I have a Sync200.

Purchased RED (thor) tungsten today. The store clerk asked what I welded usually. I said SS and Al.

He said for Al. on my machine I should use GREEN (pure) tung. But, from reading here iirc people say to use RED thoriated tungsten for both SS and Al.

Reading in my Miller book, it looks like BROWN (zirconia) looks best fit for Al. But, I dont have a lot of know-how on the debate of tungstens, so your alls' input is greatly appreciated

 

I think alot of it is personal preferance, a guy i work with likes welding al with orange (i think) I know its a color I dont have or use, and its really really pricey. I use green on al, red on ss and ms. But either or they both work.

 

Where are you in KY?

 

Little town called cadiz, 3.5 hrs southwest from the ville.

 

using pure (green) works really well for a transformer machine, but for an inverter 2% thor red for everything (what I use anyway)

ive heard many people say not to use pure with inverters not sure technically why though

 

Sooner or later when I get some extra money, I will sell my SYNC200 and get a Dynasty200DX

 

For transformer machines, use thoriated for DC, and zirconiated for AC. brown is better than green because it has higher current carrying capabilities and is less prone to contamination. Hence why you use brown for x-ray work on aluminum. For inverter machines, lanthanated or ceriated for everything.

 

i paid like $7 for one stick of 1/16 thoriated. (pardon my spelling).

is the brown zirc. cheaper or more ?

 

That's WAY over priced. 2% Thoriated should be ~$20 for a pack of 10, 2% Ceriated [Orange] is ~$30 for a pack of 10, and last I looked 2% of Zirconiated is ~$35-$40 for a pack of 10.

For our transformer machine, I use either ceriated or thoriated for steel, pure for AL (but I do have contamination issues). For our inverter, I use thoriated only, but I've never done AL with that machine.

 

on my syn 250 at work i use pure for aluminum and 2% thoriated for steel and at home on my invertec i use 2% for everything.


mike

 

Yea, the place can burn in hell. I am going else where.

 

Yeah, find a local Airgas, there are 5-6 in the Louisville area.

 

just use 3/32 red for everything and be awesome.

Every shop I've worked at does this.

 

for the most part this is what a pro will tell you.
2% red is for stainless steel
pure green is for aluminum

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Goullish &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> For our inverter, I use thoriated only, but I've never done AL with that machine.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Why the hell not?!

 

.125 an thinner = 1/16 red
.125 and thicker = 3/32 red

aluminum, ss or steal = red

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bailhatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Why the hell not?!</TD></TR></TABLE>

We do very, very little aluminum over the year, and our inverter is our "field" welder, it only gets used at the races and lives mostly in the race trailer. We've never had an essential aluminum part fail at comp., so I've never had to use it for that. Honestly, it's a very unfamiliar machine to me, we just don't need to use it that much.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by manifoldmiketyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">.125 an thinner = 1/16 red
.125 and thicker = 3/32 red

aluminum, ss or steal = red</TD></TR></TABLE>

:high five:

Steal what?

 

Out of all tungstens I've used and compared, 2% Thoriated, Ceriated, and Lanthanated, I choose Lanthanated :D, gold for some reason I get a better start and a more precise arc with it. Just my two cents.