well i got some free sch 304L weld el's today and just tried one weld. hows this look? i need advice on torch angle. i really dont see how you guys get dimes. i can weld a t joint with perfect dimes and penetration all the way. but im have trouble with this right off the bat... any advice would be great. i used 1/16th 308L filler and RED 3/32 tungsten.
thanks
if you need more/better pics let me know!

 

You should be practicing on flat metal first, then advice to pipe once you get the hang of the torch angle. I'd also suggest wire wheeling that metal before hand.

 

i just done understand how to get dimes like that with out over heating it. someones gots help me out... thanks!

 

use back purge and it looks a little oxidized so when you finish welding hold the torch over the weld

but other then that its only a matter of time before you get good

 

my post flow is like 3 or 4 seconds and i let is sit for the weld till its shuts off. i would like to see what angle people hold the torch at. like i can lay a flat bead on aluminum thats PERFECT, but i cant on SS with out over heating it

 

My torch angles vary depending on my welding position and pipe position. Usually anywhere from 45 to 90 degrees. I like to weld right to left as Im right handed and pretty much use the groove to put the filler rod into and dip when needed.

Its a lot of practice to get it looking really nice though. Truthfully, some of my welds dont look "show" quality but Id rather have proper welds then that "stacked" look.

Also, what size gas lens are you using? What is your torch size and gas flow set at?

 

#5 cup, with a weldcraft lens, the torch is a weldcraft ls-17 with 3/32 tungsten, using have the gas 12-16. 1/16th 308L filler. can anyone post some pics of there welds on manis? also do you do a fusion weld first as the root pass, then add filler on top? any info would be great. also can you just fuse them? or will they crack? still learning..
thanks!

 

Id step up to a #7 cup, although you're gas coverage as-is doesnt look too bad. I just use a #7 (minimum) when doing stainless and when space permits. For me, I use less filler when doing root passes and adjust heat input. My cover pass is just that, takes care of the underfilled weld and can look good if you want it to. When I can, I verify proper penetration before doing a cover pass. Oh, and back purging is absolutely necessary.

 

Move up to a #7 cup as stated above, I run 20cfm to make sure I get good gas coverage. I dont use a root pass. I do a single pass with 1/16" filler, set my machine to about 100 amps and just play with the pedal but I move pretty quick. For the welds I can see, I get close to 100% penetration throughout the weld. I also like to bevel my pipe a little more than what it comes and gap it .028". Some people use .030" MIG wire to do this. I just have a feeler gauge I use.

To date, I havent had a weld crack/break using my method. Some people do 2 passes and some people do single. I guess its all up to the welder and his style.

 

i use:
#8 cup gas lense
15-18cfm argon flow
8 second post flow and i do not move the torch away until it is done, too many people just pull it out of the way as soon as the arc is not there.
3/32" red tungsten
1/16" 316 or 309l filler

for torch angle, i try to keep it perpendicular to the weld joint as much as possible, but that isn't always easy in tighter areas.

i only weld about a 3/4" length at a time on a joint. i then move to another joint somewhere else on the manifold and do the same. i keep moving around to different joints until i've done a small weld on each, and then go back to the first joint i started on and repeat the process. this allows the weld to cool a little bit while you are welding other parts of the manifold. sometimes, i'll just walk away from it and work on something else, or if i have 2 or 3 manifolds i can weld, i'll work on all of them at the same time to allow cooling time. doing this also helps with preventing warping i find.

i only single pass stuff as well. these are exhaust manifolds, not steam pipe. however if i happen to have a small gap on a runner joint i try to back purge that area. i also backpurge downpipes that are 16g tube. i also back weld the inside of my pipe to flange joints. i don't know if it is necassary, but i just like to do it. the only cracks that i have had come back to me for repair is a couple wg elbows. nobody is perfect. i'm bracing all my wg's now and keeping them as short as possible.

 

Post flow is related to the thickness and type of metal. If you had to use more amps to weld something it's going to take more post flow to cover it while the metal cools since it's thicker and holds more heat. So what works on 16ga tube isn't going to work on sch 10/40. I usually just keep the machine at like 10 seconds which works for the thicker stuff and then I don't have to readjust for the thinner stuff.

 

alright guys thanks for the help! any advice on what filler i should use? i have 1/16th 308l right now. i need some .035 316l to try it on this SS 16g rear mount turbo im doing. one last thing, can ANYONE please post a pic of torch angle? i wana see what you use. remember im still learning

 

Weitech has great advice and I actually follow pretty much a same way.

Toxic- it just looks like your angle is off (which you know) other than that it looks good.

.035 wire is usually used on thin stuff like .065" wall tubing

 

well, that was an expensive weld.

 

using smaller filler is simply going to produce the same inconsistent results in a smaller package. you need to back all the way up and start running some 1/8-3/16" mild steel T joints. work on your electrode angle, travel angle, filler angle and filler application.

trust me, from where you are it's going to be a long time and alot of material to get you where you want to be VS starting with step one and working your way back up.

 

thanks, ill do that and the sch10 peaces where free.

 

It's not to sound discouraging, but schedule pipe is not the easiest to weld. The "dimes" come with rhythm and consistency. You need to move your torch at a very steady speed, and dab your filler at equal intervals. Eventually, you will get into a real "beat", so much so that even if you were to miss a dab or one drop doesn't spread out the way you want, you learn to adapt and not lose the rhythm.

From the pic, it looks like you may have been in a bit of a rush. The beauty of TIG is that you control the heat, and you can slow it down, or even stop in one stop, without ever letting out the arc. Try and slow it down, concentrate on getting a wide puddle without over heating it, and learn to dab your filler into it slowly. I feed a lot of filler into each dab, I'd say almost half an inch for each drop (1/16" filler).

On another note, pay attention to the v-groove of your piping. You should widen it up to get good penetration. Run a root pass first, with no filler, and then a nice cap pass, or some even do two caps. (I find it to time consuming).

Hope that helps! And sorry I haven't replied to the PM, I'd rather reply here where everyone can read!

 

Why are you so concerned about the dime look anyways ? Just wondering, it seems like you are more concerned about the dime look, rather then actually learning the basics first. The dime look has a lot to do with the movement , and the way you feed the rod.

 

thanks mark! great info! as always!


well its what i see on everything and would like to learn it. is that a problem? im learning something every day, like today i made a 90 degree bend from pie cuts. its 16g 2.25 304L i made the cuts so nice and flush i used no filler and it turned out great! heres some pics!

 

No penetration on that weld, if you purged it and will you were welding watched the puddle for what I call fish eyes to move around, you should have two all the time the inside of that pipe would be perfectly smooth

 

u mean welds??? or weld? i really did not understand your post...

 

beside getting a headache trying to put that guy's sentence together, what i got from it is that hes saying youdidnt get any penetration on that ONE weld you can visibly see on the inside.. but if the rest are anything like that one then yes, the rest fail too lol.. u simply fused them together but didnt put in enough heat to get all the way through...

basically it looks nice on the outside but it'll break with any kind of stress... fwiw when im fusing (no filler) 16ga tubing i use ~50 amps max and have it near maxed out on the pedal most of the time.

 

Its ok if you haven't been welding for to long, it looks like you have a real unsteady hand or an unsecure part moving around on the table. First order of business is always prep work, clean the metal with a wirewheel, or 3m wheel until its to your desired finish. Maybe even wipe with acetone if you want to eliminate most possibilities of contamination.

Second make sure you are using the right size filler rod, that can be a nightmare for a new welder, on schedule 10 i use 045. and have great results with it.

Third, I dunno if its just my technique but I dont actually dip the rod in the puddle, it drips into the weld that way the weld isn't being pushed around and no little pig tails hanging out. Here's a pic of my weld on 16 gauge steel w/ 035 filler and about 52 amps. 100% penetration too. I never pulse anything, i usually run my machines at full tilt and control the rest with my foot so im never to sure what exact amperage i use. I'd recommend setting your machine to like 70 75 and trying 3/4 pedal.








Practice getting your hand steady, and getting your amperage down. The welds are going to look bad until you are comfortable like now I can glance at a place i need to weld, walk around with my helmet on, come back and start my weld where it needs to be started. Unless you arent using an autodark helmet thats not a prob.

Put your gas around 20 or so, get a gas lense a variety of cups, and small filler rod. I cant really explain how i dip rod, basically i just heat the metal up and push the rod towards the electrode and it ***** up and falls in forming a nice uniform bead. And you can get alot more filler rod in that way (unless you are welding aluminum)

 

The last pic is too cold you have no penetration when I fusion weld i get to the amp i need to be and "hop" the torch to form the bead so it looks like it has filler in it. The key with fusion welding is good fitment, other then that its pretty easy.

 

Try what i suggested if it makes sense to you, other then that.. Practice more! everyones welds suck at first lol