Tig welding tips, questions, equipment, applications, instructions, techniques, tig welding machines, troubleshooting tig welding process
scook1940
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Hey guys quick question i just bought a tig welder a miller synchrowave 210 today having some trouble getting even getting a decent bead its keeps burning through im using 3/32nds ceriated with 3/32nds er70s at 60 amps and keep burning though not 100% sure what im doing wrong and insight would be appeciated and greatly welcomed
GreinTime
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What size material, and what type of joint are you trying to weld? Also, punctuation and capitalization help greatly when trying to get someone to seriously answer your questions ;)
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dsmabe
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Like greintime said, thickness of material and what joint your welding is a big missing piece of the puzzle. Without that there's not much we can say. Also post pictures, that helps a ton also!
jwright650
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Like the others have stated, need mo info....there are some "rules of the thumb" that apply to material thickness and a "starting place" to set the amperage.
ie. you need approximately 1 amp for every thousandths of thickness when welding mild steel.
So..... .125"(1/8") = 125amps
John Wright
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BobH
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I'm very interested in this thread. I purchased a Syncrowave 210 about 10 weeks ago, this is my first experience with Tig welding. I really hate to admit this, I got so intent on running a bead, that I neglected to reset the machine from DC to AC and had not changed electrode diameter parameter when I changed electrodes. Slowly, the 210 is teaching me what it doesn't like.

I've made a few welds with it, but nothing to brag on. With that low of amperage, I would guess that it thin material that you are work with. I would also guess that you arc isn't real stabile with the low amperage and the 3/32 electrode.

I think we are at the right place to read and learn. I'm all eyes, except for what I'm sitting on.

BobH
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scook1940 wrote:Hey guys quick question i just bought a tig welder a miller synchrowave 210 today having some trouble getting even getting a decent bead its keeps burning through im using 3/32nds ceriated with 3/32nds er70s at 60 amps and keep burning though not 100% sure what im doing wrong and insight would be appeciated and greatly welcomed
A general guess... Either your material is too thin for the settings, or you're spending too much time in one spot, overheating the metal (moving too slow).

As others have said, we really need more information to help you diagnose the issue.

Steve S.
scook1940
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Hey guys sorry about the late reply i'm a lead tech at an automotive shop so im always busy. But im running 3/32nds 2% ceriated tungsten with 15 psi. I'm welding 1/8th inch flate stock at 90 amps to about 115. I'm using er70-2 1/16th and 3/32nd filler rod. Any help would be appeciated greatly thanks.

Steven c.
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scook1940
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Heres a picture of my setup also
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What's in the bottle on the back of that machine?

You sure it's 100% argon?

Steve S
GreinTime
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Try cleaning your metal on the wire brush on a bench grinder. It almost looks like whatever you are using for flat stock is plated, which might be part of your problem. I know that if I'm not paying attention some of the brackets for mudflaps at work are plated and I forget to clean them and promptly remember when I light up on it :)
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scook1940
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Its marked argon compressed and I did ask for 100% pure argon.
scook1940
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GreinTime wrote:Try cleaning your metal on the wire brush on a bench grinder. It almost looks like whatever you are using for flat stock is plated, which might be part of your problem. I know that if I'm not paying attention some of the brackets for mudflaps at work are plated and I forget to clean them and promptly remember when I light up on it :)

I used a 40 grit disk and acetone to clean the part i welded
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scook1940 wrote:Its marked argon compressed and I did ask for 100% pure argon.
Just checking... Mis-matched or contaminated gas "can" cause those results.

I don't think that's what's up, though.

I have to study a bit, and come up with a better question.

Steve S
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Is that the only peice of steel that you've tried it on? Some steel out there tends to be garbage and welds like sheizen. Is there porosity boiling out of the base metal? I've been welding up an angle iron frame for an enclosure and about every 5th weld has crap boiling out of the base metal, all shiny clean. If you have any stainless rod, try it on the same peice and see if you get different results, that will usually tell me if it's an issue with the base metal.

The amount of black smut on there leads me to believe it's a gas issue or more so a lack thereof. Are you using a gas lens? You stated 15cfh and that should be plenty of cover gas in calm area, that's the upper end of what I normally use.

Len
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scook1940
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Braehill wrote:Is that the only peice of steel that you've tried it on? Some steel out there tends to be garbage and welds like sheizen. Is there porosity boiling out of the base metal? I've been welding up an angle iron frame for an enclosure and about every 5th weld has crap boiling out of the base metal, all shiny clean. If you have any stainless rod, try it on the same peice and see if you get different results, that will usually tell me if it's an issue with the base metal.

The amount of black smut on there leads me to believe it's a gas issue or more so a lack thereof. Are you using a gas lens? You stated 15cfh and that should be plenty of cover gas in calm area, that's the upper end of what I normally use.

Len

I've tried on one other piece actually and its still not good. What psi would you guys recommend for steel if 15 is alittle high? And also im not using a gas lens just a number 17 torch with 7 cup and 3/32nd collet and collet body
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I use between 10 - 15 in the shop where the air is calm. Do you have a ball type flow meter or is it a gauge? Either will work but this test is easier with a ball type. Pull your tungsten out and put your thumb over the cup after the gas flow starts and see if the ball drops completely. That will tell you if you have a major gas leak somewhere in your system.

Len


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scook1940
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I'm currently using gauges til I can afford to get the flow gauge. I plugged the end of the torch and i didnt see the gauge drop and felt tje pressure release when i removed my finger. I double checked the first picture the black on the right side is alittle bit of paint i didnt grind off.
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Just a quick question, what are you using to sharpen your tungsten and how are you doing it?
Are you sure you are not dipping your tungsten in the pool or hitting it with the tig rod? Can you take a pic of your gas cylinder sticker? A lot of questions I ask huh?
BTW, shielding gas is measured in cubic feet per hour after the regulator and not psi.
-Jonathan
scook1940
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Superiorwelding wrote:Just a quick question, what are you using to sharpen your tungsten and how are you doing it?
Are you sure you are not dipping your tungsten in the pool or hitting it with the tig rod? Can you take a pic of your gas cylinder sticker? A lot of questions I ask huh?
BTW, shielding gas is measured in cubic feet per hour after the regulator and not psi.
-Jonathan

Im using a grinder and my drill so that the scratch marks on the tungsten go from up to down not side ways. When i do dip the tungsten i regrind it before i continue.
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I can't see in the picture of your welder if you're using a foot pedal or not, if you are, set you welder up to about 140 amps. If your using an on/off switch and the 2T setting, set it at 120-125 amps. With a 3/32 electrode, I weld almost everything from 1/8 to 1/4 thick with my welder set at around 140 amps and just change my travel speed. I use a scratch start outfit at work exclusively so you learn how to manipulate things a little. It looks to me that your welds are a little on the cold side.

Steel is not all that fluid so once you get your puddle established start moving your torch side to side a little as you advance in small amounts. Do this on the plate without adding filler for awhile until you see how this affects the puddle. When you start adding filler again, only add it to the very front of the molten puddle and let the puddle pull in only as much metal as it needs. The filler metal chills the puddle enough that whats behind the arc solidifies into that little half moon ripple. I advance in the amount of whatever size filler I'm using, say 3/32 for a 3/32 filler rod but that's not a hard fast rule. You'll get a pace established as you learn to read the puddle.

As the questions draw out all the variables the answers might change. It seems confusing at first but once you get the kinks worked out you will never want to weld with any other process. Keep asking questions and we'll get to the bottom of it, we always do.

Len
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scook1940
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Braehill wrote:I can't see in the picture of your welder if you're using a foot pedal or not, if you are, set you welder up to about 140 amps. If your using an on/off switch and the 2T setting, set it at 120-125 amps. With a 3/32 electrode, I weld almost everything from 1/8 to 1/4 thick with my welder set at around 140 amps and just change my travel speed. I use a scratch start outfit at work exclusively so you learn how to manipulate things a little. It looks to me that your welds are a little on the cold side.

Steel is not all that fluid so once you get your puddle established start moving your torch side to side a little as you advance in small amounts. Do this on the plate without adding filler for awhile until you see how this affects the puddle. When you start adding filler again, only add it to the very front of the molten puddle and let the puddle pull in only as much metal as it needs. The filler metal chills the puddle enough that whats behind the arc solidifies into that little half moon ripple. I advance in the amount of whatever size filler I'm using, say 3/32 for a 3/32 filler rod but that's not a hard fast rule. You'll get a pace established as you learn to read the puddle.

As the questions draw out all the variables the answers might change. It seems confusing at first but once you get the kinks worked out you will never want to weld with any other process. Keep asking questions and we'll get to the bottom of it, we always do.

Len


Well currently i am using a foot pedal i set my machine on 125 and control the amperage from the foot control but ill try going a little more with the foot control i think im only actually hitting 75 amps and the metals turning red
scook1940
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So i turn my amperage up and did a few test beads with nd without filler. But im getting craters and black soot
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dsmabe
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Im not seeing holes when no filler was added, unless I'm missing it. If you are getting holes with no filler, find some new clean steel to practice on. If there is only holes when filler is added, I have to ask what is stamped on the rod? You may not have tig filler. If it is tig filler, gas coverage or gas purity has to be considered.
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@dsmabe,
Good thought, I had never considered that the rod might be R45 or something else.

scook,
You might try using an ER70S-6 rod, tig rod in lengthes are not all that expensive, and the extra Silicon helps flux some of the crap out of the base metal. ER70s-2 is more popular, and required for a lot of code welds, but I like ER70S-6 better for general purpose stuff.

I wouldn't get too hung up on the crater for now, that can be worked out later in your learning. Pin holes in the weld with no filler again can be managed with travel speed and torch angle. You have to keep the Devil's eye (the little red dot swirling around in the puddle) at the front of the puddle as you progress. That's a little island of silicon floating on top that brings impurities to the top with it (more prevalent with S-6) and if you pass it up with the arc it will trap porosity in the weld puddle.

This is a lot easier to show someone than it is to type out. :)

Get some scrap plate from a local steel yard, they usually have small ("drops") peices left from shearing larger orders that they will sell you for not a lot of money. There's no real way to learn to weld without putting in the seat time and being observant of what works and what doesn't. Keep a note pad handy and write down setting and variables that work as well what doesn't. You'll get this.

Len
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scook1940
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Im actually only getting the holes with filler rod and im currently using er70-2
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