Aluminium Tig Welding - 1st steps

[Aesgarth]

Any tips for tacking up joints? I'm really struggling with that... once tacked I feel like I'm getting on ok but getting a tack right is causing me problems... I seem to melt away one edge or the other, or when I try to dip a bit of filler into what looks like a puddle I get a big blob of melted filler on the end of the rod..

 

[Aesgarth]

I managed to stick time bits of metal together. Not pretty but definitely stuck.

 

[addjunkie]

I find tacking easier to up the current by about 40% and bang it in rough and quick

 

[Richard.]

I managed to stick time bits of metal together. Not pretty but definitely stuck.View attachment 126547

Looking good.
Tacking can be tricky. See my last post on the aluminium guide. It’s well covered.

 

[Aesgarth]

Looking good.
Tacking can be tricky. See my last post on the aluminium guide. It’s well covered.

Thanks.. I spotted that shortly after I'd posted the question. I'll continue trying.

 

[Aesgarth]

Today I (quite successfully) tacked up a box.

Then totally mangled it.

Still... feels like progress just because I felt much happier tacking.

More more more practice required.

 

[Brad93]

You’ll struggle with that because it’s such a small part so doesn’t act as much of a heat sink. Try and do some slightly longer outside corners.

 

[Aesgarth]

You’ll struggle with that because it’s such a small part so doesn’t act as much of a heat sink. Try and do some slightly longer outside corners.

I think I'd have got on a lot better with it if I'd been a bit more patient... half a side at a time and letting it cool I think would have worked - that seemed about where I got into trouble. I'll try with some bigger bits tomorrow.

 

[Richard.]

Yeah a part that size requires patients.
Have you thought about switching to dc and steel. It slows everything down and is more forgiving on heat buildup. It’s more tolerant to mistakes too.
Might be good to get the basic joints practiced maybe.

 

[Aesgarth]

Yeah a part that size requires patients.
Have you thought about switching to dc and steel. It slows everything down and is more forgiving on heat buildup. It’s more tolerant to mistakes too.
Might be good to get the basic joints practiced maybe.

Not a bad idea. I used to be reasonable at TIG on steel, but it's quite a long time since I did any of that. That's on tomorrow's to-do list too.

 

[Aesgarth]

Some of my steel work from what seems like a very long time ago...

View attachment 65330View attachment 65331View attachment 65332

Far from perfect but maybe a couple of hours on that might help

 

[Richard.]

Some of my steel work from what seems like a very long time ago...

View attachment 65330View attachment 65331View attachment 65332

Far from perfect but maybe a couple of hours on that might help

Well they are ok but perhaps a little far advanced for practice. I mean the joint. A coped tube to tube isn’t a joint I’d be starting out on. Lots of skill and adjustments to be made to get those right. Your doing things properly with the aluminium by taking it a step at a time and it shows because your progress is improving every picture. Do the same on dc.

 

[Aesgarth]

Well they are ok but perhaps a little far advanced for practice. I mean the joint. A coped tube to tube isn’t a joint I’d be starting out on. Lots of skill and adjustments to be made to get those right. Your doing things properly with the aluminium by taking it a step at a time and it shows because your progress is improving every picture. Do the same on dc.

Didn't mean to give the impression I'm going to start on tube joints, a bit of practice on beads on plate and then some straight joints is my plan - get back into the swing of it. Thinking about it I should probably have got back into practice with DC before starting on the AC.

 

[Richard.]

Ac isn’t more difficult than dc it’s just different both have there own challenges.

 

[Aesgarth]

I suspect the reason my welder is down on power is that the pedal is broken. Was messing about with some steel today and had the machine set at 200a, at one point at full power on the pedal it was putting out 22a according to the display. Changed to torch switch and had much more luck.. turned it down to around 150 and was getting on ok. I didn't have the right size filler though... 1.6 was too small and 3.2 too big...

That and I don't really have the talent..

100×100×~8mm plates... into an almost cube...

I know they have much room for improvement but I do find DC considerably easier than A.C... .

 

[Richard.]

Nout wrong with those.

 

[Aesgarth]

My big question now is wth to do with an almost 3kg steel cube.....

Edit for 3kg not 5kg.

 

[Richard.]

My big question now is wth to do with an almost 3kg steel cube.....

Edit for 3kg not 5kg.

Cut a slot in the top and fill it with coin. Come holiday time put a grinder through one side and you’ll have some spare spending pennies.

 

[Aesgarth]

After a long while not doing much with this I had a job that resulted in me having a lot of aluminium offcuts so I've decided to take the opportunity to get back on it.

 

[Brad93]

Hey mate, keep it coming, it needs practice. For cube welding, or corner joints aluminium welding, you really need some good fit up, no gaps and so on. I did one aluminium cube long time ago, in fact it was my first try on welding such aluminium cube. Not the best, but you get the point.View attachment 251395

Very neat