that-guy

i just recently bought the Eastwood TIG 200, and what a great machine it is. i bought all of the filler wire when i bought the machine so i would have plenty to practice with. so i started with steel since i didn't have any aluminum at my home shop and i am getting the hang of it. so i finally got a hold a nice piece of aluminum and wanted to try it out, but before even being able to dip the rod, it ***** up and melts away...i used all of the settings as told to me on the machine, except i have a red tugsten in the torch instead of the green like it says. could this be what is making it do this?

Jenkinsal2

list the weld parameters you were using. ie torch angle, filler rod size/type, tungsten size, amps, metal thickness, ect.

your rod may be too small for the amperage you are using or it is possible that you have the torch at an extreme angle and are not directing heat where you want it.

SovXietday

You have an inverter, so stay away from the green. The red is fine.

Sounds to me like you're not establishing your puddle before you try to dip. If you don't have a molten puddle when you try to dip the arc will bounce off the piece and hit the filler and basically make it completely useless.

Parameters would also help.

TannerS14

I have an HTP 221 coming from a miller, i struggled with a contamination issue pretty badly on aluminum unless i would get it SPOTLESS, and i mean, wet sanded with 1000 grit spotless. Tried all different types of tungsten's, thoriated was the one i tried most, ceriated is good at low amperage, anything above 100 amps it just melts.

Then i did some research, and 2% lanthanated (blue) has great arc carrying characteristics. It is the only tungsten i have used on aluminum that will actually maintain a point and not develop a nodule on the end like thoriated does, yet still have good starting and low amperage capability. There is a website called diomondgroundtungstens or something or other. I was so frustrated buying 8 packs of tungstens that sucked, but they offer free samples!! Just order'd a second sample of 1/8 2% thoriated to see how it does on reall thick stuff.

that-guy

i'll check and see what my settings were when i get home. on the top of the welder it tells me exactly what i need to do, the only thing i had different from their settings was the tungsten. i tried to make a puddle, but no matter how long i held the torch there or how hot, it just wouldn't happen. i'm not having this problem with steel, so i am just baffled. i am trying this on a piece of aluminum angle i had laying around that is pretty thick, but figured i could just lay some beads on top of it

i connected the ground directly onto the angle. the arc seems to wander a bit and i tried several different angles to hold the torch and how far from the material. i can't even get close to the material without the radiating heat from the arc melting the rod. the tungsten is again 1/16th red and i tried 1/16 and 3/32 4043 rod and both of them ball up the same. i tried the lowest heat setting suggested on the machine and went far past what the highest suggested setting is, and all with the same result. this problem also appears to be the same wether i am on AC or DC

TurboChurch

If the material is so thick you cannot establish a puddle with less than 200 amps, you need to preheat the material first. Then use the highest setting you have and use the foot pedal to back off the heat once you get your puddle and dip filler quickly after that.

Ive done motorcycle frames and several 1/4" plate fabrications with tha above technique. You can preheat with the torch by covering the majority of it and the coming back to where you want to start and apply your maximum heat and then wait till it pools. Aluminum dissapates heat quickly which is why it take alot of amps to get started but once it starts it moves quickly with less heat.

Hope that helps.

that-guy

would i be wrong to assume that even with thick material that the puddle should still form on the surface? i tried doing two scrap pieces of alum. IC pipe i had laying around, and it melted through it before even allowing a puddle to form, and that was on a low setting

essex

Keep your filler far back from the torch , heat the piece untill you see a reflection of your tungsten (shiny) then go in and dip your filler then pull it back. If you keep your filler close before you get a puddle you are just preheating your filler and by the time you move it to the arc it ***** up.

use the 3/32 filler its easier to learn on.

that-guy

thats the problem, i can't even get the puddle to form. i was reading up a bit ago and i think i may have sharpened my tungsten improperly by rolling it along a die grinder instead of vertically parallel to a bench grinder

jooky5

you have it on AC?

that-guy

yes...i tried again last night using a higher amperage (about 125 when the box gave me a range of like 70-140 for my material, tungsten, etc...) when before i was on the low end of about 70-80...i got a small puddle, but still the rod ***** up. do i need to pull away the torch, then dip, then put it back into the puddle again inorder to get my bead going???

sorry if these seem like dumb questions, but i got the hang of steel really fast and it doesn't seem to be the case for aluminum

essex

What size was the material? It is best to learn on 1/8 or 1/16 not 1/4. use 3/32 tungsten sharpen to a point and 3/32 filler. Are you using a pedal? Put the amps to 120 and hit the pedal and give it a lot of heat fast

What is the balance settings?

spiceisler

I have the same machine and it welds aluminum fine. I use the green tungsten though. What I found is that when using 115V I have to turn up the amps more than if I was using 220V. Crank it up a bit and see if that helps.

that-guy

some people tell me that the red tungsten is fine, some tell me to use the green, some say 1/16, others say 3/32...What is the rule of thumb when it comes to tungsten?

that-guy

i realize that the amperage needs to be turned up to create the puddle. i have gotten the puddle for form, but the rod still ***** up when i go in to dip, that is where i am getting frustrated

will the green tungsten somehow create a different kind of arc where the heat expansion isn't so great as to ball up the rod before entering the puddle?

Jenkinsal2

3/32 red will be fine. As I asked before, what is your torch angle?

that-guy

i only have a 1/16 red right now, but i just put in an order for a bunch of consumables, so i have 1/16 and 3/32 of both red and green on the way, plus many more cups and collets. my torch angle is between 15 and 20*

i am also getting a used bench grinder on Monday with unused wheels, so i'll beable to get a proper, uncontaminated sharpening from here on out

spiceisler

A lot of ppl say stay away from the green with inverter machines but I'm getting a little mixed-up regarding the green. I've had no problems using it though with this machine and the red does not weld well on aluminum (based on experience). I have not used any other color. Here is what I found:

http://www.aglevtech.net/faq.html

essex

Are you pulling your filler hand back? Pull it back so stays cool and the only way it will melt is in your puddle

what is the balance at?

that-guy

i have tried pulling back my arc, but it still ***** up the rod. i just got a new/used bench grider so i can now sharpen my tungsten properly. i think that may be my problem. i have read that with the tungsten grooves not being vertical, the arc can produce earlier than the tip, so hopefully this will solve some of the issues, as well as some new/larger cups since the welder only came with 5, 6, and 7. just waiting for all of this to come in, then i will give it another go

essex

Pulling back your arc or your rod? Pull the rod back not the arc

SovXietday

How thick are you trying to weld? Go on ebay and order yourself a piece of like 1/16 6061 plate, it'll be like $25 shipped. If you're trying to weld a thick piece of aluminum it will take forever for a puddle to form, and when it does it will be weak. Thinner stuff and start out nice and hot, you'll get the feel for how things move with aluminum better that way.

Tungsten size goes up with amperage. Technically you're really supposed to use 1/16 for anything under around 75amps give or take, but most of us here stick with 3/32 for everything. Just makes life easier to stick with one size as 3/32 will do 200+amps (considering this is a car forum, most of us working on cars don't weld much beyond that except for big aluminum stuff).

Green is for transformer machines, it does not work well on inverters. You have an inverter. My suggestion, since you're about to buy consumables, check out the arc-zone hybrid (light blue) stuff. Works great on aluminum and steel, I use it at home. Very stable arc.

I think mainly your issue lies in the fact that you're using too thick of a test piece. Get your hands on something no thicker than 1/8 to learn on.

that-guy

i am just trying to lay beads on top of a piece of angle alum. i would assume that a puddle could still form on the surface no matter how thick it is. i actually did form a puddle last time when i turned up the amps, but the rod still balled up, and i think its because the arc was spiratic since i didn't properly sharpen the tungsten, and i think i may have had too small of a cup. when all of my consumables come in i will give it another go, but there is no reason to burn through more rod until then

SovXietday

Aluminum isn't like steel. It is such a great heatsink that it will pull the heat from where you're trying to weld. If you're aluminum is too thick for your amperage, it will take you forever to get a poor puddle, and you'll never get it to work.

For example, I weld 1/8 around 125-150amps, so if you're trying to weld something considerably thicker than that, you need to get smaller base material to start with.

that-guy

that makes sense...so if i understand you right, because alum. is a heat sink, it will absorb the heat from the arc all over instead of just where i am pointing the arc, unlike steel where the heat is intended for one area and pretty much stays there?