Welding Tips and Tricks

Almost total Noob here.

I have done some practicing at work, even made a few things. All going very well. So I wanted something at home too and bought a cheap Inverter type Tig, the Jasic 180. Now I have a very hard time to get a clean weld. It sputters, especially on starting a weld, and looks very gray and kind of scaled/ Any ideas what I am doing wrong?

This was on 6 mm Stainless. Stainless 2 mm filling rod. Red Tungsten.
100 Amp, 7 seconds post flow, 8 lpm (17 cfh) and standard nr 6 cup.

It did clean the steel with a flapperdisc (disc has been used on mild steel before) and used some brakecleaner. I moved along rather fast.

I don't understand the dirty look of the weld. I don't get that at work at all. My tungsten also turns black.

Please send some ideas about what to improve.

You need a lot more heat than 100 amps. You also need a much larger cup for better gas coverage, at least an 8, preferably a 12. And if you aren’t, use a gas lens too. Get a puddle really fast, then roll with your weld. Stainless wets beautifully, but too low of heat cooks it, turns it dark grey, and then you’re toast. Better to have too much, use filler to cool the puddle, and taper your heat with the pedal. It’s not easy to make look great.

Make sure the brake cleaner (not a great choice) is non-chlorinated! Better to use Acetone and no flapper wheel. Cross contamination is a major no-no if you want clean stainless welds.

Seek wrote:I don't understand the dirty look of the weld. I don't get that at work at all. My tungsten also turns black.

Post a picture of the label on your gas cylinder showing the constituent gases.

It almost makes me think the torch itself is leaking so you're not really getting me gas coverage. You might take some soapy water and paint the outside of the torch and then hold your finger over the end while the post flow is running, obviously not with your foot on the pedal energizing the torch, and see if you don't get bubbles out the sides or something. It just seems really odd that it can be that bad without something majorly wrong. Given that you're talking about a new welder, you have to investigate everything. Don't assume anything.

Definitely looks/sounds like a gas issue, especially if your tungsten is turning black. If you're using a collet body instead of a gas lens, check to make sure that the collet isn't blocking the gas flow through the collet body and out the nozzle due to deformity.

BugHunter wrote:Given that you're talking about a new welder, you have to investigate everything. Don't assume anything.

The problem is that new welders don't always know what everything is.

I developed this "TIG checklist" years ago, and it seems I need to start using it. You can see just how much information was left out...


Machine:
Amperage:
Tungsten alloy & diameter:
HF/Scratch/Lift Start:
Filler rod alloy and diameter:
Base material alloy and thickness:
joint configuration:
pre-weld Material prep?:
torch size/style + air or water cooled:
Shielding gas composition:
Shielding gas Flow CFH:
Std or gas lens collet body:
cup size:
Tungsten stick-out past cup:
arc length:
tungsten taper/profile:
pre-flow seconds:
post-flow seconds:
up-slope/down-slope times (if applicable):
For Aluminum....
AC balance (if applicable):
AC Frequency (if applicable):
Pulse Parameters (if applicable):
EP/EN currents/ratios (if applicable):

pictures/videos of torch angle, travel direction, speed descriptions:

Oscar wrote:The problem is that new welders don't always know what everything is.

There's definitely something odd going on. Have you ever seen a weld where the problems from gas coverage were so restricted to the bead area? I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it. That's the coldest weld I ever saw where the puddle is that burnt. Very strange. It almost makes me wonder if he's got good gas coverage but is using the wrong gas.

BugHunter wrote:It almost makes me wonder if he's got good gas coverage but is using the wrong gas.

If you can read between the lines, my requests to disclose information usually hint as to what I feel the problem is.

Oscar wrote:

BugHunter wrote:If you can read between the lines, my requests to disclose information usually hint as to what I feel the problem is.

I can't be expected to remember what we said back in post 3! That was hours ago!

You are a helpfull bunch guys!

I found the problem while waiting for my first post to be authorised. Actually I got the tip while reading though other posts on this forum:

The collet was upside down! That restricts the gasflow quite a bit.

Now it works as advertised and I can start to finetune all the other parameters. I also have some extra parts ordered, like a gaslens, more cups, stuff to weld normal steel etc etc. I hope the package arrives quickly.

....

hello seek and welcome to the world of lots of info. You will have to take info from everyone and then apply what works for YOU. Glad to hear that you discovered the problem. The TIG process does involve a lot of investigating along with LOTS of practice.

That was my second choice. I thought you had C25 MIG gas.

Thanks for the welcome.

Yes I doubted the gasbottle too, checked the label at least 10 times, but labels can be wrong of course.

Spartan wrote:Definitely looks/sounds like a gas issue, especially if your tungsten is turning black. If you're using a collet body instead of a gas lens, check to make sure that the collet isn't blocking the gas flow through the collet body and out the nozzle due to deformity.

Gotta say...I was pretty dang close on diagnosing that with very limited info!

Yes, you definitely won this thread