TIG welding help needed: WTF happened?

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The Artist formerly known as Turbo84
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Clinging to my guns and religion in KCMO.
Been doing some TIG work using 1/8" and 1/16" sheet aluminum. Things were going well and I was making some decent progress. I ran out of argon the other day, so I had to interrupt progess and go get another tank. Once I hooked up the new tank I apparently turned completely incompetent. I can't get the beads to flow right (the "stack of dimes" bead appearance disappeared, replaced by globs of aluminum, dark at times). Getting the globs to reflow was a waste of time. I changed electrodes, the gas nozzle, the CFH flow setting, and the cleaning/penetration setting, but no improvement. I've wasted half a bottle of argon trying to figure this out. The only thing I'm aware that I changed was the new bottle of argon. I'm the first to admit that there's a higher chance that I'm screwing something up rather than the gas company put a bad batch of argon in the tank.

Any suggestions or ideas of wtf I'm suddenly doing wrong before I completely swallow my pride and haul my piece of work to a local welding shop for an outside opinion and be embarassed in person?

Thanks,
Mike
 
Is there actually gas flowing from the cup? Did you check that?
CO2 contamination in the bottle sniff the ga...if you get a funky feeling in your nose like sniffing a glass of carbonized soda, there's CO2 in the bottle. Ar is heavier than air, odorless and sinks..CO2 lighter and you will be able to tell by sniffing it.
 
Like flipping a freakin' switch!

Well, after still not having any success getting a decent weld bead after swapping out all the parts of the torch, messing around with all the settings on the welder, and opening up a new tube of rods, I finally said screw it, I'm getting a different bottle of argon. I mentioned to the counter guy about the sudden change in "performance" of my welder when I got the last bottle, but I also mentioned that I'm not discounting the possibility that I (or my welder) may be the problem. Got the new bottle home and hooked it up, and damn, this is what welding is supposed to be. Finally made some progress after an effing week of wasted effort. I'll have to have a longer conversation with the counter guy the next time I run over to the welding supply shop.
 
Well, after still not having any success getting a decent weld bead after swapping out all the parts of the torch, messing around with all the settings on the welder, and opening up a new tube of rods, I finally said screw it, I'm getting a different bottle of argon. I mentioned to the counter guy about the sudden change in "performance" of my welder when I got the last bottle, but I also mentioned that I'm not discounting the possibility that I (or my welder) may be the problem. Got the new bottle home and hooked it up, and damn, this is what welding is supposed to be. Finally made some progress after an effing week of wasted effort. I'll have to have a longer conversation with the counter guy the next time I run over to the welding supply shop.

Maybe a new kid in back, screwed up and loaded the rong shit into your bottle....sounds like that to ME.....:hissyfit:
 
Is there actually gas flowing from the cup? Did you check that?
CO2 contamination in the bottle sniff the ga...if you get a funky feeling in your nose like sniffing a glass of carbonized soda, there's CO2 in the bottle. Ar is heavier than air, odorless and sinks..CO2 lighter and you will be able to tell by sniffing it.

You bring back my high school memories. I welded Chevy Vega motor mount gussets, part time after school. I still remember the smell or feeling when you sniffed it! LOL!
 
I wonder if they gave you a bottle of C-25? 25% argon and 75% C02. Bunch cheaper than straight argon, but if they delivered C-25 instead of argon....
 
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