Tools & Fabrication - tig welding problem

I have a hobart tigmate. I started practicing with aluminum laying beads. so far so good. I thought i was ready to weld up my aluminum tubing for my turbo kit. well guess not. as i try to butt weld 16ga. aluminum tubing I cannot get both pipes to puddle at the same time to add the filler rod. either the arc goes to one side or the other. Im too imbarrass to put up pictures:D. Im using argon gas. what could i be doing wronge?

with the pipes butted up is there a gap at all?

try little preheat if you have to. what i have done personally is heat both sides a little with tig torch then ramp the heat and add filler.

what type of tubing are you using? if ebay intercooler piping you may have some trouble as it seems dirty and does not weld as well as better tubing i have ran across

get a puddle going on one side then just bridge it over to the other until you have fusion on both sides. it's easy to demonstrate than describe...but just play around with it, you'll get it. welding aluminum is nothing like a ferrous metal, the arc won't ever be totally stable so you have to practice. you should be able to get a puddle on one side, add rod and work the arc to the other pipe without removing the filler rod. When the other pipe puddles, it should fuse together. Make 100% certain that the pipe is as clean as you can possibly get it inside and out on the weld-affected area. you shouldn't have to preheat anything.

ok what tungsten are you guys using for aluminum. im using what came with the welder it have a red strip on it. 2% Thoriated Tungsten. I jsut looked at miller web site and it say use the 2% Ceriated Tungsten for aluminum. is that correct? also it says to gind to a point and it will ball as you weld.

with the pipes butted up is there a gap at all?

no just the crease

ok what tungsten are you guys using for aluminum. im using what came with the welder it have a red strip on it. 2% Thoriated Tungsten. I jsut looked at miller web site and it say use the 2% Ceriated Tungsten for aluminum. is that correct? also it says to gind to a point and it will ball as you weld.

You want a green, pure tungsten for aluminum on a transformer based machine... And points are for inverters, you can do a slight taper but not like for steel, it will be wasted effort.

ok what tungsten are you guys using for aluminum. im using what came with the welder it have a red strip on it. 2% Thoriated Tungsten. I jsut looked at miller web site and it say use the 2% Ceriated Tungsten for aluminum. is that correct? also it says to gind to a point and it will ball as you weld.

Sounds like the material is dirty.... I usually use 100% pure tungsten with aluminum.
Use a 1/16" pure tungsten for 30 to 80 amps
Use a 3/32" pure tungsten for 60 to 130 amps
Use a 1/8" pure tungsten for 100 to 180 amps

agreed, i used green everytime i did alum.

ok thanks guys i just ordered pure tungsten. thanks, oh also as far as it being dirty i used a stainless steel brush but thats it. i just ordered the tubing.

Cut it with a chop saw, and then clean it realllllly well with a file, deburrer or sander/grinder with no steel.

you want a FLAT surface to mate to, not a chamfered surface. if you chamfer it, on tubing that thin, it will walk away from your bead if you use too much heat.

I would use an 3/32 pure (green) tungsten with a ball no wider than 1.5* the diameter of the tungsten.

ok thanks. one more question. i have a band saw with a carbide blade. It bairly but a scratch in 16ga stainless steel. the only thing i can cut this stuff with is a chop saw.

You want a green, pure tungsten for aluminum on a transformer based machine...

bingo!

You want a green, pure tungsten for aluminum on a transformer based machine... And points are for inverters, you can do a slight taper but not like for steel, it will be wasted effort.

You Do NOT want to use green on an inverter machine though! ( Dynasty, aerowave, etc) Cerated or 2% thorated are what i use.

You Do NOT want to use green on an inverter machine though! ( Dynasty, aerowave, etc) Cerated or 2% thorated are what i use.

I didnt say to. I wouldnt expect many people on tech to have an inverter. I use lanthanated I like them better. I have both dynasty's and syncrowaves, always have to check whats going in each.

And PS. the aerowave is a hybrid inverter/transformer... I would love one, most people who have one, hold on to them.... its probably one of the most adjustable machines out there.

Nah, sorry, I didnt mean you did, just that someone might not know and do potential damage to the board.

I have 2 dynasty 200DXs and 2 syncrowave 250s... I have to make sure my guys use the right stuff, or it could be a 1500$ mistake + Down time :)

Nah, sorry, I didnt mean you did, just that someone might not know and do potential damage to the board.

I have 2 dynasty 200DXs and 2 syncrowave 250s... I have to make sure my guys use the right stuff, or it could be a 1500$ mistake + Down time :)

we use Dynasty's to weld tubes where i work and 250DX's everywhere else, AWESOME machines.

Anybody here ever run a Syncrowave 200? i've been looking into getting one for my garage?

Nah, sorry, I didnt mean you did, just that someone might not know and do potential damage to the board.

I have 2 dynasty 200DXs and 2 syncrowave 250s... I have to make sure my guys use the right stuff, or it could be a 1500$ mistake + Down time :)

No prob :)

we use Dynasty's to weld tubes where i work and 250DX's everywhere else, AWESOME machines.

Anybody here ever run a Syncrowave 200? i've been looking into getting one for my garage?

I love my Dynasty, Ive had a couple syncrowaves, and still do, they are very nice machines, just not dynasty's... :)

As for the sync 200, I used one once, it was a good little machine, but once youve been spoiled, ya get a little critical of the smaller ones. :)

Anybody here ever run a Syncrowave 200? i've been looking into getting one for my garage?

I use a Syncrowave 200 everyday on everything I weld. Cant go wrong with that machine for the price.

I use a Syncrowave 200 everyday on everything I weld. Cant go wrong with that machine for the price.

kinda what i was thinking....i get a nice discount through my employer at just about any welding supply store. I can get a Syncrowave 250DX with a Coolmate, 25' leads, a bottle, and whatever else i need to get up and running for right around $4100, which is a nice deal, but i can "get by" with the 200 dry setup for less than $2K....but like BADD SS said, once you're spoiled, that's it, so i'm still on the fence...

After you wire brush, use laquer thinnger on the part. Also, you should clean your welding rod as well. You will be surprised at how much grime is on your tig rod. Only use your wire brush for aluminum and don't use it for steel. It will get cross contamination too. I keep a few brushed laying around and write on them what material they are for.
Just remember clean clean clean.

now that i have the right tungsten n all how do i ball the tungsten?

Flip it to DC and hit it for a few seconds until you get the desired ball. It should be no more than 1.5x the diameter of the tungsten.

Flip it to DC and hit it for a few seconds until you get the desired ball. It should be no more than 1.5x the diameter of the tungsten.

hit it to steel or aluminum? thanks for the info by the way.

steel is DC, Al is AC

I have always used the pre (green) on Al with my Syncrowave 250, would I damage the machine by using 2% Ceria on Al?

steel is DC, Al is AC

im talking about when you want to ball the green tungsten for aluminum.