Welder here, I primarily work with aluminum and SS using TIG. This is a great video! My 2 cents after training a good number of new welders is to really focus on the where the arc is pointing. On DC TIG its a bit more forgiving but on Aluminum with AC its not so much. I commonly see the top plate get melted back in almost a key hole fashion which means your tungsten is just a bit too high up assuming correct angle. This video does a great job of showing you how close your tungsten needs to be
Hi - my problem is starting the pool - my arc seems to change between on plate then another - when i watch you the arc stays lovely and focussed. Any suggestions greatly appreciated from a total beginner
Struggling with the same thing - arc jumps between plates. I cheated by quickly jamming in some filler wire - not sure how much that affects penetration though.
The way your tungsten is shapend could have alot to do with that im not trying to act like im professional but i go to a welding school and im at a tig welding aluminim job welding pontoon boats but you want yoyr tungsten sharpend at a ball point and you want ti sharpen it with the grain of your tungsten
Great tip! I have several of them. They are great for shielding heat during welding, but I use mine a lot when I have to hold metal close to the tacking location. I also like how they slide over the metal. I also like to support Jody’s store because I really appreciate all that he has done for the welding community over the years.
So youre setting the machine to 150 amps and mashing the pedal? I dont think you talked about what you were doing with the pedal while welding, unless i missed it.
Great tips Tim, thank you. Would love to see you explain the different types and sizes of MIG wire to use on various thicknesses of steel. What thought process do you use to determine wire type and size before starting a job.
Thanks! I use .030 for almost everything. My most common thicknesses are 16g and 1/8” (3mm), which is ideal for this wire, but I can run it anywhere from 20g up to 1/4” (6mm). I do keep a spool of .035” on hand that I’ll load in if I’m welding more in the 3/16”-3/8” range. If you’re only doing auto body or thin sheet, .025 is an option. You can stretch the range quite a bit, so I prefer to just use a middle of the road option to keep it simple.
One of the biggest problems I finally figured out was not having enough post flow. If there is not enough it fowls the tungsten and messes with everything. Seems like a no brainer now but it messed with me for a while before I figured it out.
Great tip! It’s easy to overlook that on aluminum because it doesn’t discolor like steel and stainless, but it is definitely important to keep the electrode in good shape.
Great tips. I haven’t see the mention about increasing amperage many other places, so I’ve been messing with different technique and torch height thinking that must be the problem.
I know this video is 2 years old, but I am wondering why you use the large aluminum plate (or I assume it’s an aluminum plate) to weld your aluminum coupons on?
What I'm running into moving over to aluminum is that the filler is consumed quicker causing the puddle to rise quite a bit more with each feed. and with tight arc length, the puddle is bumping my tungsten more. Is it just a matter of just loosening up the arc length or is there also angle changes that help with this?
You might need a little longer arc. Everything is somewhat scaled up with aluminum. You can raise the torch very slightly when you add filler. A lot of people do that and it works well, but I don't and have just adjusted to an arc length that works for me.
hi i m on the curse and they teaching how to walk the cup on t joints what do u think a cant free hand it s hard for me because i can t rest my hand anywhere please help
I can tell the difference when you’re talking about other types of welding processes…😂 You can tell you’re passionate about tig welding and I don’t blame you… I’m jealous, I wish I could weld like that.
I'm having problems with popping sounds when I'm doing AC on aluminum. I've tried cleaning the heck out of the material, but I think it has something to do with the filler material. It seems like it happens most often when I add filler, the tungsten doesn't look like it has aluminum on it, but its not a chrome ball either. Fairly certain I'm not touching the tungsten....
When you add filler in aluminum welding it will get sucked right into your electrode, and you'll get that pop. Some guys will pull away as they add filler, then run it down. Your torch angle also has a lot of influence there.
Thanks! I’ve seen a few of your videos, and you’re making some great stuff! I just use a canon DSLR (mine is an RP, but my T6i worked almost as well). I use an ND filter and manually mess with the focus, aperture and ISO. I’m sure there’s a more efficient way to do it, but that’s what I do. Keep up the great work!
Great video, I'd love to see a cut and etch on those. I think my welds look good until I open them up and realize I totally favored one side or another. Keep up the great content!
I work at an aerospace company. Their fillet weld qualification tests have a ridiculous Min & Max height of anywhere from .042" to .120" on each leg of the fillet. Inspection is scrutinizing as all hell and God forbid you pass tolerance. And that's just aluminum...
I know the exact test you’re referring to. I have so much respect for you guys who do that! Most of my career has been spent in aerospace engine manufacturing (as an engineer, not a welder) and I was inspired on a daily basis by the skill of the welders I worked with. My welding side hustle really helped me understand what a real challenge it is.
This is an incredibly stupid question that I can’t seem to find an answer to… where do you place your ground for TIG welding? I’m assuming it’s clamped to the underside of your table?
You can learn to weld. I'll show you exactly what to do in my affordable online welding courses at courses.timwelds.com.
Welder here, I primarily work with aluminum and SS using TIG. This is a great video! My 2 cents after training a good number of new welders is to really focus on the where the arc is pointing. On DC TIG its a bit more forgiving but on Aluminum with AC its not so much. I commonly see the top plate get melted back in almost a key hole fashion which means your tungsten is just a bit too high up assuming correct angle. This video does a great job of showing you how close your tungsten needs to be
I was just struggling through TIG fillet joints in the shop today. This could not have come at a better time. Thank you!!
Hi - my problem is starting the pool - my arc seems to change between on plate then another - when i watch you the arc stays lovely and focussed. Any suggestions greatly appreciated from a total beginner
Struggling with the same thing - arc jumps between plates. I cheated by quickly jamming in some filler wire - not sure how much that affects penetration though.
The way your tungsten is shapend could have alot to do with that im not trying to act like im professional but i go to a welding school and im at a tig welding aluminim job welding pontoon boats but you want yoyr tungsten sharpend at a ball point and you want ti sharpen it with the grain of your tungsten
@@joe-cody8529 I'm not a pro either, but I heard you don't have to ball tungsten on an inverter. That's just for transformers, or so I'm told.
@@strayedarticle2838 correct
Ive also found out a 60 degree taper on the tungsten also works if you dont like balling
You're right. It is like starting over. I have flat beads pretty much down. The filet weld is a hot mess.
Just a really great job Tim, helped me greatly, got so good with Stainless but then doing ALUM was another learning curve.
How does stainless compare to alu? I'm starting with alu due to a job I have but will have to do stainless soon.
Good video, thanks. Speaking about the heat when holding the torch, go to the Weldmonger store and get the original and the XL TIG fingers from Jody.
Great tip! I have several of them. They are great for shielding heat during welding, but I use mine a lot when I have to hold metal close to the tacking location. I also like how they slide over the metal. I also like to support Jody’s store because I really appreciate all that he has done for the welding community over the years.
What frequency are you typically running on these welds?
So youre setting the machine to 150 amps and mashing the pedal? I dont think you talked about what you were doing with the pedal while welding, unless i missed it.
Nice video! , I needed a refresher on aluminum t joints so this video was perfect!
Great tips Tim, thank you. Would love to see you explain the different types and sizes of MIG wire to use on various thicknesses of steel. What thought process do you use to determine wire type and size before starting a job.
Thanks! I use .030 for almost everything. My most common thicknesses are 16g and 1/8” (3mm), which is ideal for this wire, but I can run it anywhere from 20g up to 1/4” (6mm). I do keep a spool of .035” on hand that I’ll load in if I’m welding more in the 3/16”-3/8” range. If you’re only doing auto body or thin sheet, .025 is an option. You can stretch the range quite a bit, so I prefer to just use a middle of the road option to keep it simple.
One of the biggest problems I finally figured out was not having enough post flow. If there is not enough it fowls the tungsten and messes with everything. Seems like a no brainer now but it messed with me for a while before I figured it out.
Great tip! It’s easy to overlook that on aluminum because it doesn’t discolor like steel and stainless, but it is definitely important to keep the electrode in good shape.
Great tips. I haven’t see the mention about increasing amperage many other places, so I’ve been messing with different technique and torch height thinking that must be the problem.
Thanks! Torch height is the most important thing, but it’s really hard to flow the puddle without enough amperage.
Love your videos! Very informative and well thought out!
I know this video is 2 years old, but I am wondering why you use the large aluminum plate (or I assume it’s an aluminum plate) to weld your aluminum coupons on?
Top tips there.going from steel to ally isn't easy
Very imformative. Thank you!
Great Video Tim! Glad you are enjoying the Invertig 221 so far.
Thanks! It runs as smooth as any machine I’ve used.
What I'm running into moving over to aluminum is that the filler is consumed quicker causing the puddle to rise quite a bit more with each feed. and with tight arc length, the puddle is bumping my tungsten more. Is it just a matter of just loosening up the arc length or is there also angle changes that help with this?
You might need a little longer arc. Everything is somewhat scaled up with aluminum. You can raise the torch very slightly when you add filler. A lot of people do that and it works well, but I don't and have just adjusted to an arc length that works for me.
hi i m on the curse and they teaching how to walk the cup on t joints what do u think a cant free hand it s hard for me because i can t rest my hand anywhere please help
Your demos are good and your words accurate, My single wish for improvement is to use about half as many words. Thanks
Thanks! I try to trim it down, but I always have room to improve.
I can tell the difference when you’re talking about other types of welding processes…😂 You can tell you’re passionate about tig welding and I don’t blame you… I’m jealous, I wish I could weld like that.
I'm having problems with popping sounds when I'm doing AC on aluminum. I've tried cleaning the heck out of the material, but I think it has something to do with the filler material. It seems like it happens most often when I add filler, the tungsten doesn't look like it has aluminum on it, but its not a chrome ball either. Fairly certain I'm not touching the tungsten....
When you add filler in aluminum welding it will get sucked right into your electrode, and you'll get that pop. Some guys will pull away as they add filler, then run it down. Your torch angle also has a lot of influence there.
Thanks for that
Great lesson! Thanks
Really enjoying your channel thanks for the good content. What camera do you use to get such great Arc shots?
Thanks! I’ve seen a few of your videos, and you’re making some great stuff! I just use a canon DSLR (mine is an RP, but my T6i worked almost as well). I use an ND filter and manually mess with the focus, aperture and ISO. I’m sure there’s a more efficient way to do it, but that’s what I do. Keep up the great work!
Right back at you and thanks for the reply. 😎
Is the filler rod supposed to touch the tungsten or just the puddle?
Just the puddle. If it touches the tungsten, you’ll need to stop and dress the electrode.
Great video, I'd love to see a cut and etch on those. I think my welds look good until I open them up and realize I totally favored one side or another. Keep up the great content!
Thanks! It’s always a great idea to do a quick test to see how things are going.
I work at an aerospace company. Their fillet weld qualification tests have a ridiculous Min & Max height of anywhere from .042" to .120" on each leg of the fillet. Inspection is scrutinizing as all hell and God forbid you pass tolerance. And that's just aluminum...
I know the exact test you’re referring to. I have so much respect for you guys who do that! Most of my career has been spent in aerospace engine manufacturing (as an engineer, not a welder) and I was inspired on a daily basis by the skill of the welders I worked with. My welding side hustle really helped me understand what a real challenge it is.
Thanks for the information
You are definitely welcome!
This is an incredibly stupid question that I can’t seem to find an answer to… where do you place your ground for TIG welding? I’m assuming it’s clamped to the underside of your table?
Fantastic
Nice
Thanks Ivana!
8:30 minutes talking and 30!secondas welds😂😂😂
We are here for learning and not just a show.