[Mattwho777]

I'm waiting for the material to mirror finish before advancing.

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[Mattwho777]

Using blue tungsten

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[exnailpounder]

Ok. I have suggested that you are too far into the cleaning side of balance. I run my machine a little bit into the penetration side, that keeps the arc focused and keeps the ball small. Go a few numbers into the penetration side( i don't know your machine so bear with me) not much, just a couple percent. See if your arc still wanders and if your tungsten balls a little bit. Don't use any filler , just try to get a puddle and when and if you do, try to advance forward and see if you can duplicate the puddle again. Don't move your balance knob in huge leaps...a little goes a long way with balance settings and keep your arc length short as too long of an arc length will cause it to wander badly.

[Warrenh]

Using blue tungsten

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Is there any chance you have some anodized aluminum?

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[Mattwho777]

Ok. I have suggested that you are too far into the cleaning side of balance. I run my machine a little bit into the penetration side, that keeps the arc focused and keeps the ball small. Go a few numbers into the penetration side( i don't know your machine so bear with me) not much, just a couple percent. See if your arc still wanders and if your tungsten balls a little bit. Don't use any filler , just try to get a puddle and when and if you do, try to advance forward and see if you can duplicate the puddle again. Don't move your balance knob in huge leaps...a little goes a long way with balance settings and keep your arc length short as too long of an arc length will cause it to wander badly.

Alright I'll give it a try and see how it goes.

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[exnailpounder]

Using blue tungsten

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Is there any chance you have some anodized aluminum?

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Thats a good question. There are so many variables with tig welding that it takes awhile to come up with the answer to a problem. Most of the time it's the "torch nut"

[Warrenh]

Using blue tungsten

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Is there any chance you have some anodized aluminum?

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Thats a good question. There are so many variables with tig welding that it takes awhile to come up with the answer to a problem. Most of the time it's the "torch nut"

Hey, ive had a loose nut on my torch, too. Small world. Lol

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[Mattwho777]

I took out the cheap gas lens I purchased. Put in the standard collet that came with the machine. Keep the same settings 35% balance and frequency @120. Laid down good. I think an 3/32 or 1/8 filler rod would work a little better. I guess I'll have to save up and get a good gas lens and find a good place to get some aluminum to practice on.

Thanks everyone for the help & advice.

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[exnailpounder]

Glad you figured it out! Much better! Now you can appreciate how much is going on while tig welding. Once you get everything dialed in, you should only have to tweak your settings once in awhile or use some of your bells and whistles. Another tiggerator joins the ranks! Ps...even good gas lenses are cheap. I think I paid $5 for a Miller brand lens last time I was at the LWS. Good luck!

[MarkL]

I took out the cheap gas lens I purchased. Put in the one that came with the machine.

I learned a lot from this thread, there's a few things I'd like to make sure I've got right:
Did the machine come with a gas lens or a standard collet body?
During the original diagnosis, it seemed like you were able to weld steel OK with the cheap gas lens, is that true? If so I'm not sure why the results on aluminum were so bad. I would have thought the cheap gas lens would have done rather poorly on steel as well.

[exnailpounder]

I took out the cheap gas lens I purchased. Put in the one that came with the machine.

I learned a lot from this thread, there's a few things I'd like to make sure I've got right:
Did the machine come with a gas lens or a standard collet body?
During the original diagnosis, it seemed like you were able to weld steel OK with the cheap gas lens, is that true? If so I'm not sure why the results on aluminum were so bad. I would have thought the cheap gas lens would have done rather poorly on steel as well.

Mark...check this out.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM28MIhmneU

[Mattwho777]

I took out the cheap gas lens I purchased. Put in the one that came with the machine.

I learned a lot from this thread, there's a few things I'd like to make sure I've got right:
Did the machine come with a gas lens or a standard collet body?
During the original diagnosis, it seemed like you were able to weld steel OK with the cheap gas lens, is that true? If so I'm not sure why the results on aluminum were so bad. I would have thought the cheap gas lens would have done rather poorly on steel as well.

Yes it came with a regular collet body. The gas lens was from eBay.

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[Mattwho777]

Glad you figured it out! Much better! Now you can appreciate how much is going on while tig welding. Once you get everything dialed in, you should only have to tweak your settings once in awhile or use some of your bells and whistles. Another tiggerator joins the ranks! Ps...even good gas lenses are cheap. I think I paid $5 for a Miller brand lens last time I was at the LWS. Good luck!

Yeah I picked up a large gas lens but they gave me the wrong insulator at the LWS. So I was using the smaller style ones from eBay.
Thanks again....

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[MarkL]

Mark...check this out.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM28MIhmneU

Interesting. I feel like I need to have a gold standard lens that I know works but I never use it, I just pull it out when everything is going to hell and see if it fixes the problem.

[MarkL]

Yes it came with a regular collet body. The gas lens was from eBay.

Well if it's any consolation, I just had a gas lens do about the same thing and it came from a reputable company and I paid good money for it. I gave up trying to figure out what was wrong and tossed it. It looked like brand new, had worked fine for a month, and when I replaced it with an identical lens from the same company, everything worked fine. So I know it was the lens but have no idea what was wrong with it.

[Mattwho777]

I was thinking about ordering a set off Amazon so I could get multiple different cup sizes but now I think I'm just going to go to the LWS and buy just one and see if it works or not. The large gas lens is the one I want to use but like I said they gave me the wrong insulator and It was not sealing right.

[Olivero]

I was thinking about ordering a set off Amazon so I could get multiple different cup sizes but now I think I'm just going to go to the LWS and buy just one and see if it works or not. The large gas lens is the one I want to use but like I said they gave me the wrong insulator and It was not sealing right.

I always get my torch supplies from the LWS, that way I can bring it back and say "HEY! This shait doesen't work"

Doesn't feel the same with Amazon.

[Mattwho777]

I was thinking about ordering a set off Amazon so I could get multiple different cup sizes but now I think I'm just going to go to the LWS and buy just one and see if it works or not. The large gas lens is the one I want to use but like I said they gave me the wrong insulator and It was not sealing right.

I always get my torch supplies from the LWS, that way I can bring it back and say "HEY! This shait doesen't work"

Doesn't feel the same with Amazon.

I guess I'll just take my torch head off and take it with me next time. Might save myself a trip.

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[Olivero]

I was thinking about ordering a set off Amazon so I could get multiple different cup sizes but now I think I'm just going to go to the LWS and buy just one and see if it works or not. The large gas lens is the one I want to use but like I said they gave me the wrong insulator and It was not sealing right.

I always get my torch supplies from the LWS, that way I can bring it back and say "HEY! This shait doesen't work"

Doesn't feel the same with Amazon.

I guess I'll just take my torch head off and take it with me next time. Might save myself a trip.

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They do their best but there are so many different types of everything in the welding world, I don't blame them.... every time, most of the time I do. But not every time

[exnailpounder]

I was thinking about ordering a set off Amazon so I could get multiple different cup sizes but now I think I'm just going to go to the LWS and buy just one and see if it works or not. The large gas lens is the one I want to use but like I said they gave me the wrong insulator and It was not sealing right.

Even good gas lenses are cheap and Like Olivero said, you can take it back and bitch at 'em if it doesn't work. Are you talking about the teflon insulator for the gas lens? I use one only because I bought a few by mistake but (arguably) they aren't necessary but that's another argument for another day

[Mattwho777]

I was thinking about ordering a set off Amazon so I could get multiple different cup sizes but now I think I'm just going to go to the LWS and buy just one and see if it works or not. The large gas lens is the one I want to use but like I said they gave me the wrong insulator and It was not sealing right.

Even good gas lenses are cheap and Like Olivero said, you can take it back and bitch at 'em if it doesn't work. Are you talking about the teflon insulator for the gas lens? I use one only because I bought a few by mistake but (arguably) they aren't necessary but that's another argument for another day

No I wasn't mad a the LWS. I just have another Large Dia. gas lens that I haven't been able to use because they gave me the wrong Teflon insulator. Hopefully that one does better than the one I was using before.

[Mattwho777]

[exnailpounder]

I was thinking about ordering a set off Amazon so I could get multiple different cup sizes but now I think I'm just going to go to the LWS and buy just one and see if it works or not. The large gas lens is the one I want to use but like I said they gave me the wrong insulator and It was not sealing right.

Even good gas lenses are cheap and Like Olivero said, you can take it back and bitch at 'em if it doesn't work. Are you talking about the teflon insulator for the gas lens? I use one only because I bought a few by mistake but (arguably) they aren't necessary but that's another argument for another day

No I wasn't mad a the LWS. I just have another Large Dia. gas lens that I haven't been able to use because they gave me the wrong Teflon insulator. Hopefully that one does better than the one I was using before.

You can use that lens without the insulator. Your lens threads into the torch body right? The insulator does nothing to seal the torch from air inclusion. If you look at it, it will make sense. Can't even say how many times I have had "that" argument.

[Poland308]

IMG_0299.JPG (60.33 KiB) Viewed 1476 times

I got lucky. I was at the LWS and asked about Pyrex gas lenses. They dug one out of a box and gave it to me to try. Liked it so much now I'm going to have to buy more sizes.

[Mattwho777]

IMG_0299.JPG

I got lucky. I was at the LWS and asked about Pyrex gas lenses. They dug one out of a box and gave it to me to try. Liked it so much now I'm going to have to buy more sizes.

That's the one I would really like to have. Let us know what you think.