Black Tungsten

[Slim Shady]

Yo all
I was out in the shop today welding away on some mild steel. Weld was black so I checked the tungsten black. Its 1.6 grey tip, I changed collets, collet bodies. On about 10lpm of pure shield argon.

 

[Delgado]

The local comedian hadn't been in and swapped your tungstens for sharpened stainless filler wire with the ends painted, had he? Sounds like a gas problem to me, seen it before with red tungstens when I was using old shi%%ers with bodged hoses. Maybe check all hose connections, if you havent already.

 

[backpurge]

Have you got the post weld gas flow turned on

 

[Slim Shady]

The local comedian hadn't been in and swapped your tungstens for sharpened stainless filler wire with the ends painted, had he? Sounds like a gas problem to me, seen it before with red tungstens when I was using old shi%%ers with bodged hoses. Maybe check all hose connections, if you havent already.

No leaks anywhere

Have you got the post weld gas flow turned on

Its scratch start.
Im starting to question boc but the tungsten is not burning like with agroshield, it just goes black and so does the weld.

 

[backpurge]

Is the tungsten losing it's point as well or is it just discoloured, does the plate have any coating/scale on it.

I would try welding another piece of material, preferably stainless and see what happens

 

[Delgado]

If the connections are good then (after trying what Backpurge has suggested) I guess the next step would be to check the gas. If you explain whats happening to BOC would they not swap the bottle for you? Have you got any fotos of the weld?

 

[squazy84]

are you using pure argon or argoshield?

 

[Welderpaul]

the tungsten is not burning like with agroshield

Argon?

 

[Slim Shady]

Argon?

I AM using ARGON.
I saw a thread on weldingweb where someone used agroshield. I just sorted the problem, the o-ring on the backcap was split. I replaced it and now perfect welds again.

 

[backpurge]

I AM using ARGON.
I saw a thread on weldingweb where someone used agroshield. I just sorted the problem, the o-ring on the backcap was split. I replaced it and now perfect welds again.

Cant use argoshield for TIG, the CO2 and O2 will totally knacker the tungsten for a start

 

[Country Joe]

I just sorted the problem, the o-ring on the backcap was split. I replaced it and now perfect welds again.

I wouldn't have thought of that - didn't even know it could happen!
All the Best
CJ

PS More than that - I didn't even know there was an o-ring in there!