First attempt at scratch start tig welding

City Farmer · Feb 28, 2014

I put together a scratch start tig for my Miller thunderbolt ac/dc stick welder today. These are my first and second beads with a tig torch. I'm using 100% argon set at 15. It seems to run ok once it gets hot but the tungsten gets worn out really quick. Any tips for that? Here's a couple pictures. Any tips or recommendations would be appreciated. The second & third picture are the front and back of the same weld, I never welded the back side. I think there was to much heat to make it blow through like that.

k0ua · Feb 28, 2014

City Farmer said:
I put together a scratch start tig for my Miller thunderbolt ac/dc stick welder today. These are my first and second beads with a tig torch. I'm using 100% argon set at 15. It seems to run ok once it gets hot but the tungsten gets worn out really quick. Any tips for that? Here's a couple pictures. Any tips or recommendations would be appreciated. The second & third picture are the front and back of the same weld, I never welded the back side. I think there was to much heat to make it blow through like that.

Might be hot.. What size tungsten, what kind of tungsten, (what color of band) and what amperage? I use lanthanated, and they last well, as long as I don't dip it in the puddle,, (which I still do more than I care to admit)

Oh, also did you have the metal perfectly clean? no rust or scale in the welding zone?

DXN1EL · Feb 28, 2014

Maybe is the type of tungsten you are using??:confused3:

Shield Arc · Feb 28, 2014

Oh, you have to clean the metal better before welding!

k0ua · Feb 28, 2014

Shield Arc said:
Oh, you have to clean the metal better before welding!

Nope, just kidding

City Farmer · Feb 28, 2014

I'll give it another try tomorrow on some new pieces that are all cleaned up and repost.

Arc weld · Mar 1, 2014

TIG doesn't fill as much as other welding processes. It looks like you're trying to fill too much at a time. TIG is usually used for small really neat welds on thin material. Using it on thick material is a waste of argon. If you're burning the tungsten up are you on straight polarity?

CNC Dan · Mar 1, 2014

Arc weld said:
are you on straight polarity?

And by straight polarity, he means electrode negitive.

SquirmyPug · Mar 1, 2014

Arc weld said:
TIG doesn't fill as much as other welding processes. It looks like you're trying to fill too much at a time. TIG is usually used for small really neat welds on thin material. Using it on thick material is a waste of argon. If you're burning the tungsten up are you on straight polarity?

Tig is used on thick steel all the time, its not a waste of argon.

Straight polarity is what it should be on, if the tungsten is eroding then its on reverse polarity or there is a shielding problem. Don't know if that is what you meant or not, just don't want the OP confused.

k0ua · Mar 1, 2014

yeah, there is no way to be confused by "straight polarity" and "reversed polarity" That is SOOOO descriptive. As if the OP would just inherently know what is "straight" and what is "reversed"..

Why in the wide world of sports do professional welders continue to use this totally useless description of polarity settings.? Can you not understand if a new person to welding does not know enough to set the polarity correctly, how in the world is he going to know what is "straight" and "reversed"? HUH?

SquirmyPug · Mar 1, 2014

k0ua said:
yeah, there is no way to be confused by "straight polarity" and "reversed polarity" That is SOOOO descriptive. As if the OP would just inherently know what is "straight" and what is "reversed"..

Why in the wide world of sports do professional welders continue to use this totally useless description of polarity settings.? Can you not understand if a new person to welding does not know enough to set the polarity correctly, how in the world is he going to know what is "straight" and "reversed"? HUH?

If someone didn't know what straight/reverse polarity is.. They could google it. Also lots of machines say straight/reverse polarity, one of my machines does so its what I use.

SquirmyPug · Mar 1, 2014

k0ua said:
Why in the wide world of sports do professional welders continue to use this totally useless description of polarity settings.?

Here's a picture so you can see the machine.

Shield Arc · Mar 1, 2014

k0ua said:
Why in the wide world of sports do professional welders continue to use this totally useless description of polarity settings.? Can you not understand if a new person to welding does not know enough to set the polarity correctly, how in the world is he going to know what is "straight" and "reversed"? HUH?

That's OK. When I first moved here a neighbor who lived on the other side of the road use to teach welding in one of the local jr high schools. I can't tell you how many times he came over to ask me which lug he plugged the electrode holder lead into for reverse polarity.:shocked:

k0ua · Mar 1, 2014

SquirmyPug said:
Here's a picture so you can see the machine.

View attachment 363264

Well there it is is blue and white. right on the face of the machine. But don't you agree that saying Electrode positive or electrode negative makes so much more sense? I guess it is an old' timey machine thing, because all the machine's I have ever seen are marked + and -

k0ua · Mar 1, 2014

Shield Arc said:
That's OK. When I first moved here a neighbor who lived on the other side of the road use to teach welding in one of the local jr high schools. I can't tell you how many times he came over to ask me which lug he plugged the electrode holder lead into for reverse polarity.:shocked:

Yes, "reverse polarity" is just so intuitive. Anyone would automatically know what that meant

SquirmyPug · Mar 1, 2014

k0ua said:
Yes, "reverse polarity" is just so intuitive. Anyone would automatically know what that meant

Some people don't know what electrodes are, just "rods/sticks" or "tungsten" :laughing: Doesn't matter what you call it, someone will always have trouble figuring things out. All they have to do is ask what electrode positive/negative or straight/reverse polarity is. :thumbsup:

Paul N · Mar 1, 2014

First of all, let me say that I thoroughly understand electricity. I've had both electrician training and electronic training. But, straight and reverse polarity still doesn't tell me anything. Since every vehicle and machine made in this country has negative ground, is that straight polarity? From that, can we conclude that grounding the work piece to negative is straight polarity? The picture that SquirmyPug posted just says straight or reverse, no mention of polarity.

SquirmyPug · Mar 1, 2014

Paul N said:
First of all, let me say that I thoroughly understand electricity. I've had both electrician training and electronic training. But, straight and reverse polarity still doesn't tell me anything. Since every vehicle and machine made in this country has negative ground, is that straight polarity? From that, can we conclude that grounding the work piece to negative is straight polarity? The picture that SquirmyPug posted just says straight or reverse, no mention of polarity.

Electrode Positive is Reverse Polarity. Electrode Negative is Straight Polarity.

lilranch2001 · Mar 1, 2014

I have been welding ~40 years, and I still have to think about it
:confused3:

ThomasH · Mar 1, 2014

I understand where the terms came from, in that the 'straight' or 'standard' way to do it, with the vast majority of SMAW rods is to have the energy flowing from the rod to the workpeice (electrode negative). That puts more heat in the base metal rather than electrode, and aids in creating the puddle with good penetration.

Where things get confusing to me is using that term for other than most rods used in stick welding. I agree that it is so much more clear to say electrode negative or electrode positive. Why a welder would be marked with straight / reverse polarity and not a + or POS and - or NEG makes me think the guy who designed the labels was lazy.