Question for Puddles or other welders re/ TIG welding?

Anonymous-0 · Feb 10, 2011

I did a little TIG on stainless sheet metal, under 50 amps. I was using a Syncrowave 250. I had trouble seeing a nice clear puddle so I switched to a #9 lens. It didn't seem to help much. Almost like my lens was fogging up and the arc wasn't coming off the point of the tungsten. I think the tungsten was a little contaminated but that wouldn't explain the puddle being hard to see. Maybe my eyes were just tired or something and weren't focusing. It was like looking through a fog. Have you ever had problems seeing a nice clear puddle when TIG welding? Never had a problem like this before and had a new lens and cover plates too. Dave

Puddles · Feb 11, 2011

I'm down to a # 8 lens now for anything under 120-amps. And I have to keep the cover lens very clean to see. You could try a work light shinning on the base metal from above, and slightly in front of you, as you know you won't like it shinning in from behind you. Or maybe you need a # 8 lens for such low amp work. Are you using all plastic clear lenses? When ever I do much Tig work I use all glass clear lenses, other wise I use a clear plastic cover lens out front, and a glass clear lens on the inside.
Do you use a dedicated grinding wheel for sharping your tungstens?

Anonymous-0 · Feb 11, 2011

I will only buy gold lenses, and glass at that if available.

Welding man · Feb 11, 2011

Get yourself a cheater lens,start with a 1.50. Been using one for years.

Puddles · Feb 11, 2011

When my eyes started going bad it took me a few days to figure it out. I had just pulled the plug on working, and just had my shop built. Bought my little Linde Mig welder at an auction. When testing it out to see how well it welded, I thought I had forgot how to weld! It had been quite a few years since I had welded more than just a couple minutes, and that was only to help someone set their machine on the job. I was getting pretty frustrated because I couldn't get the machine set. After the second day of messing with it, and debating on dragging it out of the shop and running over it with the tractor, and digging a hole to bury it. It hit me, went in the house and got a pair of the wife's reading glasses. Wa la I could see! I hadn't forgot how to weld, I was blind as a bat and didn't even know it! :lol:

Anonymous-0 · Feb 11, 2011

I know the tungsten was contaminated a bit and I didn't have a dedicated grinder nearby. I think the problem might have been that my glasses are kind of old and not as clear as they were when new. That plus plastic cover plates might have been the whole problem. I haven't done any low amp TIG for a long time so never really thought about my glasses being older and a little scratched. They're plastic lens's too. Maybe for stuff like that a cheater lens would help. I'm more used to burning stick or hotter MIG and flux-core. It's frustrating when you're trying to guess how your weld is going. Thanks guys for letting me know I'm not the only one who's been surprised they lost their vision at low amps. Dave

Puddles · Feb 11, 2011

Dave I don't know about up there in the great white north, but around here we have a bunch of those dollar stores. Generally they have a couple racks of reading glasses for a dollar a piece. Might be cheaper to figure out what power you need at only a buck each. I tried the cheater lenses, never could get use to that line down the center!

S.Crum · Feb 11, 2011

Might be time to pay a visit to your local friendly opthamologist. I started having trouble several years ago and it's progressively worse now. Last year it was found that I have cataracts. My right eye is the worst. I have some health issue that need to be cleared up before surgery can be done. For the time being though, I've curtailed my TIG work considerably and struggle along. When I have real fussy work to be done or a job that absolutely cannot wait for a "good see" day, I try to get my daughter home from college to do the burn work for me.

MarkB_MI · Feb 12, 2011

A couple of years ago I took a TIG welding course. I had a real hard time seeing the puddle until I put a magnifying lens in my helmet.

Question for Puddles or other welders re/ TIG welding?

Anonymous-0

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Puddles

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Anonymous-0

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Welding man

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Puddles

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Anonymous-0

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Puddles

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S.Crum

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MarkB_MI

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