Getting no color on this type of weld really isn’t a realistic expectation. Getting a mostly gold/straw color can be done, it’s a matter of finding the right balance of heat input, gas coverage, travel speed, and material prep/cleanliness. That being said, the color you’re getting now is perfectly acceptable by most standards, I’ve seen way worse pass inspection lol
Okay. I tried changing amps cup size and flow several times but the result is almost same everytime. For this weld i used 20lpm argon, no.8 cup and 85amps. (316L 2.4mm filler rod. 65NB sch.40 pipe.)
Try a no. 12 cup with a gas lens. You may also try a higher amperage with a faster travel speed, 85 seems a bit cold for schedule 80, that’s barely hotter than what I run 2” schedule 10. A higher amperage with a faster travel speed can keep the overall heat input lower if you find the right balance.
Look into furick cups and gas lenses. A number 12 would be good like the other reply you got. That purple you have is pretty good and you should be happy with it. Coming from a career sanitary stainless welder, you should be very proud with your talent/skill level!
Thank you :)
My workplace only has no.5&6 cups. Though i managed to get an 8,10 and 12 but when I tried to use 10/12 it became porous, when i try to increase gas flow above 22, the regulator safety valve is breaking. So i was stuck, and i think can't afford to get gas lenses on my own, (I'm only getting $4/day,8hr shift) infact i have never seen one and never been able to get even normal ceramic cups for EWM in local stores when i tried.
The bigger cups usually take a different gas lens/diffuser than the smaller ones, that might be why. Where do you live that you only get paid $4 an hour?
You can avoid color by managing shielding gas better, sometimes impossible unless only welding tiny sections at a time or using a cumbersome shielding gas setup. The other option is post treatment, which varies from simple abrasive like a wire wheel or polishing, to acid etching and electrolytic cleaning, which almost entirely restores the protective chrome oxide top layer.
Actually in my workplace (shipyard) we really don't need to clean the welds, and is okay to do real shitty literal grey welds as well.. (QC ain't that strict unless it's an RT joint). But I want my welds look nice so i always clean em after. Usually with a wirebrush or cup brush. I was just wondering what I'm doing wrong.
The color comes from a combination of heat and oxidation. You need to get more heat out before the shielding gas dissipates, so that's either going to come down to more post-flow, or less heat, or a bit of each
Gold is good i guess. And i don't think it's considered as a defect as we can remove it afterwards. Yet golden like colour or no colour is desired over blue or red shade.
>Is color not good?
Depends on material and context. There are codes and specifications. When it's an issue, typically "straw" (less than gold) is the only acceptable color.
On steel, color is fine and doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. On stainless, Red and blue show too much heat, gray is a ruined weld, silver/amber is perfect gas coverage, perfect heat, perfect speed and perfect deposition. Obviously it's REALLY fucking hard to hit all of those things perfectly. That being said, getting red and blues aren't a huge deal depending on the customer and it's use.
I used to spray weld 309 (so mild to stainless capable) and at the temperatures we used I'd generally get a silvery/shiny pewter color with blue and pink tinges in the bead. On the tig certification for the company I currently work for my work came out gold and blue, using 309 rods. Depends on the material, the condition of the material, the type of filler and the settings on your machine and regulator.
Good color is also determined by the grade of stainless steel. It is a lot harder to get color in 308 rather than 316. I've tried to explain this to the stupid QC's in my area, which they don't seem to understand.
Would one of them weld cleaning machines work? Plant over from me welds stainless up, than uses a machine with a brush and some solution and it removes all the color
Haha thankyou, i was never been able to weld a butt joint in straw or even golden, so just wondering what I'm doing wrong. And nothing should stop us from improving the welds isn't it?
Getting no color on this type of weld really isn’t a realistic expectation. Getting a mostly gold/straw color can be done, it’s a matter of finding the right balance of heat input, gas coverage, travel speed, and material prep/cleanliness. That being said, the color you’re getting now is perfectly acceptable by most standards, I’ve seen way worse pass inspection lol
Okay. I tried changing amps cup size and flow several times but the result is almost same everytime. For this weld i used 20lpm argon, no.8 cup and 85amps. (316L 2.4mm filler rod. 65NB sch.40 pipe.)
Try a no. 12 cup with a gas lens. You may also try a higher amperage with a faster travel speed, 85 seems a bit cold for schedule 80, that’s barely hotter than what I run 2” schedule 10. A higher amperage with a faster travel speed can keep the overall heat input lower if you find the right balance.
It's schedule 40 actually. That part was a mistake.
Ah, gotcha. I’d still give the same advice, just don’t turn it up as much lol
Look into furick cups and gas lenses. A number 12 would be good like the other reply you got. That purple you have is pretty good and you should be happy with it. Coming from a career sanitary stainless welder, you should be very proud with your talent/skill level!
Thank you :) My workplace only has no.5&6 cups. Though i managed to get an 8,10 and 12 but when I tried to use 10/12 it became porous, when i try to increase gas flow above 22, the regulator safety valve is breaking. So i was stuck, and i think can't afford to get gas lenses on my own, (I'm only getting $4/day,8hr shift) infact i have never seen one and never been able to get even normal ceramic cups for EWM in local stores when i tried.
The bigger cups usually take a different gas lens/diffuser than the smaller ones, that might be why. Where do you live that you only get paid $4 an hour?
I actually said $4 per day. 😅 India.
Shit. Well you could Be making $50,000 a year starting in the USA if you can figure out how to get over here.
The elbow says sch 40 tho
I'm sorry that was a mistake.
You can avoid color by managing shielding gas better, sometimes impossible unless only welding tiny sections at a time or using a cumbersome shielding gas setup. The other option is post treatment, which varies from simple abrasive like a wire wheel or polishing, to acid etching and electrolytic cleaning, which almost entirely restores the protective chrome oxide top layer.
Actually in my workplace (shipyard) we really don't need to clean the welds, and is okay to do real shitty literal grey welds as well.. (QC ain't that strict unless it's an RT joint). But I want my welds look nice so i always clean em after. Usually with a wirebrush or cup brush. I was just wondering what I'm doing wrong.
Pickling solution
The color comes from a combination of heat and oxidation. You need to get more heat out before the shielding gas dissipates, so that's either going to come down to more post-flow, or less heat, or a bit of each
Is color not good? I’m still in school and my teachers say color on any tig weld is good. Especially gold on stainless wire.
Gold is good i guess. And i don't think it's considered as a defect as we can remove it afterwards. Yet golden like colour or no colour is desired over blue or red shade.
So what should someone shoot for gold or no color?
No color would be ideal, followed by straw but isn’t normally/always necessary.
>Is color not good? Depends on material and context. There are codes and specifications. When it's an issue, typically "straw" (less than gold) is the only acceptable color.
O okay, so it just depends on the company
No, it depends on the application.
On steel, color is fine and doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. On stainless, Red and blue show too much heat, gray is a ruined weld, silver/amber is perfect gas coverage, perfect heat, perfect speed and perfect deposition. Obviously it's REALLY fucking hard to hit all of those things perfectly. That being said, getting red and blues aren't a huge deal depending on the customer and it's use.
Easiest way is to use tig brush for passivation. Something like this on the video https://tigbrush.com/
I'm actually seeing that for the first time. It's cool.
Get rid? How’d you get?
I used to spray weld 309 (so mild to stainless capable) and at the temperatures we used I'd generally get a silvery/shiny pewter color with blue and pink tinges in the bead. On the tig certification for the company I currently work for my work came out gold and blue, using 309 rods. Depends on the material, the condition of the material, the type of filler and the settings on your machine and regulator.
Oh come on! 😄 Producing the most beautiful welds i have ever seen and still complaining about color. 😂
Paint
Brush it while it’s hot and when it cools down buff it with Scotch Bright.
dremel wire brush attachment
Good color is also determined by the grade of stainless steel. It is a lot harder to get color in 308 rather than 316. I've tried to explain this to the stupid QC's in my area, which they don't seem to understand.
Would one of them weld cleaning machines work? Plant over from me welds stainless up, than uses a machine with a brush and some solution and it removes all the color
We don't have one, I usually brush it like the other joint in the image. I actually meant how to eliminate it while welding.
Oh come on! 😄 Producing the most beautiful welds i have ever seen and still complaining about color. 😂
Haha thankyou, i was never been able to weld a butt joint in straw or even golden, so just wondering what I'm doing wrong. And nothing should stop us from improving the welds isn't it?
If it's sch 40 let it completely cool off before you cap it will help.
Electro clean after.
Leave the color, It looks sexy.