Welding Tips and Tricks

Hi everyone

I know I'm pushing my CK 17 torch by running short duty at 185 amps but I thought the Furick 3/32 lens/collet would be okay. The collet looks pretty distorted. Is this just to be expected as a "consumable" or did I do something wrong maybe with installation or with the amperage?

This is regular DC welding steel with an Everlast inverter.

Yup, you cooked it real good. Not all torches are created equal when it comes to their ability to overdrive them. I'd guess that your 17 is an import torch, which likely has less thermal mass in it than a name-brand/more expensive torch which has more of that expensive copper-bearing metal in the head (better heat dissipation), and part of the reason they cost more. That's an expensive lesson learned, but probably well-learned.

Also make sure to always have the gas on, as it assists with the cooling. Your tungsten is a bit hard to see in the pics, but it does look a little to me like it may have been starved for shielding gas. Just a guess...hard to tell from the pic.

Its a ck torch. I run about 18cfh.

DC or AC ?

It looks to be a stubby kit? Great for accessibility, but won't hold up to the same amount of heat as standard length consumables.

R-mm wrote:Its a ck torch. I run about 18cfh.

Hmmmm. Perhaps the gas lens was not fully threaded into the torch head. This would cause a build up of heat in the GL if it was not able to properly transfer much of that heat to the torch head itself. Make sure that you are following a proper order of installing the bits: GL threads in first until it is snug, then add the collet from the back and the tungsten from the front or back as desired. ALWAYS LAST is the back cap installation and tightening. The back cap is the last thing to be tightened and the first thing to be loosened, without exception. This will ensure everything is always properly seated.

DC, everlast inverter. Yes stubby gas lens. Kit from weldmonger.

Honestly 185 shouldn't see that kind of distortion I wouldn't think. I run my ck100 well over 100 all the time. I've got a miller 17 and run it hot all the time as well, never once seen a wedge collet warp like that wow. I suppose I never weld for 10 minutes continuously either though.

CK150 is 100% duty cycle at 150A. You are just a smidge over that. How hard were you pushing it?

I also run all ck parts in my torches. I get them online. I've had a few crappy ones that go loose after a few heat cycles and you need to thread them back in tight. Mostly on my Miller.

Yessir you did. Check an make sure your leads are good an ground. Also 185 amps is way to much heat for a 3/32 tungsten brother. I’d go up a size or two. Not sure if that was the cause or not. Also what size is your torch? That could be a factor as well.

Really not pushing crazy hard, nowhere near 100%. Longest weld maybe 30seconds at 185 on the straights of the gusset.

Does anything about a short tungsten and medium cap effect this? Also its a flex I forgot to mention. Ck17 flex.

30 seconds is actually a long time to overdrive your torch that much. Doesn't seem like a big difference, but at 185A, you're actually exceeding the spec by almost 25%. I would keep the overdrives at that level to about 10 seconds or less, but that's just my opinion.

Either way you may want to call CK on that one to get their take. It does seem odd that you would actually destroy the GL and other bits instead of just warping them a bit over time doing what you're doing. There may be something wrong with the torch. But do expect CK to probably poke you a bit since you are operating the torch out of spec to begin with

I also still don't like the way your tungstens look. They still look gas starved to me on the tips, so that may be contributing to your issue. I dunno... Something to check on if you have one of those pea shooters.

While I figure out the wedge melt i am trying to remind myself which parts go with the ceramic furick gas lens. I think I have sorted these correctly am I right? The other thing I cannot remember is which insulator circled in purple corresponds to which setup.

I don't have that specific ceramic cup, but the correct insulator seals on both sides. I'd be able to tell if I was there, but it should snap onto the torch head and stay in place, and the ceramic cup should be able to seal after you are able to fully thread the stubby gas lens into the torch.