help with my tig welds

[b18c1cya]

well here is some welds of mine and i have a hard time keeping them consistant and dime like , iam open for any tips and comments , thanks

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/we...MXk1NDE%3D.jpg

[KB Fabrications]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

If you could post more about your parameters (material, thickness, machine settings, etc.) it would be a big factor in helping to answer your questions. That said, I think that your work shows real promise. The bead seems pretty consistent and the color of the weld and the HAZ (heat affected zone) look good as well. That is a steep and tricky joint that you are trying to weld. I welded tandem bicycles for years that had a junction just like that and no matter how good I thought I was, I could have a bad day with that one.

There are a lot of good folks here and I'm sure we can be of help. Again, welcome aboard.

[b18c1cya]

thank you for the nice welcome,

iam sorry i was a little vage on details i was in a hurry , lol well that was done on about 74 amps , and the material is sch40 ( 8 gauge ) 304 stainless with a 308 filler rod , was just looking to get the beads more dime like kinda like these http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/we...MXk1NDE%3D.jpg,, and here are some other welds that i have done http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/we...MXk1NDE%3D.jpg , i guess iam just looking for constructive gritisism and tips, thanks

[rb455ho]

The first pic looked good as going in a straight line is much easier that around tubing. I think everyone here will give you great advice on settings parameters and technique, but practice is the best advice I believe. Good Luck!!!

[eric75]

For exhast tubing like that, the inside appearance is more important than the outside appearance. Try practicing on flat sheet to get a uniform looking inner bead that doesn't over or under penetrate. If you can get that, then the outside will look just fine.
I would also practice stops and starts, because that is what you will be doing a lot of when you work with tubing. You can use the width of the HAZ (rainbow colors) to judge heat input. It should stay somewhat uniform. Stainless tells a lot about welding temperature by the clolors after it cools.

The first peice you show looks pretty good to me as far as uniform bead, but it could be a little overheated, try setting the machine a little hotter and speeding up so their is less time for heat to "seep out".

The manifold also looks structurally sound, although lacking uniformity. Strength is important here becuase you have a lot of heat, vibration and pressure from the turbo.

[Paul Seaman]

rb455ho nailed the biggest point. practice, practice, practice, and of course more practice.

This is a skill deal, when I am tired it is worse and when I am fresh its better.

Good luck,