[niftyweld]

How to use tungsten to touch the weld pool without causing so much of contamination. Can this problem be resolved by moving the torch farther or closer from the work piece? Well, I know touching the filler metal to the tungsten can be a source of contamination, but is there no clear solution to fix this problem other than practice; trial and error will determine your best technique.

I'm using the https://www.weldingcity.com/tig-tungste ... trode.html

or should I use thiorated?
https://www.weldingcity.com/tig-tungste ... trode.html

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Artie F. Emm]

Hey, Nifty-
A couple things here...

>>How to use tungsten to touch the weld pool
Don't touch the tungsten to the puddle. Raise the torch up enough that you're holding a tight arc, but if you touch the weld pool you'll need to grind cooled metal off your tungsten.

>>I'm using the https://www.weldingcity.com/tig-tungste ... trode.html
The link you gave opens to pure tungsten. I have not used pure tungsten, but I've read it will not work well on inverter machines, so probably you have a transformer type machine.

>>or should I use thiorated?
Jody C, our benefactor at this site, has a video on this topic, here:
http://welding-tv.com/2014/04/26/like-2 ... lectrodes/
That video gives 2% Lanthanated as a good all-around electrode. If you're thinking of a change, you might try that.

Good luck with it!

[Sandow]

Unless you are using lift start or scratch start, the electrode should never touch the base metal. If you dip it, it may or may not matter if you keep welding. Aluminum will blow off black cruft if you keep going, mild will probably just wander more.

Only practice will limit how often you screw up and contaminate it.

As for keeping the tungsten from discoloring, your post flow needs to be long enough to cool off the electrode before it exits the shielding gas. A good starting place is 1 second per 10 amps. To can start it long and back off until the problem returns.

Unless you are really trying to stick with old school tungsten for some reason, Pure and Thoriated are mostly pointless now. You can use 2% lanthanated pretty much all the time.

http://www.amazon.com/Welding-Tungsten- ... gsten+3+32

-Sandow

[Rituchim]

when u dip youe tungstan in the puddle it changes the way the arc flows trough it. so insted of focused arc it spreads al over and u have to put more amp which heats up the metal way more than you should.
as jody says in on of his videos "in order to get better, get as much "under the hood seat time".... especialy in welding- practice!!!!!!!

[DLewis0289]

Unless you are using stubby, sharpen both ends every time, flip and go.

[Rituchim]

Unless you are using stubby, sharpen both ends every time, flip and go.

i always keep 5 elctrodes sharp and ready but i think he ment what can to not contaminate in the first place.
try to set shortest stick out u possibly can and be able to se the tip when u weld.....

[weldit321@gmail.com]

When you first start you will almost certainly contaminate your tungsten by touching, and if you don't you are most likely too far from your base material. Watch welding tips and tricks TIG welding for beginners and he shows the symptoms of poor tig welding technique. Seat time and a steady hand will get you as close as you need to be without contaminating your electrode. Also if you add too much filler wire at once it can cause the puddle to touch the tungsten and this too you will figure out with time. It takes time but you can get to the point where a sharp tungsten can last you hours before you need to sharpen it (or longer but we all make mistakes =D )