Welding Tips and Tricks

I had one of you guys comment on another thread that I must be using 4043 filler because of the sandy looking beads. I guess that's normal? How do you guys get shiny beads using 4043? The welds I'm doing look fine but I was wondering about that certain thing and after the other post I couldn't figure out if I was doing something wrong or if that's just the way it is. Thank.

Just the way it is. It has to do with the individual components of the filler. As well as the metal your welding on. It's not so much that you won't ever get shiny beads with it , but that it's common and not bad if you get that grainy look. Super clean metal and filler will help a lot.

To demonstrate how dirty a new length of aluminum filler is

Take a paper towel and isopropyl alcohol, wet the towel and wipe the filler...see the black line that just came off the "clean" filler? Keep wiping it down until you don't get any more dirt.

How will this affect the weld, for most jobs not at all, if you were doing critical work then it would be worth the effort.

Ok thanks. I've cleaned the filler with acetone but really got nothing different. The beads look shiny under the hood but after they cool they're back grainy looking. At least it's normal.

Try some 5356

try clean 4943 wets out nice.
craig

I've tried 4043 of all sizes and brands.

Cleaned the filler, cleaned the work, ran cold, ran hot, varied balance, hz, gas, tried whistling, tried humming, stuck my tongue out the corner of my mouth...the bead is always sandy.

I use 5356 now.


K

Just don't use AlcoTec

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Re: "Sandy" looking beads
Unread postby GreinTime » Mon Aug 14, 2017 9:55 am

Just don't use AlcoTec

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#oneleggedproblems
-=Sam=-
GreinTime

yup it sucks
craig

Does 5356 weld different than 4043 much?

jroark wrote:Does 5356 weld different than 4043 much?

Ya 4043 wets in nicer. 5356 is less forgiving in its sweet spot. But when you get it dialed it looks awesome.

The faster you can weld with 4043 (less heat into the part) the less Sandy look it'll have. The thicker the aluminum the quicker it'll cool and the less Sandy look it'll have.

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I'm having evxactly the same problem with my everlast 210ext and every time I strike an arc my tungsten looks like this


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Onenastycummins wrote:I'm having evxactly the same problem with my everlast 210ext and every time I strike an arc my tungsten looks like this


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You have a gas problem. Step on the pedal and make sure you can feel gas coming out. Around 15 cfh If you do but it stops immediately after, you need to up your post flow. If all that's working you might have the wrong gas. It needs pure argon or argon helium mix. If that's correct then you might have a bad bottle of gas. If all that is right then you could have a leak in your system letting air in.

Hope this helps

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5th Street Fab wrote:

Onenastycummins wrote:I'm having evxactly the same problem with my everlast 210ext and every time I strike an arc my tungsten looks like this


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You have a gas problem. Step on the pedal and make sure you can feel gas coming out. Around 15 cfh If you do but it stops immediately after, you need to up your post flow. If all that's working you might have the wrong gas. It needs pure argon or argon helium mix. If that's correct then you might have a bad bottle of gas. If all that is right then you could have a leak in your system letting air in.

Hope this helps

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Thank you for the reply, I do have gas coming out and have tried 15-25 Cfh and always pure argon.
I've used 4 different bottles of gas with exactly the same results and I have also checked for leaks with soapy water at every connection, I'm dumb founded and can not figure out what's wrong with this thing and help is greatly appreciated considering everlast is really no help.


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What are your settings?

pgk wrote:What are your settings?

Ac balance 35 frequency 120 but I've tried 30-40 on the balance and just about every setting on the frequency. Anything over 42 on the balance and the tungsten looks like it's about to explode


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Onenastycummins wrote: Thank you for the reply, I do have gas coming out and have tried 15-25 Cfh and always pure argon.

Certain tungsten won't work with inverter machines, for example zirconiated will behave like that on both DC and AC.

Onenastycummins wrote:

5th Street Fab wrote:

Onenastycummins wrote:I'm having evxactly the same problem with my everlast 210ext and every time I strike an arc my tungsten looks like this


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You have a gas problem. Step on the pedal and make sure you can feel gas coming out. Around 15 cfh If you do but it stops immediately after, you need to up your post flow. If all that's working you might have the wrong gas. It needs pure argon or argon helium mix. If that's correct then you might have a bad bottle of gas. If all that is right then you could have a leak in your system letting air in.

Hope this helps

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Thank you for the reply, I do have gas coming out and have tried 15-25 Cfh and always pure argon.
I've used 4 different bottles of gas with exactly the same results and I have also checked for leaks with soapy water at every connection, I'm dumb founded and can not figure out what's wrong with this thing and help is greatly appreciated considering everlast is really no help.


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I was having gas coverage problems before also. Used brand new large gas lens and would get bad coverage, put in a regular old standard collet body and it fixed the problem.
http://forum.weldingtipsandtricks.com/v ... =5&t=11667

MarkL wrote:

Onenastycummins wrote: Thank you for the reply, I do have gas coming out and have tried 15-25 Cfh and always pure argon.

Certain tungsten won't work with inverter machines, for example zirconiated will behave like that on both DC and AC.

I use the grey I forget what it's called but it's suppose to be great for multi use on inverters


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Mattwho777 wrote:

Onenastycummins wrote:

5th Street Fab wrote:You have a gas problem. Step on the pedal and make sure you can feel gas coming out. Around 15 cfh If you do but it stops immediately after, you need to up your post flow. If all that's working you might have the wrong gas. It needs pure argon or argon helium mix. If that's correct then you might have a bad bottle of gas. If all that is right then you could have a leak in your system letting air in.

Hope this helps

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Thank you for the reply, I do have gas coming out and have tried 15-25 Cfh and always pure argon.
I've used 4 different bottles of gas with exactly the same results and I have also checked for leaks with soapy water at every connection, I'm dumb founded and can not figure out what's wrong with this thing and help is greatly appreciated considering everlast is really no help.


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I was having gas coverage problems before also. Used brand new large gas lens and would get bad coverage, put in a regular old standard collet body and it fixed the problem.
http://forum.weldingtipsandtricks.com/v ... =5&t=11667

i have also tried the standard collet body and cup with no luck. The welds aren't awful looking but there's peppering and porosity wihich I don't like at all


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How's the grain of your tungsten? Is the arc wandering any?

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Mattwho777 wrote:How's the grain of your tungsten? Is the arc wandering any?

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I grind tungsten horizontal, not how they recommend but I've bet ever had an issue. I'm not getting any arc wander


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Onenastycummins wrote:

Mattwho777 wrote:How's the grain of your tungsten? Is the arc wandering any?

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I grind tungsten horizontal, not how they recommend but I've bet ever had an issue. I'm not getting any arc wander


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You could light up on some stainless real quick and keep the gas over it til it's completely cool and if it's not silver then it's definitely a gas problem

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5th Street Fab wrote:

Onenastycummins wrote:

Mattwho777 wrote:How's the grain of your tungsten? Is the arc wandering any?

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I grind tungsten horizontal, not how they recommend but I've bet ever had an issue. I'm not getting any arc wander


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You could light up on some stainless real quick and keep the gas over it til it's completely cool and if it's not silver then it's definitely a gas problem

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i actually weld quite a bit of stainless with no issue what exactly does this test you speak of show me ? I thought stainless typically turned colors



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It does typically turn colors but if it's kept in gas coverage until it's cool enough to touch it should be silver. All you need to do is get a puddle started then stop and keep the torch over it with the gas flowing and check the color.

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