Engloid

Another thing to think about is your postflow. If postflow is too low, your tungsten will get contaminated between the time you stop welding and the tungsten cools. Then when you fire the arc back up, the oxidation on the tungsten creates problems. It can smoke and release contaminants, it can cause your arc to wander (due to a disfigured point), and can throw the contaminants down into your weld. For welidng stuff like this, I'd run postflow at about 8 seconds.

WHat happens is that your FLOW meter will regulate FLOW into your torch lead. When you turn off the valve on the torch, the flow into the lead continues, and builds up pressure. When you open the valve, you will get a gush of argon at first, then it will setle back into the flow that you are set to run.

sohcpwr

yea, when the valve is wide open gas is ------- screaming out of the tip. I dont think it welds too good like that

Ill try opening it up a little more.

Engloid

Just put it at about 20cfh minimum, and don't worry about the sound of it. It may sound louder with different size cups, even.

sohcpwr

why is the valve even adjustable? Shouldnt it just be open/close and the regulator control how much gas comes out?? Makes no sense to me.

One more question.. How are you supposed to stop the arc with a lift arc machine? Since theres no trigger on the handle, the arc keeps going untill i point it away. Is that what i should be doing to break it? (i point it back after that for the postflow)

4sillypwr

I weld on tigs with a remote control but in a pinch I've had to gansta weld it when my pedel croaks. I pretty much just lift the tungsten away from the basemetal until it breaks. I try to break it as slow as possible but yeah it's a pain in the ***. Look up the harbour fright tig pedel mod in teh HT forum. It might be in here too.

sohcpwr

link would be nice

Engloid

Your postflow won't do your weld much good since you have to break the arc that way. It will help keep the tungsten clean as it cools though.

sohcpwr

so that is the correct way to break the arc though? (by quickly pointing it away) So its pointless to point it back at the weld since it was already exposed to the air?

Engloid

The correct way to break the arc is to move forward on the weld, without adding filler. Move faster and move farther away as you go. What happens is that the puddle will get narrower. At a point that you will find comfortable, you can just yank it away.

If you go from a full puddle to no arc, you will get what is called a "fisheye"...which can actually create a hole in middle of the crater.

YOu want to trail it off a little slowly. It also makes it such that the black marks are much easier to brush off than just ripping the arc away all of a sudden.

And yes, putting the torch back to it doesn't do much good, but many welders do it. Maybe it's just a "feel good" thing.

sohcpwr

ill experiment with your technique. Sounds easy enough... wonder why i havent tried that yet? I think no matter how far away i hold the torch, it will still make a huge blue arc back to the base metal. Ive gotten like 3" or so away before. Thanks for your help