my first goes at tig welding

[pc18]

Well it arrived yesterday and I had a little go last night but it was really bad. Today iv done a little better so I thought I would get some pics up for some pointers

Then I had a few more goes

I seem to be getting these little holes or marks in the weld

And here's the settings I'm using

The steel is about 2mm thick.

Some times when I turn the machine on it trips the fuse for the sockets. But if I leave it turned on then reset the fuse it seems fine. The fuse is 16 amp and the b variety, I think I read that the c type ones are better suited?

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

Only if your wiring is up to it,

Also looks like a major lack of gas, You need pure argon not a argon co2 mix.

 

[Welderpaul]

TIG needs the metal to be clean. You are welding over the millscale which is the reason why you get the brown soot and porous welds.

 

[pc18]

Thanks guys, I'm using the hobby weld pure argon. I read the tig tutorial and it Said to set the gas at 7l per minute I think, that's what my gauge is reading on the bottle. I checked for any leaks when I connected it up.

I will have another go on something cleaner.
The garage was all wired up a few months ago, not by me. I don't know the thickness of the cable the sockets are on what do you think they should be?.

 

[Jim_gsxr1000]

Use a flow meter, my gauge shows 13 LPG when I'm getting 9lpm on the flow meter I know which one I trust

 

[Jim_gsxr1000]

I am practising on 3mm using 80 amps check out my r tec review to see my first welds, all beginners together

 

[pc18]

I will have to get one then. Am I best getting one that goes over the torch so I get a good reading?
Will do thanks Jim

 

[Jim_gsxr1000]

Both work well I have one that screws on to the flowmeeter

 

[Ed.]

As for tripping the fuse, are you actually talking about the Residual Current device (RCD) tripping or the actual circuit breaker, if it is the RCD, then mine does the same, however it won't be the wire size if that is the case, I run a Everlast 256 TIG which does that occasionally as well (50%), but the Miller 456 Auto Invision MIG which is put on the same lead when required has never done that and it is twice the machine that the Everlast is. My wire size is 10mm square to the socket and 6mm in the lead, so more than adequate but still trips the RCD with the TIG. I have sucked out 350amps out of that Miller and no dramas with tripping, but plug in the TIG and just switch it on and usually the first time it will trip, I suspect it is some sort of earth leakage from a capacitor or something.

If it is the circuit breaker then you possibly might need a slower reacting circuit breaker or else the wire/circuit breaker size is incorrect for the current drain. Just my 2 cents worth.

Cheers.

Ed.

 

[chevy2]

Fit a C type breaker of the same amperage as you already have and should cure the start up tripping,
That thick brown haze around every weld is generally due to contaminated tungsten where you've touched the workpiece with it or the filler rod has touched the tungsten whilst welding, if you do either of these you need to regrind the tungsten back to a fresh clean point before you do any more welding, what colour tungsten are you using?
The holes are probably simply due to not adding enough filler rod to the weldpool when needed so the heat alone burns through the sheet.

 

[pc18]

Thanks guys, there's no rcb in the garage it just trips the fuse. I've not been trying any filler rod yet. It sounds like I need to work on keeping the tungsten clean and a good point on it. I'm using a red 1.6mm tungsten.

 

[langy]

You need to use clean, clean , clean steel, oh and it has to be clean for good results
Gas wise I would set up a flowmeter on the reg at 4l while practising, gas is expensive and 4 will be fine.

 

[Jim_gsxr1000]

4lpm is that not a bit conservative ? I use between 8 and 10lpm

 

[Paul.]

4lpm is that not a bit conservative ? I use between 8 and 10lpm

Then unless you are working in a draft you are wasting it, 4 to 5 lpm is more than enough for most work, even on ally I rarely use more than around 6 lpm.

 

[Jim_gsxr1000]

In all fairness I do use it outside

 

[langy]

4lpm is that not a bit conservative ? I use between 8 and 10lpm

I only use 4 most of the time now, I used to use 6 until Chevy2 said try 4, I now use 50% less gas.

 

[langy]

In all fairness I do use it outside

how on earth do you tig outside, its bad enough trying to mig outside

 

[Jim_gsxr1000]

It's just bad habit, iv always stick welded outside and can't get used to the idea of welding in my garage, it's carpeted and too many flammable things lying about

 

[justmental]

i only use 6 lpm at the most

 

[langy]

It's just bad habit, iv always stick welded outside and can't get used to the idea of welding in my garage, it's carpeted and too many flammable things lying about

You could tig weld in your front room without burning anything