Hail! O Omniscient Suppositories of Welding Wisdom and Wannabe Hangers-On Thereunto,
I have a problem and would like some advice, please.
I switched from pure tungsten to 1% zirconia tungsten for AC welding. I did that because I'd read seemingly convincing info to the effect that the zirconated tungsten is more resistant to contamination, erodes less, and is less likely to split compared to pure tungsten. All that seems to be pretty much true, BUT - it doesn't want to ball up consistently or evenly. That seems to distort the arc, making it somewhat harder to control.
Is this a common issue, or should I be doing something differently in order to get the tungsten to form a ball at the tip? I keep a few pieces of copper handy for use as chill bars, I've tried pushing the amps up and biasing the balance towards the positive side, then zapping the copper. That would form a ball on pure tungsten in a heartbeat, but doesn't seem to produce the same result with the Z. The zirconated tungsten doesn't seem to ball any better than lanthanated. Maybe I've got a few "bad" tungstens?
"Joe Blow"
(Not my real name or e-mail address, but I get quite enough spam as it is, without making it any easier for the bastards.)