Arc starting

[GaryM]

I have been having troubld starting a arc with my Dynasty 300

AC
1/8 pure tungsten
balled
70 on ballance
150 Hz

it just pulses and you see a little bit of fine arcs like you dont have the ground on. it will pulse then start sometime and then other times it just keeps pulsing tell you let off the foot pedel.

Not sure what is going on but my ground is really good the tungsten is nice anc shinny good clean prep. only on AC

Gary

[HAWK]

GaryM,

First thing the Dynasty is designed to function with a pointed tip tungsten with a very small flat on the end. Do not use a balled tungsten. The machine is optimized from the factory to start 1/16" and 3/32" tungstens. The 1/8" may need to have the start parameters boosted: starting amps increased and or change the start polarity. This is only the starting polarity-not the welding polarity. Look in the hidden menu. The manual has directions for changing such. Also you can store this under AC in one of the 4 programs. Make sure the tungsten is not frosted over. Try scratching the tip before striking the arc on HF.

[GaryM]

Ok then I need some help HAWK!

Ok the only tungsten i have is thorated 3/32 and 1/8 pure.the curium and lathorated on order.

I am welding aluminum of 1/8 and 1/4 from tanks mostly furalizer in them so not going to be able to do a perfect cleaning. I have tried to sharpen my tungsten with the same then happening balling up at least some.

Any help would be great!! Yesterday was very bad for me, today is a new one and i am ready to try again freash.


Gary

[ASKANDY]

NEVER use pure tungsten.

Ceriated, Lanthanated or last choice Thoriated.

Make sure you grind to taper on grinding whell not used for anything else but tungsten. If you do, it will contaminate the tungsten and you will have even worse starts.

Andy

[GaryM]

this is so funny you all say to use Ceriated, Lanthanated but no one in my area stocks then and they swear that Thoriated is the only think i should need.

They say that everyone use pure and thoriated only and i am crazy for the most part to even want to try it.

Where i got my dynasty at has only sold 2 of them. so maybe they just dont know!

Gary

[HAWK]

GaryM,


SOUNDS LIKE THEY JUST DON'T KNOW.

I have spent the last 2 years researching and testing the Dynasty series machines. I have developed a good grouping of settings and tungsten alloys that work well together. The bottom line is lanthanated tungsten in the 1.5% alloy works best with the Dynasty 200 and 2% lanthanated works best with the Dynasty 300.

Ceriated tungsten alloy comes in second in all around performance. However there is more than a marginal difference. The lanthanted alloy has a much longer life per sharpening. It also tends to create a more concentric and concentrated arc per wave frequency on AC independant of shielding gas mix (argon or helium/argon). I have not tested any hydrogen gases yet.

No matter which alloy you choose the tungsten works best when sharpened to a 20-30 degree taper with the tip gently trued to a small diameter end flat in the .020" -.030" range. The overall taper and land grind should not be too rough. The Dynasty employs a superior top of the line high frequency generator capable of consistent arc starts with a high polish finish.

The finer finish produces less arc wander. Even though the difference may not be noticeable without doing a side by side comparison of the rough and smooth ground surfaces. A 300 grit diamond wheel will produce a very smooth surface in the 20 RA finish range. Some tungsten manufacturers of preground and tapered tungsten use a 40-60 RA finish. This is too rough for the Dynasty. There is only a slight difference between a 20RA and the high polish finish.

If you are hand sharpening with a bench grinder check into a diamond wheel for your grinder. First taper the tungsten on an aluminum oxide or silica oxide wheel and gently polish on the diamond wheel. If you are interested in a premium quality tungsten grinder, check out the Piranha II by Diamond Ground products. It grinds a 20RA or better finish. It will taper, flat, and even notch the tungsten for easy snapping to the correct length.

http://www.diamondground.com/index-2.html

By the way: These folks produce premium quality preground, tapered, and flatted tungsten in a variety of alloys. I have been using their products for a while now. Even though the quality is superior the price is in line with the run of the mill tungsten.

Heed Andy's advice and steer clear of thoriated and pure tungsten alloys with this machine. The pure has a low boil off temp and the thoriated produces radioactive dust when ground! The lanthanated closely approximates the electrical conductivity of the thoriated alloy for those used to it on older machines. It's nice to have a good reference for current settings when going to a new machine and tungsten alloy.

Hope this helps!

[HAWK]

Originally posted by GaryM
Ok then I need some help HAWK!

Ok the only tungsten i have is thorated 3/32 and 1/8 pure.the curium and lathorated on order.



Any help would be great!!
Gary

GaryM,

Email me through the forum and I'll sharpen up some samples of 1.5% lanthanated and mail them out. I am out of the premium quality stuff, but what I am using is extremely good!!!

[Steved]

I have to say that I did get some samples from Diamond Ground and the smooth tip does make a difference. In fact, hats off to the guys at Diamond Ground for their samples and follow up.

The problem being, for me, is the cost of their semi-automatic grinder. Thanks for the advice on a dimond wheel. I will try to source one out and attempt to make some 'decent' finishes.

[HAWK]

Steved,

The Piranha can be had for $630. I am sure you are looking a $700+??

[GaryM]

That is a lot of money for a sharping system!

I have some Ceriated tomarrow and will try it. I did not know about the polishing of the bevel on the tungsten at home here i have a white wheel for sharping tools its really soft and i only use the side of the stone for tungsten.

Just but the 7" piece in my corless drill and run it tell its nice and sharp. Need to do some testing tomarrow and see if it helps.

Gary

[Steved]

If I were in a production situation I am sure that I could justify the cost for a sharpening system, but for playing around I cannot. I would rather spend the money towards a new helmet or welder.

GaryM: I have been told that it is quite important to ONLY use the grinding wheel for your tungsten to prevent contamination.

I have a dedicated wheel on my bench grinder for tungsten and I am looking for a dimond wheel for a final finish.

Always remember to sharpen with the length of the tungsten so the 'grinding' marks run with the length of the tungsten. This prevents arc wander.

[imported_Harold]

GaryM

Gary I had much the same problem. My local dealers are great but.. when it comes to tungsten they are behind the times; told me the same thing, they only carry the red and green anything else is special order, very expensive and a waste of money. No one uses anything else. Needless to say you have gotten excellent advice here. Also diamond ground is excellent to do business with, not only did they send me samples and a catalog but filled my rather small order promptly. They are also very competative price wise and great to do business with. I'm sure you will be please. Oh yes I have the dynasty 200 dx and on Hawks advice got the 1.5% Lantherated. Very happy all the way around, great advice from Hawk and great service from Diamond ground. Thanks all.
Harold

[ASKANDY]

If anyone needs the Ceriated or Lanthanated, my distributors here in Charlotte stock it.

Let me know and I'll pass on the contacts.

Andy

[paulrbrown]

As for polishing, I first grind on a belt sander, 80 grit, then use a Scotchbrite wheel on the bench grinder to polish, it gives a very smooth surface and I can see a considerable differance when starting the arc. These wheels are about $60 for a 6"x1", they are designed for deburring machined parts, hope this helps, Paul

[GaryM]

Everything you have told me has helped i got some Ceriated and sharpen it up but it seems that i am having a hard time keeping a pointed tip.

I am sharping it with a small land. I have tried from 100hz to 250 hz. Gets better the high you go but still want to ball a little.

Gary