DCSP Aluminum with 200DX

[Swift]

I'll bet Hawk about breaks his mouse from clicking on this one so fast! I hope he clicks it anyway!

I'm looking for some info on this process for doing some tooling type stuff. Info like gas mix (Ar, Ar/He, or straight He), tungsten size, and other pertinent stuff. I guess prep work is critical since you're not blasting off the oxides. Also, I hear that the puddle looks different than with AC. Any info will be appreciated and some pics of what one of these finished joints looks like would be great.

Hawk, I'm curious, how do you like your Dynasty?
Just kidding man, from reading your posts I think it's quit obvious! It's hard not to love these things!

Take care,
Swift

[HAWK]

Swift,

I like my Dynasty! With DCSP on aluminum you want to run 100% helium. You get a tremendous amount of penetration using this process. Material prep is critical since you have no arc cleaning action. Stainless steel brush and Scotch-Brite are good mechanical cleaners. Use acetone or toluene for a chemical cleaner. Be ready to weld once the chemicals evaporate. I don't have any pictures to post and recently sold my customer owned 90CF helium. I am only running pure argon and a 75%helium /25%argon mix on AC for aluminum.
Experiment and let us know. It is for sure a frustrating process to learn!

[HAWK]

Swift,

Sorry for the delay I had to hunt a new mouse from the geek closet!
Through trial and error I have found the Dynasty prefers 1.5% lanthanated tungsten. I don't run anything larger than a 3/32" even on the 300. I don't even stock any other type tungsten. I use this for AC and DC. Prep it by sharpening to a point. A small flat on the end is helpful on AC, but a plain point is fine for DCSP with helium. Once you establish a puddle and are able to run with it you had better go. Helium is a much hotter gas than argon. BEST OF LUCK! This is not for the impatient.

[Swift]

Take it easy on that mouse Hawk!

I'll see about getting a bottle of helium and giving it a try. I appreciate your response. You are a great asset to this forum!

Take care,
Swift

[HAWK]

Swift,

This process was taught in welding schools some years back as a have to type scenario. If you have the Dynasty, I would stick to AC for aluminum and use a 75%helium/25% argon mix to increase your heat for thicker and/or larger square footage weldments unless you are just wanting to experiment. My DCSP and helium welding was a have to case. I did not have a Dynasty at the time. I was running a 350 amp engine drive and scratch starting with DC TIG. Helium is rather expensive and I would avoid this process unless its a learning situation or a specific application that cannot otherwise be welded. Let me know If I can help you further. Thanks for the asset comment!

[HAWK]

Swift,

What is it you are welding that needs to be done on DCSP with helium? Do you not have the necessary amperage on AC to accomplish the job? There are some helpful procedures without rersorting to DCSP: multipass welding, preheating, thermal blanketing to name a few.

[Swift]

Sorry for the late reply Hawk but I've been out of pocket over the weekend.

I really don't have an application right now that needs DCSP. I just thought it would be a good process to learn that may help me out later on. I work in the aircraft industry and a really sharp welder from Boeing was telling me about some real thick and large area Al castings that "nobody could weld". He said he DCSP'd them with no problem. We were going to fire up one of our Sync 350's for a little demo but ran out of time. He was hear to weld up some cracks in some titanium structure on one of our fatigue test planes.

BTW, I have been running orange ceriated tungstens in my Dynasty with no real complaints. I would like to give lanthanated a try if you think it's better.

Thanks again for your help!

Tace care,
Swift

[HAWK]

Swift,

The ceriated is good, but lanthanated is definitely better. Your Boeing buddy is right. If your are an experienced aircraft welder, you will have no problem! Do you weld any beta alloy titanium?

[HAWK]

Swift,

The 350 is the machine to try it with for sure!

[Swift]

Hawk,

I am definately not a certified aircraft welder, much less experienced at it. If I made it sound like I was I didn't intend to. I am an electrical engineer for Lockheed and work in a structural test group. We are currently finishing up a full-scale fatigue test on the F-22. I do work with several certified aircraft welders but I got into it (TIG) about two years ago.

While the Boeing guy was out here I pretty much was in his back pocket. He was one of those guys that didn't mind telling you what he was doing and why he was doing it. I couldn't believ how much argon he used on the Ti. He was flowing around 65 cfh in his torch alone. Not to mention his trailer and 3 or 4 other hoses filling up what he had dambed up with foil tape. He really was interesting to talk to!

[HAWK]

Swift,

Titanium is a reactive metal and the high amount of shielding gas is used to protect the weld pool and surrounding area, via the large gas lens and trailing diffuser, until the temperature falls below 800 degrees. It's cool stuff!

I guess I just misread your post. My fault. Again good luck!

[Andy249]

Hawk,

Just for something not entirely related to the topic, I'm currently doing my MIG certification at college and I poked my head into the TIG bay and lo and behold what did I find? Dynasty 300s, not sure what model though. So I guess I might have to do my TIG certification once I am done with the MIG to find out why you rave on about them so much! Previous TIGs I have used have included the "pie warmer" type, the one with the knobs that you pull in and out like you are tuning an organ (I think their manufacturing date is prior to when I was born!!) and a Syncrowave 350.

Andy249

[HAWK]

Andy249,

Just spend a few hours with a Dynasty 300 DX and you will see why I rave about them. No matter what Miller has in store down the pike the D200DX and D300DX will always be truly awesome. I hope you get some arc time on one. Enjoy! Hopefully this one has push buttons rather than the analog dials. The analog dial D300 had sequence, but no pulse feature. That was at least 2 generations back.
I learned on an old Ideal-Arc sinewave machine. : NIght and Day!

[HAWK]

Andy249,

The new Dynasty 300DX will smoke the 350 Syncro. Even though the amperage on top end falls short the wave shaping characteristics and inverter arc more than make up the difference!