It’s important (when possible) to get a look at the backside. The amount of penetration will tell you volumes about heat, filler and travel speed.

Those welds do look over-filled. Using a bit less of the filler per dab might be all you need to do.

Take a look also at the new PrimeWeld 325 with a water cooler on Weldmonger’s store. For the money, jeez, they’re almost free. And the 225 has been a very good machine for a buddy of mine for 4 years without a hiccup. (If the worse comes to pass and you have to buy a new unit).

Now you’re talking!

I knew what you meant, but the opportunity to tease I couldn’t let pass by…

Aluminum looks really good. I chopped up the rest of the stainless tube to practice going around a tube with a curve to hone my stops and re-starts. I’m struggling to remember a time I encountered a round tube that didnt have a curve? 🤣 Looking at the stainless welds, your bead profile indicates too...

You bought a cheap rig and want pro safety features? Put down the crack pipe and spend some money on things that actually make you money.

Or get to work cobbling together a solution.

If the OD is 12mm, then the threads are not TPI, they will also be MM. measure the distance between the threads, that’s the pitch. Standard 12mm threads are usually 1.75, fine is 1.50, super fine is 1.0. If the OD is ~0.470 then it’s definitely 12mm (0.472).

Tried to send you a PM, but it’s stuck in my outbox. If you need a loaner, hit me up. I’m not too far away and can get you by until you resolve yours.

Ughhhhh….

Jumbo lenses are preferred by pipeliners as they are easier to use when walking the cup. More than not, they have wide open access to the joint so the stubby isn’t needed. The bulkier cup lays better while allowing you to maintain the arc angle when walking the cup. Even for welding sanitary, a #8 i...

[*] If I touch the work clamp without gloves and the welder set to AC, I get a shock. Does this happen even if there is no arc initiated? Check the internal lug connector for the ground clamp. Make sure it has not come loose. If that appears ok, I'm with Jack, you've got a deeper issue that might r...

Hi CJ, There's not really a way to use a backing plate to weld the whole cube when it is bent into shape. I will take a pic or two later and post here so that it makes more sense. Thanks, Jeff I can certainly understand if you're welding outside corners of a cube. In that case, larger diameter fill...

Is there any means of using an aluminum backer piece? That will not weld to your stainless and can serve as a support for the bridging tack.

The only glaring thing is the restart. You need to back up to the prior last bead, start there and get it wet, then add filler there and move forward.

33 amps might be a little low for 16ga. When the amps are too low, you have to wait in the stainless to melt, that causes a lot of heat input. As odd as it sounds, a touch more heat gets your puddle faster so you can weld without introducing as much heat overall. Of course, the higher the amps, the ...

Whether you spray weld or TIG weld it, it needs to be machined afterwards to turn the diameter back to spec. For spray welding, you need to be 100% certain of the base metal and application as not all powders are appropriate for all metals.

With 1/16 filler on 1/8 material, I’d be closer to 95 amps to avoid the base material absorbing so much heat. That’s why your beads are turning blue/purple after a bit. Also, with only a #10 cup, make sure you’re using about 20cfh or gas. Your practice looks really good. Nice and even stepping. Bump...

I would also add that your buddy very likely has his Esab tuned just about perfect. Drive roll tension, spool tension are factors often overlooked when MIG welding. The consistency of the filler coming off the roll has a significant bearing in the appearance of welds. If it sticks and stutters, you ...

If you opt for a PrimeWeld box, I encourage you to NOT buy the 285. Yes, it is a multi process box, but it will not run 6010 rods. And from your posts you don’t need a multiprocess box. Being restricted to lift arc DC TIG is pretty aggravating if you get into TIG work. I’d buy their separate TIG box...

The type of welding you are describing from your Contractor are aluminum MIG welds. The black soot is from the MIG process burning off the surface oxides of the aluminum. Because he’s using MIG, the gun end is much larger diameter and therefore needs more space in order for him to get the proper dis...

I don’t know anyone who would characterize an Everlasting as “bullet proof”. Mostly they call them “Neverlast” due to reliability issues. Esab is an excellent machine, as are HTP. Don’t discard the PrimeWeld boxes. They are surprisingly good machines and are very inexpensive (not cheap). You can buy...

To start a Stick, you "lightly scratch" the rod along the surface. This requires a LOT of practice to develop the right "touch". A trick you can use, is to touch the side of the rod along the edge end of the practice material, then drag the rod along that edge until the end of th...

You don't need pulse on Smokers. Mainly it has lots of application when welding thinner material. It's popularity over the past few years makes it more of a "feature" than a requirement. Millions upon millions of miles of MIG welds occurred long before pulse. Things like that tend to be mo...

Any of those will be fine. I have a MultiMatic 200 (predecessor to 215) and it has been bulletproof. If you are focused on MIG work, with some Stick thrown in, I'd steer away from a multiprocess TIG-capable box. It adds cost without a lot of features. Also check out the PrimeWeld MIG boxes on Weldmo...

Well don’t those look nice! To help with your restarts, focus your arc on the last bead of the weld, once it gets fluid, dip, then take off with your sequence. Add more filler at the end of the weld and taper off your heat to avoid the burn back.

Looking really good!