[1320freek]

I've welded in my garage for years. Mostly mig and stick. I recently got a Longevity 250PI inverter weld all that has a TIG. I never TIG welded before getting this machine. I have welded carbon steel just fine, but I have not AC welded with this machine until today. I have some aluminum I'm trying to weld. I am having some serious headaches with it and I'm looking for some help from anyone who has more experience than me! I've watched the video's on the set up of the inverter welder for AC and set my machine accordingly and made minor and major adjustments both ways but I'm still coming up with the same problem. I have a 3/32 ceriated tungsten, using the foot pedal, welding 1/8" aluminum angle (6063 I think), and what's happening is it appears that the tungsten is getting contaminated although I'm not driving my filler rod into it or letting the tungsten contact the metal. It kind of appears that the aluminum is trying to "wick" up to the tungsten as soon as the aluminum gets hot enough to feed rod in. It seems to be getting there because before I can get a bead started, it contaminates and kind just blow everything out! I have tried being patient (easing on the pedal) but it doesn't seem to get that melted look so I can feed the filler rod in and about the time it looks like it might get there, BOOM! It goes to hell in a hand basket! It's very frustrating. Can anyone advise? The aluminum is new and I've cleaned it up real well with a file prior to trying to weld. I clean the filler rods....I don't have a clue, but like I say, very frustrating not to be able to put down a bead. 1 other thing that might be helpful...all I have been using to clean the metal & filler rods (chemically) is alcohol. Could that cause a problem? I don't have any acetone.
Thanks for any help!

[1320freek]

Oops, I meant the machine is a 256PI not a 250PI.
Also, I meant to say that I have welded in my garage for years BUT....I have no formal training at all.

Thanks again.

[RedIron881]

What kind of set up are you using?

[ajlskater1]

aluminum has a attraction to the tungsten. Look at some of the videos Jody has on here to see his technique.

[1320freek]

What kind of set up are you using?

What do you mean by that? I have the knobs set at what Jody suggested (about 120 and 75), I have the pulse off, set in 2T, using the foot pedal and AC selected. With this machine, the foot pedal over rides the amperage control. (Not sure if all machines are that way, but this one is). Anything else you need to know?

[1320freek]

aluminum has a attraction to the tungsten. Look at some of the videos Jody has on here to see his technique.

I have watched a LOT of his video's but haven't seen anything specific on that. Do you happen to know the name of the video that would help (for this case) or can you post a link? I will GLADLY watch a video if it will help me! In fact, earlier today I went to his channel and watched a few video's again looking for some help.
Thanks for the info.

[1320freek]

And if this helps in what you need to know to help me............When I start the arc, it seems to drift and not focus where I want it. The arc is not tight at all. Of course the tungsten "balls" pretty quickly also. (This is an air cooled torch.)
I have used the miller syncrowave at work and I have way better luck with it. I know that is not an "inverter" type though so it's different, but I can lay a bead with that machine just fine.

[RedIron881]

With the set up I mean what are you using on the torch. Standard or Gas lens and what size cup? For Aluminum I like a #5 standard cup you don't need to ever use a gas lens (unless you're welding it on DC). If you can lay a bead with a different machine without these problems it might be something to do with the machines arc.

Also, with contaminated tungsten and aluminum. You can't just always sharpen the end. If you really stick it good and you see a thick frosted section you need to break it off to a good clean spot. Bosses hate seeing you do that but that thick frosted part has been contaminated.

[1320freek]

With the set up I mean what are you using on the torch. Standard or Gas lens and what size cup? For Aluminum I like a #5 standard cup you don't need to ever use a gas lens (unless you're welding it on DC). If you can lay a bead with a different machine without these problems it might be something to do with the machines arc.

Also, with contaminated tungsten and aluminum. You can't just always sharpen the end. If you really stick it good and you see a thick frosted section you need to break it off to a good clean spot. Bosses hate seeing you do that but that thick frosted part has been contaminated.

I was using a standard #5 lens. After a while, I changed up to a 7 (standard) to see if that would help. I also upped the flow of gas wondering if that would help. (my regulator gage is not trustworthy. Does not indicate flow. Ball goes up when I open valve, drops down and stays there.) I ended up going back to the #5 though. Maybe, I need to break a piece off the end of the tungsten? But that still doesn't address why it happened. I had 9 tungstens all sharp and ready to go, I went through them quick because they kept getting contaminated. Maybe the second round of trying, they were still contaminated, but the first round, they were not. I'm a novice, but I'm thinking my set up is wrong somehow. Any idea's on what set up might cause the tungsten to "snatch" up the aluminum as soon as it starts to puddle?
Another question....how far should the tungsten stick outside the cup?

[ajlskater1]

Sorry I do not remeber the name of the video. But if you go to the main page there is a video on there called aluminum drill. If you pay close attention to jody's technique you will see you will see that when he moves the torch forward he uses a nice tight arc meaning the tungsten is close to the material he is welding, but when you goes to add rod he will pull back and lit the tungsten slighty. That is a very good way of welding aluminum because like I said aluminum will want to jump onto the tungsten. If its jumping onto the the tungsten right away try to hold the tunsten a little further away from the material. I work at a aluminum welding shop and we use the miller dynasty machines, they are a inverter as well. The setting I use for 1/8 inch aluminum are 230 amps, have the dc en and dc ep at a 2:1 ratio, usually around 70 on the ac balance (that is kinda determined by how clean the material is, the cleaner the higher the balance, the dirtier the lower the balance) and for the frequency that changes for the job I am doing but 125 is a good number I have found to weld everything on. I prefer to use a gas lens style cup myself usually a number 4 but if I am doing outside corner joints I like a number 7 better. If you are having problems with a unstable arc that can me cause by either to much ac balance cleaing action or to high of gas pressure. Hope some that helps you out.

[ajlskater1]

http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/alu ... lding.html that is the video where jody really shows is technique right at the seven minute mark.

[1320freek]

Sorry I do not remeber the name of the video. But if you go to the main page there is a video on there called aluminum drill. If you pay close attention to jody's technique you will see you will see that when he moves the torch forward he uses a nice tight arc meaning the tungsten is close to the material he is welding, but when you goes to add rod he will pull back and lit the tungsten slighty. That is a very good way of welding aluminum because like I said aluminum will want to jump onto the tungsten. If its jumping onto the the tungsten right away try to hold the tunsten a little further away from the material. I work at a aluminum welding shop and we use the miller dynasty machines, they are a inverter as well. The setting I use for 1/8 inch aluminum are 230 amps, have the dc en and dc ep at a 2:1 ratio, usually around 70 on the ac balance (that is kinda determined by how clean the material is, the cleaner the higher the balance, the dirtier the lower the balance) and for the frequency that changes for the job I am doing but 125 is a good number I have found to weld everything on. I prefer to use a gas lens style cup myself usually a number 4 but if I am doing outside corner joints I like a number 7 better. If you are having problems with a unstable arc that can me cause by either to much ac balance cleaing action or to high of gas pressure. Hope some that helps you out.

Well it sure gives me a great place to start!
I appreciate the help and I will be trying this out today.
The part about the gas....I have had that worry in my head just because my reg gage does not work when the gas is flowing.

[rahtreelimbs]

Sorry I do not remeber the name of the video. But if you go to the main page there is a video on there called aluminum drill. If you pay close attention to jody's technique you will see you will see that when he moves the torch forward he uses a nice tight arc meaning the tungsten is close to the material he is welding, but when you goes to add rod he will pull back and lit the tungsten slighty. That is a very good way of welding aluminum because like I said aluminum will want to jump onto the tungsten. If its jumping onto the the tungsten right away try to hold the tunsten a little further away from the material. I work at a aluminum welding shop and we use the miller dynasty machines, they are a inverter as well. The setting I use for 1/8 inch aluminum are 230 amps, have the dc en and dc ep at a 2:1 ratio, usually around 70 on the ac balance (that is kinda determined by how clean the material is, the cleaner the higher the balance, the dirtier the lower the balance) and for the frequency that changes for the job I am doing but 125 is a good number I have found to weld everything on. I prefer to use a gas lens style cup myself usually a number 4 but if I am doing outside corner joints I like a number 7 better. If you are having problems with a unstable arc that can me cause by either to much ac balance cleaing action or to high of gas pressure. Hope some that helps you out.

I am reading this as I too am new to TIG welding aluminum. I have read that the basic rulke of thumb is 1 amp per .001" thickness in welding aluminum. Is 230 amps working better for you ?

[1320freek]

Well everyone, thanks for all the input. I was unsuccessful today unfortunately! No matter what I tried, I could not get the arc to be stable, I couldn't keep the tungsten from contaminating, and over all a sucky day! I literally tried everything..... changing adjustments, cups, gas flow, voltage, freq, balance, hitting the pedal hard, easing on the pedal, putting a heat sink behind the metal, even tried welding flat plate (also 1/8" aluminum) on the table just to throw beads, pretty much everything I could think of and NOTHING worked. I am at a point at which I think the machine is not performing properly OR I just have something in my set up wrong. That being said though....I can't imagine how the set up could be different than anything I have tried. I think the only thing I didn't try was preheating the metal and I really don't think I should have to do that since it's only 1/8".
But anyway, thanks again for trying to help.

[ajlskater1]

well 1 amp per thousandth is the general role but that kinda of goes out the window when you get into 1/8 inch and thicker. And it also depends on how fast you can weld. And I also am not a fan of welding full pedal, the machine is set to 230 but I only probly use 3/4 or less pedal when welding.

[RedIron881]

Over the years I've learned that the stick out varies from person to person. For me I like to have it out about 3/16 or so, but I've known welders that keep it right up close to the cup only less than a 1/16 and it welded beautiful for them. Strange I know... I've always gone with the thought of the further the stick out the narrower the bead (the books say, never more than twice the diameter of the tungsten with a standard set up and up to six times with a gas lens, if Very little to no wind to affect your gas)

You should take a look at this page ( http://www.ckworldwide.com/technical_specs.pdf ). It has a lot of great info for TIG welding many different types of materials. As I said before welding is very different from person to person but this info will get you in the ballpark and tinker from there.