If at first you don't succeed...

[hankj]

Here's try #2. 3/8 fillet using C-25 at 5/55 on the MM210.



Shoot...

Hank

[Pat]

Hank,

Good job on that 3/8 stuff. Do you cut any of your coupons to see just what you have done. About 3 weeks ago I did a 3/8's coupon and thought it looked darned swell except there was like a very thin flashing (like the thickness of aluminum foil about 1/32nd wide). So I ran the sample through the bandsaw and all looked well. I then took a pick and lifted that flashing up a little. This flashing does not seen to effect the weld, but I am kind of curious why it forms. I see in your picture you have some spots that appear to have this flashing or whatever it is called. Have you noticed this before, and if so do you have any idea what causes it?

[hankj]

yeah, I cut 'em up to see what the **** I really did! When I satarted welding (?), cutting through coupons amlmost made me quit. Thankfully, I've improved!

I can't identify the "flashing" you speak of. All I see is the slight slag left from the process. I'll go look harder at the coupon tomorrow. Already into the Vodka tonight - wouldn't do any good to look!

Hank

[Paul Seaman]

Hank:
Awesome, glad things are looking up.
Weld well,

[Pat]

Hank,

The area I am referring to is on the top edge of your bead and starts where the / is for your 3/8's, and ends near the right end of the C where you typed C-25. Now, upon closer examination it looks like they may just be shadows, and not the same thing I have been getting. I wish I was a little more educated as far as determining these wierd little weld characteristics. What I may do is get a different brand of wire. Since I converted from flux cored to gas, I have been using an Italian made wire (Thyssen ER70S-6). It really does seem to do a decent job, but I wonder if this flashing is something that is just a brand specific quirk. Like I said, I can take a pick and lift the edge and break it off exposing a bead that shows good penetration. Yep, the more I look at your photo the more I believe that your weld is good and my eyes are bad

[Blown S-10]

looks good to me. did you bevel any ? did you weave any ? or a straight bead ?

[hankj]

Pat,

I think it's just the picture. Actually, I stopped right under the "2" and re-started, 'cause I ain't very good at re-starts, so: practice! I was working right-to-left.

S-10,

No bevel. Just a fillet. Did use a weave. When I checked the profile, I was a little low, so I need to slow down just a tad. Learned the technique from step-by-step instructions furnished over a year ago right here by pjs, HAWK, and a few others. Great board, and a great bunch of folks!

Hank

[Mike W]

Weld looks good. I am more impressed with the cut on the edge of the steel. What kind of plasma cutter do you have?

[hankj]

Why Mikey! You mean you can't ID an O/A cut?

My plasma cutter is a JET 4 x 6 bandsaw! (Or that O/A torch!)

Hank

[Mike W]

Hmmmn.....looking again......you cut better than I do.

[hankj]

Here's my assistant coupon-cutter: my 10-year old grandson, Steve.



He's quite the shop ddue.

Hank

[Blown S-10]

did you cut that in half to check penetration ? pic ? i like the weave myself. it helps my humble 135 heat the area more for better fusion/penetration, and the added filler helps also, imho.

[Pat]

I ventured out into the shop yesterday and discovered that I had a new roll of Lincoln solid wire same specs as the Thyssen. I forgot that I bought this several months ago when Dan was (and did) straightening me out with another operator error problem. I chunked a couple pieces of 3/8 X 3" flat stock out with the Uni-Hydro, then stuck them together with the MM210. It was about 45 degrees out so it was cooler than when I did the last 3/8 sample, and I did not pre-heat. All in all I ended up with a good weld using the approximate settings Hank used. The bead profile was a little higher than I would have liked it to be, but maybe the temperature played a part in this. The big thing I did notice was that there was no flashing at the edge of the bead using the lincoln wire. Had I been thinking I should have done a coupon first using the Thyssen before I removed it. Maybe tomorrow I will do samples of both. As far as why the Lincoln wire does not leave any flash, I don't know. Both brands are copper coated, and the only difference I can see is they come in different colored boxes.

Hank,

What do you have your gas flow rate set at. Mine is at 24.

[Andy249]

Pat,

This "flashing" you are speaking of wouldn't happen to be chips of silica that have formed after your weld? Should be brownish looking, shiny areas that chip or jump off quite easily and readily leaving shiny weld metal underneath?

Some wires I have used do it more than others, (due to the alloy composition of the wire I guess) and I find it also varies with the material, surface prep and all that sort of thing. It isn't anything to be all that worried about, and unless it is actually in the weld (an inclusion), it shouldn't affect the integrity of the welded joint.

[Pat]

Andy,

It is not the silica, even though there is the occaisional spots of that. I wish I could get a photo posted of what I am talking about, but that is not possible at this time. I guess maybe I should better try to explain what this stuff is. I call it flash for lack of a better, or proper term. Let's say you were to take a small ladle of fully heated and fluid solder, then dumped it on to a metal surface that you had prepared and heated. At the far outer edges where it may have been cold, a very thin film did not adhere to the metal, but where the solder was intended to go it adhered with no visible defects. This is no big deal, but it seems to happen more often when trying to weld thicker material. This is just one of those things that in all reality does not harm anything, but makes a person wonder why it does, or does not happen.