sorry to nitpick, but when you clamp the work clamp to a grounded object, you can still weld. why? because the power supply of a welder is isolated and floating relative to ground. so, the work clamp, in most cases, really is a ground clamp. as you pointed out ground doesn't automatically mean the n...

that's really strange... i guess, one thing you could do to really check the machine would be to switch the gun, drive rollers, and wire over from your flux core welder and make sure it will weld flux core normally. if it still acts funny, the welder is probably toast, or at least in need of service...

I'd be willing to bet the air inside the tubing is expanding and, as this is the last joint, has no place to go, so it's blowing out your weld. you're going to need to drill a pressure relief hole somewhere inconspicuous, and that should solve your problem!

I think I may have deciphered the original post... I have no idea whether the plasma welders available here in the states are more or less efficient than comparable processes such as TIG welding or laser welding. there aren't any published specs for energy consumption vs output that I've seen. safet...

interesting... can you take a picture of a bead? also, if you have some thinner stock, humor me and see if you can blow a hole in it. this should be no problem on 18ga, even with a little 100a 115v welder.

uhhhhhhh... huh?

I haven't had any problems with alcoa-branded aluminum to date, regardless of origin. doesn't mean it won't happen, though. there's not much accountability left in the manufacturing sector.

well, my experience has been that the older 100a 115v mig welders won't penetrate on 1/8" without turning the voltage up and backing the wire speed down a bit.

a few tips for cleaning: get an aluminum-specific carbide burr. they have less flutes so you don't need to lube them to keep them from loading. also, get a new stainless wire brush, use it often. don't use any abrasive cutting/grinding wheels/discs unless you really, really have to and always file a...

I totally agree about not using home depot stock regularly, but mostly for cost issues. you're paying a 150-250% premium to walk in and buy one 6' or 8' section 'cause you really need it on a sunday afternoon. sometimes the stuff they stock is even alcoa branded.

ok, a few thoughts: are you getting a solid ground (ground clamp to workpiece, cable to ground clamp, ground clamp contacts)? are you using straight CO2 or 75/25 CO2/Argon? are you plugged into an extension cord, or straight into the wall? are you using the correct drive roll for the wire you have? ...

you might send jody an email directly, i think he checks that more often than the forum. I haven't welded any cast iron using Al-bronze yet, so I can't be much help directly. you might just get a few rods of different alloys from your local welding supply, though. if you've got a halfway decent mana...

I've welded some of the same 1/8"x1" 6061 strap that you're talking about and didn't have any issues. pointed 1.5% lanth 3/32 or 2% thoriated tungstens, 135a, full penetration. if you're welding flat, a #6 cup on a gas lens is fine, say 12cfm. I'd also recommend getting a big block of stee...

well, first, use your spellcheck. I say this not to be a dick, but if you search for 'carben ark' anything, you're not going to come up with shit. then check your local section of craigslist.org and your classifieds. depending on what you're looking to spend, you might check some of your local machi...

good point, i hadn't really thought about that. I suppose, though, you could make one with a big magnetic base and a heavy hinge instead of feet. that would keep the base from moving on you and you could put more force down on the point.

"humble is for those that know they will never be top level..." so... do you think Jody isn't a top level welder? I happen to think he's a pretty humble guy. in fact, most people who are 'top level' are pretty humble people who just really like what they do and like being good at it. now, ...

watch that brake cleaner, man... if you have any left on there when you light up, it WILL turn into phosgene gas which WILL cause neurological damage INSTANTLY if not just outright kill you. I'd really recommend finding another solvent that doesn't have a high probability of landing you 6 feet in a ...

yup, there should be a gas solenoid inside the machine that's hooked up to the control board. it will likely be towards the back near the gas inlet, but I don't know your machine, so I couldn't really tell you for sure. first thing I'd do is disconnect the torch side of that solenoid and see if you'...

is this just mild steel (hot/cold rolled plate) or something more exotic? what filler (tig, so I'm assuming ER70S2). how hot are you welding? are you welding putt joints, lap joints, tee joints, lapped or open corner? my first guess is you need to clean your steel better. that's been the only source...

I haven't tried it yet, but jody's suggestion of cooking dirty aluminum on a gas grill for a while should help with stuff like that (haven't had to weld any super dirty aluminum since I read it). I know for 'semi-dirty' stuff, like austin healy front and rear shrouds*, I take and light up w/ no fill...

I made one a while ago out of scrap. I never thought about making two, but I probably should've. I didn't have much of anything heavy around, so I had to maximize it's effectiveness. for normal applications*, the farther you get the weight towards the tip, the more effective it is. *if you've got th...

thoriated is probably the best for aluminum, but jody did a shootout a while ago and the 2% lanth held a point the best on ac. it's harder to find than the 1.5% lanth, which the thoriated beat. I'm not a huge fan of the ceriated, I've had splitting issues w/ 1/16" and 3/32" on AC around 80...

I don't know how much room you have inbetween your drive roller and the spool, but you might be able to rig up a chunk of scotch brite around the wire to clean it off as it gets fed. you'd probably have to adjust it fairly often and keep it clean, but it might be better than not using that spool. if...

I havent tried it, but on another thread, someone posted that you can use CO2 for a back purge, which is a whole bunch cheaper than back purging with argon.

I don't know if this is what gurew is doing, but you can buy mandrel bent sections of tubing to weld together in different angles and lengths and, generally speaking, manifold flanges are available for almost every engine you can think of. most pipe railings on in parks or on concrete steps, ect, ar...