Tungsten balled on me

Greybeard · Sat Mar 07, 2020 11:19 pm

I've had a 180 Diversion for several years now and just experienced this the other day.
I had the machine up around 170 on 3/16" bright cleaned mild steel.
3/32 2% lanthanated, 8 cup, gas lens, 15-20 cfh.

Got about an inch welded and saw the tip balled.
Happened 2 or 3 times.

All the parameters seemed within the capabilities of everything...or not?
Got any ideas?

Sat Mar 07, 2020 11:23 pm

accidentally got it set on AC
poor quality tungsten
bad collet

BillE.Dee · Sun Mar 08, 2020 7:40 am

did you accidently get to a-c? are you sure you're getting gas to the torch? are you at the I just had one tank give me a fit over shielding. Same supplier as other tanks that I ran just as low or lower.

LtBadd · Sun Mar 08, 2020 9:07 am

A photo could help, is there dark smoke around the weld where this happened? I know you said it was clean, any chance there was a spot of contamination, maybe pulled in from the back side...

Bill Beauregard · Sun Mar 08, 2020 9:08 am

I wouldn't expect Diversion to ball on DC. It is fixed at 72% Electrode Negative, preventing much tendency to ball even on AC, but it would at 170 amps.

Be sure you are on DC, use an 1/8" tungsten, any flavor but pure, and grind more crayon shaped than needle shaped.

Greybeard · Sun Mar 08, 2020 1:00 pm

Thanks guys!
No AC by accident. This machine sputters and fusses plenty enough when set wrong to wake up the soundest sleeper.

I'm sure everything was clean as I did the same procedure as I do for aluminum.
Even wiped the filler rod with acetone.

I'll try 1/8" tungsten & see how that works.
Thanks again!

BillE.Dee · Sun Mar 08, 2020 7:09 pm

I don't know what the sam hill happened before in my post but,,,,are you at the end of the argon tank? What is the distance between the tungsten and the work piece? Like LT said, a picture would help.

Greybeard · Wed Mar 11, 2020 6:11 pm

Tank's 3/4 full and has been good.
I'm going to pull the cover off the machine and check the gas line although I can hear and feel gas coming out so...

Could it be an electronic screw up?

Oscar · Wed Mar 11, 2020 6:37 pm

Or it could be something simple you overlooked. There are sooo many variables especially with tig. Perhaps the switch is faulty? Is it even a switch that changes it over from DC - AC? Is it a button? I'm not familiar with that machine.