improve the view

[dutchman]

I have been Tigging a bit today, but I found it somewhat difficult to get a good view of the weld puddle. The arc was so bright that I could hardly see what was going on underneath.
Anyone have any good advice on head positioning or something that improves the view?

 

[astro_al]

What helmet / setting are you using? Might help people to answer.

Al.

 

[dutchman]

Optrel Twisty, shade 10, welding at 95A

 

[malcolm]

Have to say I find the same thing - I tend to use a shade 11 on low amp TIG when I'd use shade 10 on MIG, though quite often I end up with a sun spot in my vision with TIG and have to stop welding for a bit until I can see where I'm going again.

Does seem a lot brighter than MIG. Wonder if we are doing something wrong.... Otherwise a variable shade helmet is the answer.

 

[snowcat]

Should be much softer than the MIG or Arc, tho I know I'm always up on the thick end on those set's, I use an optrel multi process, round shade 5... 7 at the max, the tricks to look under the torch, Its much better to sit on a stool if possible, this means your head is looking sideways at the pool rather than above staring at the ceramic, If you cant sit, tilt your head infront of the torch and drive towards it..

 

[dutchman]

Xlnt instructions there Snowy! I am certainly going to try that.
Still I wouldn’t be surprised if I am doing something wrong because I have a red hot tungsten (but I read that is normal) hear a whistling sound that varies with the pulse (I thought that it might be the HF or something else fancy) and the grind on the tungsten only lasts a couple of minutes….

 

[snowcat]

If your burning away quickly on D/C your probably running too small on the tungsten... A/C Its fairly normal to take the sharp down quickly and will not matter too much, as long as your not getting a round football end or burn away.....

May sound stupid but you haven't got a power slope or pulse, duel amps, or something exotic set, sometimes it happens to me suddenly I start to weld and bang, I'm into full power and a bright screen, then I realise a setting switch is the wrong way

 

[Country Joe]

I noticed that yesterday too, brightish spots, sort of like the "after vision" you might get after looking at the sun. Strangely, it didn't seem overly bright while I was working.

Worse still, I suspect my tungstens last even shorter times.
In fact, my very first tungsten (not all that long ago!) seemed to vapourise so quickly, I didn't even get started properly!

I'll be on the phone to WeldEquip soon for some more, but thought I'd leave it for a week or two, so that he doesn't start to suspect that I have a habit of burning/wrecking things!

CJ

 

[dutchman]

With my chin on the bench, sitting on a stool with an extra big lamp shining on the work I now have quite a good view of the puddle. I fiddled a bit with the settings as well.
The tungstens last a lot longer now, but I am not sure whether that is due to the settings…. I suspect the tungsten burned away so quickly because I was stirring the puddle with it, not properly seeing what I was doing.
Not exactly professional, I know…. But making a bit of progress and having a lot of fun!!

 

[TonyWilk]

...
The tungstens last a lot longer now, but I am not sure whether that is due to the settings…. I suspect the tungsten burned away so quickly because I was stirring the puddle with it, not properly seeing what I was doing.

I'd guess your tungsten isn't melting or burning away, it's just getting a nasty glob of steel over the end... if you don't get steel on the end they should last ages.

For flat butt welds, make sure the tungsten tip doesn't stick out much - only about 3mm from the ceramic, then with the torch at an angle you can't dip the end in so easily. Mind you, it's still easy enough to stick the filler rod on it

In corners, for a T-joint, you have to stick the tip out more otherwise you can't get close enough 'cos of the shroud.

Sometimes it's easier to almost rest on the ceramic having adjusted the tip to the right length - especially in corners of thin stuff.

As for "not seeing": I had real problems 'til I fixed a lens from some cheap See-Real-Close-Binocular-Headband-Things inside my mask, now I can very well about 8" away.

Yours,
Tony Wilk

 

[dutchman]

Thanks for the tip on how far the tungsten should stick out Tony.
I shoved the tungsten back in about 5mm and, I am not entirely sure here because I changed so many things, but it seems to have improved visibility as well.
I also tried reading glasses, but that was not much of a success