If you are familiar with other types of welding but want to try your hand at TIG aluminum welding, there a some things you should know. When you are trying something new, you are bound to make a few mistakes during the learning process. As you make your way up the learning curve, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Watch the electrode size -an electrode gets very hot on when a/c at 250 amps is selected. You don’t want to use the same size electrode on DCEN. If you do try the wrong size electrode, it will explode at some point.
- When working with an aluminum TIG welding system-be sure to the high frequency to continuous-that’s because the system will lose halfcycles as the direction of the AC current changes.
-Just round the electrode- creating a ball is over the top.
- Use this rule of thumb for how far your electrode should stick out-you want to be able to see the end of the electrode. Otherwise, you couldn’t be sure about the arc. The electrode should be far enough out to easily see the tip.
-Adjust the Argon-if the arc is really loud , check the argon flow . A 7/16″ TIG cup for instance, should be set at about 13-15 CFH depending on how far the electrode has been extended. Remember that more torch gas in a gas welder system is not necessarily better.
- Don’t use pure tungsten. A multipurpose electrode that works for AC and DCEN and is 2% lanthanated works fine.
- Be careful of Torch Angle-If you don’t want a puddle, watch the angle of the dangle.
- Judging the length of the Arc- work around to find that spot where the arc will be close enough to do the job so that time will be spent not preparing electrodes but using the gas welder.
- Get the right filler rod size- if its too big of a rod it can stop the shielding force of the gas and too much heat will be lost from the puddle. Use too small of a rod and the rod will just melt before a puddle is made.
- Spring for a stainless steel wire brush and forget about carbon steel. It will save a lot of aggravation later.
If you take the time to learn and avoid these pitfalls, you will save money and aggravation.
