Common weld parameters for the whole test:
1/16 ceriated tungsten ground to a sharp point
55 amps (pedal floored for the entire test)
very slight %90 pulse at 200Hz just to get my auto-darkening helmet to work
20 CFH pure argon
10 sec post-flow
I purposefully used a small piece of 304 1/16" sheet to show the heat buildup problems. I also welded close to the edge to test the worst-case heat buildup.
First up: normal gas lens with #8 cup.
Wow, I never knew the copper could help that much!Next, a large diameter gas lens with #12 cup
Same story here. It looks like there was even less heat in the metal. This might be because there was better contact between the sheet and copper, or because the gas nozzle has a wider opening. I'll bet the Monster nozzle will be even better...Finally, the "Monster TIG nozzle", which is 1" in diameter and uses a stubby gas lens collet body.
Wha?! There must be something wrong -- what's going on here?! I tried all gas flow settings from 5 CFH up to 30 CFH and concluded this nozzle is completely useless. It's possible that I am misunderstanding something since I am a new welder, but I am pretty sure this thing just plain doesn't work. I noticed that the tungsten had turned black after a few welds, indicating the gas coverage isn't even enough to keep the tunsten from oxidizing. At 30 CFH, the gas flow was so turbulent, I could see the arc getting blown around, and pops of smoke coming out of the weld. At lower flow settings, I could see the stainless oxidizing even before I lifted my hood. I tried different stickout from 1/8" up to 3/4" with no change. I am sure the cup made good contact with the torch body, and there were no air leaks. I even tried extending the nozzle away from the gas lens with a spacer to make sure there was adquate space for the gas to disperse with only a tiny improvement.On the right: large gas lens with #12 cup. On the left, you guessed it, Monster suck.
This screen arrangement doesn't look so great.
It's made with just two screens without any spacers between them, and two very coarse screens on the outsides. The screen diameter is a few mm less than the interior diameter of the ceramic cup, so I'm guessing a lot of gas slips around the edges of the screens.
So, I'll be continuing my stainless welding quest without the Monster nozzle and with copper chill blocks. I'll also be testing Solar Flux B. So far, I think it works well but poses a huge cleanup mess after the welding is complete.
2 comments:
Welding stainless is not rocket science man. really for your application you should be fine with a #6 cup on a gas lense set at 17-23 cfh. You give a false representation of this product due to your lack of welding knowledge/experience. you need to back off the heat and speed up you travel speed and reading a book wouldn't hurt either.
Cheers
You're right, I am definitely a new welder, and have spent less than a dozen total hours welding stainless steel. I've read four books on welding, and believe it or not, reading a book doesn't make someone a good welder. It takes practice and "seat time". I am still learning how to do it, as I mentioned in the post.
However, there is no question in my mind that the Monster TIG nozzle performs less well than a standard gas lens. Just look at how it is built: Two flimsy screens without any spacers -- how can that ever work? Have you ever used a Monster TIG nozzle? Do you actually prefer it over a gas lens?
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