I have been TIG welding stainless long enough to get a hang of it but I
still consider myself a novice. I have bee quite successful last year making
this
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and now I am attempting to finish it.I encountered the following arc behavior problem. Occasionally as I strike
the entire tip would be enveloped in a blush glow. The arc would strike but
initially it would not be concentrated on the tip but it would seem to be
coming from the entire front end of the electrode. Eventually it would drop
down and emerge from the tip. This behavior started last year and was rare
but now it is getting worse. Yesterday after some successful welding it came
back wit the vengeance. I could not get the stable arc at all. It would
buzz and hiss loudly and really jump around. The electrode would glow
noticeably brighter and it would wear rapidly. There would be sooty deposits
in the strike area. At its worst the arc would emerge as a jet of blush
reddish plasma from the entire cup destroying the lens in the process. There
would be copper deposits on the sides of the tip and in one spot on the side
tungsten looked really shiny. I took the torch apart and reassembled it. The
problem went away but is showing signs of coming back. Is this a classic
symptom of something or a weird combination of novice errors?
The machine is Lincoln Squarewave 175
The torch is T-9
average current is 80 - 125 A DCEN
The electrode is 3/32 Th
Here are the pictures of what the damaged tip and lens look like.
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Regards,
Boris Mohar
Got Knock? - see:
Viatrack Printed Circuit Designs (among other things)
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