Tig is cool

[Ogier]

Greetings all,

I finally got all the pieces to get the welder up and running today. I built a 30' extension cord for it to run on 110/220/220-3phase and installed a wall plug in my shop for 220. I don't have 3-phase there.

After hooking everything up, I started up the welder and tried to weld a piece of .125x1.00 angle iron. After melting the tungsten into a blob, I reversed the cables on the welder and re-ground the tungsten as best I could as it is shown in the books.

The first tungsten melted again(it was the smallest) so I reground it and put it away and grabbed the middle sized one out of the pack that came with the torch kit.

I set the welder for 125amps and gave it a try. Wow is that neat. Not only was the weld easy to lay down, but there was absolutely no cleanup afterwards and I had about a 95% penetration.

I cut the angle apart and did the weld a couple more times(in different areas) to really get a feel for the tig.

The pre and post feed on the gas and waiting for the welder to ramp up to full power took a little getting used to but all was good.

After this, I have some 1.25"x.125" angle iron that I needed to weld to some 2"x.092" round tubing. This is where I found something interesting. I tried the 125amps and blew through the round stock. Then I tried 95amps and it wouldn't penetrate properly. I then set it to 100amps and all is well. I have a weld that is looking like a stack of very small dimes with no cratering.

Now for my question: Is the tungsten supposed to get red hot and slowly melt away? By slowly, I mean that I lost about .010" or so during the course of about 16-2" welds off the tungsten.

Am I using the wrong tungsten for this amperage? Also, why is the arc going off at an angle from the tunsten instead of straight off the tip?

I think I am very close to where I need to be on this project and probably only need some minor tweaking either on the welder itself, tunsten size or grinding type.

Thanks again

[paulrbrown]

Sounds like you need a 3/32 tungsten to handle that much amperage, remember to flatten the point about .016, I have been to your site,'great stuff', do you have a belt sander, 80 grit is good, it makes pointing easier, less hopping around of electrode, also aim point in direction of belt travel,point aiming at belt going away, if feeding into belt, if point grabs, it can break/shatter electrode or shove into your hand. I use a Scotchbrite disc to polish after shaping, that seems to give more life and is real pretty!!!! it might even help arc to come off straighter, In regards to arc wander, You may need to change your Work lead clamp position to keep Arcblow from occuring, just move to other side of weld direction. Best regards, Paul

[HAWK]

Ogier,

Take paul's advice and go with a 3/32" tungsten. The tungsten provided with the Miller sample kit is 2% thioiated. Get some 1.5% or 2% lanthanated tungsten. It is non radioactive when grinding, it will withstand the heat better and produces overall better results. For the Maxstar you want a 20-35 degree taper with around a .030" flat on the end. A good true taper with a precision flat will stop your arc wander. It can be done by hand on a bench grinder. If you ever get serious and want to purchase a premiuum qaulity tungsten grinder, check out the Piranah II grinder by Diamond Ground Products or even taKe a look at their preground electrodes. I use their preground electrodes and love them!

http://www.diamondground.com/Quote.html This is how to order the sample preground tungstens.

http://www.diamondground.com/Productsoverview.html This is the Piranha II and III grinders.

http://www.diamondground.com/ This is the main web page.

See tackit's post on radioactive thoriated tungsten for more info on Diamond Ground Products.

[Ogier]

Greetings all,

Well, the first project is done. Welds came out looking great. I did learn to cover my arms though. I am now nursing a nice little "sunburn" on my forearms that will go away in a day or two.

I requested a sample electrode from the company listed above. If I can get the electrodes pre-ground, I may just buy them that way.

Thanks again

[HAWK]

Ogier,

The preground electrodes are nice, but still need sharpening at some point. The only exception I can think of is automated orbital TIG where the electrodes have such a long life. A pin vise is a great accessory for sharpening your tungsten.