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Hobartnewb
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    Sun Dec 27, 2020 7:46 pm

How do i get rid of the nipple on the end of my bead.
I’m using a hobart 165 ez tig, 100% argon at 15cfh, 3/32 tungsten with a #10 cup. Material is 1/4 inch hot roll bar. Milscale ground off and wiped with acetone. Pic attached
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When you get to the end of the bead, add a couple extra dabs of filler, then slowly taper off the pedal, and swirl the arc in small circles while letting off the pedal. DO NOT stop welding abruptly, or you will get these every time (called fish eyes)
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cj737
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    Thu Sep 29, 2016 8:59 am

Louie1961 wrote:When you get to the end of the bead, add a couple extra dabs of filler, then slowly taper off the pedal, and swirl the arc in small circles while letting off the pedal. DO NOT stop welding abruptly, or you will get these every time (called fish eyes)
Isn't his "nipple" the opposite of a fish eye? His termination is a mound, not a crater. And that's more desirable.

Now, you might be adding a tad more filler at the end than you need to avoid the fish eyes as Louie says (correctly). Another technique you can use is to drag back as you add the last dab and taper off. This will fill the final puddle and level the "nipple".
Spartan
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    Fri Mar 06, 2020 8:59 pm

I, too, have seen those lil' nips on occasion when TIG welding steel, but not very often, and not nearly as pronounced as yours seem to be. What's odd is that one part/assembly won't do it at all, but then the next part I will see it happening even though all settings and heat control are essentially the same. Trying to adjust heat input at the termination in either direction does not seem to do anything, nor does changing the way the final dab is done. All of this has caused me to wonder if it may be due to buildup of magnetic flux in the part/assembly...seems a bit of a stretch, but I can't think of what else it could be. Agree with CJ that "comet trailing" forward or back is really the only viable solution...at least when I see it occuring.

Interested to hear if anyone does know of the actual cause.
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I have a feeling the weld bead is carrying a lot of oxidation within it that wants to explode at the very end. A #10 cup with only 15 CFH is not what I would consider a good combination. Try 25 CFH. Don't be stingy. It costs $$$ to TIG weld. :)
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