Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello Gang,

Am trying to weld aluminum with a Syncrowave 250 having some trouble.

Just for practice on a 1/4 stock
Have my amperage set at 130


Why is it doing this?

You need at least 50 more amps to start with. Aluminum requires a lot more heat than carbon steel. Also, once you establish a puddle on the aluminum, dropping in cold filler wire will chill your puddle too quickly. Hold the fill rod near the Argon to "pre-heat" it on the first go, then try to keep it close to the puddle to prevent it from melting back and becoming contaminated.

Lastly, rod angle is very finicky with aluminum welding. Cup as close to 90* as you can, and rod added from "ahead" of the puddle.

A tungsten tip balls up because it is literally reaching it's melting point. When it melts, liquid tension within the molten metal causes it to assume a ball-shape, as with many room-temperature liquids. Certain tungsten alloys ball-up more than others. What kind of tungsten are you using? Is it 3/32?

Why it is melting so much we won't be able to accurately guess until you disclose all the details of your settings on your machine. Lots of unknowns you are leaving us with.

Oscar wrote:A tungsten tip balls up because it is literally reaching it's melting point. When it melts, liquid tension within the molten metal causes it to assume a ball-shape, as with many room-temperature liquids.

Why it is melting so much we won't be able to accurately guess until you disclose all the details of your settings on your machine.

Especially tungsten size and type.
Yeah but your amps a kind of low. I use around 120-130 on 1/8". You have proper gas flow as well with pure argon? Lack of gas or argon or some other contaminant may cause tungsten issues. Galvanized steel does some crazy stuff for instance.

Sorry, I completely mistook that picture as shot of your filler rod, not your tungsten Looks like your using a pure tungsten (green) on an inverter machine. Green works best on transformers, light blue (Lanthanated) works best on inverters. But my other post is relevant if you have those questions

cj737 wrote:Sorry, I completely mistook that picture as shot of your filler rod, not your tungsten Looks like your using a pure tungsten (green) on an inverter machine. Green works best on transformers, light blue (Lanthanated) works best on inverters. But my other post is relevant if you have those questions

I thought syncrowave 250s were transformers? Maybe I'm wrong.

Farmwelding wrote:

cj737 wrote:Sorry, I completely mistook that picture as shot of your filler rod, not your tungsten Looks like your using a pure tungsten (green) on an inverter machine. Green works best on transformers, light blue (Lanthanated) works best on inverters. But my other post is relevant if you have those questions

I thought syncrowave 250s were transformers? Maybe I'm wrong.

You're not wrong. The 250 DX is an inverter. I used to have a transformer and I used Thoriated to weld AL and it worked great. Pure sucks.Why is the OP sending us a pic of his tungsten? Let's see the weld.

No one has mentioned "balance". If you're welding at 50 amps, but your balance control is set at "3", you'll get this. The balance/dig control on a 250DX is confusing, to say the least. Set your balance to at least 7 for HFAC TIG aluminum. I prefer to spend a little more time cleaning and set the balance at "9".

Also, make sure your post-flow runs long enough for the tungsten to stop glowing before the gas quits. At least 10 seconds, and don't yank the torch away/wave it around until the gas quits.

Steve S

I agree with Otto. It's more then likely balance. I turn mine all the way to 1 to ball the tungsten and that's what it does. When I'm welding it's 7-10. It does look like you have enough post flow. Still shiny. If your gonna be welding 1/4 you'd be happier with 1/8" tungsten. Also the 250s are still transformers our shop just picked up a new one last week but the 210s are inverters.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

I stand corrected. Thinking of the Dynesty line.

I have a syncrowave 250DX and you need 180 -205 amps to be welding 1/4" plate. Clean clean clean that aluminum off if you expect to weld anything. Clean off your filler rods too. I wipe mine with steel wool. First action that happens is the cleaning action and it will not start to wet-in until it's clean. More heat at first and as it gets hotter you can back off of it some. Hotter it gets the easier it is to start your weld and a faster flow on your bead.

Jacked800 wrote:I have a syncrowave 250DX and you need 180 -205 amps to be welding 1/4" plate. Clean clean clean that aluminum off if you expect to weld anything. Clean off your filler rods too. I wipe mine with steel wool. First action that happens is the cleaning action and it will not start to wet-in until it's clean. More heat at first and as it gets hotter you can back off of it some. Hotter it gets the easier it is to start your weld and a faster flow on your bead.

yes...clean all aluminum always. If you don't, you are like e and have to pretend you are using a scratch start rig. Don't be lazy with cleaning like me.

oman1tig wrote:Hello Gang,

Am trying to weld aluminum with a Syncrowave 250 having some trouble.

Just for practice on a 1/4 stock
Have my amperage set at 130


Why is it doing this?

The tungsten is "balling" due to the positive side of the AC wave.

The negative side is the penetration (into the plate) and the positive side is the cleaning (out of the plate, into the tungsten). This is oversimplified of course, but is the general result.

Setting your balance control at 3 makes this effect 50/50.

Increasing the balance control increases the negative side and decreases the positive.
More power to the metal, less into your tungsten.

Try practicing on 1/8" material at 150 amps, balance set to 7.
Full pedal to start puddle quickly (3 seconds or less), then back off a little as needed.

Farmwelding wrote: yes...clean all aluminum always. If you don't, you are like e and have to pretend you are using a scratch start rig. Don't be lazy with cleaning like me.

People say this often - it's not necessary in my opinion.

New aluminum is plenty clean and doesn't need brush scratches all over it.
Polished aluminum would look terrible all scratched up with brushing.

A little acetone wipe down is generally all that is needed.
My rods come out of a clean factory box - no need to clean them.

I just welded an automatic transmission broken ear back together - naturally the weld area of that needed serious cleaning.

MinnesotaDave wrote:

Farmwelding wrote: yes...clean all aluminum always. If you don't, you are like e and have to pretend you are using a scratch start rig. Don't be lazy with cleaning like me.

People say this often - it's not necessary in my opinion.

New aluminum is plenty clean and doesn't need brush scratches all over it.
Polished aluminum would look terrible all scratched up with brushing.

A little acetone wipe down is generally all that is needed.
My rods come out of a clean factory box - no need to clean them.

I just welded an automatic transmission broken ear back together - naturally the weld area of that needed serious cleaning.

I guess we probably have a little dirtier aluminum at my school. Dusty from years of sitting and a lot of oxidation. It is also marked some so all sorts of contaminants. Ours isn't very new and clean already so.

I think I would avoid using steel wool to clean your filler rod. Cross contamination and embedded steel particles directly on the filler wire could cause some issues.

Jacked800 wrote:Clean clean clean that aluminum off if you expect to weld anything. Clean off your filler rods too. I wipe mine with steel wool.

Poland308 wrote:I think I would avoid using steel wool to clean your filler rod. Cross contamination and embedded steel particles directly on the filler wire could cause some issues.

Jacked800 wrote:Clean clean clean that aluminum off if you expect to weld anything. Clean off your filler rods too. I wipe mine with steel wool.

I weld a lot of aluminum and haven't ever noticed any difference using the steel wool or a scotch brite pad. I only went to the steel wool because I kept wearing out the scotch brite pads. I will do an experiment next time and see if there is any obvious difference. THANKS

Here we go again, with the "surgical clean" aluminum debate.

This one was spotless: This one was completely untouched, buried in road grime. I didn't even brush it. There is a difference, but my point is, for most applications you don't need to spend 30 minutes prep for a 30 second weld. 30 seconds prep will get you where you need to be.

Steve S

Well Steve you are right. A lot of it is aesthetics. Do a little work but I wouldn't spend more than a minute or two cleaning for most anything that need to look really nice. As I always say, if you are doing work for NASA do everything you can to clean, but for practice or most projects the average guy builds, you don't have to spend much time cleaning. Do it but don't focus on it. And surgically clean is not even close to what I would recommend. Gosh if you want to spend that much time cleaning you must have pure gloves. I know my gloves are a little black so I know something will be in it but it isn't going to cause a weld failure.

Otto Nobedder wrote:Here we go again, with the "surgical clean" aluminum debate.

There is a difference, but my point is, for most applications you don't need to spend 30 minutes prep for a 30 second weld. 30 seconds prep will get you where you need to be.

Steve S

There is a time and place for everything, however when teaching you don't want someone to say, "I wasn't taught that" still common sense and experience should win the day.
Good post Steve

LtBadd wrote:

Otto Nobedder wrote:Here we go again, with the "surgical clean" aluminum debate.

There is a difference, but my point is, for most applications you don't need to spend 30 minutes prep for a 30 second weld. 30 seconds prep will get you where you need to be.

Steve S

There is a time and place for everything, however when teaching you don't want someone to say, "I wasn't taught that" still common sense and experience should win the day.
Good post Steve

I should have added, for the student, there's nothing wrong with surgical clean. There's nothing wrong with removing every possible variable but one's settings and manipulation. The best way to learn is to remove any variable not directly related to working the torch, puddle, and rod.

For the experienced welder, there's a scale of "how clean do I need it?" based on the material and the purpose.

Steve S