First off, I'm a newb when it comes to welding aluminum
I picked up my first tig rig a few weeks back (Lincoln PT225) and I've just been goofing around with it for the most part....no real work yet.
From what I've gathered by watching the tips and tricks videos, I figured the best way to learn is to get all my aluminum scraps together and just get as much seat time as possible
After messing around with all the settings, I pretty much have 1/16" dialed in to where I can strike an arc and get a proper puddle going in an instant
However, for thicker stuff like these 3/4" x 1-1/4" pieces of raw stock, I had to crank up the heat quite a bit and wait until it heated up before I saw a puddle
As you can see, the beads are quite shallow as I ran them as quickly as I could to avoid melting my torch
However, after a few minutes of letting my torch cool, I flipped the pieces over and was able to get a lot more penetration with far less power because they were still hot, so I ran a bunch of random beads just to get the feel of it and the pieces were still hot to the touch even after 20 minutes
I guess that's how I learned that it's easier to weld thick aluminum when it's hot
Thing is, I'm a little lost on how to go about pre-heating the material
Do I just keep loading up the tig torch until I see a puddle or hit it with a blowtorch beforehand?
I figure sticking them in the kitchen oven would be my best bet, but my house is over 20 miles from my shop
Tig welding tips, questions, equipment, applications, instructions, techniques, tig welding machines, troubleshooting tig welding process
300k BTU "weed burner", operating off a barbeque size propane tank will get it up to temp in a hurry. Harbor freight sells a nice one with a push-button ignition for < $40.
Also, raise your AC balance setting to "max penetration" (highest possible EN%).
Also, raise your AC balance setting to "max penetration" (highest possible EN%).
98 SNAKE EATER
- 98 SNAKE EATER
-
New Member
-
Posts:
-
Joined:Sun Mar 06, 2011 1:51 pm
kermdawg
- kermdawg
-
Weldmonger
-
Posts:
-
Joined:Tue May 25, 2010 8:16 pm
-
Location:All over, mostly southwest USA
If your going to weld alot of 1/4 inch plus thickness I'd think about getting some helium/argon mix in addition to your preheating as well. Blowtorch will work fine for smaller sections, and Jakeru's weed blaster will work great for bigger pieces. Get some temp crayons to measure your heat, those infared thermometers dont work well on aluminum.
Signature? Who needs a F***ing signature?
Return to “Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding”
Jump to
- Introductions & How to Use the Forum
- ↳ Welcome!
- ↳ Member Introductions
- ↳ How to Use the Forum
- ↳ Moderator Applications
- Welding Discussion
- ↳ Metal Cutting
- ↳ Tig Welding - Tig Welding Aluminum - Tig Welding Techniques - Aluminum Tig Welding
- ↳ Mig and Flux Core - gas metal arc welding & flux cored arc welding
- ↳ Stick Welding/Arc Welding - Shielded Metal Arc Welding
- ↳ Welding Forum General Shop Talk
- ↳ Welding Certification - Stick/Arc Welding, Tig Welding, Mig Welding Certification tests - Welding Tests of all kinds
- ↳ Welding Projects - Welding project Ideas - Welding project plans
- ↳ Product Reviews
- ↳ Fuel Gas Heating
- Welding Tips & Tricks
- ↳ Video Discussion
- ↳ Wish List
- Announcements & Feedback
- ↳ Forum News
- ↳ Suggestions, Feedback and Support
- Welding Marketplace
- ↳ Welding Jobs - Industrial Welding Jobs - Pipe Welding Jobs - Tig Welding Jobs
- ↳ Classifieds - Buy, Sell, Trade Used Welding Equipment
- Welding Resources
- ↳ Tradeshows, Seminars and Events
- ↳ The Welding Library
- ↳ Education Opportunities