the above or any combination of the above plus a few wierder less common reasons.........

We can't tell you **** without pics or at least some more in depth details starting with mat thickness.

 

thanks for the replies, i will post a pic after finals week, what seemed to solve SOME of the problem was to move the torch angel back to 90* which in turn made me ease up on the pedal.

also a buddy of mine told me i was moving slightly too fast, (about half the pace of aluminum should be 1/3rd)

but i will get a pic of the first piece i was having trouble with by wensday if the water cooler in my PC holds up :S