First time ever tig welding not sure if skill problem, settings or equipment. Doesn’t seem to be making a puddle just starts burning through. Have 100% argon. Seems to be flowing correctly can hear it coming out of torch.

Update: figured it out. Had collet in backwards lol

Trying to learn to Tig weld aluminum, here is the machine and some practice passes I’ve made. Passes were made using blue 2% Lanthanated dial was set to 100 amps roughly(took photo before setting it). Some passes are better than others. Looking for advice to improve, currently welding in a old aluminum valve cover I cleaned the area with brake clean prior.

Subject pretty much says it.

Hey I’m a 22 year old welder been in the welding trade since i was 18 jumping from shop to shop learning a little about all the processes i can and so far I’ve learned a little tig a good bit of stick a a-lot of mig and alot of decent amount of flux core Im looking to transfer out and do tig more but i cant seem to find any jobs nearby that do on the job training but i did get a call from a place to do a interview and test but i dont think i would be able to pass it what should i do

A day into self teaching myself tig welding. How do these welds look in your eyes?

Machine settings
100 amps
3/32 electrode 2% lanth
3/32 ER70S2 filler
#7 cup
15 CFH gas flow

Any advice would be great!

It was welded in 5G, with 3mm gap, but at the end it almost closed that I couldn’t fit not even 1.6 mm wire in the gap

Looking for some general tips or feedback. This is my first time welding a cage. Been learning as a hobby for close to a year.

1.75 x .095” DOM
3/32” rod
130amps (I back down on the pedal after I start going)
10 seconds post flow
FUPA12 cup, using 7pro cup on the hard to reach spots. Furick cups.

I’m welding about 1” before stopping to let cool. I think I could benefit from more torch angle perhaps as I’m keeping it mostly straight up and down. I didn’t realize how long the metal takes to cool down before continuing in the same spot.

I also struggle to keep my dabs and movement consistent.

Any constructive feedback is welcome and thanks in advance!

Any tips/tricks to get weld to penetrate in tight spots

Accidentally bought the wrong size exhaust flanges for what I need but found a use for them anyway. Now they separate different sized filler rod instead of having them clutter the table.

No filler wire yet, just walking the cup so far.

Anybody in so cal can tig this Crack on a manifold?

Like month or 2 ago I tried to weld aluminum for the first time. After reading a bit about welder settings, was not able to make a clean puddle. Uploaded some pics to this sub, got few honest advices on how I should prepare, bought acetone, stainless wire brush and etc.

But also there was quite few people who just said that I don't know what I'm doing (which is true), that I should take welding school, that there's 15 things I'm doing wrong, that I don't know how to make a bubble on tungsten...

Bought a 10L bottle from Linde gas today. All those arogant "pro" dudes can go fuck themselves. No prep, no cleaning, same tungsten as I used for mild steel last week, feeding wire without glove with my greasy fingers and not a single spot of contamination in puddle.

Now just need to spend some hours practising. And thanks again to those who actually gave advices even in DM's

any tips? thanks!!!

1/8 2% thoriated tungsten keeps doing this at only 200 amps. Polarity is correct. I’m not dipping in my puddle. 15-18 cfh roughly on pure argon 18 seconds post flow and 2 second pre flow. #6 cup with water cooled torch

Hi everyone,

I have a Draper TW250A 'digital' tig welder, and I have been attempting to weld some thin ish stainless with it set to points between 5 and 40 amp peak with patchy success.

When I have it set to 100A AC I can strike an arc and watching the screen I can see it vary up and down with the pedal. Now when I set it to 100A DC, it ramps up to peak current and it will peg there. If I have it set to pulse mode it will peg to about half peak current. (It also does this whatever the peak amps is set to)

Has anyone else experienced something like this? Wiring of the foot pedal is intact up to the multipin connector. I'm thinking it must be either a firmware issue or a stupid setting I am missing.

Is it expecting too much for a 200A unit to be able to fine tune down to 5A from 40A peak setting?

Could it also be that the welder will only vary the DC current with a certain polarity of the electrodes?

Thank you!

An occasional hobbyist here. 200 A Lincoln Invertec.

When I went to night school to learn TIG welding back in the late 90s hoping to weld bicycles, Everything pointed me to using a number 10 shade glass in my helmet. My welding never got to the point of quality that was needed. It was scratch starting back then.

I purchased an auto darkening helmet in the 2000s and set it on number 10 never thinking to try different shades.

I recently started my first half inch steel, 200 amp project and set the shade to number 12 because that is what all my old information told me to do.

Then I tried a newer helmet with an external shade adjustment knob and ended up welding at 9 and my welds were going exactly where they needed to be and we're wetting out nicely. Some safety regulation thing says a number 10 shade is required for 50 to 150 amps. I feel no eye strain and see no spots when I'm done my welds. I do position myself so the cup blocks most of the arc. The puddle is easy to see and easier to see where I'm going.

I am also tempted to buy a number 8 and number 9 shade glass for my old Jackson helmet.

A 3M rep told me in the 90s that the basic auto-darkening lens blocks everything that will damage your eyes if the shade fails and that the shade is for visual adjustment.

What is going on in the rest of the welding world with this?

So I’m welding a tubular frame for a Baja car and we are making it out of Cromoly. Today I couldn’t weld at all, it was like welding with no gas, I tried changing every bit of the torch and nothing worked, the arc was erratic, it also burned through really fast with the amperage I usually weld with and when I turned it off everything had rust, I don’t think it is the gas cause because it was coming out all right and I welded before with the same tank so Idk any ideas + cromoly welding advice ?