[Spartan]

I would guess that most any machine set on 50% where the EP and EN are equal, the tungsten should be able to survive, right?

The tungsten can survive at 50% EP and 50% EN when running a sine wave like on the older transformer machines when the tungsten is balled. Sine wave provides a more gradual ramp-up to the welding current and subsequent reduction in temperatures much like a triangle wave does for outside corner joints, and the wave spends very little time at that max amperage—most of the time in the wave form is spent ramping up and ramping down. Square wave AC waveforms on an inverter switch the welding amps almost instantly to the max welding amperage and hold it there for the duration of that portion of the wave, so a 50/50 AC balance would likely melt away the tungsten very quickly regardless of tungsten shape or oxides used. Of course, if amplitude control is being used, the tungsten would probably be able to survive at 50/50 on an inverter, but that function is still fairly uncommon.

[tweake]

I would guess that most any machine set on 50% where the EP and EN are equal, the tungsten should be able to survive, right?

The tungsten can survive at 50% EP and 50% EN when running a sine wave like on the older transformer machines when the tungsten is balled. Sine wave provides a more gradual ramp-up to the welding current and subsequent reduction in temperatures much like a triangle wave does for outside corner joints, and the wave spends very little time at that max amperage—most of the time in the wave form is spent ramping up and ramping down. Square wave AC waveforms on an inverter switch the welding amps almost instantly to the max welding amperage and hold it there for the duration of that portion of the wave, so a 50/50 AC balance would likely melt away the tungsten very quickly regardless of tungsten shape or oxides used. Of course, if amplitude control is being used, the tungsten would probably be able to survive at 50/50 on an inverter, but that function is still fairly uncommon.

as above.
however the amps your welding at vers the size of the tungsten makes a difference there. ie if you use a thick tungsten at low amps it will survive 50% cleaning action.
its worth mentioning because sometimes thats done when dealing with dirty castings.

[tweake]

I am guessing that people are trying to get less heat into the tungsten when they turn their dial to 30%,

if you have really clean aluminium you can drop that to 20% and that increases the heat going into the weld as it spends more time on EN.

[Simclardy]

afaik they all change the amount of EP.
the difference between brands is some have the numbers the other way around.

so try it on 30% and if the tungsten balls up, melts away, glows like a light bulb filament, then you set it to 70%.

Thanks tweake, but let me ask you a different way and/or phrase it differently. If others have some confusion, maybe laying it out in layman's terms would help them (and me).

When the EP is high, the tungsten gets hotter, at least my understanding. So the dial only has to do with which direction adds EP, right?

I would guess that most any machine set on 50% where the EP and EN are equal, the tungsten should be able to survive, right?

I am guessing that people are trying to get less heat into the tungsten when they turn their dial to 30%, meaning if we look at a square wave there would be more time running on straight polarity (EN) than there is on reverse polarity (EP). It is all about the direction in which the current is flowing, and the trick is in balancing the amount of time the machine spends on each during AC as the current alternates in both directions. Is that correct?

And then for extra credit, do the Miller machines lower the EP as you turn the dial/setting up?

Here are some pictures of my welder on ac. Notice the line is longer on the negative side. About 70% negative 30% positive.
A good way to understand the difference is to try the extremes. Cheers

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[Oscar]

When the EP is high, the tungsten gets hotter, at least my understanding. So the dial only has to do with which direction adds EP, right?

Yes, you're right. It's kinda like having 100 pennies, and only 100 pennies, and you can divide them into two and only two bunches, the + side and the "-" side. You cant add to one side without taking away from the other.

Also, I can equivalently state that the "adding" of EP, is actually the reduction of EN. In that respect, thinking of balance as adding/subtracting is irrelevant, because the end result is unambiguous -- this is because they (the balance percentages) are additive and always sum to 100%. As was stated by others, in one direction the tungsten heats up more because you are getting a higher percentage of EP (regardless of if you think one was "added" or the other was "reduced") and you get less penetration/more cleaning action. The other direction heats up the tungsten less, obtains more penetration, less cleaning action.

[Spartan]

TFS on youtube has a great video explaining AC balance with graphics. I'm new here, so apologies if this has already been shared.

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[TraditionalToolworks]

TFS on youtube has a great video explaining AC balance with graphics. I'm new here, so apologies if this has already been shared.

Thank you, and all others for answering. It does make sense that 50/50 would ball the tungsten as I've heard that the older machines would ball the tip and people would pre-ball the tip in some cases.

I haven't seen that video, so it was new for me, but I have watched TFS in the past, just have ignored anything to do with AC tig as I didn't have a machine that would do it.

That really explains it well, and I think I need to at least test the Primeweld when it gets here to see the tungsten ball up and start melting, just to see what it looks like. I need to know those details...

But seriously, that was a very good explanation, showing various settings and what they look like. Very informative. Also makes sense why the tip stays more tapered when set correctly.

Thanks for sharing.

Simclardy, does the Dynasty show that waveform on the front of the welder when you're welding? That's pretty cool.

[Simclardy]

No, that was a picture of my oscilloscope hooked up to the dynasty. I started a thread comparing my everlast to my dynasty and hoping others would post images of their units. Kind of like the automotive community collects wave forms of different car ignition systems etc.


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[cosmokenney]

The tungsten can survive at 50% EP and 50% EN when running a sine wave like on the older transformer machines when the tungsten is balled. Sine wave provides a more gradual ramp-up to the welding current and subsequent reduction in temperatures much like a triangle wave does for outside corner joints, and the wave spends very little time at that max amperage—most of the time in the wave form is spent ramping up and ramping down. Square wave AC waveforms on an inverter switch the welding amps almost instantly to the max welding amperage and hold it there for the duration of that portion of the wave, so a 50/50 AC balance would likely melt away the tungsten very quickly regardless of tungsten shape or oxides used. Of course, if amplitude control is being used, the tungsten would probably be able to survive at 50/50 on an inverter, but that function is still fairly uncommon.

I learn something new on every thread in this forum. Thanks for posting this.

[TraditionalToolworks]

No, that was a picture of my oscilloscope hooked up to the dynasty. I started a thread comparing my everlast to my dynasty and hoping others would post images of their units. Kind of like the automotive community collects wave forms of different car ignition systems etc.

Ok, that makes sense as I don't think I've seen a wave pictured like that on a welder, but you had me seriously thinking that I the Dynasty might really be worth the extra coin if it could do that!

Actually I believe it's worth the extra coin anyway, even seems a safer buy than a Fronious, for my taste. Maybe I'll find a screaming deal on one someday like you did, but until then the Primeweld looks like it's in my near future. (I feel kind of dirty when I say it that way )

[Simclardy]

The prime weld might be great. I don't think i would have ever learned to tig weld if it was not for the everlast. So i just try to make the best choice given the knowledge and resources i have at a given time.
I have given my piece before on why i might of it different if i had to start over but that's it.
Cheers


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[TraditionalToolworks]

The prime weld might be great. I don't think i would have ever learned to tig weld if it was not for the everlast.

I feel kind of similar about my DC Tig Everlast, but have just always had a bad taste in my mouth with the Everlast service and support, and the more that time does on the more we read about disgruntled people with their welders.

Maybe my purchase of the Primeweld is mostly out of haste, that I am not 100% certain, but in my situation with so much cash going out for my shop/home project I think it's safer than getting another welder. Truth be told I could have just kept using the green weenie and done a lot of projects. The first project with the Primeweld is going to be done out of steel.

So i just try to make the best choice given the knowledge and resources i have at a given time.

Yeah, I know what you mean...I want those shop/home more than anything else in the world, even if I die trying to build it.

[BugHunter]

That picture of the tungsten does not look like contamination to me it looks like it's simply won't take the Heat. He says it is 2% lanthanated but I am wondering if that is true or if it is just crappy quality. I have never seen that on my tungsten. That is Globs of melted tungsten that simply stuck. Something else is wrong there. He may have given them all the other consumables but he did not give them the tungsten he is using.