Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello Guys,
Firstly, I think this website is fantastic. I have welded with gas using a henrob and meco midget. I like them. They are quick to set up and innexpensive to use. But, tried aluminum and didnt get good results. Actually, the results were poor although I did manage two aluminum repairs that saved me probably $500 and a lot of agravation - driving around, writing checks and waiting for product. The henrob is my favorite tool ... I could use it everyday. Having said that, I just bought a lincoln precision tig 225. The marketing brochures are just too well done. They must spend a lot of money on marketing because you find them advertised in all the rags. You know what I mean. I have no idea - I think lincoln/miller is like ford/chevy. Please dont comment and wreck my day - I just got it and I just plugged it in started my first arc.

Everything I know about it, I got from this site. I think the videos are fantastic and that aluminum training video blew me away.

Anyway, I started my first, fidgeted around with the cleaning/penetration know for a little bit and had a nice edge bead within 3 minutes. I ran about 100 beads. Yeah, the aluminum seems to get sucked up to the electrode. : -) I must have sharpened and resharpened 25 times. I started at 100 amps and I was getting a real flat bead (I'm using a thin 1/16 rod). I lowered the amps to 90 to 80 to 70. It takes about 10 seconds before I see the "slag" ??? dissapate so I can see the melted aluminum where I can dip into the pool. I recognize that "look". It seems like a long time but that 10 secs is when starting with an air temp piece of aluminum. If I run 10 beads ... then there is no waiting. It immediately melts and I get a pool. I get blackening. I'm in my garage neart the garage door. I burned through a couple times at the end of a long run. I am amazed that I get no distortion in the aluminum. I am using a thin 1/16 sheet and there is no distortion. And, the aluminum sheet was sitting outside for the last 5 years. I didnt clean it at all. I wanted to see what would happen.

Setup: AC, 100amps-70amps, red tip 2% thoriated 3/16" dia electode, argon, 15cfh (I think is is hour).

heh...you did the first thing I did when I started stick welding, and thats burn a hole through the plate, and then write my name in bead on it

Clean the aluminum and close your garage door (if it's open).

try a smaller electrode and gas at about 15 is perfect. pull the electrode a bit further from the puddle to keep from dipping. also try resting your torch hand on something to keep sturdy while learning. definately clean the plate and you will see a huge difference. not bad at all for your 1st time.