Blown my welder up.

[Munkul]

starting to get somewhere now isn't it satisfying when you produce shiney beads?!

re the balance thing... the Miller settings are a % balance of electrode negative... the Parweld is set in % balance electrode positive. 30% EP = 70% EN. Hope that clears that up?

30% EP is a pretty good general purpose setting. Gives good cleaning, good heat input, and doesn't ball the tip too much.

"Balling the tip" is an anachronism now. It was for transformer TIG sets which used to put way more heat into the electrode, generally for pure tungsten which could take the heat input once a ball was established.
You have a modern set and modern electrodes: none of that applies.

Modern thinking is: sharpen that tip, with a blunt point. Don't make the angle too steep. Then when you use it, it will naturally melt back into a small ball anyways. Use it like that until the ball is the same size as the tungsten diameter. Then grind it back to a point.
This way you get some of the benefits of directed heat like you do with DC TIG.

How fast it balls back is governed by three things mainly: 1. the % balance; 2. arc length (longer arc puts more heat into electrode); 3. the machine itself and the circuitry design (to a lesser extent).

If Hood had good results with 15-25% balance with the same machine, then I'd try lower. You only need enough balance to keep the weld clean, but some machines just don't like settings as low as that. The lower the balance, the better the electrode will stay sharp.

I've said it before a few times, but I'll say it again: Run some beads before you start running joints!

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Many thanks Munkul; following your's and Hoods suggestions I've practiced a bit more this morning. I've run at 20% balance with 8 lpm 2 mode with 2 seconds ramp down.

I keep improving a bit each time I try. I've run a few test beads and joints again this morning; I seem to lose control of the test beads which start off narrow then spread out of control possibly because I'm welding too slowly once the piece starts to really heat up; more practice needed. I've just about cracked the corner joint though which I believe is the easiest joint to weld?

I'm getting the hang of the torch buttons a bit better too; I used to run to the end of the weld before releasing the button only to watch as the arc carried on melting the metal; now I let go of the button in advance whilst adding a dab of filler; it seems to work for me. Using the torch buttons I can change the main amp settings without having to visit the welder each time; not a big thing but certainly helps and I've also been trying to release the button then press again as the weld starts to get too hot; I'm also experimenting with the amps; once the piece starts to get hot I can knock the amps back. I've done a lot less tungsten sharpening too thanks to your tip Munkul regarding blunt point and I just touch the very point to give a tiny flat.

I'll try setting the welder as you kindly suggest Hood with start current higher than welding current; this makes a lot of sense to me now; I just need to keep practicing; gas is now starting to run a bit low so I'll be popping over to Dewsbury soon to collect a full cylinder. The cylinder I have is a 9 L and I had considered obtaining a second 9L cylinder allowing one to be filled whilst the other is used but would I be better simply obtaining the 20 L cylinder; I have to ask Hobbyweld in dewsbury to get a 20 L cylinder in for me because they don't get requests for these?

https://hobbyweld.co.uk/products/pure-argon-tig-welding-gas/

Below are practice welds. In the bottom picture is a plain run not a joint and to me it looks decent but is wider than I expected. I'm using a 2.4 mm tungsten at up to 120A but I'm trying different amps..

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Munkul]

looking better each time and now you're getting a handle on the way the heat acts in alum. Just need to reduce the input heat to get a smaller, tidier bead.

Amps, arc length and travel speed.

I have a feeling that turning down to 100-110 amps might help a little, if you don't want to travel faster. Remember the Miller corner calc is actually too hot since it's looking for penetration through a thickness - whereas you're setting it up as an edge-to-edge butt weld.

What's your arc length like? If you're not accidentally dipping the tungsten into puddle now and again, it's too long an arc length. Once the arc length is about right, then the puddle will flow nicer and you'll (hopefully) pick up your travel speed.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks once again Munkul for your continuing suggestions which are helpful. I was making decent progress at each session but this afternoon started to lose the plot a bit; I've just knocked off for the day but enjoyed today in the workshop in peace and without interruption.

On the last weld there were a lots of sparks and the gas has just run into the red on the high pressure gauge also this last weld has lots of black around it; I'll keep making the mistakes but I'll also keep learning; a set back or two won't deter me after all I'm still very much a beginner at TIG welding. I've had a decent couple of sessions though today which has cheered me up. Getting time in the workshop has proved difficult but in future Bron and I will get a bit more organised; during the week when it's quiet around the stores I can take Bron out because she doesn't drive but the weekends I'll now have to either potter in the gardens or workshop.

I'm juggling with the amps Munkel and at the moment am using 100HZ the balance set at 30. Depending how hot the piece gets as I practice I've tried amp settings between 40A and 120A. 40A didn't create a pool but 120A certainly did; I'm starting to feel more at home with the settings as I play around with them. Not the ending of the day I wanted but a single poor session is outbalanced by the good sessions so far. I now need to buy more gas. The low pressure gauge still reads around 18 and the flow meter at 8; this is whilst I'm not welding though. A full gas cylinder will sort this out.

Kind regards, Colin.

Blanks ready for welding.

Unexpected result at the last weld today; looks like a coal fired welder? I was just starting to get the hang of "dimes".

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Yes I agree Munkul; shiny beads are wonderful and encouraging.

It's good to know my lifelong bad luck remains as good as ever. Yesterday the gas ran into the red so having returned from Barnsley this morning I left Bron at home and set off with the empty cylinder heading to Hobbyweld in Dewsbury; post office; petrol station then finally Hobbyweld; always something else to do before I do what I want to do. Anyway at Hobbyweld I asked for a refill please saying to the guy you don't stock the 20L cylinders do you? Oh yes he does and he had four in stock. How strange that when I visited for the first time a lady dealt with me and she stated they don't stock the 20L size because there's no demand for them all her home workshop customers taking the 9L size hence I ended up with a 9L cylinder; I was also told by the lady that when I needed a refill I just had to bring along the empty cylinder and wouldn't need the deposit receipt so you can already guess what's coming.

I was at the counter with a load of cash on me but no cylinder deposit receipt and the receipt was needed in order to trade up to a bigger cylinder; looking at 20L cylinders with cash in my hand but without receipt about sums up my life; I told the guy if I tried to shoot myself I'd miss. I paid the £60 for the refill but just before leaving thought I've had enough of my lousy bad luck so I departed with 2 x 9L full cylinders. What I now expect in due course is to return to Hobbyweld with two empty cylinders and two receipts to be greeted by the lady stating we don't stock 20L cylinders; of course I could have phoned but my world isn't so simple when I can constantly be frustrated with so little effort. GRRRRRRRRR.

I'm planning workshop time this weekend; I don't care if the world is coming to an end; all demands on me and my time will be ignored; I'm digging in; retired 19 years and stressed out with jobs every day; enough is enough of being too goody and soft.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Munkul]

Well at least you'll get back the deposit when you finally return with the two empty 9L.

IIRC (correct me if I'm wrong) the 9L bottles are only filled to 140bar or so, whereas the 20L bottles are filled to 200bar. A 20l bottle will last you a decent amount of time, once you upgrade to it.

I feel your pain. I have a tractor in bits, a seed drill to refurbish, as well as an entire mezzanine floor for the workshop to get on with, but She's got me booked in for wedding planning all day saturday which I can't complain about, but now she's asked me to a meal out with family tonight (second meal out this week) so basically my only time this week for work is going to be Friday night.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

but She's got me booked in for wedding planning all day saturday which I can't complain about, but now she's asked me to a meal out with family tonight (second meal out this week) so basically my only time this week for work is going to be Friday night.

And so it begins.........

 

[Munkul]

I'm thinking about telling her this joke:

Tom finally decided to tie the knot with his longtime girlfriend. One evening, after the honeymoon, he was welding some stuff for fun. His new wife was standing there at the bench watching him. After a long period of silence she finally spoke,
"Honey, I've just been thinking, now that we are married maybe it's time you quit spending all your time out here in the shop. You probably should just consider selling all your welders and tools".

Tom got a horrified look on his face.

She said, "Darling, what's wrong?"

He replied, "There for a minute you were starting to sound like my ex-wife."

"Ex wife!” she screamed, "YOU NEVER TOLD ME YOU WERE MARRIED BEFORE!"

Tom replied: "I wasn't."

Problem is, it's a bit close to the truth in fairness she's very understanding, lol

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Good luck with your wedding planning Munkul.

Yes the 9L cylinders have around 140 psi whereas the 20L cylinder has 230 psi so a great deal of difference.

I'm looking for a huge field where I can go into the middle of uninterrupted and scream my head off; bring on even more bad luck as if I've not been tormented enough right from the very start with TIG welding; every time I want to practice welding I'm stopped. Yesterday with rain forecast for today and the weekend I visited Hobbyweld and collected two full cylinders as explained previously. This afternoon I had a spare hour so I set everything up for a bit of TIG practice; new cylinder installed; aluminium gleaming everything to hand; switch the welder on and turn on the gas to find 50 psi in the "Full" cylinder. I had bought two full cylinders to save lots of driving around in the rain so in the rain Bron's just accompanied me to Hobbyweld to return the half full cylinder. The guy apologised as I carried the cylinder into the office; I've never known so much bad luck; he didn't have a full cylinder in to exchange. I honestly could scream my head off. Now 20L full bottles and no 9L full bottles; I couldn't make it up if I tried.

Not wishing to add more mileage to the cylinder the guy obliged by kindly making out a receipt for it so next time I visit I simply hand over the receipt for a new full cylinder; mileage saved; NIL; hassle saved; NIL time saved; NIL.

I'll not be beaten; next step is to email Hobbyweld at their head office and explain all the fun I'm enduring asking if they can PLEASE PLEASE help me out; I'd like to return the full cylinder and exchange both receipts against a single 20L cylinder; will Hobbyweld go into administration before I manage to compose an email?

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[angellonewolf]

will Hobbyweld go into administration before I manage to compose an email?

no just as your at the counter swaping it there will a bomb scare and the police are closing down the area untill forther notice

 

[Munkul]

Colin, this question has maybe been asked already, but are there no welding distributors nearer you that carry Hobbyweld cylinders?

I always got the impression that Hobbyweld preferred to go through distros, rather than deal direct. Which would explain why they haven't get much stock in.

Our LWS seems to always have a good stock of hobbyweld cylinders in, but then again I don't see what gasses they are - I only have a single oxygen cylinder from Hobbyweld, myself. But it's Dixons Industrial Gasses who own Hobbyweld, I rent my fullsize argon and MIG gas bottles from them, and they are very very easy and helpful to deal with. I would like to think the Dewsbury supply problem is a temporary blip in the performance of a UK-wide company.

 

[Retired]

Hi,
Thanks angellonewolf; given my bad luck nothing would surprise me.

Thanks for asking Munkul. The Wakefield Welding Centre don't stock cylinders whom I like dealing with but Hobbyweld have plenty of agents; Dewsbury is our nearest Hobbyweld through a company called Innergy; on my first visit to Innergy the nice friendly lady explained they don't stock 20L cylinder argon because there wasn't a demand for these hence they only stock 9L or 20L high pressure. I was kindly offered a standard 20L but it meant returning in a couple of days to collect it and as usual around here it was raining hence I accepted a 9L.

Knowing Innergy don't stock standard 20L I visited to exchange the empty 9L for a Full 9L but now it was Mick who dealt with me and because I hadn't taken along my cylinder deposit receipt I couldn't trade up to a 20L so out of frustration I returned home with two full (?) 9L cylinders. Yesterday I was back at Innergy to return a full cylinder that actually only had around 50 psi in it; I currently have one full cylinder and a credit note for a full cylinder; I can't do much welding on a credit note.

I've just received a rapid reply from Hobbyweld main office advising me to use the full cylinder and when empty return it together with the credit note to Innergy in Dewsbury where I can trade up to a 20L cylinder; even the simplest of things in my life turn complicated but moaning won't resolve it; I'm now back to a single cylinder meaning another unwanted trip over to Dewsbury once it's empty; I bought the extra cylinder to avoid running around but best laid plans fall apart.

I'm spending more time on the forum and watching YouTube welding videos than actually doing any welding.

In order to straighten things out if at all possible I'll phone Innergy and ask them to please let me know when they have a full 9L cylinder in stock then visit them again and collect it; I'll then have the two cylinders to do with as I wish. I'll keep battling on and I still intend to learn TIG welding whatever problem is thrown my way after all it can't become worse than it already is. Pity I can't set cruise control in our Yeti for Innergy after all the car knows it's own way there. Heavy rain forecast.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Munkul]

rain = workshop time though. And you currently have a full cylinder...

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Couldn't agree more Munkul; decision time; when Innergy in Dewsbury receive a delivery of argon I'll pop over and exchange the credit note for the full 9L cylinder then I'll be straight once again. I'm only an hobby welder; in my dreams though at the moment; I doubt I'll use lots of gas but I like a stock of consumables I'll need in the workshop then I'm always ready for action; having two 9L cylinders appears to be a decent option but is expensive compared to a single 20L cylinder due to difference in cylinder pressure which is significant.

Is it possible to stop the world then perhaps I could get some practice in without all this hassle. I'm just having a mug of tea then I'll attempt a trip down to the workshop hoping I don't get diverted in some way. I'm planning a weekend in the workshop emergencies can resume from Monday's to Friday's in future; weekends are now mine and written in cast iron.

Kind regards, Colin.

Update, just phoned Innergy and ten cylinders are due in next week so things are looking up; I'm OK for gas until then.

 

[angellonewolf]

I'm spending more time on the forum and watching YouTube welding videos than actually doing any welding.

put down the laptop get in the shed take phoen with you get welding and dont forget to post pics with your phone

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Excellent advice angellonewolf; I've messed about long enough so time to get serious.

No laptop just my desktop; my mobile cost an whole £5 over eight years ago and I still don't fully know how to use it; I can make outgoing calls but don't know how to send or receive texts; I lose no end of sleep over this.

Pictures though no problem so here's another;

All I needed was a bit of peace and quiet and here's the result. I feel like I'm making progress. Taking your advice Hood I played with the AC balance this morning; I had it set way too high so I dropped it to 15 and what a huge difference; the weld is much more controllable and narrow; I've run at between 80A & 120A; with the aluminium cold I ran at 120A creating a quick puddle for the first bead; now the aluminium had heated up I could drop the amps and the final weld was done at 80A. A bit of discolouration but not too bad; I'm not after pretty yet just after torch and machine control and I'm now getting there. I'm now starting to understand the machine better and AC balance is working for me; next up is frequency I'm on 70hz for the welds shown. The tungsten is a great deal cleaner with these settings. Lots of practice planned now for the weekend with no demands upon my time. Whoopee.

I would have struggled much more without help from you guys and YouTube videos; thanks everyone; I hope eventually to receive five stars.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Rained off from outside work yesterday I finally wandered into the workshop as the rain fell. I enjoyed a session just practicing but this time decided to have a go at actually doing a proper welding job using four pieces of aluminium to form a square tube plus welding other pieces together.

Mostly success; not pretty welds but definitely welds; black deposits were removed using the stainless wire brush to reveal it wasn't as bad as expected.

Running beads just for the fun of it; slow but steady progress and although not pretty the square box section won't fall apart easily; I'm actually getting the hang of it. More practice still needed.

 

[Hood]

Good progress

That is what it is all about, practice, practice and more practice, trying different settings etc until you get to know what works best for both you and the material thickness/size and joint type.

 

[Munkul]

Good stuff!

Try doubling the frequency, leave everything else the same, and see what difference it makes to the arc and resulting bead profile. Now you're getting used to it, you want to play with frequency and see what you prefer using.

For me, 60-70hz is a bit unfocused and wide, whereas 120-140hz feels a lot "tighter" and helps (note key word helps) me keep a smaller neater bead. But different people and different machines have different preferences.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Many thanks Hood & Munkul for your welcome suggestions. Now I'm getting to grips with handling the torch and understanding the welder controls I'll do lots more practice because I'm starting to get very enthusiastic about learning TIG welding. First thing I need to do is what I always do; make every mistake possible and sometimes the same mistake a number of times; I'm not the sharpest tool in the kit but I make up for this by being stubborn and too thick to know when to quit.

Yesterday I watched an interesting YouTube video showing a guy TIG welding 1/4" thick aluminium; I was mostly interested in how he was holding the torch and feeding in the rod; I also noticed he appeared to be welding new aluminium without firstly wire brushing or wiping with acetone? I'm only using new aluminium so being nosy thought I'd try a couple of small pieces without cleaning them? Just a simple corner joint and I set everything up then commenced welding; wow where's all the smoke coming from? I'm hopelessly colour blind and thought I'd peeled off all the protective film but on one of the pieces the film was still in place hence all the smoke; I was surprised though when I roughly wire brushed the weld to see not too bad a weld as seen in the pictures below. This was just an experiment but I'll continue thoroughly cleaning until I become a lot more proficient; the stainless steel wire brush doesn't half rough up the surface; why is a stainless steel wire brush used for cleaning but yet a high carbon steel file can be used to file edges?

Looking at this weld though I'll increase the frequency as you kindly suggest Munkul; this weld isn't contained but to me it's all about learning. Two problems I managed to find out the hard way; my Parweld torch has three buttons and wearing thick rigger gloves one weld I did the torch was like a plasma cutter; I had set the welder at around 100A but was amazed when I found it set at 194A; yesterday I was trying to create a pool which was taking forever; now I was trying to weld 4Mm thick aluminium at 14A? Yes I now know what I was doing wrong; I was unaware the glove was pressing other buttons; no harm done but it took a while before I realized why the amps were going up and down as if by magic; as I say; I'll make every mistake possible and don't mind in the least showing my ignorance to the world; there are lots of TIG novices so hopefully my story will let them know the problems I encounter.

It's a good job funds aren't a problem because TIG welding in a small home workshop certainly isn't cheap; now I'm finally settling down to lots of practice I'm using gas and so far have used about £90 of gas just practicing; I can afford this but once both 9L cylinders are empty I'll return them against their deposit then upgrade to a 20L cylinder. At the moment I'm unsure if there has been a misunderstanding regarding cylinder sizes; when I first visited Inergy the lady told me they don't stock the 20L cylinder I wanted but on my last visit the guy told me they did? I had seen Argon cylinders with gauges already installed; Hobbyweld in fact supply two types of 20L cylinder; one is HP the other is Ultra I wanted the HP cylinder? Confused; I'm dizzy?

Kind regards, Colin.

I've always got to find out the hard way; I thought I'd removed all the protective film but it was still attached on the bottom piece; the heat has made it curl from the edges but being colour blind I never even noticed it. DOOOOOOH. Go on have a laugh I don't mind.

Wire brushing sure roughs up the surface. I'm surprised the weld wasn't contaminated but the atmosphere certainly was.

I'm definitely getting the hang of TIG welding; lots more practice needed to fine tune now and I've already overcome so many problems along the way. It's good fun.