Welding Tips and Tricks

So I recently bought a nice used Precision tig 185 and when I tested the machine it seemed ok. After I got it home welding SS or carbon steel it was fine but the Al wouldn't clean up. It was like I had no gas. I ask a few of y'all about it and after I cleaned everything real good, wiped down the filler again and wiped down the aluminum it worked. Oh and I bought a new CK torch. The old torch had been pinched and in my opinion it let out enough gas to weld SS and carbon but not enough for the Al. That's why it sort of worked and then sort of didn't work. Here's a pic of the results. Now don't kick me too hard I'm still working on my technique. Especially you Lt. Badd.

Hey we all want to same thing here, communicating on a forum through just the written word can be trying at times, and I hope I didn't step out of line.

Glad to see you're progressing, your pic shows consistent and even beads and they look clean, well done

Wow, I didn't think a 185 would weld aluminum that heavy. And I'd think your hand would be on fire holding the torch. Looks really good.

Lt. Badd, I was just picking at you. You always have constructive critiques and I appreciate your thoughts. Mark, I may not have gotten the penetration it should have but I was just practicing and this was something I just had laying around. I think it's only 1/8" wall. Thanks for the comments. That CK torch is great. I was set at 145 amps.

jroark wrote: Mark, I may not have gotten the penetration it should have but I was just practicing and this was something I just had laying around. I think it's only 1/8" wall.

OK I see now, I thought those were two big blocks of aluminum

Mark I think you told me you had a 185. I see you have a 200 now. How do they compare in terms of ease of use and weld consistency? Do you prefer a transformer or an inverter?

jroark wrote:Mark I think you told me you had a 185. I see you have a 200 now. How do they compare in terms of ease of use and weld consistency? Do you prefer a transformer or an inverter?

I didn't own a 185, I took welding at the local community college and one of the machines I used a lot was the 185. They made us rotate through different models, I probably had 20-30 hours on the 185. The big difference for me is portability and ability to run on 110 or 220. I have a farm, I need to put the welder in the tractor bucket and move it to the barn or out in the field. So a transformer is not an option for my application.
Inverter machines generally give more control over AC and pulse settings, but mine's pretty basic and doesn't offer much different than the 185. If I bought another inverter I'd get one with control of %on and %background, and higher pulse frequency. Also mine can't control pre and post flow, it's factory set as a function of current. My arc start is a bit harsh, not sure why they designed it that way. So I like the arc start on the 185 better. But in terms of welding ease I couldn't tell the difference. An inverter machine is LOUD on AC, it can drive you crazy if you do it for very long without ear plugs. So that's one point for a transformer machine. If I welded a lot I'd invest in a cooler, it makes it so much more comfortable if you weld at higher currents for very long. If I bought another machine it would likely be an HTP Invertig. I think for the money they make a great machine, and they happen to be located in this area, so I could drive over if I had a problem.