Does back purging benefit the look of the weld on the outside at all, or does it just keep the oxygen from getting to the back Sade of the weld? I don't want to waste argon practicing if it won't affect the top side

 

not that ive seen from my welding if your just practicing i wouldnt purge

 

That's the answer I was hoping to hear. Tig welding already uses so much more gas than mig, dumping it into the pipe for no reason seems like such a waste.

 

It wont make any difference in the top of the weld, unless you are welding a butt/fillet joint on some thin material, and fully penetrating. Then you might see some contaminants in the puddle. For practicing my timing and bead aesthetics, I use a 8ga steel plate, and stack beads that way.

 

It's not a waste. For cosmetic purposes yes it's a waste.

 

I understand the benefit in strength, just wasn't sure if contaminants would get through the the top side