Welding Tips and Tricks

I've also been practicing on some 1/8" and I have my machine set at 140A until I run a pass or two and then I cut it back to around 130A or so. Sometimes I'll run a bead a little cold just to see if I have enough control to keep from just flooring the pedal. I'm really just looking for consistent bead width and uniformity. I'm thinking that on the thinner stuff having more control of the pedal and being able to make consistent beads is more important than penetration. Not trying to say penetration isn't a very important factor either.

I had not tried a T joint lately and gave one a try with a #5 cup. I was impressed by how shiny the tungsten stayed.

Dip less, travel more. You'll continue to get smoother and more consistent beads

Thank you.

Gene, I'm wondering how you place your torch hand when you are welding. It looks like you might be having trouble moving it smoothly. Dont put too much pressure down on the table. Just lightly touch it with the heel of your hand. I sometimes extend my pinky and just touch the tip of the surface is rough or hard to slide on.

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Warren, Thank you too. I'm a leaner. I'll have to work on my posture to put less force on my torch hand.

I think I figured out what a contaminated weld puddle looks like. This would be tungsten contamination.

Learn something every time you weld!

I think it's tremendous that you're plowing away, working towards a goal, unafraid of public commentary. With that determination, IG will no doubt have a new, highly trafficked account

Today's contaminated pool is a 309LW failure.

Leaving the wire stuck in the puddle isn't contamination. It's something I do regularly. I use it as a location to taper of my arc as I reposition. Then I just light back up on the wire.

Yeah yeah That's what I meant.... I always do that on purpose.

And doing that also protects the filler wire from contamination from being exposed to the atmosphere. It's commonly intentional for stainless pipewelders to do this. Now, if it were your tungsten, that would be a different story...

That was the "W" in the failure mode. At one time I had 2 tungstens and a filler at the same time.

Wow, what a break from the internet. I didn't mean to just disappear. I've been welding regularly just not getting online much. That broken chair that I was welding seems to have lost it's temper and now if you lean back too far it changes the neutral point where the rocking chair rocks. Oh well, it was broken before I tried to fix it.