Quote Originally Posted by blackwire View Post
Yeah I've played around on corroded cast aluminum,sure shows up some interesting things!lol!I was using a Precision Tig 225,but not enough power,welds good,harsh arc however.So I just ordered a Synchrowave 250dx,I tried an older one at work & liked it.Just as mentioned,the need to puddle fast on thick sections to lower overall heat input will be great.So far none (skegs) have fallen off leaving the dock..lol!Some that have been re-hit bent over & didn't break,happy about that.The biggest gearcase so far was a 150hp,but I didn't have to replace much.Ok I appreciate the advice & need one more opinion(for now).Where do you ground the welder on gearcase?Is there anything to the idea that current thru the bearings is bad?I was given two differing opinions around here
Its usually best to ground as close to where your actually gonna weld, I try to usually put the clamp on the actual fin , that way there is much less chance of any arcing out of bearings etc. I know there are some that would not even think of welding without stripping the whole lower end, but if you are careful and develop a procedure for controlling the heat, its easy work. once you get your piece tacked on good you can maneuver the ground to get it out of the way of welding. I have had a couple where i had to tack a grounding tab of scrap aluminum very close to the edge of the actual weld joint zone, that way there are no random spots or arc strikes on the gear case.