well i just hooked up my new tig welder and i am very pleased how well this machine works!

here are my first passes on a couple of pistons and things i had layin around since it was too late to pick up material.

note that i had not picked up a tig in about a year or so. i just wanted to try this thing out so bad lol didnt really clean anything either.

which some of you know i purchased a lincoln precision tig 225 and using the torch it came with was a gas cooled weldcraft i believe a #7 cup and about 15 cfm argon.

3/32 tungsten and 3/32 4043 filler for the aluminum

1/16 316 stainless on the steel.

let me know what you think and how to improve.

 

Looks pretty darn good! Get a rythm going and practice on keeping the bead consistant. You have not been off the tig for about a year! BS! LOL

 

yes its really been about a year or so when i last picked up a torch. is there a technique i can use to keep the consistancy the same no matter how hard i try to go the same speed it almost seems like it doesnt stay its original size, gets smaller.

 

maybe your backing off on the heat to much at the end. looks good

 

For longer beads I slightly lower the heat towards the end because as the metal gets heatsoaked youll need less heat from the torch. Your start of the weld looks a little cold or a little too much filler. For more consistant bead widths I tend to do smaller welds, about 1in at a time.

 

I have the same machine and I seem to have to come in real strong on the pedal on the aluminum to get my puddle right to start moving it. On the stainless were you using the pulse? my beads look real tiny with the pulse but if i keep my normal movement and rythm the are where I want them.

also the 1/16th filler rod probably wont let you put a whole lot of heat to the base metal, jump it up to some 3/32 and see how you like it.

 

thanks for the tips guys! im not using the pulse as i tried and dont like it. maybe ill give it a couple of runs tomorrow.

i have problems with ss tubing. i get alot of sugaring except til the end when my post flow covers the weld. does backpurging remove this? i figured backpurging was only for the sugaring on the inside of the tube not the outside.

is there a way to prevent sugaring on top? does it require a lage gas lens or what should i look for as far as speed,etc? any help would be great!

 

Try a gas lens or increase your flow and pre/post flow. I've never seen sugaring on the outside of the weld, but I'd imagine you have like no gas coming out for that to happen.

 

Wow great welds i was considering buying this machine do you have some more pics of it? thanks wheels 2

 

i know gas is coming out the torch since my postflow is covering the last bit of the weld/bead and looks great.

heres the setup i use:

magnum 17 torch gas cooled (comes with the unit)
with a 7 cup 3/32 2% tungsten
25 cfm argon
filler rod is mainly 1/16 316l ss and some 3/32
im set at 65amps

im at 25 cfm. this is for the stainless 16g tubing im running passes on.

the welds look gray like theres too much heat but there is almost no pedal in it. im running a 3/32 tungsten 2% with 1/16 316l filler rod. i did try some passes with 3/32 filler and the same thing

note: when i remove the torch and get off the pedal quickly it grays the end of the weld instead of leaving the torch on it for the post flow to cover the last bit of the weld and cool into a rainbow color.

if i start and cool the medal down and repeat i can get clean rainbow looking welds. so im thinking the problem lays with the heat of the material?

 

turn that gas down, i would try 15cfh or 20 max if it is a tight area

 

i am a tig welder if any one needs one

 

I'm in the same boat. My welds are kinda of greyish also???

Adriano

 

any sugestions from the experts here? i did some more today trying to move quickly and same thing on the 304 stainless tubing. im using 316l filler rod. should i move down to 308? i dont know. its difficult to do a couple of 1 inch beads then cool down and repeat. ive seen many people do ss tubing and they run through it rather quickly without stopping and the welds come out great and color like they are suposed to look. but were back purging. note that i am not butt welding. all im doing its running some practice passes on top of the tube. i dont have any problems with thicker material as you can see in my op. its tubing that gets me since its alot thinner.

help me out, its starting to get old. lol

 

i have the same welder and a gas lense will make a huge improvement, at work i use a miller 250dx man what a difference a water cooled and smaller torch makes. practice is the key but looks good so far keep it up.

 

what is the reasoning? i know im not putting alot of heat in the weld since im welding about 30amps total. i want to know why this graying happens.