Question about the joint. On some occasions when trying to do a but joint with aluminum I can not get the puddle started using the TIG process. For what ever reason the material just falls away and I cannot get a nice clean puddle started. I can really notice it when using diamond plate material. I ran into this problem again the other day with simple alumimum angle iron. The material is clean.
This is a great site I purchased a Miller Syncowave 180 SD 3 years ago and might have 3 hrs on it. I enjoy metalworking and am now starting to use the welder a bit more.
LUG
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Thread: Aluminum Butt Joint With Tig
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11-11-2006, 12:25 PM #1
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Aluminum Butt Joint With Tig
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11-11-2006, 05:33 PM #2
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I used to have to pre heat the begining of the weld area on some things. I'd keep a propane torch handy to warm up the area for a few inches around my starting point first, then it didn't seem to do that so much. And you may just have the power level turned up a little too much.
"Gone are the days of wooden ships, and Iron men.
I doubt we'll see either of their likes again".
Circa 1920.
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Unknown US Coast Guard unit Commander.
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11-11-2006, 07:09 PM #3
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Sounds like the remote amperage control is not on so as soon as you start the arc it is whatever amperage you have the dial set on. You should be able to just barely hold an arc by adjusting the remote control whether it's hand or foot and then slowly apply more heat. HTH
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11-12-2006, 04:54 AM #4
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Thanks for the info. I will ckeck into the Remote amperage control. The thing I find funny is that I can run a nice bead on the flat, yet when the material is on edge it just falls away. With steel I never ever ran into this problem.
Dave
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11-12-2006, 05:40 PM #5
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The 'window' where the material is hot enough to weld, but not too hot is much narrower on Alum. than it is for steel.
Originally Posted by LUG
You might try moving along faster, or turning down the heat.
If the parent material falls away like that, its just too hot for the speed you're moving."Gone are the days of wooden ships, and Iron men.
I doubt we'll see either of their likes again".
Circa 1920.
Author:
Unknown US Coast Guard unit Commander.
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11-13-2006, 05:48 AM #6
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I can understand that. Yesterday I was in the garage for hours, trying this and that. Some things worked and others did not. I appreciate the advice. Thanks.
Lug
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11-17-2006, 11:40 PM #7Powerslide91 Guest
Man, I was trying to figure the same thing today.
I'm new to TIG, so ever project is a learning session. I was trying to do a corner weld and I kept having issues with the material edges pulling away instead of the pool forming across both parts.
I seemed to have the best luck when I would start the arc with low power and then run the torch back a forth a little bit to pre heat the material. Then jump it up to higher power very quickly to get the pool to form on each piece. Using the higher power it seemed to help the pool jump between the parts and flow.
I'm not sure if that is making sense. When I was having alot of problems, I think I was ramping the power up much slower and making the pool form much slower out of fear of burning through.
Like you were saying, it's all about getting out there and trying things I guess...
Jeff
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11-22-2006, 01:57 PM #8
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no pool
Sounds similar to my problems...I'm trying to horizontal weld a cylinder to a plate and I can't get a weld pool at the crack. I'm hot because I'm practically carving out each piece. Each piece is well over .5".
WHY???
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11-23-2006, 05:56 PM #9
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tig butt
a thing that has always helped me with that same problem is to tin the material in the HAZ first ,let it cool, start again, be ready to add some rod ASAP. If the material is clean you only need to tin the first inch. You should be able to continue as normal after that. good luck.
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