I am having a very hard time tacking even for a simple lap joint.
I have had my Miller Diversion 165 for about six months now, and, after much practice, can run a decent looking bead on a flat plate.
However, when I attempt a lap joint, I first try to tack in a few places. Because the metal plates (1/16 or 3/32 thick) are slightly warped, I use one hand to push the far end down and tig at that point with my other hand; no filler metal obviously.
All I get is a lot of melting on the top piece and no fusion with bottom plate.
I am using a 1/16 tip, and I have varied voltage from 80 to 100 amps. The higher amps burn through quickly, lower range won't fuse.
Most of the youtube vidoes show using a very short pulse for tacking; I have tried but it seems to melt very little base metal and I get no fusion.
Why is something so easy in stick welding difficult in tig? Any suggestions are appreciated.
--- Bart Killam