Ranger 9 AC Alum tig HELP! please!

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Hi and thaks in advance!I am new to tigging but not rod burning.I have a Ranger 9 that has AC Tig capability.I am trying to build Intake mani's for our race cars.setup: Amptrol pedal, 17v torch 1/16 pure and 2% thor (green and red)tungs varied stickout from nill to 1/2"  straight argon 10-20#  3/32" 4043 filler  Amps from 45 to 165  3/16 to 1/2" material.  Brushed, sanded, scraped, heated, wiped.I now I need to go to a bigger tung and orange or gold and a thinner fillerI tried every variation I could read about yesterday and All I did was melt coupons and burn up Tungs.   "skinned" potholed sooty, looked like pics of DC'd alum just generally crappy, looked like a short circut.I switched to some MS DC and co2 mix and had good enough results w/ and w/o filler so I know I at least understand the theory of tig.So heres the ?????'s Do I NEED/HAVE to have a freq box? (can you recomend one)Could my machine be not "clicking" into AC mode?Shouold I just suck it up and get a dedicated machine? (diversion or ?)Hope someone can send me down a better path.Last edited by snoman; 02-22-2009 at 02:22 PM.Reason: forgot something
Reply:I can't help you on the machine, although I believe you may need the HF box.I can tell you that if you have not tigged much, trying to start with alum is almost impossible unless you are very good at OA welding. Learn on steel 1st, THEN move to alum. Alum welds completely different than steel. If you can't manipulate the filler, torch, heat with steel, then trying to do alum is almost pointless.Oh, welcome to the forum. I'll PM you.Last edited by DSW; 02-22-2009 at 02:43 PM.
Reply:You are gonna need a Hi-freq box to tig aluminum off of a ranger 9.   Been there and done that.  You can spend tons of money in the process trying to figure out things that may work, but doing it right is gonna require the hi-freq box.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Originally Posted by Hammack_WeldingYou are gonna need a Hi-freq box to tig aluminum off of a ranger 9.   Been there and done that.  You can spend tons of money in the process trying to figure out things that may work, but doing it right is gonna require the hi-freq box.
Reply:I used a hi freq box on a G7 (older ranger 9) with luck.  It worked.  You have the luxury of a remote, mine would not take one.Mild steel needs PURE argon, so does the aluminum.  With out that,  you are not tig welding, you are making a mess.Hi freq is Hi freq.  I have a century box.  $100.00 if you want it.David Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:"I switched to some MS DC and co2 mix"Like David R said, TIG is usually pure argon; alum, steel or SS (helium mixes are hotter, more expensive). Co2 is a reactive gas and will cook your tungsten. Hi freq is what keeps the arc lit on AC. And AC is necessary for alum (for most applications).Last edited by Craig in Denver; 02-22-2009 at 05:56 PM.9-11-2001......We Will Never ForgetRetired desk jockey. Hobby weldor with a little training. Craftsman O/A---Flat, Vert, Ovhd, Horz. Miller Syncrowave 250
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI can't help you on the machine, although I believe you may need the HF box.I can tell you that if you have not tigged much, trying to start with alum is almost impossible unless you are very good at OA welding. Learn on steel 1st, THEN move to alum. Alum welds completely different than steel. If you can't manipulate the filler, torch, heat with steel, then trying to do alum is almost pointless.Oh, welcome to the forum. I'll PM you.
Reply:Originally Posted by sn0border88But yes, you need constant (not just start) high freq to weld aluminum.  As the arc switches from dc+ to dc- it will shut off for a brief period because the volts? are to low to maintain the arc.  The high freq enables it to keep an arc through the cycle.I would like to see the "good enough" welds with co2 mix, care to share your mistake?
Reply:You just used different words, dc+/- is also referred to as DCEN/EP.  And AC has plenty to do with DC, its not a different current AC means alternating, means it switches between DC EN/EP/+/-Have we all gone mad?
Reply:Remember I'm not a welder, more of a gorilla.Good enough is for here on the farm, but I'll get a pic tommarow.for all I know it is straight argon, I got the bottle second hand and was sure it had a CO2 mix sticker on it.  Didn't burn up my tung (i did lite one without gas.....opps) but left a funny orange almost rust colored trail behind.
Reply:[QUOTE=sn0border88;255731]You make it sound like aluminum is something only to be attempted once you've mastered all other processes.  There's a different technique to it for sure but that doesn't necessarily make it harder.Ever weld aluminum on an inverter machine?  Its almost exactly like welding steel.[QUOTE]Not my intention at all, sorry if you took it that way. From your suggestion it sounds like you would recommend starting out tiging alum with zero exp. though I doubt that's what you are really saying. My suggestion is to start as simple as possible and add complications after you have mastered the basics. The OA comment was more to the fact that if you have OA welded, than tig is nothing more than using an electric torch to do the same thing.And yes I have welded with an inverter and no it didn't weld like steel in any way. Could it, possibly. There are certainly a LOT more options and adjustments on the Dynasty 350. Still won't make it easier to weld if you don't know the correct settings however.
Reply:Jumping straight to alum probably wouldn't have been so hard if I had the right equip.I had never even touched a tig torch and I managed to run a bead on MS (with a stripped 7018 rod as filler no less!)  I'll worry about mastery later.  I don't want to be a welder for a living but I get more satisfaction from building my own parts as apposed to paying someone else to do it (even if it costs 3x in the long run)One of the mechanics here enlightened me on my funny color too......its the rust  I didn't really clean my steel before I burnt it.....I'll try to get a pic when I get home
Reply:Well, if you are going to attempt to use a foot pedal then you will need the lincoln tig module.  When you move the pedal, and change the welding current the voltage at the outlets will change also.  This means alot of the older boxes will not work when using a pedal.  The Lincoln Tig module was designed to work with changing voltage so it doesn't matter.  I have an older Lincoln "Hi-freq"  unit that I used to use on a bobcat, and it worked fine.  However when I bought my GXT I learned that the box would only work right if the current was set to 8-10 on the knob.  After talking to Lincoln I discovered the Voltage problem.  I have since purchased a Lincoln Tig module, and it works fine.  Just some things to consider.  You also will have to add a Hi-frequency by pass kit to your machine to run a hi-freq box.  It stops the hi-frequency from feeding back into the machine and frying the boards.  I am very happy with my setup, but had I known everything prior to buying my GXT I would have purchased a 305 with the spoolgun.  Hindsight is 20/20 they say.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Originally Posted by David RI used a hi freq box on a G7 (older ranger 9) with luck.  It worked.  You have the luxury of a remote, mine would not take one.Mild steel needs PURE argon, so does the aluminum.  With out that,  you are not tig welding, you are making a mess.Hi freq is Hi freq.  I have a century box.  $100.00 if you want it.David
Reply:Use pure argon on aluminum ,when the alum is about 1/8th  inch or less . If you want to tig alum ,  thicker than 1/8 ,better get a helium -argon mix or use straight helium . Argon impedes the arc too much on thick alum , argon is about 10 times denser than helium. You DO have to use A C on alum , & you need the high freq. It's not a choice, it's a MUST . Otherwise, you're just beating your head against the wall.[SIZE="5"Yardbird"