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Title: TIG welding advice Post by: Not Happy Jan on February 09, 2011, 10:17:03 PM Hi All
I need some advise as to some welding problems I'm having. I'm only practicing at the moment but am having trouble with the arc wandering all over the place. Another issue is that the electrode sticks and ruins the newly ground tip. My welder is an esseti 150 and i'm using a 1.6mm electrode on about 40 amps . I'm just practicing on 1.5 mm steel sheets. My technique is improving and I can get a good puddle and the weld is good ( at times) but cant seem to control the arc wandering and when doing it on the car will need good control for the fiddly bits and butt joins?? Any ideas ??? Nick Title: Re: TIG welding advice Post by: Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius on February 09, 2011, 10:24:12 PM Do a TAFE or WEA course, I thought I was half-competant at welding until I did a course. Cheap as chips for what you learn.
Title: Re: TIG welding advice Post by: Paul In Ireland on February 10, 2011, 03:09:28 AM I did a stick welding course last year - learnt a lot. Sounds to me like you need to dial up a notch or 2 to stop the sticking but I haven't used a tig.
Title: Re: TIG welding advice Post by: FCRB26 on February 10, 2011, 11:11:11 AM Check your polarity is around the right way most tigs earth goes in the positive slot and your handpiece goes into the negative slot on all our 5 CIG 220 ac/dc and we have 3 Kemppi ac/dc units they are all that way.
Id say thats why you are sticking and getting the wanders. Change that and im sure that is your problem also are you using argon not argoshield ??? Is your unit high frequency start or is it scratch start. Pete Title: Re: TIG welding advice Post by: REDMR2RED on February 10, 2011, 01:41:55 PM Try this.
http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/tech_tips/TIG_tips/troubleshooting.html Title: Re: TIG welding advice Post by: Not Happy Jan on February 10, 2011, 05:49:02 PM Thanks for all the advice
Stinky I would love to do a welding course but there isn't a TAFE up here that runs the course :(. I looked into it when I was living in sydney but it was 30Ks acrossm town and started too early for me unfortunately. I'm going to put an add in the paper and see if someone can give me some private lessons. OR Pete I think your on the money I checked the bottle of gas and its a pure Argon gas! I'll have to finish practicing with this then get some argonshield, the trouble is is that not many people up here are familiar with TIG. The machine has both capabilites but I cant get it to fire on the high freq setting and have to scratch start it. :P You wrote before about special welding rods ??? where can you get them! Paul if I up the amps it just blows holes through :-[ Title: Re: TIG welding advice Post by: Not Happy Jan on February 10, 2011, 05:52:56 PM don't know what happened..
OR I JUST GO AND BUY A MIG! Setting up costs sure add up :-X. But its fun..... isn't it. Got a rotisserie today so will be posting more soon. Nick Title: Re: TIG welding advice Post by: Not Happy Jan on February 10, 2011, 05:55:03 PM RedMr2red. Thanks for that link! covers a lot of problems.
Title: Re: TIG welding advice Post by: FCRB26 on February 10, 2011, 07:07:41 PM Sorry wrote that wrong use only argon
check your polaritys like i said? Does your handpiece have the trigger to start the weld ??? Title: Re: TIG welding advice Post by: Not Happy Jan on February 10, 2011, 07:24:01 PM Pete,
I am using positive earth! and no trigger to start the weld. Title: Re: TIG welding advice Post by: FC427 on February 10, 2011, 09:56:00 PM The filler wire you want is GIG weld "Hi test" it's a coated filler rod so it does not rust and contaminate the weld we all know how cleanliness is vital for successful Tig welding .....FC427.....
Title: Re: TIG welding advice Post by: Not Happy Jan on February 11, 2011, 07:11:09 AM Thanks FC427. Will try and get some
Title: Re: TIG welding advice Post by: Rusty EK on February 11, 2011, 08:50:52 PM How are you sharpening your electrode tip? You need to sharpen it to a conical shape with the grinding grain running along ways on the tip, this will concentrate your arc to the centre and should stop it wandering , you may already be doing it like this? Also what colour tip is on your electrodes .
Title: Re: TIG welding advice Post by: FCRB26 on February 11, 2011, 09:00:38 PM rule of thumb is 3/4 the diameter of the tungsten is the length of the taper you should sharpen i never check i just sharpen it you should be using a red tungsten.
which is thoriated white is seriated grey is zirconiated. doesnt really matter all tungstens will weld. should not be wandering are you using a 1.6mm tungsten. you should not get wander unless the tip is dirty. Title: Re: TIG welding advice Post by: Not Happy Jan on February 12, 2011, 04:07:00 PM Thanks Rusty EK and Pete,
Im grinding the tip of the tungsten but have been doing it at right angles. Will change that! I bougth a new grinding wheel so there should not be any contamination! I'm using red tipped 1.6mm tungsten having changed from a 2.4mm tungsten. Will do some more tomorrow and let you know how I go! Nick Title: Re: TIG welding advice Post by: FCRB26 on February 12, 2011, 06:59:22 PM yes thats where the wander is from not sharpening it to a point the idea is to lay it up the grinding wheel and turn .
we were taught at tafe the gasses flow down the minute grooves from the grinding stone. I dont find it really matters im pretty lazy now so when im at my bench my angle grinder is there and we use a sanding disc now that has ceramic grit not glass guarenteed not to get hot at all top discs and i just grind it to a point on that. sounds like you might have it sussed. |