Thread: to all you TIG welders...

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im having trouble adding filler rod to the puddle.
i can run beads with just the torch just fine but can someone help me with adding filler rod? when i do it it either puts a hole in the aluminum or the bead just goes flat

If your putting a hole in it your sitting to long, alluminum is tricky once it heats up you have to haul ass, if you dont it will drop out from under you, as far as adding rod, that where the practice comes in, get a piece of thick steel and practice till your comfortable with the movment, it takes awhile before you get to where you can move the filler rod in between your fingers

ok thanks i dont have any steel to practice on (school is pretty picky) but ill probaly go in tommorow and practice

#1
are you wsing a tungsten for allum . or standard 2% . it is easier to start to learn with 2% , as hotrod said get a puddle and haul ass .
#2
what thickness are you trying to weld , heavy guage allum . is hard to get to "heat up" . try to start to learn on about .83 thickness .
# 3
best way to learn to tig is to start on stainless , then progress to steel , then to allum .

teacher set me up with a tungsten
the aluminum is around 1/8 inch thick
and they start us on aluminum then go on to stainless

stainless is so easy to weld ,

If your welding aluminum , make sure the tungsten is balled up a bit , move the tip away from the bench about 1 inch and floor it . done . When you add rod wait just a second untill puddle is formed .045 or1/16" rod would work on .125" use the filler rod like a paint brush adding it only to the puddle . don't touch the tungsten or you will have to clean it again. when your are done it should look like a stack of dimes . keep speed the same and they will all be the same size.

Originally Posted by kennyd

#1
are you wsing a tungsten for allum . or standard 2% . it is easier to start to learn with 2% , as hotrod said get a puddle and haul ass .
#2
what thickness are you trying to weld , heavy guage allum . is hard to get to "heat up" . try to start to learn on about .83 thickness .
# 3
best way to learn to tig is to start on stainless , then progress to steel , then to allum .

Why is stainless easier to learn on?

I've done mild steel with a TIG and am going to do some 16 gage stainless in the near future so was just curious.

alum is not hard to weld if it is clean some steel is hard to weld if it is junk steel . for adding filler rod for steel or s steel start your puddle then you can slide the filler rod in the puddle you do not have to dip and if you want to haul a$$ lay just in front or the puddle and go if the filler rod is the rigth size it will fill in as you go. but on alum i dip the rod in the puddle

stainless is just way easier to weld! ya gotta try it to believe it. Just great stuff to work with.

All good advice.

Sounds like you may be on DC straight polarity. Use AC for alum.

Have your instructor show you how to ball a tungtsen. The end should look like 1/2 of a ball bearing.

Good luck.

Jud

strike an arc on a scratch plate using DC+ (reverse) and watch your tungsten ball up real nice and pretty......switch back to AC and strike your arc. Aluminum takes a second to warm up so be patient. shiny surface is the key, if you pass shiny and go straight to dull you have contaminated your puddle. Remember to angle torch head in the direction of travel and to add consistent amounts of filler. Your filler may alos be too large and by the time the puddle is ready to accept it you are too hot. Double check your set up. Lincoln electric has some nice tech on their site and they also sell a slide rule chart to estimate your set up.

I'm not a tig welder but i thought i might through this out while your on the subject...

I had a guy weld up a new aluminum oil tank for my custom motorcycle and man did he ever lay down some pretty welds!!! Dimes as someone said..but to the point! what about "purge" the welds...sure looks nice on the back side as if it was welded from that side.. an other guy was doing my welding and it was peppered and even the stainless dose the same from what i've seen...I hope i never lost this welder OR i'd never see things the same

I wished i still had the pics on the inside..