TIG: Filler rod and gas coverage

[Matt@RFR]

Something I rarely see addressed is what to do with the filler rod while your post flow is flowing over the cooling weld.

When welding any material that requires a backing gas shield for full pen welds (Stainless, 4130N, Ti, Aluminum, etc.), leave the filler in the torch gas until it has cooled! This goes whether you're doing a full pen weld or not. The end of the filler should be within the same range of acceptable colors as the base metal.

In other words, if you're welding stainless and, after a weld, the tip of the filler rod is dull grey, when you start your next weld, you will be contaminating it with that filler. No sense in working to keep the weld from getting dull grey only to put dull grey filler in it.

The filler won't take as long to cool as the weld, so you probably will only need to keep it covered for a couple seconds. For example, for our control arms and watt's tubes, I'm at 12 seconds post flow, and I only leave the filler in the gas for about 3 seconds.

In the two pictures, the very end of the filler is between silver and gold (hard to tell). Filler is .045" ER80S-D2. The other picture is 1 1/8"OD 4130N tube to a Pro-Werks tube adapter (also 4130N).

In reality, this is an overly anal detail, but for welds that have people's life and limb relying on them, it's worth the trouble for sure. Or for food grade stainless.

[wendell]

Great point. Being a marginal welder (Matt has seen the pics to atest) I make it a point to minimize the varriables that are with in my control. Post flow during cooling of the weld and the filler is one of those variables. Material preparation is another area that doesn't take tallent or experience.

Any body else notice that the Lateral Dymanics guys are pretty sharp?

[Matt@RFR]

Any body else notice that the Lateral Dymanics guys are pretty sharp?

Heh, that just means we have you fooled!

[Damn True]

Any body else notice that the Lateral Dymanics guys are pretty sharp?

I believe it was Foghorn Leghorn who said it best, "That boy is about as sharp as a bowlin ball."

[Twin_Turbo]

Love the L you ""marked" on the weld bung ... I assume it's to identify the LH threaded side?

[Matt@RFR]

Thanks, and yes.