Welding Tips and Tricks

Hey Folks

I have a few observations from my month of playing with my Invertig. Before 1 month ago I had never picked up a TIG torch.

Ok on to the observations:

1. When welding on Aluminum and I am working on a t-joint or butt join I like the freq to be lower as in 75-85 Hz, then when welding on an edge I like the freq up around 150

2. When welding an Aluminum butt joint of 1/16 in material, it seems easier to creep up on the puddle until I get a puddle on each edge then they flow together, and I add a bit of filler rod for the tack. If I just blast away at 60-75 amps I tend to blow through and both side retreat back into themselves and I am left with a hole where the 2 pieces originally met. 75 amps on the machine, 70 for balance (penetration) and about 80 hz on the freq.

3. When welding on 1/8 steel around 120 amps the heat given off seems much greater than when welding Aluminum with the same amps. (love my 2 TIG fingers )

4. Fusing steel seems way easier than fusing aluminum

5. I find working with Aluminum more forgiving and easier in general to weld with

6. I am having a blast learning how to TIG and with out Jody's , Mr. Tig's and Lanse's videos I would never have even thought about buying a TIG welder

7. I have both a 20 series water-cooled torch as well a 17 series air cooled torch. When using the 20 series I can weld for an hour straight ( or just about that ) and the torch never heats up. However, when using the 17 series about maybe 4 or 6 beads of 4 or 5 inches its amazing how warm/hot the torch neck is.

Am I on track here?

Thanks

Dave

Fusing aluminum is generally regarded as a bad practice, just due to the amount it shrinks when it cools. It's okay for tacks when you have to hold a small part with one hand.

In regards to #5, I feel/felt the same way, but most people don't feel that way at all. As for the rest, I've never really played with the frequency much. I haven't had a lot of time to weld in the last few months.

Creeping up on tacking aluminum is very tricky. It can sometimes work, sometimes it doesn't. 75A is no where near enough to get a good quick tack, that's why you melt the edges away from each other. Bump up the amperage to 120A+ and give it as quick of a blast as you can get, assuming you have a good fit-up. Works real good.

That is 16ga. Arc duration is less than 3/4 second. Outside corner joint. Has to be a short arc length. No filler on any of those tacks.







As you can see, anything less than about 90A turns out to be an exercise in futility, as the edges don't really liquefy enough to create a single, coalesced tack puddle.

Thanks Oscar

I appreciate the pictures and you posting them.




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You need to work on those craters in your tacks.