First tig beads with syncrowave 200 on aluminum

[diyengineer]

Specs:
Syncrowave 200 TIG, aircooled torch, AC, 75% balance, no pulse, orange band 2% ceriated 3/32" tungston sharpened to point, tungston 1/4" extension from cup, .150" 6061-T6 aluminum, 150amps, 25CFH pure argon, 4043 filler rod, cleaned with brass brush, 91% iso-alcohol.

Picture 1: First tig bead ever. (after i fixed the gas issue).

Picture 2: Torch would NOT keep a arc, it danced around. Come to find out the collet was installed upside down, blocking all the gas ports. Opps.

Picture 3: A result from no gas on the tungston, it tore up my tip in seconds. (what not to do haha).

I feel like i used to much power (150amps) The "dimes were stacked, but could have stacked with more definition if i maybe of let it cool a hair longer till i stacked the next. Started on the right hand side, finished on the left side.

I only had a quarter of formal welding training in high school but only involved stick and mig, and was 5 years ago. Never touched a tig till today, but i have been watching some really good professionals on youtube so i think that really helps to see how the process goes down. Tomorrow i plan on throwing down a hundred or so beads that are about 6" long. I need to get the feel for the puddle and how much heat to use.

Anyways, please comment, or throw me any tig/aluminum tips! Anything will help since this is day 1. lol.

Thanks!

[pinjas]

Right on, I am hoping you've done a few 100 of these by now. Maybe you've laid out a few joints at this point?

[Dzogchen]

Hi! Good job! I'm an Indycar fabricator and do tons of aluminum welding on thin stuff, pretty much self-taught. But I read alot and have worked with some really great craftsmen out of aerospace and F1, so here's what I've got for you:
Aircooled torches will not stand up to long duty cycles on aluminum unless they are REALLY heavy duty. So you'll probably need to let it cool down every few minutes if you're on a big project using lots of amperage. Just take plenty of breaks, maybe talk to the torch manufacturer for guidelines. If this is a machine for production, consider getting a water-cooler and torch.
Always use a stainless steel brush. Have a brush that is only used on aluminum. Brush in only one direction, not back and forth, lengthwise with the weld joint. Do not use abrasives for prep.
Less is more when it comes to amperage setting. Start at about 1 amp/.001" material thickness (1/16th" = 62A) and increase as neccesary. This will give you more control over your heat. So when you start your job, the mat'l is cold. Full power will take a coupla' seconds to melt it. This is fine as long as it isn't too long. As the work heats up, you will need less power. This is when you will see the benefit of better resolution by having a lower setting initially. But at the same time, not too cool on the amps. Don't be afraid to turn it up...
Practice!
Use the right size tungsten and filler rod. I prefer mat'l thickness for tungsten and one size above mat'l thicknes for rod, especially at butt-joints.
I use acetone for cleaning, but alky seems like it is probably fine. Never used it, but I'm gonna give it a try!
Keep your foot active. Finesse is the name of the game...

Good luck!

[Dzogchen]

And also, clean BEFORE brushing!

[pinjas]

I think he means, hit the area with a bit of acetone or rubbing alcohol before you begin brushing and wipe it off with clean paper towel. The purpose of these fluids is to remove any kind of oils or other contaminants that could interfere with the welding process and weaken the joint in general. The great thing about rubbing alcohol and acetone is they both dry extremely quickly. I feel that in most situations, acetone is major over kill, not to mention it's toxic and bad for you to breath and touch. Most of the time I use 99% rubbing alcohol, I can put it into a plastic spray bottle and not destroy it like acetone does.

[diyengineer]

Hi! Good job! I'm an Indycar fabricator and do tons of aluminum welding on thin stuff, pretty much self-taught. But I read alot and have worked with some really great craftsmen out of aerospace and F1, so here's what I've got for you:
Aircooled torches will not stand up to long duty cycles on aluminum unless they are REALLY heavy duty. So you'll probably need to let it cool down every few minutes if you're on a big project using lots of amperage. Just take plenty of breaks, maybe talk to the torch manufacturer for guidelines. If this is a machine for production, consider getting a water-cooler and torch.
Always use a stainless steel brush. Have a brush that is only used on aluminum. Brush in only one direction, not back and forth, lengthwise with the weld joint. Do not use abrasives for prep.
Less is more when it comes to amperage setting. Start at about 1 amp/.001" material thickness (1/16th" = 62A) and increase as neccesary. This will give you more control over your heat. So when you start your job, the mat'l is cold. Full power will take a coupla' seconds to melt it. This is fine as long as it isn't too long. As the work heats up, you will need less power. This is when you will see the benefit of better resolution by having a lower setting initially. But at the same time, not too cool on the amps. Don't be afraid to turn it up...
Practice!
Use the right size tungsten and filler rod. I prefer mat'l thickness for tungsten and one size above mat'l thicknes for rod, especially at butt-joints.
I use acetone for cleaning, but alky seems like it is probably fine. Never used it, but I'm gonna give it a try!
Keep your foot active. Finesse is the name of the game...

Good luck!

Thanks for the info!! I have some new pics i will have to load up of a aluminum frame i welded together.

[Drassk]

The great thing about rubbing alcohol and acetone is they both dry extremely quickly. I feel that in most situations, acetone is major over kill, not to mention it's toxic and bad for you to breath and touch. Most of the time I use 99% rubbing alcohol, I can put it into a plastic spray bottle and not destroy it like acetone does.

The 'acetone is major poison' thing is a myth. In fact, your body makes a bunch of it and it's already in your blood and a lot of foods you eat. It smells, but it's the safest solvent in your shop. Straight ethanol has a lower lethal dosage if ingested...

Acetone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[pinjas]

Well my face is red, that is extremely interesting. I've heard in a few videos that acetone is toxic and you don't want to breath it or get it on your skin, seeing as how it is strong acid I assumed that to be true, maybe it's time I find a way to spray acetone onto a surface. Thanks for sharing.

[Drassk]

I was a little surprised, based on things I'd been told, the first time I looked it up. Acetone and cyanoacrylate (superglue) are the two things in the shop I'd been most warned about the massive dangers of...and they're probably the two safest compounds in there.

Acetone isn't acidic. If you poured acid on your hand it would burn quite a bit. Pour acetone on your hand and you'll have quite the opposite feeling: it has a really high vapour pressure so it makes your hand really cold when it evaporates.

[pinjas]

Hah, I have gotten acetone on my skin, I guess I just assumed that the fluid itself was cold which is why my skin felt that way.

[diyengineer]

http://mfc.engr.arizona.edu/safety/M...ER/Acetone.pdf

acetone is dangerous. Dont be fooled.

Superglue fumes are just as dangerous. Try huffing it and see how that works out for you.

MSDS doesn't lie.

[Drassk]

In the MSDS you posted, it's listed as a 1 out of 5 on health hazard. The MSDS lists the exact same effects and severity that are listed in the wikipedia article. You'll find it a good habit to actually read the documents you post to support your assertions, just to make sure that they actually do.

As for cyanoacrylate...read the MSDS. The irritation you experience when you're exposed to the vapours is the stuff curing on your mucous membranes or eyeballs, but it's not toxic. One of my favourite MSDS's for CA actually says under ingestion that it's a non-issue as it'll cure in the mouth before someone can swallow it...so the problem is oral burns from the exotherm.

You were right, though...superglue fumes are just as dangerous. The danger is just not what you thought it was. They're both irritants, but not really toxic in the levels we're exposed to in using them.