Welding Tips and Tricks

I already posted this one on the Welding tips and trick facebook page. However not everyone of you are fb users, so decided to share it here too.

Had some problems with TIG-orbital welding machine.



Picture from my thesis work. Tungsten after two runs of 316L stainless pipe (88.9 x 2.6 mm) with ESAB TIG-orbital. As you can see there is quite much crap on the tip of the tungsten. Nevertheless that the tungsten was shiny, it caused problems as turning bead really flat and unfocused.
Reason this time for inpurities was found from regulators leaking o-ring.


Thanks
Markus

That's a great reminder of just how little it takes to make problems in TIG welding. One leaky o-ring, and if you don't catch it you'll think the problem is YOU.

Thanks,

Steve S

I've gotten that before, and I always figured it was contamination from the argon tank being that it is not "high purity" argon. Either that or perhaps aluminum oxide particles from the grinding wheel I sharpen tungstens on.

I usually get I when I stick the Tungsten.


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Looks like this could be "spatter" from the autogenous process. Some of the molten metal could have contaminated the tungsten. This also could be a thorium spike if you are using thoriated tungsten.

Arizona SA200 wrote:Looks like this could be "spatter" from the autogenous process. Some of the molten metal could have contaminated the tungsten. This also could be a thorium spike if you are using thoriated tungsten.

Perhaps, but this time it was inpurities in gas. Tungsten was ceriated, WC20.

Here's picture day after from replacing leaking o-ring. One full day of welding = about 15-20 welds.

Nice. Glad to see you found the source of the problem.