Newbie now with TIG.

[dazza]

Started off with some small stop starts today trying to stop adding filler before pool is formed and stop the crater at the end.

Then some more beads. A bit more contamination this time, i dropped the gas from 8lpm to 6lpm.

If i wait for the pool to get perfectly clear everything is too hot. Maybe more amps?

 

[dazza]

And a few more cant get consistency.

nearly out of aluminium now.

 

[brockenhammer]

Hi Darren,
I made another try today for 10minutes and had much better results like last time.
I just took another piece of alu I had in stock (2mm sheet material) and cleaned it much better than before with acetone. That made a huge difference!!
I also left my small 9er torch on the machine and a 1.6 gold electrode.
You can see my machinesettings on the picture.

Starting was very good, absolutely no problems and cleaner welds also.
Of course I have to get used to alu and have to work on the constancy of the weld.

Maybe try another alu (the first I used was deffinately to dirty) and another torch if possible.
I really like the ck torches and they are not very expensive.

Kai

 

[dazza]

Thanks again kai. Yours definitely seems to start better then mine weather mine will improve with a pedal we will see.

Have you tried the electrode preheat on 0? What happens with the electrode preheat on 5 .

 

[brockenhammer]

Hi Darren,
I will check this tomorrow.

I had much more problems to start a clean weld the last time (not HF, but contamination and oxid), and sometimes there was a kind of a grey matte layer on the weld and the filler.
Today, this did not happen with the other alu material and torch.

 

[brockenhammer]

Hi Darren,
I just tried it.
Starting the arc is no problem with 0 at preheat (or how ever it´s called).
I used much less cleaning action than before, so less stress for the electrode. I started with a sharp (1.6mm, gold) one I would use for steel normally.
It stays nearly total sharp.
Don´t know about the welding current, due to the pedal. Maybe around 100A.

Starting at 10 makes a big difference. The electrode balls much more.
The combination of a start at 10 and much cleaning action leads also to black spatter at the starting area. Maybe contamination with tungsten, because of to much power for the small electrode??
What do the alu pro´s think?

My personal conclusion: enough power at the start to break the oxid (like Richard mentioned)
Not more cleaning action than needed, to protect the electrode.
Maybe a smaller electrode starts better at low amps, because it reaches temperature more easily.
DC+starting time not more then needed (around 1 works fine for me). The electrode stays sharper than, and that leads to a more stable arc.
Proper cleaning of the filler and workpeace is important.

Good luck!
Kai

 

[dazza]

Thanks Kai.

Hi Darren,
Starting at 10 makes a big difference. The electrode balls much more.
The combination of a start at 10 and much cleaning action leads also to black spatter at the starting area. Maybe contamination with tungsten, because of to much power for the small electrode??

Mine does the same but with the preheat on 1 or above.

 

[brockenhammer]

Maybe try less cleaning, or a bigger electrode.

 

[dazza]

Maybe try less cleaning, or a bigger electrode.

This is with a 2.4mm electrode and the cleaning on -15%, using a grey electrode. Upslope about 5 seconds and start current on 50%.

 

[brockenhammer]

Have you tried to contact EWM?
They should know if anything is wrong with the ignition and if it´could be fixed by adjustment.

 

[dazza]

Have you tried to contact EWM?
They should know if anything is wrong with the ignition and if it´could be fixed by adjustment.

Not yet was going to see how it works with the pedal/new torch first.

 

[brockenhammer]

Hi Darren,
I talked to one guy who used to work for EWM in recent times.
He told me that there should be nothing in the machine to change HF capabilities. It should work or it shouldn´t.
Just on the more modern machines you could adjust HF intensity, the older ones work with around 8000V, on the modern machines you have 12000V when needed.

He was shure that your problems are located somewhere in the peripherie (like torch or material you weld on).

What I was also thinking about:
Maybe you can also try the HF ignition when the machine is opened.
You allready found the electric plans in the machine. There is one paper and it´s written: "Zündgerät" and a number. You should find that box in your machine...
There should be a jumping arc if you loose the cable (the bigger one, which is better isolated, not 42V input and not the syncronisation) which comes out the HF generator and put it 3-5mm away from the clamp. Then the ignition on the machine should work correct.
Take care when you work on an opened machine!!!

Good luck.

Kai

 

[dazza]

Thanks kia i should be able to rig up my water cooled torch next week. Maybe this will work better.

 

[dazza]

Not done any welding for a while thought i would keep the little bit of aluminium i have left for when i get the pedal up and running.

Kai sent me the wiring diagram for the pedal.

The wires coming from the pot are labelled ESA??

Jim Davey also recommended using a screened cable cable with some suppression capacitors.

 

[Richard.]

Not done any welding for a while thought i would keep the little bit of aluminium i have left for when i get the pedal up and running.

Kai sent me the wiring diagram for the pedal.

The wires coming from the pot are labelled ESA??

Jim Davey also recommended using a screened cable cable with some suppression capacitors.

View attachment 97608

Does it work?

 

[dazza]

Does it work?

Not wired it up yet, I should receive the connector tomorrow. So wanted some advice about the pot wiring. And if i should add capacitors to the cable.

 

[Richard.]

Not wired it up yet, I should receive the connector tomorrow. So wanted some advice about the pot wiring. And if i should add capacitors to the cable.

Ah I see.
Can't help with those questions I'm afraid.
Bet @HughF can though.

 

[dazza]

Been having a look at the wiring on the pedal.

There are 5 numbered wires

4+5 go to the switch.

3 -> E on terminal Block -> Blue wire to pot

2 -> S on terminal Block -> Yellow wire to pot

1 -> A on terminal Block -> Red wire to pot


Testing pot with multimeter.

A->E 10.36 k
A->S 0 to 10.37 (when pedal is pressed)
E->S 10.37 to 0 (when pedal is pressed)


Based on that this it what i think i should do.

Move Wire 3 to the spare terminal and use this as pin 3 (0v).

Move Wire 5 to the spare terminal 0v this will be pin 12. (remote detection)

run two wires from the spare terminal 0v one to switch and other to terminal E.

Pin 14 -> wire 1
Pin 11 -> wire 4
Pin 9 -> wire 2

It Makes sense to me hopefully you guys will be able to understand it.

 

[dazza]

I think the torch is ready to go, had to use some different pipe to connect the rectus 21 fitting as the barb was too small. A few leaks at first but all sorted now.

How do i get the switch off my other torch and can i use it on the new one?

Should have the pedal sorted later, the connector is on just need to move a few wires around. Should i add all the blank pins, or only the ones i am using?

 

[Richard.]

does your new torch have a switch and cable already.