welder problem

[bankabuilt]

i have a lincoln 185, the question is, if its welds at all, does that means it working as it should or could there be something wrong with the machine?

 

[Old Irish]

what kind of trouble are you having with it?

 

[kenmbz]

i have a lincoln 185, the question is, if its welds at all, does that means it working as it should or could there be something wrong with the machine?

Will need more info please. Does it look like you are getting a good puddle? Does it just not seem right ? Not enough heat? What are you trying to weld, or are you just checking to see if it is producing current?

 

[sonny580]

It can produce current and weld,---- BUT have major problems in the circuit , so without some info on why you think its not working no-one knows what is wrong.

 

[bankabuilt]

Will need more info please. Does it look like you are getting a good puddle? Does it just not seem right ? Not enough heat? What are you trying to weld, or are you just checking to see if it is producing current?

it does produce a puddle and there is throttle control the pedal controls at any amps...I guess my concern is when trying to weld i have a wide spread heat area. I weld a lot with gas and can control a puddle very easily and see little heat spread. I was under the understanding that a tig torch controled heat spread better than gas. It seems just the opposite when i weld i get a very wide heat area and little if any puddle control

 

[Yomax4]

Sounds like you are too far away from the puddle. What are you using for Tungsten stick-out? Also what tungsten do you use?

 

[Dirt Guy]

bankabuilt, to large of a heat effect zone is to many amps or to slow of a travel speed. Your work piece is getting to hot, Depends on what material you are trying to weld.I tig weld a lot of 16 gauge cold rolled steel at 40 amps and 12 lbs. of gas , pure argon. still need to be careful with the heat build up. Use a heat sink under your work piece to control the heat. I use a piece of diamond plate aluminum, smooth side up under my work piece. Works good for me.

 

[dstig1]

Some basics to be sure - did you sharpen the tungsten to a point? Do the grinding lines point towards the point, or are they radial around the diameter? What metal are you welding? Posting photos is by far the easiest way to get advice. If you don't give plenty of details, people are just guessing with answers...

 

[richahamel]

i have a lincoln 185, the question is, if its welds at all, does that means it working as it should or could there be something wrong with the machine?

Make sure you have a good ground on clean ground spot.

 

[Gary Fowler]

The way you sharpen your tungsten determines how the arc will perform. Sharpened to a blunt point similar to a wedge with something like a 45 angle will produce a wide arc that doesnt penetrate very deeply but spreads the arc over a wide area. Sharpen the tungsten to a needle like point with a long included angle and you get deep penetration of the arc with pin point heating..

 

[Gary Fowler]

it does produce a puddle and there is throttle control the pedal controls at any amps...I guess my concern is when trying to weld i have a wide spread heat area. I weld a lot with gas and can control a puddle very easily and see little heat spread. I was under the understanding that a tig torch controled heat spread better than gas. It seems just the opposite when i weld i get a very wide heat area and little if any puddle control

It sounds like you are using a remote control pedal, so What are you setting the machine amperage to. For best control using a foot pedal, set the machine at the highest amps that you think you may need< NOT the max on the machine. The pedal will give you 0-100% of what is on the machine, so if the machine is set at 100 amps each % portion of the pedal gives you 1 amp, set the machine at 200 amps and each % is then 2 amps. So you have much better control of the machine if you set it lower on the dial than if it is wide open throttle so to speak.

 

[MinnesotaDave]

The way you sharpen your tungsten determines how the arc will perform. Sharpened to a blunt point similar to a wedge with something like a 45 angle will produce a wide arc that doesnt penetrate very deeply but spreads the arc over a wide area. Sharpen the tungsten to a needle like point with a long included angle and you get deep penetration of the arc with pin point heating..

I would respectfully disagree Gary. You have those reversed.

Electricity exits a surface at 90 degrees.
As a result, the more of a needle point you have, the wider the arc and the shallower the penetration.
A nice sharp tip does give more stable low amperage starts though.

A blunter grind narrows the arc and provides deeper penetration.
Flat point would provide the deepest penetration but tends to have a wandering arc.

Using a tapered tip and grinding a flat spot on the end works well and the flat spot increases penetration.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I would respectfully disagree Gary. You have those reversed.

Electricity exits a surface at 90 degrees.
As a result, the more of a needle point you have, the wider the arc and the shallower the penetration.
A nice sharp tip does give more stable low amperage starts though.

A blunter grind narrows the arc and provides deeper penetration.
Flat point would provide the deepest penetration but tends to have a wandering arc.

Using a tapered tip and grinding a flat spot on the end works well and the flat spot increases penetration.

I have TIG welded for over 50 years and it is you who are reversed in thinking. Try it before you speak up again. The sharper the point the more concentrated the arc therefore more heat to a pinpointed area. For application, the reason you blunt the point on the tungsten when welding aluminum is to spread the arc out so as to preheat the aluminum better. You dont need deep penetration since the aluminum sinks into the parent material so easily anyway.

 

[MinnesotaDave]

Hey Gary, here is some information you may wish to review.

I also tig Gary, but I have fewer years in than you do.

 

[Dirt Guy]

Seems we have two different thoughts on this . I do a lot of tig welding on 16 gauge to 24 gauge cold rolled steel. Welds have to be very fine and look good. I grind my tungsten to a very sharp tip, as sharp as I can get it. This is how you control your weld puddle . With a blunt tip on the tungsten , the arc wonders all over the place and you have nothing but a mess .Puddle gets out of control, a lot of heat and a good chance of a burn threw in your work piece. You might want to try a sharp tip verses a blunt tip on a piece of scrap, look at the heat effect zone on the two. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

 

[MinnesotaDave]

Seems we have two different thoughts on this . I do a lot of tig welding on 16 gauge to 24 gauge cold rolled steel. Welds have to be very fine and look good. I grind my tungsten to a very sharp tip, as sharp as I can get it. This is how you control your weld puddle . With a blunt tip on the tungsten , the arc wonders all over the place and you have nothing but a mess .Puddle gets out of control, a lot of heat and a good chance of a burn threw in your work piece. You might want to try a sharp tip verses a blunt tip on a piece of scrap, look at the heat effect zone on the two. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

Yep, sharp tip for for lower penetration and excellent low amp arc stability.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Regardless of what that chart says, try putting a root pass in with a blunt tip and you will get no penetration and a very unstable arc. Too sharp a point (needle point 15 degree) just burns off the tungsten though. I usually try for a 30 degree for general use. I never had much use for spot welds.

 

[MinnesotaDave]

Regardless of what that chart says, try putting a root pass in with a blunt tip and you will get no penetration and a very unstable arc. Too sharp a point (needle point 15 degree) just burns off the tungsten though. I usually try for a 30 degree for general use. I never had much use for spot welds.

"Regardless of what the chart says" isn't a very good way to approach a disagreement on the technical side of welding - in my humble opinion.

The spot on plate test clearly shows what it shows.
The same results hold if it's a straight weld - using argon of course. Other gases can yield different results.

I like a 30 degree approx grind too for steel.

 

[Gary Fowler]

"Regardless of what the chart says" isn't a very good way to approach a disagreement on the technical side of welding - in my humble opinion.

The spot on plate test clearly shows what it shows.
The same results hold if it's a straight weld - using argon of course. Other gases can yield different results.

I like a 30 degree approx grind too for steel.

As I said, you use your chart and I will use my 50 years of welding experience to determine what tip angle to use for best bead results and arc stability.

 

[MinnesotaDave]

As I said, you use your chart and I will use my 50 years of welding experience to determine what tip angle to use for best bead results and arc stability.

Standing by your original reversed statements that do not agree with any tungsten manufacturer that I've seen, nor any welding instruction I've seen or experienced, is a bold stance.

My point:
Blunt grind = deeper penetration, handles more amps
Long narrow grind = wider arc cone, less penetration and really nice arc starts.

It's because the electricity always leaves the tungsten at a 90 angle to the surface.
If there is no angle, all the arcs shoot straight out the bottom.
The reverse is true with the long taper, arcs are shooting out almost sideways before making it to the work.

This type of issue isn't one that is decided by opinion. It's already been decided long ago and I'm just passing along the information.

You may find this video interesting Gary. I really like Jody, very straightforward guy.