Aluminium tig guide getting started.

[Paul.]

Come on Paul pay attention, 6082 Bar @Paul.

Fairynuff, misread it,
As you were!

 

[Kram]

I need a lot more practise with dc but Im quite happy with my progress after a hour or so. I've read the tig guide and plebty of youtube.
AC I dont have a clue what is wrong. I read this thread and about to have another read!

 

[Paul.]

Not enough power, you need a powerful machine to weld lumps of ally like that

 

[Kram]

Bottom left is 3mm wall tube with a 3mm sheet end cap, its not solid, they were mig'ed before.

 

[Paul.]

You are still not using enough power though, ally is a good conductor of heat so you need to turn up the current to compensate, you can see that the arc hasn't melted the material at all, the pool will look shiny when it melts, then you can add some filler.

 

[Kram]

@Paul. I think I owe you some beer!

The corner and second bead gave me some problems but the first, right, I am happy 90A, 1.6 grey, 120hz and 30% balance.
I did discover that if your feeding hand is in line with the plasma beam then it is very

I have a bad habit already. I guess I need a quicker downslope or less final current? Ive been pulling the torch away to stop it melting - on steel aswell.. I know its wrong!

 

[Macfun]

Hi guys !!

I finally got all parts, argon, etc ... plus awful weather outside, so no excuse to start !!
After little exercises on 1mm steel, I switched to alu because I had a lot of 1mm plate and just received 4043 and 5356 filler rods.
One eye in the manual, the other one on the front panel, then both behind the mask.
1.6 mm green tungsten and 1.6 mm rod, 35 A, cup 5, 3 (out of 5 grade) on + side, 60 Hz (I think, factory setting for the Castotig 2002), 5 mm stickout, 2T mode, no pedal.
Surprisingly no holes for these very first alu beads of my life.
I think that 4043 rod gives a little more brilliant bead (I tried both with same settings). Possible ?
I found that one last drop in the puddle just after trigger release makes the crater look nice ...


Same settings but different position, no filler, I know I miss something with the white marks, and control of end of bead is tricky due to heat transfer (even with big steel plate behind).


Overlapping plates and edge-to-edge needs practice, no valuable pictures to show (only ugly beads), I did not find the right settings yet, 1 mm thickness of alu is not the best friend for beginner.
I think I'll restart reading this wonderful post from the beginning, again thanks Richard !

10 litres bottles already half empty ... Easy to carry but not enough for long practice.
Supplier has only 10 or 30 litres ...

I was used with flame welder years ago, Air Liquide Oxypack 3000 for people who can remember.

 

[Mattycoops43]

Can I ask here for a specific thing, I'm literally just starting, have about 2 hrs welding with tig. I'm using a Sherman 206p, and I'm using the base set up in the Jasic 200 manual.

I'm finding running a bead on flat 2mm Ali is ok. I know it's not perfect, but I can see how I need to get better.

Next step I tried to do a lap weld in the same material and I can't get anywhere near. I see the pool form in the lower piece, then I see the upper edge start to melt, but nothing flows, if I try to dab in filler it balls up, and if I wait any longer the upper edge just starts to melt away so it's all pretty hot.

I tried steel and stainless welding and got on with it ok, so I'm thinking it may be a completely wrong setting, despite working on the flat?

From memory I'm using 15a start up, 80a with 100hz 40a base setting, 50% cleaning and I'm using 1 second pulse.

I've tried changing a few settings a bit to experiment, I've also got in fine without pulse on flat welds, but trying the lap joint without pulse is way worse and it all ends up melting.

I know the welds are nowhere near perfect, but the flat plate is literally the first welds I've ever done so I think that's OK to start with, I'm really just trying to find the fundamental thing I'm getting wrong trying to join two plates.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Macfun]

Firmly clamp both plates on each other, and use larger plates for learning.
I'm in the same learning process as you, first hours on aluminium.
Lap weld should be tried later, imho, and with 3-4 mm thickness.

Carefully read the "Aluminium TIG basics" thread from Richard, it's great !

 

[Aff]

Carefully read the "Aluminium TIG basics" thread from Richard, it's great !

Where would he find that?...

On a more serious note. Thicker Ally will make your life a bit easier but I agree with above, stick with the flat plate drill for now. Especially when learning Ally.
When your flat plate is 4 inches thick with perfect beads then move to joints.

 

[Macfun]

Where would he find that?...

On a more serious note. Thicker Ally will make your life a bit easier but I agree with above, stick with the flat plate drill for now. Especially when learning Ally.
When your flat plate is 4 inches thick with perfect beads then move to joints.

Well I realize a little bit late my miswriting (as you may see I'm not englich native ...), I was'nt able to edit my post anymore.
I wanted to say that this thread can be read several times again and again, to spot additionial tricks.
Tacking for example, was a great help after I encountered problem trying to tack plates with standard settings.
I ended in copying/pasting Richard's posts into a dedicated document to gather all his advices at once.
Then print it and put it alongside the TIG bench when training !!!

Furthermore, I learned a lot of technical words and improved my poor vocabulary.

 

[HotRodTom]

Finally got some more ally tig time ‍

 

[Gavinbat]

Nice work
I need a lot more practice!

 

[Misterg]

Thank you for the most excellent guide - I'm a total newcomer to TIG and only have 2-3 hours practice in. It's all (well, mostly) making sense, and I think I understand where I need to get to, but have a long way to go.

I have a question - I've been practicing on 1.7mm aluminium, and my early attempts at a butt weld have a groove on the rear face where the weld hasn't fused. Other than general lack of technique, are there specific reasons why this happens?

1.7mm aluminium scotch-brited & de-greased with meths.

70A, 120Hz, 35% DC+(*), 4043 filler (1.6mm dia), 2.4mm 2% La tungsten, no foot pedal.

(*) I mis-remembered the setting recommended in this thread - I understand that this may give less penetration, so may be relevant.

Front side. (I welded from tack to tack - too cold at the start, and I blew the hole through when tacking, then tried to 'fix' it )

View media item 11068
Back side, same area marked:

View media item 11067
View media item 11066
How to get rid of the 'cleavage' ?

(If there are any specific pointers, that would be very helpful - even if it is "more practice" )

 

[Misterg]

That bad, huh?

Just to close this off for posterity - I tried cleaning the hell out of the edges, going for more penetration, going back to 80Hz, but it didn't really help with the cleavage line on the rear surface (it just looked like a bum pressed against a window).

What did help was breaking the corners on the back of the sheet before welding and raising the sheet up off the table to give the penetration somewhere to go (thanks to one of Jody's videos for that).

Obviously nowhere near text book - This is still too hot/slow with too much filler, but I think I can sort that with practice. At the moment, I'm just pleased with the joint line on the back:

Front:

 

[Migmad]

Try rounding your tip off by arcing up on a copper plate, also make sure arc balance is around 70%

 

[Macfun]

I have a similar back bead "cleavage" on steel with 1.5 mm thickness.
Too much Amps and too wide puddle.
Correcting this, one point at a time (to know the influence), improved my result step by step.
Be sure of repeatability (same starting temperature, ...) to understand the difference between each change.
My newbie feeling.

 

[Edward Teach]

Thank you Richard for writing this help file.
I have read through, but am unsure on a few points concerning button/dial names on my machine, and what a manufacturer names them.

I have a 240v Jasic Tig 200P AC/DC Analog Welder.
I have attached a picture from the Jasic site of the tig I am using, and numbered the buttons/dial for easier identification.

1. Pre flow time ------------------------The length of time gas flows before welding/arc starts.
2. Peak current-------------------------The maximum current/amps during a weld.
3. Basic current-------------------------I'm not sure on this !!!
4. Down slope--------------------------How quickly the current/amps fade - to finish the weld.
5. Arc force-----------------------------For stick welding
6. Pulse frequency----------------------I'm not sure on this !!! I am thinking what Richard said "Frequency (again no link to pulse) its AC frequency and this allows you to set the amount of -------------------------------------------time fluctuation happens over a period of time and is usually set in Hz/sec"
7. Pulse duty----------------------------Works in conjunction with switch 14 !!! Nothing to do with button/dial 6. Pulse frequency.
8. Clean area width---------------------Balance, what Richard said "Balance, can also be known as cleaning on some machines.
9. Gas after flow------------------------The length of time gas flows after the weld/arc has stopped, to help cool the weld pool.


Thank you.

 

[Misterg]

3. Basic current-------------------------I'm not sure on this !!!
...
6. Pulse frequency----------------------I'm not sure on this !!! I am thinking what Richard said "Frequency (again no link to pulse) its AC frequency and this allows you to set the amount of -------------------------------------------time fluctuation happens over a period of time and is usually set in Hz/sec"
7. Pulse duty----------------------------Works in conjunction with switch 14 !!! Nothing to do with button/dial 6. Pulse frequency.

Go on then, I'll have a go (based on general knowledge, not direct experience of that machine):

The three settings above only have any meaning when switch 14 is set to pulse mode.

When 14 is set to pulse mode:

#6 controls the frequency with which the arc switches from low to high power. If you set this fully anticlockwise it will make the effect of the other controls more obvious.

#3 sets the "low" or background current between pulses (high current is set by #2).

#7 controls the proportion of time that the current is high or low: 10% is 10% high / 90% low; 50% is equal amounts of each & 90% is 90% high, 10% low

Any use?

 

[Edward Teach]

Go on then, I'll have a go (based on general knowledge, not direct experience of that machine):

The three settings above only have any meaning when switch 14 is set to pulse mode.

When 14 is set to pulse mode:

#6 controls the frequency with which the arc switches from low to high power. If you set this fully anticlockwise it will make the effect of the other controls more obvious.

#3 sets the "low" or background current between pulses (high current is set by #2).

#7 controls the proportion of time that the current is high or low: 10% is 10% high / 90% low; 50% is equal amounts of each & 90% is 90% high, 10% low

Any use?

Hi there Misterg,

This is where I am struggling a little,
As you have said above :-
#6 controls the frequency with which the arc switches from low to high power. If you set this fully anticlockwise it will make the effect of the other controls more obvious.

But :-
Below, Richard mentions in his Simple Guide Settings below, from page 1, comment 7, of this thread :-

• Frequency 80hz for butts, 120hz fillets and outside corners
  
  

Taken from a previous post if you don't wish to read through a long drawn out post you can use this simple guide settings below

Alu

• Set machine to ac
• Set balance to 70% dc negative
• Current work around 40amps per 1 Mm of material thickness
• Frequency 80hz for butts, 120hz fillets and outside corners
• Gas argon 100% @ 6-8lpm
• Pre flow 1sec
• Post flow 6 seconds for 1mm and add 1 second for every mm after
• Arc length 1-2mm
• Torch angle 10 degrees from vertical lean away from your direction of travel.
• Tungsten white, blue, gold, grey, don't worry about which people prefer at this time.

These are very rough settings that I know work they don't cover all case scenarios but they will get you results and you can fine tune as your experience grows.

This is where the confusion lays,
I did not think the settings were for Setting Up in Pulse Mode ?????


Thank you Ed.

.