Looking to get into a TIG machine

gtmcgeejr · Oct 10, 2014

Re: Re: Looking to get into a TIG machine

Unless I miss understood in an earlier post you said you were welding with electrode negative. Aluminum should be welded on ac not dc with electrode positive. Alternating current is what give you the cleaning action your looking for.

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gtmcgeejr · Oct 10, 2014

Re: Re: Looking to get into a TIG machine

Then you ac balance should work properly when welding on AC with electrode positive.

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patooyee · Oct 10, 2014

I've watched every video he has, awesome guy. I wish I was friends with him.

I just called Miller to ask about my machine. They recommended I weld most aluminum around 7, roughly where the previous owner scratched the "A." I asked them why the machine and instructions would indicate to weld aluminum below 2 and their answer was basically, "I don't know. Just do what works."

I think the ultimate point is that even above 2 you have cleaning action. 2 indicating "balanced" means you get roughly 50% E+ and 50% E-. So above 2 doesn't mean no cleaning, it just means less than 50% and the knob isn't proportional. So 0 doesn't mean 100% E+ and 10 doesn't mean 100% E-. 7 could be 20E- / 80E+ and 0 could be 80E- / 20E+ even though 7 is 5 away from 2 and 0 is only 2 away from 2. Since there's no way to know, just do whatever works.

No wonder no machines today use a control like this.

I wish I would have snapped some pics of the aluminum welds I laid down yesterday. I'm proud of them.

wont work · Oct 10, 2014

When welding in AC the current swaps back and forth to electrode negative to positive. On some machines this can be adjusted for more cleaning or deeper penetration

patooyee · Oct 10, 2014

wont work said:
When welding in AC the current swaps back and forth to electrode negative to positive. On some machines this can be adjusted for more cleaning or deeper penetration

Yes, I have this adjustment and it is what I was asking about in the past few posts. But I think I have it figured out now even though the machine and instructions don't exactly make sense.

wont work · Oct 10, 2014

He has a forum or msg board that you can put specific questions on. Also Miller and Lincoln do also, but its guys from all over the world helping there.

Yeah I reread all that after my post. Your doing it correct by just doing what works and not what the book sais.

This is why I teach adjust the machine to sight and sound and not to what your app on your phone tells you to set it at. Set it for what your welding on because every piece of metal doesn't weld the same and the same piece will weld different this morning than this afternoon

sleepsontoilet · Dec 9, 2014

Bumping an old thread, rather than starting a new one.

The wife informed me I'll be getting a new welder for Christmas. I know how/am still learning how to mig. I've been using my Lincoln 140 for about 6 years and am getting tired of cleaning flux. I follow a lot of great welders on instagram, and would love to learn how to weave. Problem is I don't really know anything else about tig, or which is the right one to buy. What would I need to know to look for if buying used? Obviously if I used it, my first weld would suck and I wouldn't know if it was me or the machine. Looking to stay around 2k, so a lot of the nicer big welders are out. I saw a syncrowave 210 local on CL for 2k, but am waiting to hear back if it's sold. Is the Diversion 180 junk, or a good machine for a garage welder to start on?

On the otherhand, I wonder if I should just look for a nice Miller 211/212 or search for a deal on a 251/252 and stick to getting better at mig. The only reason for the tig is to learn how, weld aluminum for floor pans, and I like the look of weave. Just want to continuously improve. Suggestions? Drink bleach?

patooyee · Dec 9, 2014

If you're trying to get to a good looking weave any time soon I think you will be disappointed. I'm still working on a consistent dab-dab stack of dimes.

I trust myself to work on radiators, fuel cells, etc now. But I think a consistent weave / walkthe cup is still a few years off for me.

I didn't get into it wanting to walk the cup. I just wanted to weld aluminum because there were a million things I wanted to do that I couldn't without welding aluminum. I've achieved my goal but I am very slow still and my stack of dimes is not as consistent as I would like yet.

sleepsontoilet · Dec 9, 2014

patooyee said:
If you're trying to get to a good looking weave any time soon I think you will be disappointed. I'm still working on a consistent dab-dab stack of dimes.

I know better than to ever think I'm that talented. But I would like to learn someday, someyear...