Welding guides
Parts, troubleshooting, equipment, and life in the trade. Browse by topic or search below.
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Plasma Torch Nozzle Damage Causes: Orifice Wear, Double Arcing, Piercing, and Air Problems
If a plasma torch nozzle has an oval hole, nicked orifice, melted face, keyhole-shaped bore, spatter damage, or sudden cut-quality loss, stop and inspect the full consumable stack. Nozzle damage is usually…
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Hypertherm Poor Cut Quality Troubleshooting: Dross, Bevel, Wide Kerf, and Consumable Checks
If a Hypertherm plasma cutter starts leaving heavy dross, beveled edges, a wide kerf, rough cut faces, poor pierces, arc dropouts, or inconsistent starts, inspect the consumables and setup before blaming the…
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Plasma Consumable Wear Indicators: Electrode, Nozzle, Shield, Swirl Ring, and Retaining Cap Checks
If a plasma cutter starts leaving heavy dross, a wider kerf, angled cuts, poor starts, double arcing, arc dropouts, or inconsistent pierces, inspect the consumables before blaming the power source. Plasma consumable…
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Square Wave 205 TIG Cup Size Selection Guide: Standard Cup, Gas Lens, and Stickout Checks
For a Lincoln Square Wave 205 TIG setup, cup size controls how well argon shields the tungsten and weld puddle. Use a smaller cup when access is tight, amperage is low, and…
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Millermatic 211 PRO MIG Welder: Consumables Setup, Burnback Prevention, and Spare Parts Checklist
The Millermatic 211 PRO is a portable dual-voltage MIG and flux-cored welder, but the machine is only part of the setup. Most day-to-day welding problems still come back to contact tips, nozzle…
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Square Wave 205 TIG Torch Overheating Causes: Amperage, Duty Cycle, Consumables, and Cooling Checks
If the TIG torch on a Lincoln Square Wave 205 gets too hot to hold, discolors the cup, burns collets, loosens tungsten, or overheats the torch head, stop and check amperage, duty…
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Square Wave 205 TIG Gas Lens vs Standard Collet Body: When to Use Each Setup
On a Lincoln Square Wave 205, a gas lens is not an automatic upgrade for every TIG weld. Use a gas lens when you need smoother argon coverage, longer tungsten stickout, better…
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Square Wave 205 TIG Arc Wandering Causes: Tungsten, Gas, Ground, and AC Setup Checks
If a Lincoln Square Wave 205 TIG arc wanders, splits, flutters, or refuses to stay centered on the joint, start with tungsten condition and torch setup before blaming the machine. Arc wandering…
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Lincoln Square Wave 205 TIG Tungsten Contamination Troubleshooting
If the tungsten on a Lincoln Square Wave 205 turns black, balls unevenly, grows a dirty tip, spits into the puddle, or makes the TIG arc wander, stop and correct contamination before…
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Why Auto-Darkening Helmets Flicker on Aluminum TIG but Not MIG or Stick
An auto-darkening helmet that behaves normally on MIG or stick but flickers on aluminum TIG is usually not failing in the same way as a helmet that will not darken at all.…