TIG question

[dadomin8r]

What does it mean when you are welding and the puddle immediately starts to bubble on steel. Is there a switch that is in the wrong spot?

[1992f150]

Not sure what you mean by bubble? Things to check: tungsten contamination, correct color code, check shielding gas, correct polarity?, oil or something on the metal/filler rod? Using correct filler rod? Also this sounds dumb but make sure it is steel...one time I was trying to weld a piece of stainless to some aluminum (no it doesnt work good http://www.race-dezert.com/vb3/attachments/old/images/graemlins/grin.gif).

[In_the_works]

Maybe you could be more specific? Is there black soot arount the puddle? Could be contamination on the filler rod/tungsten/work piece. Could also be your high frequency setting.

[Crayfish]

If there are sparks coming off the tungsten then the tungsten needs to be sharpened. If it looks like you are trying to arc weld then maybe the shielding gas needs to be increased. I think mine is at 10CFH usually. Try both and see if that helps.


Crayfish

[jim_moulton]

Turn the gas on!

[Kritter]

Gas is on and it is set to a 10 sec post flow. Tungsten is sharp. Polarity is correct. I am pretty sure it is contamination but I am a novice at welding so I will let him chime in with more detailed info.

[DANKFAB]

Sounds like not enough gas from what I understand. I recall the same thing happening to me whenever I would run out of gas, or have it too low of a setting. Turn it up and keep welding. It could be contamination of the weld surface or the tungsten. Check all those things everyone else has suggested too because TIG is real touchy in some situations.

[1992f150]

hit it with acetone or wire wheel, check and make sure the ground is clean and a good connection too.

[Dave_G]

Are you welding a part that has cad or zinc plating on it? If so, you need to get the plating off first. That will also cause what problem your having.

Dave

[ACID_RAIN28]

Metal is durty, clean it off, dirty as in dirt or slag or anything other then bare metal. Also If your filler rod is not new it could have moisture or other contaminents in it and it wont stabalize the pool, what rod type are you using. Also I have found that if you get a weld that is really dirt or you have no choice but to weld on a dirty surface, use some 308 stainless rod.

[ntsqd]

Muriatic Acid (pool acid from Home Depot, it's hydrochloric acid - DON'T BREATHE THE FUMES) will remove the plating. Grinding it will not. Grinding removes enough to look like it has, but smears enough of the plating into the 'bare' metal to still screw you up. If your mouth tastes metallic, STOP !! You are welding plated metal.

BE DAMN CAREFUL with the acid. It will hurt you if you are not careful. Safety glasses are an exceptionally good idea, a face shield is even better.
Know that steel freshly rinsed off with H2O from an acid bath will rust amazingly fast. I use compressed air to dry it. Waiting for it to air dry will incur some surface rust. It's that fast.

[1992f150]

alot of plating will leave a white smokey soot on the metal when you try to weld it.

[Kritter]

ok since no chime in from Dominic...no zinc, gas is there..not sure on flow rate. Bare DOM saddle weld is what was being welded...

[vorra65]

Make sure your gas is good. Last 2 bottles of argon were bad. Both had contaminent's. They have to send it out to be analyzed, and are reluctant to admit it's contaminated. What have you changed, since the last time you used the machine? You know, when it welded OK.

I have gotten bad MIG gas before as well.

[geoff]

Which welder are you using? Is this a liftarc or a High Freq Start Welder? If the High Freq isnt working that could be a cause, if you arent getting enough current that can do it, too. Has this welder worked well in the past?

[dadomin8r]

It may be the high frequency setting. I can't tell which one is start and which one is continuous. Let me go get some pictures. There was some cutting oil when I notched it but usually wiping it off takes care of it and I don't have any problems. I'll go get some pictures and post them and maybe you guys can tell me what the heck all these darn switches are.

Oh yeah, it was the 70s2 fill rod or something like that.

[dadomin8r]

Here is the pic of the welder http://www.race-dezert.com/ubbthreads/download.php?Number=57615

[Kritter]

http://www.race-dezert.com/wwwthreads/files/57615-welder.jpg

[dadomin8r]

Also, how do you turn off the pedal? I tried to change the output to the middle and to ON and it would start an arc (barely) and it just wouldn't go. It would barely stick the tungsten to the metal if I just left it on the metal.

[properprerunner]

Maybe you should take a class on welding. Some Community colleges have pretty good intro class. Or finding someone who could sit down and teach you. there is a lot more to TIG welding than mashing the pedal down.

[dadomin8r]

Don't try to make it out to be so complicated, guy! All it is, is technique practice and learning to weld in difficult positions. All I need to know is which way is which on the switches.

[MNotary]

Try the manual....

[AZmiik]

Your switches look close. It should be remote remote and start. Meaning down down up. To turn the pedal off for touch start it would be up up off. Here is a link to miller where you can download your owners manual. You just need your serial # to get the right model. That should be on the back of the machine. I would try more like 20cfh for gas flow.

Miller Owners Manuals (http://www.millerwelds.com/service/ownersmanuals.php)

Miike

[1992f150]

if your high freq is set to continuous it will be very loud hiss as you weld. When its set to start only, it will hiss and be loud at first till the arc estabilishes itself then it will turn very very quiet. There is also a visual difference.

[dadomin8r]

Thanks!

[jwfab1]

If your welding steel you don't need high freq. to be continuous. Just start. To start your arc and then it will stabilize. Continuous would be for aluminum where the arc is going from ac to dc. What color is your tungsten? I recommend red 2% thoriated for steel because it will stabilize easier and it will carry more current, it they have a greater resistance to contamination. And pure tungsten for aluminum.

Jason