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Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / VANTAGE 400 pinholing
- - By rcwelding (***) Date 04-25-2012 01:11
Im having heck with my VANTAGE pinholing.  What is weird is it is doing it under the surface of the weld.  Its happening at the end of a rod when I pull out..  Now here is the kicker.  My weld looks slick as can be but when I bump my stops with a grinder  I have swiss cheese under the surface.  There is NO sighn of it till I hit it with a grinder.  What the heck could that be.  I was burning 3/32  and 1/8  7018
Parent - By 99205 (***) Date 04-25-2012 01:25
Running hot and fast?
Parent - - By aevald (*****) Date 04-25-2012 02:09
Hey RC, that doesn't happen to Excalibur rod does it? If so, I have noticed that on a couple of projects that I ended up using the Excalibur on. Not the welder..... the rod. Best regards, Allan
Parent - - By rcwelding (***) Date 04-25-2012 07:41 Edited 04-25-2012 07:47
I had Some Excaliber rods In my Box along With Some ATOM  Arc..  I Didnt Pay Attention To Which Rod It Was Now That You Mention It.  And yes I run as HOT as I possibly can without getting buckshot.  I hope its the rod.  I have never seen pin holes hide like that.  It was weird...!
Parent - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 04-25-2012 10:36
I just ran about 150 pounds of excalibur 3/32's over the last few months. Only issues I had with both my machines was when my guys swapped the leads. They made a funny sound like pulsing while welding with a 7018 and really cold puddle. I've seen pinholes like that last summer but those guys were not welders and don't for the life of me know how they looked uhhh, ok(?) on top but full of porosity, oh, downhill 7018 was probably their issue!! Talking with you and knowing you from here I'd say that is NOT your issue! LOL!
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 04-25-2012 11:41
RC how were these rods stored?
Parent - By rcwelding (***) Date 04-25-2012 14:29
The rods are about 6 months old and came out of a sealed rod can.  As in amo can sealed.   Had they been in an oven... No  they dont have an oven on site.  Could they have moisture...  Possibly..   If it is moisture shouldnt the rod pop and sputter..?  How can it run clean and slick with no visible sighns or sounds then have all that crap under the surface.  It puzzeled me.
Parent - By welderbrent (*****) Date 04-25-2012 13:12
If the Atom Arc's were the 'easy strike' group, I have seen that many times.  Never had it with Excalibur.  Storage would be a question for me as well.

Have a Great Day,  Brent
Parent - By texwelder (***) Date 04-25-2012 11:38 Edited 04-28-2012 13:40
I agree with these guys you must have had some bad rods because I have burned a lot of 7018 rods with my vantage and never had that happen
Parent - - By Johnyutah (**) Date 04-25-2012 13:56
And I would bet you can't see anything as your welding looks perfect right? It's the rod that Atom Arc is unreliable rod just depends on what you get. I have had this problem before with 3/32 Atom Arc but the inspectors on the job were convinced it was me or my machine yet all my 1/8'' caps were perfect.
Parent - - By rcwelding (***) Date 04-25-2012 14:17
All this was runing up hill yesterday.  My puddle was clean and controled going up.  No popping or any sighn of arc blow.  It was laying in slick.  It was on a test of all things so I was keeping it extra clean.  I just happend to nock down one of my first stops and saw the cheese.  I went and ground out the whole pass and only the stop was bad.  The starts were fine which I is where I have seen pinholing before.  After that about half of my stops had pinholes.
Parent - - By NMWELDING (**) Date 04-25-2012 14:30
In my opinion Atom Arc used to be a quality 20 years ago. I have tried them on and off over the last 10 years and have gotten nothing but pinholes. Probably will n ever use them again. I now use Hobart and Excalibur with no problems whatsoever. I have a Vantage,not a 400,a 300,but no problems.
Parent - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 04-27-2012 21:04
I bought some Atom Arc about a year ago. Bought a 10 pounder or something. I ran about 3 rods and had enough. Broke out the excaliburs I still had on the truck. Still have those Atom Arcs in the shop, under the work bench, waiting for my kids to come down and use them. I do use them to hang parts for painting, they work good for that!!

I tried some of Esabs new 7018, acclaim, out on that mechanical job. Got some sample packs. Not impressed, really didn't notice any difference or anything that would make me jump up and give up my Excaliburs.
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 04-25-2012 14:32
How are you turning off the light? A slow, long arc to fill in the crater, then breaking off the arc?
Parent - - By rcwelding (***) Date 04-25-2012 14:44
No i was running about 4 rods to a pass.  I normaly run a very tight arc up hill.  Not touching but as close as I can get without toching.  I normaly break out quick and leave a small dish.  I do that so when I come back to tie in with the next rod I have a little landing to wash my puddle into and my tie in blends in.  I do pause and fill in the hole at the end of the pass though..
Parent - By jwright650 (*****) Date 04-25-2012 15:12
I was just trying to figure out if it may have been your stopping technique or something that was causing the porosity in the crater where you stopped. Sounds like it may just be the rods....keep us posted.
Parent - By cwf07 (***) Date 04-26-2012 01:15
Are you run a root pass if so you my have too much opening in the root. I had that problem on some beam when the root opening got to wide. If its not on the root I am not sure sorry.
Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / VANTAGE 400 pinholing

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