Weird Ground/contact problem on a TIG

[Louis]

Suspect- Dynasty 200 DX, one year old.

It welded fine before yesterday- No contact problems, no nothing. Would strike an arc with out a problem.

Yesterday, an electrician came and put a new socket on it for 220/240.

Now when pluged in this way, it will not strike an arc on aluminum for the life of it. It will sit there, and want to start exactly like a ground is off, or not in good contact.

But everything checks out right, everytyhing is just as it was 3 days ago when I welded with it set up on 110.

What gives? Once it strikes an arc, I can run a bead fine, but trying to tack something now is getting pretty rediculous.

One thing he said when he took my little 110 socket off the cord is that it was backwards. Now I know that I suck at wiring, but I followed the manual to the T, on what wire went where.

Anyone run into this before?

Thanks

Louis

[hankj]

I'd be willing to bet that the electrician wired the black and red leads from the power cord to the new plug. From what I can see in the schematic, the black and white wires are the input leads for 120/240V single phase. The only time the red wire is used is for three-phase power. Pop open your plug and see what's up in there. If you see red and black, I think therin lies the duffugulty. Maybe HAWK or some other 200DX owner will chip in here, but that's how it looks to "watashi-ne".

Hank

[Bendaman]

My dynasty is wired with a plug for 220. The red wire is not used for any of the leads.
hope this helps?

[Louis]

OK, I have tried all the possible wire leads- Took out red ( That was connected to who knows what, and switched the 2 leads mentioned and it is better, but not a whole lot. It will not strike an arc off of the Lift arc mode like before, but touching the electrode to the material will make it contact after a few tries, but I shouldnt have to do that.

Im going to try some other things and see how it goes.

Thanks for the inputs

[Louis]

OK Guys, try this one on for size-

Wires are per the instructions in the manual- We are good to go there.

Tungsten- 3/32 Pure ( Green for aluminum- what I was taught to use, and I have used it for the past 11 years)

I decide to switch to 2% Thoriated and give it a go.

PERFECT.

Is there such a thing as a bad electrode? One thing I noticed about 3 new pure electrodes into it is that initial arc is perfect. The first go with that new tip is elcellent. As soon as it begins to ball over like it always does, it goes intermittent. Weird.

So, I will finish up tonights welding using the thoriated, and pick up some new Pure, and maybe I will see what you all reccommend for Aluminum. Its time for a change.

Hey, atleast the wires are correct now


Thanks again!

Louis

[dyn88]

read your manual thoroughly it will tell you not to use green tungsten as this will harm the machine. the end is not supposed to ball over as this takes more arc force to make an arc.

[fun4now]

do not ball

dyn88 hit it on the head you should never have a balled tung with the dyn. i know that is how it has been done forever but that was square wave not inverter tec. this is a hole new animal and should not be used like the old. kinda like a 2stroke vers 4 stroke you could put gas oil mix in the 4 stroke and it would run (probly foul the plug) smoky and slugish if you want it right you have to concider what you are running. in this case the inverter not an old transformer on alum you should grind to a point then put a flat spot about 20% on it and you will love the results, sharp crisp arc right where you want it.

good luck and dont bother getting any more green spend the $$ on more 2% Thoriated or 1.5% i think hawk said 1.5% worked best.

[Wheat]

1.5 Lathanated is widely used and recommended...

[Bendaman]

I use 1.5 lathanated for both steel and alum. For the most part I also
prepare the tung the same for steel and alum. 20 -30 degree taper and small
flat spot on end

[Louis]

Thanks guys, Saved me bigtime! I lost the manual so I have been getting the one online, and I cant make that thing work for the life of me so I just found the wiring info and closed it. I will get a friend who knows more about it print it off for me.

Now, The balling still occurs with the 2% thoriated. Im using 3/32 with 120 amps welding 1/8" 6061. What settings am I missing, or what should I look for to prevent this?

Louis

[fun4now]

2%thorium,red

hate to say it but it is also not recomended for inverter type machines.

i'm asuming you are aware of the low-level radioactive material, when grinding also.

it would be best to get some 1.5% lathanated, gold (EWLa-1.5)
and have a go with that

you are at a disadvantage here as you have TIG experiance and have to unlern old habbits that were good befor but with the new inverters no longer aplie it's hard to untrain

you should call Miller about having them mail you another owners manual.

best of luck to you

[paulrbrown]

Louis, are you using electrode positive for the thoriated? Too much EP balance on AC will also allow the thoriated to start balling, so maybe back off there also.

[Scott V]

hate to say it but it is also not recomended for inverter type machines.


I think that is a pretty broad statement because they happen to work very well.
Is this all inverter machines you are talking about?

[ASKANDY]

Inverter FYI

NEVER green tungsten

Ceriated, Lanthanated, Thoriated as a last resort but is does work.

Sharpen on dedicated grinding wheel only used for tungsten

Tungsten will frost up and loose it's start quality, redress as often as needed when unit doesn't start well.

Aluminum basic settings- Freq 120 hz, Balance 75% Amps @ 1amp / .001 thickness plus a little extra for good measure

Good luck

Andy

[Blown S-10]

the manual says 2% thoriated. i wonder why it doesn't say anything about the other types ?