General welding questions that dont fit in TIG, MIG, Stick, or Certification etc.
mateo32
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu May 01, 2014 10:58 pm

Image

Does anyone know how to get that color and Is there an Instructional video on how to do a "cross stitch" pattern like that?
This is not my picture I just found it on the web but I am in complete awe!
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Jan 24, 2013 10:13 pm
  • Location:
    Eddy, TX

The coloring is what happens naturally and actually indicates to much heat input and/or lack of shielding gas while the SS is above its reactive temperature. The "cross stitch" pattern you are looking at is actually a technique called "walking the cup". This technique is one you will learn through time in tig welding. Another cause of the colors blue, purple, is walking the cup primarily pushes the gas forward and the weld you just deposited has less time in the shielding gas.
To look at this color effect, light up on some SS and when you let off, slowly move your torch slowly about half way off the puddle. You will see this effect first hand. Hope this helps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSnj8AASuFs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP5NZNaLELA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saYUUWUNAUo
-Jonathan
mateo32
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu May 01, 2014 10:58 pm

Superiorwelding wrote:The coloring is what happens naturally and actually indicates to much heat input and/or lack of shielding gas while the SS is above its reactive temperature. The "cross stitch" pattern you are looking at is actually a technique called "walking the cup". This technique is one you will learn through time in tig welding. Another cause of the colors blue, purple, is walking the cup primarily pushes the gas forward and the weld you just deposited has less time in the shielding gas.
To look at this color effect, light up on some SS and when you let off, slowly move your torch slowly about half way off the puddle. You will see this effect first hand. Hope this helps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSnj8AASuFs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP5NZNaLELA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saYUUWUNAUo
-Jonathan
I walk the cup but it doesnt look like that hahaha, thanks for the info!!!
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:40 pm
  • Location:
    Near New Orleans

Actually, I find this weld very impressive. Notice the narrow and consistent HAZ. The colors suggest the cup was small, giving some reduced back-coverage, as Jonathan said. A larger cup, coupled with a gas lens, and this weld might have been all gold. However, there's not a color there that won't brush off to shiny-white by hand, and this would pass visual almost everywhere. The other benefit to a larger cup is less wrist motion to take the same size steps.

Steve S
Post Reply