Hello im mike or as im known occasionally szanderboyx. i have entered the world of tig welding and could use some help, i have a lincoln 300/300 and have no clue what the switches and dials do?? the tips and tricks Jody sends me would be helpfull if i understood the definition of some tings but im 40 and untill i bought the lincoln had no clue what a tig torch was.
I can stick weld and mig weld pretty good thanks to Jody's tips and tricks that hes sent me, but i really need to get in touch with my recently aquired dinosaur machine.It has a water cooled "wet" torch and has enough dials and switches to classify as a 747. I tried to buy a tank of argon/helium today and the guy told me i had no clue and that good welders of AL always use straight argon and that if i was going to buy 50/50 helium argon all i was going to do was melt the aluminum and that that combo was for cold stainless.
Anyhow, i asked for 2% thoriated tungsten and he said that was a bad thing too, all i want to do is understand my machine and understand tig welding, can i weld with straght argon?? and how do adjust the machine for optimum aluminum welding(intake manifold thickness/material for german fords) also i understood in one of the tig videos it was said that the stacked dime look wasnt a strong weld just a pretty weld. what is a strong weld? and how is it done?? thanks and ill try to not be too much of an anoyance to anyone..mike...
rickbreezy
- rickbreezy
-
Guide
-
Posts:
-
Joined:Sat Oct 03, 2009 10:08 pm
-
Location:Norfolk, Va
I ussually use straight argon for aluminum tig welding. The guys at the shop always use pure tungsten too, but 2% thoriated is also useable, but I think its better for aluminum over 1/8 inch thick.
I often use the stack of dimes method and it always works well for me, but you have to know with welding there is no right way, only right for a particuler purpose.
Waht are all these dials and switches you have questions about?
I often use the stack of dimes method and it always works well for me, but you have to know with welding there is no right way, only right for a particuler purpose.
Waht are all these dials and switches you have questions about?
szanderboyx
- szanderboyx
-
New Member
-
Posts:
-
Joined:Thu Jan 28, 2010 3:22 am
http://www.govdeals.com/photos/685/685_1079_2.jpg
this is what my machine looks like i had the guy i bought it from set it up for aluminum for me, so welll see ?? thanks for the reply,
this is what my machine looks like i had the guy i bought it from set it up for aluminum for me, so welll see ?? thanks for the reply,
It would help if you took a photo straight on. BUT, if you've seen one TIG device you've pretty much seen them all.
"i had the guy i bought it from set it up for aluminum for me, so welll see ??"
As a welder you'd know that there is no such thing as 'set and forget'. Adjustments need to be made continually. For aluminium it's AC, then find a suitable amperage and gas setting, I use gas at 7-10 litres per min. on say 3mm @ 90+amps and 12-14 litres pm, for 6mm @ 140-180amps. I like about 10 secs. of post flow gas. I don't see a pulse setting on the Lincoln.
Jeff
"i had the guy i bought it from set it up for aluminum for me, so welll see ??"
As a welder you'd know that there is no such thing as 'set and forget'. Adjustments need to be made continually. For aluminium it's AC, then find a suitable amperage and gas setting, I use gas at 7-10 litres per min. on say 3mm @ 90+amps and 12-14 litres pm, for 6mm @ 140-180amps. I like about 10 secs. of post flow gas. I don't see a pulse setting on the Lincoln.
Jeff
szanderboyx
- szanderboyx
-
New Member
-
Posts:
-
Joined:Thu Jan 28, 2010 3:22 am
so i finaly fired it up for the first time, wow i cant tig weld my efforts were spent making marbles and other wierd stuff. i id manage to get a bead set going(dimes) but i am inclined to believe that it was my smple scrap not the machine or settings. although if my camera wasnt broke i could show what i did but untill i get a new one youll have to picture globs of dog poo smeared on aluminum.
the set i did manage to start looked too fluid like water ripples so i am assuming i was set too hot, and i had to adjust my torch angle and tilt to get rid of the hiss after that things went fair, my after flow is set to 1/8th what ever that means, when we move i do plan on taking some classes at the college so i can learn but id rather just do like always just pick it up and learn.
i set the fuel flow at 20kph and sprk intensity to five the rest was just trying to figure out how long to sit and heat untill it would take in some AL so i could start the dimes look, soon i will figure it out, maybe with Jody's help ??
the set i did manage to start looked too fluid like water ripples so i am assuming i was set too hot, and i had to adjust my torch angle and tilt to get rid of the hiss after that things went fair, my after flow is set to 1/8th what ever that means, when we move i do plan on taking some classes at the college so i can learn but id rather just do like always just pick it up and learn.
i set the fuel flow at 20kph and sprk intensity to five the rest was just trying to figure out how long to sit and heat untill it would take in some AL so i could start the dimes look, soon i will figure it out, maybe with Jody's help ??
- admin
- Site Admin
-
Posts:
-
Joined:Mon Jun 01, 2009 8:54 am
-
Location:Atlanta, GA
-
Contact:
http://content.lincolnelectric.com//pdf ... /IM243.pdf
here is a link to a manual for that big dinosaur.
its not as complicated as you might think.
you have the amperage range selector that gets you in the ball park..(use 1 amp per 1 thousandths of thickness as your ball park figure up to a max of about 250 amps)
then the fine tuning selector to adjust to the top or bottome of the range you selected.
set polarity to dc straight
gas afterlow has increments for tungsten size i think...for starters just set it to what tungsten size you use
spark intensity is your high freq intensity...set it to about mid range and if you get good starts, leave it.
with your foot pedal remote plugged in the receptacle, make sure the remote switch is set to on.
soft start switch off unless your welding razor blades
weld control switch set to inert gas welding when you are tigging and other way for stick
spark switch is your high freq selector....set to start only for dc straight welding on steel and in up position for welding aluminum on ac
thats about all i can make out from the manual and photo...it looks like there is a high freq box separate from the machine.
so there may be some more settings.
let us know how you do.,
and btw, your welding rep is wrong on the 50/50 argon/helium. if he says it will blow holes in aluminum, he has never used it.
i even weld .040" thick aluminum using that gas sometimes without problems blowing holes.
argon is the most versatile shielding gas and you dont absolutely need a argon helium mix for welding aluminum, but for thick stuff over .125 it helps a lot.
and for cold stainless? hardly anyone uses helium mixes for stainless....its not necessary.
regards,
jody
here is a link to a manual for that big dinosaur.
its not as complicated as you might think.
you have the amperage range selector that gets you in the ball park..(use 1 amp per 1 thousandths of thickness as your ball park figure up to a max of about 250 amps)
then the fine tuning selector to adjust to the top or bottome of the range you selected.
set polarity to dc straight
gas afterlow has increments for tungsten size i think...for starters just set it to what tungsten size you use
spark intensity is your high freq intensity...set it to about mid range and if you get good starts, leave it.
with your foot pedal remote plugged in the receptacle, make sure the remote switch is set to on.
soft start switch off unless your welding razor blades
weld control switch set to inert gas welding when you are tigging and other way for stick
spark switch is your high freq selector....set to start only for dc straight welding on steel and in up position for welding aluminum on ac
thats about all i can make out from the manual and photo...it looks like there is a high freq box separate from the machine.
so there may be some more settings.
let us know how you do.,
and btw, your welding rep is wrong on the 50/50 argon/helium. if he says it will blow holes in aluminum, he has never used it.
i even weld .040" thick aluminum using that gas sometimes without problems blowing holes.
argon is the most versatile shielding gas and you dont absolutely need a argon helium mix for welding aluminum, but for thick stuff over .125 it helps a lot.
and for cold stainless? hardly anyone uses helium mixes for stainless....its not necessary.
regards,
jody
szanderboyx
- szanderboyx
-
New Member
-
Posts:
-
Joined:Thu Jan 28, 2010 3:22 am
well i was completely disgusted with what i was attempting last night so i sat here and went thru all the welding videos and info on the site, and realized first off that my electrode was just inside the cup, and that the tungsten keeps balling the end of it. after a few minutes of watching and reading i realized i need to adjust the electrode, and work on my feeding technic.
i am so very new to tig when anything is being explained to me i kind of look like a little puppy sitting here with my head cocked sideways and ears perked up. if it wasnt for the site id probably waste a lot of time and money trying to figure it out before i just gave up.
i couldnt figure why i had to almost set the cup right on top of what i was doing to get the loud hissing to stop, i should have sat here right before i attempted my very first start up,i did manage to get a little flowing stack of jelly but mostly made big balls of scrap metal, today im going to attempt it again i am going to try a bigger cup and a sharp tungsten and adjust it to about 1 and 1/8th thicknesses, just like the master stated in his video and lit. thanks jody for the like i am going to get this i refuse to give up i was born to weld!!
i am so very new to tig when anything is being explained to me i kind of look like a little puppy sitting here with my head cocked sideways and ears perked up. if it wasnt for the site id probably waste a lot of time and money trying to figure it out before i just gave up.
i couldnt figure why i had to almost set the cup right on top of what i was doing to get the loud hissing to stop, i should have sat here right before i attempted my very first start up,i did manage to get a little flowing stack of jelly but mostly made big balls of scrap metal, today im going to attempt it again i am going to try a bigger cup and a sharp tungsten and adjust it to about 1 and 1/8th thicknesses, just like the master stated in his video and lit. thanks jody for the like i am going to get this i refuse to give up i was born to weld!!