Aluminum TIG

[wendell]

Just finished my first Aluminum project and I wanted to run some settings by you guys. I was extending the top of a 36 inch flume for water control between cranberry bogs. The material was all 3000 series.

The welds included:
1/8 to 1/8 but weld 150A
1/8 to1/4 fillet weld 200A
1/4 to 1/4 but weld 200A
1/16 to 1/16 lap weld aprx. 100A

Settings:
3/32 pure tungsten
#7 cup
13 CFM 100% Argon
AC Balance "5" (half way between EP and EN on a syncrowave 300)
3/32 ER4043

I've very happy w/ the results. I'd like to get some oppinions on the settings because I'm going to be doing the same thing for a neighbor this weekend. I'm considering using larger filler material on the fillets because the 3/32 went fast. I'll try to post pics of the finished product this weekend. till then I'll let you see the raddest dog ever. The Beast (rip).

[arcdawg]

sorry to hear bout the dog man... sure was a beauty !

d-

[dyn88]

FYI aluminum rod does go much more quikly than steel. youll find you use about three times as much

[wendell]

Dyn88,
because of the faster rate of the AL rod, should I step up in size or just keep using the 3/32? Do the settings and amperage seem about right? Did I use the right filler material?

I'd be a little shocked if I did everything right the first time by accident.

[ASKANDY]

Wendell,

Sounds right on the money. I'd put the balance up to 7 but it won't hurt you where you set it. It also would have been easier to weld the 1/16th lap weld with 1/16th filler. As a rule of thumb... don't use a filler metal that's thicker than the base metal. This will help you not to put too much heat into the base metal while trying to melt that bigger filler.

Good job.

Andy