Tig welding help. Aluminum, Yes Wedler 200P

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As a beginner and assuming you have the Everlast MTS 275. Learn to weld on the 2T setting.
1/8 clean alum setting is around 150 to160 amps
1/4 about 200 amps
5-sec pre-flow
10-sec post flow.
Hertz 120 for now.
Arc force about 33%
2% lantenated blue tungsten
Ignore the 4T crap for now.
Weld with the pedal until you learn.

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43

There’s some great info on here.

I really like what you get from the primeweld 325x for the price.

For Tig I use the Dynasty 210, 120-480 V - no problem with 1/4" at 210 amps
And for Mig I use the Millermatic 255 MIG/Pulsed MIG Welder - 208/240V and XR-Aluma-Pro push-pull gun.

I wouldn’t suggest getting any of these, but the Millermatic 255 does 18ga to 1/2’’ aluminum

Here’s some really good info on prep and welding aluminum

Miller Shop Talk Aluminum Series - there are 7 videos

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44

That is the stuff I was looking for. Settings to get started.

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I started with 130A, balance 25%, pulse off, 2T using the pedal? The screen has 2T,4T and pedal selection. 1/8” alum just trying a basic row of nickels :slight_smile:

I think I was at 120hz as well. I was trying gray and red tungsten. How should tungsten be preped? I used a grinder with a shaper point. Many say ball the tip. Best way to create a ball?
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Turn the balance up to 50 or so and get a scrap piece of steel. Copper would be my first choice, and if I put an arc down on that steel, you will see the tungsten ball up. It’s just a tiny ball. Remember to reset the arc force{ balance} back to 30. Get yourself some 2% lanthanated blue tungsten. It will weld better.

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Red or gray will work, but I prefer the blue. Again just my two cents

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I don’t bother balling the tungsten. I just sharpen it to a point and it works fine.

Don’t wait too long on that puddle. With aluminum, you just need it to turn shiny. As soon as it’s shiny, start adding filler and moving.

2% Lanthanted tungsten, 30% balance, 120 hz frequency.

Clean the oxide from the surface right before welding. Oxide melts at a higher temperature and that may be why you’re burning holes. By the time it gets hot enough to melt the oxide layer, the base metal is already melted.

I use Scotch Brite to clean the weld area before welding.

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Do I switch to DC or keep it on AC for Alum?

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Thanks! I did clean it well with a scotch brite pad. What do you normally do with the pedal starting off? Most of the pedal to get the puddle started then back off to about 2/3 the starting amps? Do you find your self using the pedal to regulate the power or is your foot pretty consistent and it’s more of the speed feed and travel?

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Turn it to DC to ball it. I do exactly like @ds690 does
I sharpenen the point and weld. Old transformer machine it is a necessity. Inverter machine not so much.
Watch this guys YouTube channel. weldmonger youtube - Google Search
Get it shiny and start walking the dog. As the aluminum heats up you will need to slightly back off on the pedal. Edge starts require feathering the pedal also. You got this. You will master this simply because you actually want to learn. A rarity these days.

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52

Aluminum gets hot fast, so you will definitely need to pay attention to what’s happening and back off on the power as you go.

With tig welding any metal, there is a lot to pay attention to. It takes a while to get comfortable enough with the basics of arc length, torch angle, filler rod feeding and angle, that it’s hard to pay attention to anything else. Once those things become natural, it’s easier to pay attention to the width of the weld puddle and how much heat is necessary to keep it consistent.

If your weld puddle starts getting wider and sinking into the base metal, you’re way too hot.

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53

I start by easing into it with the pedal until I get the shiny spot then start really pushing the pedal. But remember, the hotter you go with the pedal, the faster you’ll need to move & dip so find a good balance where you’ve got a good puddle and dip but where you’re not making a river :slightly_smiling_face:

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Everyone tig welds with different settings. The rule of thumb is 1 amp per thousands of metal thickness on cold metal. Once you get over 1/4" this will change.

I always tell any one just starting out to learn how to WELD first. Then learn all the settings and what they do. Then you can use them to your advantage.

When I was giving tig lessons you would start welding metal with a scratch start rig with no foot pedal or adjustments. Once you got that down then you moved on to a pedal and a few adjustments, then Aluminum and Stainless.

I have a few different tig welders. They all have CK torch’s some water cooled some air cooled. CK Stubby gas lenses with a #7 or #8 cup, 3/32" tungsten. If I am using a .040" or .020" tungsten then a #5 cup. These are my go to settings for most common jobs.
Steel, DC mode, amps controlled with foot pedal. What ever is needed for the job.
No pre-flow.
5 to 7 seconds post flow. Argon flow set at 20cfh.
red or blue tungsten, sharpened to a 30 degree point then point flattened. tungsten size will depend on amps used and thickness of metal.
Aluminum, most of the same settings as metal but in AC mode, balance 30% negative, hertz 80 ( this will give you a little more heat), tungsten blue or purple sharpened the same as steel, post flow 10 seconds.
Stainless, same settings as mild steel but 2 seconds pre-flow, 10 seconds post flow. always start with clean metal and clean sharpened tungsten, always keep the tungsten over the end weld till the post flow has stopped to keep your tungsten free of contamination. This goes for all tig welds. If you see any color or its black on the point of the tungsten its contamination and will need to be re-sharpened, it will also cause hard starting the next weld.

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Any idea why my TIG welds on stainless steel turn out dark gray? Even at low amps around 40-50 on thin steel I burn through or if I am not burning through, its laying down dark gray beads. Using 201 SS with 308 filler. Tried 3/32 and 1/16 rod, as well as tungsten.

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What size cup and are you using a gas lens.?Stainless is very reactive at welding temp and needs good argon coverage. The gray is contamination from the hot stainless being exposed to air.

You should be using at least a #12 cup with a gas lens and about 25 cfh gas flow.

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Thanks. I’ve been using a size 8 cup w/gas lens at about 20 cfh. I tried higher gas as well. I do have a champaign glass cup, its huge with gas lens that I could try. Sounds like gas coverage and cup size. I’ll try with a larger cup

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Also you need to be moving when welding stainless. There can not be any fans or AC blowing were your welding as it will blow the argon away from the weld area.

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That was probably my problem!