Tig welding tips, questions, equipment, applications, instructions, techniques, tig welding machines, troubleshooting tig welding process
chustzy
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Mon Mar 27, 2017 4:36 pm

Im new to tig welding aliminum the other day i welded some aluminum and normaly i have trouble starting a puddle . I finaly used pure tungsten and imediatly got a nice puddle and welds came out awsome . The only problem i had was after i run my bead and moved to the next one i couldnt start and arc . What i fould was i had to go back to the grinder and grind the ball off . Than i couldn start up agin and back to a nice bead . Is this normal to have to keep taking the ball off every time i go to start a weld . I am using a lincoln square wave tig 200 set to about 130 . I gusse my question is am i useing the right tungsten for my machine ?
Farmwelding
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Mar 10, 2016 11:37 pm
  • Location:
    Wisconsin

On inverters you really shouldn't use pure tungsten. Try 2% lanthanated or 2% ceriated both work well on AC and DC on inverters and transformers.
A student now but really want to weld everyday. Want to learn everything about everything. Want to become a knower of all and master of none.
Instagram: @farmwelding
Nick
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Tue Dec 13, 2016 9:24 pm
  • Location:
    Clearwater Florida

The balling of the tungsten is actually considered a good thing when welding aluminum, It will keep forming no matter what you do, you shouldn't have a problem welding with it.

One thing I find helps on starting the arc sometimes is to just tap the metal with the tungsten while trying to start it with the high freq. almost like a scratch start.

Pure does suck, Whenever I use it in amps above 120, it tends to eventually drop the ball into the puddle, which really grinds my gears. I use E3 for everything now, lots of alternatives to pure.
if there's a welder, there's a way
Farmwelding
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Mar 10, 2016 11:37 pm
  • Location:
    Wisconsin

Alright I keep hearing and seeing about this tungsten balling stuff, but I have yet to ever have his happen to my tungsten. I run 2% ceriated 3/32" and I have used a range of amps from 30-180 and never a ball unless a dip the poor bugger. Am I doing it wrong or is it just ceriated being different and weird?
A student now but really want to weld everyday. Want to learn everything about everything. Want to become a knower of all and master of none.
Instagram: @farmwelding
Nick
User avatar

Farmwelding wrote:Alright I keep hearing and seeing about this tungsten balling stuff, but I have yet to ever have his happen to my tungsten. I run 2% ceriated 3/32" and I have used a range of amps from 30-180 and never a ball unless a dip the poor bugger. Am I doing it wrong or is it just ceriated being different and weird?
it's the pure tungsten that balls, because it's pure the melting temp is lower then the alloy versions of tungsten...ex thoriated, lanthinated or ceriated
Richard
Website
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Tue Dec 13, 2016 9:24 pm
  • Location:
    Clearwater Florida

You are definetley doing something wrong...

Okay, maybe not.

Mine always balls up, when I used to use pure, it would ball up so quick, tried using it at elevated amps and it just dropped into the puddle and pissed me off. switched to E3 and it balls up as well. I have never not had mine ball up so I don't know how you are managing to avoid it.

Some people say cranking the welder to 200 or so and blasting a copper or brass piece with heat and letting it ball will do it. I never had to do that but I read that somewhere.
if there's a welder, there's a way
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Sat Mar 30, 2013 11:49 am
  • Location:
    Sweden

Olivero wrote:I have never not had mine ball up so I don't know how you are managing to avoid it.
Minimal cleaning? Probably beyond practical unless on very clean metal. :mrgreen:

Mine usually balls too but not extreme no matter what type I use: Thoriated, Arctime, Ceriated, Lanthanated or Witstar
chustzy
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Mon Mar 27, 2017 4:36 pm

Is it normal to have to take to ball of to start welding agin ? Or to start an arc back ?
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:40 pm
  • Location:
    Near New Orleans

chustzy wrote:Is it normal to have to take to ball of to start welding agin ? Or to start an arc back ?
No, that's not normal. The arc should restart just fine with the balled tungsten, unless you're "sneaking up" on the amperage. This makes the arc wander quite a bit, as a ball, unlike a sharp point, doesn't direct energy in a particular direction. You have to use enough power to establish that "shortest route" through the ionized gas. Mash the pedal for a half-second and back off to the rate you want, and I think you'll have better re-starts.

Steve S
Mihtu
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Sun Feb 12, 2017 11:01 am
  • Location:
    Upstate New York

Seems the great tungsten death is all over the map,I use alot of 2% lanthinated, I really like E3,also Ceriated does pretty well,but I will say,once I figured out how to grind them right slot of my problems went away,especially on aluminum,I found that after grinding them,if I rubbed then back in forth in a straight line while turning them on a sheet of 400 grit sand paper they seemed to last longer,and weld better
Mihtu
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Sun Feb 12, 2017 11:01 am
  • Location:
    Upstate New York

That last post the spell check got me good!anyway this is my piece of sandpaper I use,I got the idea from an old timer who did power plant welding,maybe it's in my head,but it works for me!
Attachments
20170328_224645.jpg
20170328_224645.jpg (38.02 KiB) Viewed 742 times
exnailpounder
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Dec 25, 2014 9:25 am
  • Location:
    near Chicago

Mihtu wrote:Seems the great tungsten death is all over the map,I use alot of 2% lanthinated, I really like E3,also Ceriated does pretty well,but I will say,once I figured out how to grind them right slot of my problems went away,especially on aluminum,I found that after grinding them,if I rubbed then back in forth in a straight line while turning them on a sheet of 400 grit sand paper they seemed to last longer,and weld better
I have recently taken to using my polishing motor and some Tripoli to polish tungsten. Not a huge difference but noticeable. Over 150 amps you can grind any way you want and it works.
Ifyoucantellmewhatthissaysiwillbuyyouabeer.
chustzy
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Mon Mar 27, 2017 4:36 pm

Thanks for all the help i used 2% lanthanated and works perfict thanks for the help
Post Reply