How to tips on TIG welding aluminum

[jrsavoie]

It's been a long time since I tig welded aluminum.

I want to weld some 3/16 thick - 3" aluminum conduit.

reverse polarity? or AC?

Should I hook up the old high freq unit?

Argon Argon/Helium?

flow rate?

Tungsten size?

Tungsten sharpened to a point?

amperage?

New eye balls? That can actually still see a puddle.

Thanks
Jeff

 

[NVW]

It's been a long time since I tig welded aluminum.

I want to weld some 3/16 thick - 3" aluminum conduit.

reverse polarity? or AC?

Should I hook up the old high freq unit?

Argon Argon/Helium?

flow rate?

Tungsten size?

Tungsten sharpened to a point?

amperage?

New eye balls? That can actually still see a puddle.

Thanks
Jeff

You want AC High Freq.

3/16" or 1/8" electrode heated to a ball.

I just use Argon

Set the welder to 100 amps and use the remote to vary amps

New eyeballs would help me

 

[jrsavoie]

Sorry, no remote. And I really am sorry about that. I got spoiled at work.
Maybe I'll start about 90 amps and see how it flies. Have to check and see what I have for gas, collets and everything else.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[NVW]

I would start even lower and if a puddle doesn't form you can up it, better than having it drop out on you.

Gas rate about 20-25 cfh, also don't forget to have the gas on before and after welding. Things like that can be forgotten.

 

[jrsavoie]

80 amps to start?

 

[NVW]

Give it a try, I'm not much help here as I don't have HF so I don't weld aluminum. I use a remote for the rest so I just go by feel, not numbers.

 

[radar1053]

It's been a long time since I tig welded aluminum.

I want to weld some 3/16 thick - 3" aluminum conduit.

reverse polarity? or AC?------------AC

Should I hook up the old high freq unit?------------Yes as it helps clean the material as you weld it to remove impurities there

Argon Argon/Helium?----------Argon


flow rate?------I venture to say in the 30 to 40 range to make sure you keep the pipe covered as you weld it
Tungsten size?-----You could do it with the 3/32 or 1/8 inch

Tungsten sharpened to a point?------ Put a ball on the end so the arc dont dance around for you, smoother puddle with a balled end

amperage?---- I dont know for sure but you can play around a little in the 100 amp range as said earlier
New eye balls? That can actually still see a puddle.

Thanks
Jeff

I am going by what we do at my job even though I dont tig much there

 

[Ed HD]

How do you TIG w/o a remote? That's all I've ever used...

 

[NVW]

You would have to adjust rod feed rate and travel speed to match the amps, where with the remote you vary the amps to your needs.

 

[Ed HD]

Sounds a lot like brazing or oxy/acetylene welding @ that point, lol. With the little experience I have had TIG'ing aluminum, that would be a real pain to not burn through.

 

[jrsavoie]

get me some of that miracle stuff they used to weld aluminum in the infomercials.

 

[ak diesel driver]

only works on thin stuff. Like pop cans

 

[3500GMC]

Use a pure tungsten electrode usually marked with green, 1/8" would work. You'll need more than 100 amps. AL wicks away the heat so fast. I usually set the machine to DC and start an arc on a clean piece of scrap, then let the arc ball the tungsten for you. Switch back to AC. Set the post flow for 10 seconds and don't yank away after you stop the arc, it keeps impurities down. Also use a SS wire brush to scrub before you weld, and after if you wish to do a second pass. Pure Argon, 30 will work for indoors on most applications. Use a shade 11 or 12 hood. AL is BRIGHT and HOT. Advance your puddle from right to left if you are a righty, angling the nozzle in the direction of your gas flow and weld puddle.

So many other variables.

Have fun.

 

[jrsavoie]

No post flow here. I have to turn the tank on and off to regulate my gas. I did have a ball valve set up so I didn't have to walk to the tank. I wonder what happened to everything?

 

[jrsavoie]

Had to revisit this