I am going for my 6g cert and sometimes when im on the root pass while walking the cup i get jammed up. It will just stop as if something just grabs it and just says no! I do grind it before tacking it up to get all the little burs off. My question is what else whats can or could I do to A. prevent this and B. how to work through this. Because when i try working through it, especially on overhead position ill try to reposition and i will stick. Iam using a size 5 cup 1/8 tungsten. Bevel is 30 or 32. Please help. Im so close but cant seem to find my approach to this problem.. Thanks.David
David i am no expert, but to me sounds like your pressing to hard on the cup. I've read some people rub some soapstone on the edge of the bevel to help the cup slide easier. but for the most part i think try stay loose. hope that helps
By Johnyutah 
Date 02-24-2009 04:57
Edited 02-24-2009 04:59
Thats what I would say soapstone and stay calm seems the more you think about it subconsciously you press harder. Also grinder tracks running across are not that smooth use a file going the direction of travel hope that makes sense.
What seems to work best for me is after grinding the bevel I switch to a 36-grit sanding pad, then switch to an 80-grit. Use a round file on the inside to remove any burs, and use a half round or flat mil file on the bottom of the bevel to remove those burs, which there will be plenty after all that! With an 80-grit finish, and when the pipe & cup get hot it will be slick as.......
awesome I will put all of this info to use! So a number 5 cup sounds right with a 30-32 bevel? So by rubbing soapstone on the bevel would that cause contamination? Thanks for help!!!!!!!!!!!!! Take Care!!! David.
David if you are walking the cup in the bevel of the pipe. What I have found to work is to grind off the square edge of the cup, put a slight bevel on the edge of the cup, and this helps it to not stick while going through the bevel. If you are walking the cup on the cap pass use a cup with a square edge the way they come when you buy them. I have found that when the pipe heats up the square edge of the cup tends to stick to the pipe, and does not slide in the bevel well. Try it and let us know how it works.
I use a big ol gas lens cup for everything and on the root i alternate scooting each side where the cup contacts the bevel. One side then the other, real slight movements. Same as with a smaller cup but I think the bigger cups don't get hung up as easy. and it keeps the stainless purged too.
Hi David, Are you welding carbon or stainless pipe? I am guessing that your are welding carbon pipe Because of the 1/8" tungsten. I would agree with the post that says you are pressing the torch too hard on the bevel. When rooting and hot passing carbon steel pipe (schedule 40 and up), you are more like scuttling the bevel instead of walking the cup. I say this because you use only enough pressure on the torch to keep the torch (cup & tungsten) in the bevel. Your occillation of the cup gives it the walking action, but that isn't really what's going on. Use a jumbo torch set-up with a 10 or 12 cup and yeah, you'd have to be walking it.
Some tips I have for you is to minimize the occillation width of the tungsten when putting your root in. In other words, keep the tip of the tungsten (the arc) right on the filler wire which should be dead centre of the joint. Say you use a 1/8" gap with 1/8" filler rod. you want to keep the heat where the rod touches the knife edge of both pipes. Use the occillation (cup walking) to get you to travel around the joint. Try not to move the tungsten up the bevels of the pipe, but do keep the heat concentrated so you are melting the wire to both pipe (lands) and no more movement than that. This is the key to putting in a root pass which will have plenty of I.D. root re enforcement
If you put 3 tacks on your coupon, leave the opened part of the joint between 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock on bottom in the 6-G. When you start to weld the first quarter on bottom, start at 5 or 7 o'clock (depending on your direction of travel) so you will travel thru 6 o'clock. So after rooting your first quarter, you will have actually welded more that one quarter of the root.
Go with the direction that is easiest for you. Hopefully you will have passed the area where you were jamming your self up.
When you put in the hot pass, keep the rod at the upper half of the root pass, not in the middle of the root. This is because gravity will tend to want topull the moulten metal to the bottom part of the bevel so instead of having a flat or slightly concave hot pass......you'll have more metal deposited on the bottom edge of the root pass than if it was evenly spread out to both sides of the joint.
I don't know about a 10 or 12 but I use an 8 for pretty much everything. A gass lens is a must IMO. Use a light touch like your working with a really thin piece of glass, just enough to keep you steady.
you need to go to a size 10 use that for everything. you wont have to wrench back and fourth so much
I use a #6 0r #8 gas lense cup, and it walks the dog right up the pipe. Grinding the sharp edges off the cup will help you out.
A good trick is to find the oldest-dirtiest-heat cycled-glazed up cup in the tool crib. New pink cups are really sticky when you try to walk them on a freshly sanded bevel. An old worn in cup is way slicker.
one of the things I always have to keep in mind is my body position. where I start and where Im going to end up. I try to start in the uncomfortable portion of the weld and progress into the comfortable position so as I get tired my position gets easier. I have always been a brute force type of guy and have to tell myself to relax my grip on the torch. A few summers ago I had a bunch of 42" sch. 10 to do in a rack about 10" from the celing, a few times as I came around the top I would slip off and drag arc farts all over the top. This was mainly cause I was reaching to far and pressing down on my cup too much.
I take my cups and use a 'tiger 'wheel and sand the edge off . I also use a #12 for EVERYTHING . I used to switch back and forth , but that got old quick . IMHO ... gas lens with a #12 cup and sanded edges . Or you can find an old cup that has been heavily used . They are slicker than a new cup . I also use 1/8" tungsten ... I also sharpen them with a ' tiger ' wheel and a drill .
I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU THAT GAVE ADVICE.I PUT ALL OF IT TO USE AND IT HAS HELPED ME OUT ALOT!!! I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS AGAIN. David Shade.
