shlammed

iTrader: (8)

no pulse.

Practice welding with a finger switch (on/off, no amperage control-like you would in a field job) and you will get to be better a lot faster than using a pedal. it forces you to learn to weld instead of making up some bad habit technique to cover up.

triple88a

iTrader: (2)

Ever welded with a bag / clear cover to keep the gas in longer? When i took my welding classes i saw a kid bring one. Simple box that he made using clear plexiglass.

thenuge26

iTrader: (2)

He mentions he doesn't let the rod out of the gas to make it look pretty. Have you tried that? I'm not sure how close you have to keep it, or how you could tell if you were already, but it's worth a shot. It might be that on your longer beads you let the rod leave the gas.

shlammed

iTrader: (8)

The rod in the gas won't make a whole weld Grey.

Erat

iTrader: (5)

The only problem i have with this is the stops. It always leaves holes. You need to be able to taper of slowly. Even on the thin stuff.

Though it works great for tacking, and mocking stuff up in the field.

nitrodann

Hey steve,

Thanks for the video, He is who I learned to weld from. But his welds arent perfect colour in that video either. Its not greyness, thats easy to fix its having the weld be a bright shiny silver without even a hint of gold discolouration.

In the end I learned a lot trying to get colours perfect, and it simply comes down to leaving the gas running until its cool, and it simply wont cool as fast as the slowest my machine will weld (auto pulse that is, manually I could) and If I want to achieve this I need either a trailing gas flow(there are products available to gas shield behind your torch) or do 6 dots max, then wait with a 15-20 second postflow.

Heres one from this afternoon trying to keep the colour constant rather than silver only. I did a few purple ones and a few red ones also.



Dann

Boost_addict

I my experience it doesn't take constantly stopping, and letting the post flow cool down the weld. If that's happening, either a, you're going too fast, or b, you're too hot, or maybe both. Are you back purging? The secret to a pretty weld on stainless is to back purge. Now if you're fusing it, you can get away without the back purge and still get beautiful color. Try no pulse at all, constant, with very tiny dips spread out 1mm apart, every second or so. Doing it like this keeps the heat constant, as you're always adding filler; it's how all of the aerospace guys seem to do it.

nitrodann

No backpurge, and yes fusion, no filler at all here. Thats the question Im discussing. If i add filler the issue compounds, its even harder again to keep the colour light.

As you can see i have no problems getting gorgeous consistent colour, but NO colour, I just cannot do it in one go.

Also i have a VERY cheap auto dimming helmet, so if I pulse with say (This is how the amps go)

5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
40
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
40

Like that it would work because there is enough cool off time between heat cycles, but my helmet flashes me every time, and getting flashed once a second for 2 minutes really really really sucks.

Dann

Erat

iTrader: (5)

Hell man, buy a good helmet. Getting flashed once is to much.

nitrodann

I know... They are like 400 dollars though !

Dann

Erat

iTrader: (5)

Your eyes are priceless??

I only spent about 300, and i have a delay time setting on mine shade, ect. I've been over this on a thread around here somewhere.

Leafy

iTrader: (1)

Yes the ~$200 top of the line lincoln helmet I got has been amazing. Its lighter than the cheap helmets, the viewing area is 3 times as large, and I have yet to be flashed in it.

nitrodann

Im poor, gotta pay the bills fellas.

A helmet is on the priority list, but the bills come first.

I dont have any toys before you ask, none at all, so dont scold me haha

Dann

2manyhobyz

iTrader: (4)

As far as cost goes. Just go get a GLASS lens. Get set, flip the hood down and go. The glass lens will be more crisp and have better contrast and definition. That being said, the 4x4 gold lens is a very high quality plastic. I have a Speedglas, a NexGen, a regular #10 glass, and a 4x4 gold. Each has their pluses and minuses.
+1 Solar Flux or back purge
Try less amps.

shlammed

iTrader: (8)

Sounds like your relying on the pulser.

keeping the heat in it even at 5a when it pumps up to 40a will put too much heat into it.

for 0.065" wall tube... if your dead set on pulser and fusing with no filler, try:

40a main, 150pps, 30% on, 25% background. Dont move and pause, just move at a constant rate. You should be able to do the circumference of a 3" tube in about 2 minutes including the move and reset to position.

Torch was a #7 standard nozzle in the first pic and a #10 cup with a gas lens in the following pics


Thats what I did for this tube. Very flat welds, no sugaring, no purge (exhausts dont really need it) and good penetration.

shlammed

iTrader: (8)

Also, notice how much smaller my heat affected zone is? Its a lot tighter to the weld... (brown fringing)

Your putting too much heat into the tube.

triple88a

iTrader: (2)

Exactly, distance is a major factor in heat zone.

nitrodann

I just like it on pulse because it looks very nice.

Your welds still are not silver at all anywhere in that photo, what I'm after is a silver weld in one pass.

I can get good penetration, I can do flat welds, I can do it pulse or no pulse, I can do it filler or no filler, what I cannot do is no colour at all in one pass.

See the right hand 6 dimes in this photo from page 1 in this thread. Absolutely no colour at all.

This is what I want to be able to do in one pass.



Dann

Erat

iTrader: (5)

316 filler....

Have you been using that?

Leafy

iTrader: (1)

You want no color or the sexy golden color? It seems like you flip flow between.