Clearly not enough weld!
As an old welder once told me “if you can’t weld good…. Weld lots”

RTM wrote:

This looks like a decent garage unit.

https://primeweld.com/products/tig-225x-ac-dc-tig-welder?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADSFKlNY4iXqOEA9c7bggJN5SkeZ1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrPjsk7SaiAMVE6FaBR1oVQ4_EAAYASAAEgKDcPD_BwE

 
There's one local to me for $600.  I may reach out and ask a few questions and maybe offer $400 for it.  At $600 I would rather buy new with a warranty.

RTM wrote:

RTM wrote:

This looks like a decent garage unit.

https://primeweld.com/products/tig-225x-ac-dc-tig-welder?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADSFKlNY4iXqOEA9c7bggJN5SkeZ1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrPjsk7SaiAMVE6FaBR1oVQ4_EAAYASAAEgKDcPD_BwE

 
There's one local to me for $600.  I may reach out and ask a few questions and maybe offer $400 for it.  At $600 I would rather buy new with a warranty.

 
I like your idea of a $400 offer. If you do go look at it, have him for up the welder and make some beads on AC and DC. If it functions properly I'd whip four hunert dollar bills and make the offer.

I got a Tig welder for Christmas.  It's the Prime model and the tip my son order is suppose to be able to weld aluminum and or steel.  Now it's time to watch some how to videos and go buy a gas bottle.

I've  been so busy working on my son's 1985 F350 that I haven't even been going to car shows in the mustang.  I was able to practice a little Tig welding yesterday , my second time.  I've learn to not weld in front of the welder because of the fans, comfort and positioning are important and contamination sucks.  I also had to put on a pair of reader glasses because bifocal glasses are to hard to see the weld.  But I'm getting a little better for my second time practicing.

One trick to a nice looking bread for older guys whose hands aren't as steady as the used to be, is to to over the head a second time with just the tig torch and no filler. Using just the torch allows you to hold the torch with two hands for a stead movement. A straight, weave, or pulsed bead can be run. The second pass with the tig can also clean up a mig bead.

Last edited by rpm (1/18/2026 12:36 PM)

You're doing a great job !! (No Kidd'in!) 
Maybe you are feeding too much filler material at once. Good penetration though....
Try just fusing the base material withOUT any filler wire. Lower your amps so you won't blow thru and just wash the puddle baaack and forth moving slowly.  Once you can get a decent looking bead that way..... then increase the amps and start dropping in filler rod.
Keep the amps/heat low enough you don't have to hurry to keep from blowing thru. Slow & easy is the secret for decent looking beds.
Follow RPM's advice on going back over your work with JUST the torch and not filler.
Rest your torch hand on something and move your fingers and wrist....not your whole arm.  Ya gotta get as comfortable as you can to do nice work.
The other hand (that you feed filler wire with)  Hold your elbow against your side and rest your hand on the material you're welding. 
Your hands are going to get hot...even with nice thick gloves ! Weld about and inch or two and stop... reposition and go again....Maybe on the opposite side of where you just welded.
You're putting a lot of heat in the metal your working on so it may want to warp and bow and move around.
TIG is no where near as fast as MIG welding !
Take your time......
6sally6

What I've found with welding is that heat settings are not absolutes.  You can go hotter than the setting you are "supposed" to use and be fine if you can feed the filler in as fast as needed to avoid burn through.  You might also be able to go colder and use the filler more sparingly, or just slow the process down so there is adequate time to build heat even at the lower setting.