[Bursans]

Hey All, Im new to the fourm and new to TIG welding...

So ive been welding this mild steel sheet metal to 1"x1"-1/8" square pipe and it seems to weld well.

However today im trying to join just the sheet metal together and its sparking and spattering like crazy.

Can anyone here maybe tell me the many things im doing wrong? Pictures attached.

Thanks so much for any help here!

[weldin mike 27]

The heavier than air ago drops away from the corner joint very quickly, and that also draws air into the weld area. Try a bigger cup, slightly higher flow rate, and you can even dam the argon on the bottom plate by taping or clamping a bit of sheet metal along it. If you understand. Also be sure that your metal is not coated with gal or something.

[kiwi2wheels]

In the second photo it looks as if the sheet has been O/A or plasma cut.

Grind all the slag off and clean sheet near the weld area, straighten the line to improve fit up and plenty of tacks should help.

[noddybrian]

As mentioned by others -fit up / edge prep / possibly long arc / torch angle & insufficient gas cover ( of filler rod too ) will all contribute to this - but the real question I would ask is other than practice which is best done as practice - not on an actual job why use this process when open corner welds on what appears not very clean material is best suited to Mig ! ( no offense intended by this comment )

[Bursans]

yes the edge was plasma cut.

weird thing is on some sections of the same project / metal it works great, not sure why on the other sections it spatters and is horrible to weld. Maybe its based on the fitup or the way its prepared?

as for the other question I only have a TIG machine so unless I want to stick it I dont have a option to Mig.

[noddybrian]

Fair enough on using Tig then ! I tend to use Tig for stainless & aluminum -not much carbon - when I do I try to get everything clean & don't often have issues - but here are my thoughts on your problem - if the issue is intermittent the amount of oxide / dross from the plasma cut maybe the problem - try clamping a straight edge as a guide to get a straight a cut as possible then clean the edge & a little of BOTH back & front surfaces with a flap wheel - get the best fit up you can with no gaps if possible - ( once you heat the joint there will be some convection air current which can effect the weld if it comes up through the center of the joint ) weld as fast as you can with sufficient amps while keeping the tightest arc length you can - use a large filler wire ( like 1/8" ) lay it in the corner of the joint & just keep it pushed into the puddle - if heat builds up or the metal starts to move stop let it cool & use more tacks if needed - if you are unlucky the metal itself may have some contaminants in that boil out so the odd spot may boil but hopefully not much - if you suspect the metal then switch to 309 filler & try again - if this cures it assume its the metal - try not to melt much or get a large puddle without adding filler as you rely on this to clean the puddle - good luck with your project - hope you get sorted.