Sparkster
Member
- Messages
- 18
I didn't get a chance to ask my college tutor at the end of the lesson and we now have two weeks off for half term so I thought I'd ask here.
I'm on C&G Level 1 'Introduction to Welding', half way through the course so in no way am I an expert. I'm attempting a butt weld on a tee joint in the flat position. Two pieces of 2mm steel with a 1mm gap between them, 2.4 tungsten, 1.6 filler wire, No. 6 cup, gas flow at 6L/min, ESAB machine set at 45 amps. The problem is that at certain points the arc suddenly sputters and becomes uncontrollable leaving a heavy deposit of carbon around the weld. I'm sure I'm keeping it steady and not varying anything too much. At other times the arc also suddenly gets a lot brighter, seeming to flare up. Then at yet other times, the arc will point to one or other of the sheets of steel not the gap. It's as if it's being blown out of line but I've checked and there are no draughts.
The steel has been well cleaned, but do you think it's not clean enough, or might there be something wrong on the gas delivery side? Could the sudden flare-ups be due to the filler wire being too close to the tungsten? I'm using a different machine to the one I'm usually on where I haven't had these problems but as yet I'm pretty inconsistent so it may well be my 'technique'!
(Apologies for a lack of a pic to illustrate the effects this is having.)
Lynne.
I'm on C&G Level 1 'Introduction to Welding', half way through the course so in no way am I an expert. I'm attempting a butt weld on a tee joint in the flat position. Two pieces of 2mm steel with a 1mm gap between them, 2.4 tungsten, 1.6 filler wire, No. 6 cup, gas flow at 6L/min, ESAB machine set at 45 amps. The problem is that at certain points the arc suddenly sputters and becomes uncontrollable leaving a heavy deposit of carbon around the weld. I'm sure I'm keeping it steady and not varying anything too much. At other times the arc also suddenly gets a lot brighter, seeming to flare up. Then at yet other times, the arc will point to one or other of the sheets of steel not the gap. It's as if it's being blown out of line but I've checked and there are no draughts.
The steel has been well cleaned, but do you think it's not clean enough, or might there be something wrong on the gas delivery side? Could the sudden flare-ups be due to the filler wire being too close to the tungsten? I'm using a different machine to the one I'm usually on where I haven't had these problems but as yet I'm pretty inconsistent so it may well be my 'technique'!
(Apologies for a lack of a pic to illustrate the effects this is having.)
Lynne.
