Welding Tips and Tricks

Bought a Thermal Arc 161s a few months ago & am practicing TIG.Its been a couple years since i've TIG welded.No matter what i do,my electrode burns off quickly.I assumed the amps were to high,ran it on 40 amps with a 1/16" tungsten,still burns off.Im using 75/25 mix,# 5 cup,1/16" 2% lanthanated tungsten.I start with well over 1/4" stickout,weld a few inches,& have almost no stickout.Also using ER70-S6 filler.Gas flow about 14-16 cfm

I clean metal by grinding rust off as i know brakleen is a no-no.I have noticed a lot of sparks & popping,& the puddle is hard to control at a low amp setting obviously.The bead looks good when runnin hotter,but erosion is pretty quick.What is going on?Is it just dirty metal or something else?I tried using a 3/32 electrode at about 80 amps with the same results.Almost no porosity for the most part.

Sounds like somethin wrong with your gas, either its bad, or its not flowin right.

Tried a slightly bigger cup & more gas flow which seemed to help a little.Always have a problem with contamination,constantly re-grinding (dedicated wheel).Would long arcing possibly be causing the tungsten erosion?

if i understood right, you are using 75/25 argon/co2?

then thats the problem. you need pure argon. that co2 is eatin your tungsten.

best of luck,

jody

Dusty, I got limited tig skills, but your gas is wrong. Also if you are doing DC, make sure you are using the correct polarity so you dont put too much heat into the electrode. But definately get some pure Argon, it will make a world of difference.
Bob

Yes,i'm using 75% argon & 25% Co2.Sraight polarity (electrode negative).What does the Co2 do to the weld/tungsten?Thanks for the advice though!!I couldnt figure out what was goin on

Argon only any you problems will disappear.

R

yeah, 75/25 mix is for MIG only. straight argon will make you smile

Its really hard to weld using TIg....


Payday loans
How to lose weight
How to lose weight fast
Mobile phone deals
Holiday insurance
Pet insurance
Apple
Microsoft
Paypal
Pinterest

kirkepc wrote:Its really hard to weld using TIg....

I had the same tough after my first hour or so, but soon go the the hang of it...Now as along as I have some to rest my hand on I can put out a pretty nice weld

I feel pretty confidant with my abilities as a stick welder. When I first started tig, I cussed ALOT. Got the hang of it. Then I picked up a mig gun. Felt like a noob again.

Each process has its own set of skills that is radically differant from the others. Its not just, master one, master em all, you have to master each one seperately. Practice, practice, practice.