TIG: Trouble with basic butt joint

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I just received my PrimeWeld TIG225X and have it set up. I’ve never welded a bead in my life before. I can lay a bead across a flat aluminum surface just fine, but I can’t seem to get it to lay down in a butt joint. It just wants to ball up and move to each side of the joint, or melts the edges of the plates or the thin walled aluminum tube edges. What am I missing?I have pics but not yet sure how to attach them here.Last edited by mattj88; 9 Hours Ago at 06:20 PM.
Reply:https://www.youtube.com/c/weldingtipsandtricksMiller 211Hypertherm PM 451961 Lincoln Idealarc 250HTP 221  True Wisdom only comes from Pain.
Reply:Aluminum has a fine line from low end of welding temp to completely melting away. You can play with your balance settings. You want around 75% en and 25% ep so you have more heat input rather then 50/50. Aluminum is harder to weld the steel and stainless. Those metals have a bigger line to play with.
Reply:I've looked all through his videos.  I can't find anything that speaks to this issue.

Originally Posted by John T

https://www.youtube.com/c/weldingtipsandtricks
Reply:Thanks.  I'll try turning that down a bit.  I have it at 30%.I have a 1/16 electrode (green pure) and 1/16 filler rod.  Set at 40 amps.  200 Hz.  Gas flow about 15.

Originally Posted by Country Metals

Aluminum has a fine line from low end of welding temp to completely melting away. You can play with your balance settings. You want around 75% en and 25% ep so you have more heat input rather then 50/50. Aluminum is harder to weld the steel and stainless. Those metals have a bigger line to play with.
Reply:

Originally Posted by mattj88

Thanks.  I'll try turning that down a bit.  I have it at 30%.I have a 1/16 electrode (green pure) and 1/16 filler rod.  Set at 40 amps.  200 Hz.  Gas flow about 15.
Reply:Jody has literally hundreds of videos on welding aluminum.  Check againMiller 211Hypertherm PM 451961 Lincoln Idealarc 250HTP 221  True Wisdom only comes from Pain.
Reply:try off with 1/8 thickness material.  Clean with a dedicated stainless brush .  Acetone wipe.  Use 3/32 electrode (I use lanthanated and you WILL hear lots of opinions here).  About 95 hz.  Just run some beads without filler to learn your machine.  When using filler, tight fit up is very helpful.  get a puddle going asap and motor along. If you have to wait for the puddle, you're too cold.  clean, clean,,,motor motor.  use the pedal for control.
Reply:All first time aluminum TIG welders try to treat it like steel. Experience will fix your problems. It is possible to preheat with the arc. The pre weld time you play the arc will etch the aluminum to pre clean the surface, but when you really intend to weld, smash your peddle like a drag racer. Joining two pieces in a butt weld can be tricky to form two adjacent puddles, then dab filler to bridge them. Once a bridge forms, focus your arc on the bridge. Dab at the instant it nears too hot.As the temperature in the whole weldment rises, back off the peddle.A beginner won't want to weld fast, but welding fast works best with aluminum TIG. Most beginners hold too long an arc.An optimist is usually wrong, and when the unexpected happens is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, when wrong, is delighted, and well prepared.
Reply:

Originally Posted by mattj88

Thanks.  I'll try turning that down a bit.  I have it at 30%.I have a 1/16 electrode (green pure) and 1/16 filler rod.  Set at 40 amps.  200 Hz.  Gas flow about 15.
Reply:Yeah,  I just thought it would be a better use of time to get some direct advice here, than sift through hours and hours of content.  He does have great videos though, and I've seen several already!

Originally Posted by John T

Jody has literally hundreds of videos on welding aluminum.  Check again
Reply:Thanks for the thoughts!!  I do have a brush.  Do you recommend brushing the surfaces, even though they are brand new?  I know the tubes I bought don't have a coating on them, but the practice strips I bought from Jax might have a coating.  I am washing with acetone.  I was working a bit higher than 90 Hz.  I'll try turning it down.  What do you mean by  "tight fit", when using a filler?  I have both 1/16 and 3/32 4043 filler.  I do find it wants me to move faster than I am.  Seems like the filler is melting outside the puddle even.  That's making it tough.

Originally Posted by BillE.Dee

try off with 1/8 thickness material.  Clean with a dedicated stainless brush .  Acetone wipe.  Use 3/32 electrode (I use lanthanated and you WILL hear lots of opinions here).  About 95 hz.  Just run some beads without filler to learn your machine.  When using filler, tight fit up is very helpful.  get a puddle going asap and motor along. If you have to wait for the puddle, you're too cold.  clean, clean,,,motor motor.  use the pedal for control.
Reply:Oh, why do I not want to use pure Tungsten?  I do have a stick of the Grey, but it didn't seem to work well previously.Ok, I'll turn the EN up a bit.  I've been running about 70%.   Ah, I also might have slightly too fine of a point on the Tungsten.  I tried balling it up a bit and it's working better.Ok, I'll play with both filler diameters.  The 1/16 did pretty well today, but I was using on 1/8" and I need to get down to .065" tubes.

Originally Posted by Willie B

You do NOT want pure tungsten with your inverter. Use 75 or 80 percent EN with your inverter. Clean well with stainless wire brush & lint free cloth soaked in acetone. Grind tungsten to a blunt pencil point, knock off the sharp point.I tend to use a 3/32" 4943 filler, 1/16 is OK in that situation, I find it prone to overheating the filler with a thin aluminum rod.
Reply:As was mentioned, the main issue is amperage.  40A is good for practically nothing with aluminum.  Turn off the Lifetime channel and set it to 200A like a man and learn how to use the pedal.  You wont get it overnight, or even in a month, but its just something you have to get used to: controlling the heat with the pedal, which has to be a lot initially.  Babying it and taking 30 minutes to go from 20A to 100A (or whatever the case may be) won't do you any good either and you'll keep wasting lots of aluminum this way.  11 out of 10 threads dealing with aluminum issues stem from this factor.  Tight fit-up is a must.  Otherwise you're back at square 1 burning edges away left and right.  Ditch the pure tungsten because you're voluntaringly handicap'ing yourself and unknowingly chasing your own tail. There are better choices such as 2%La, 2%Ce, CK Layzr, E3, etc.Last edited by Oscar; 4 Hours Ago at 11:10 PM.

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Reply:

Originally Posted by mattj88

Oh, why do I not want to use pure Tungsten?  I do have a stick of the Grey, but it didn't seem to work well previously.Ok, I'll turn the EN up a bit.  I've been running about 70%.   Ah, I also might have slightly too fine of a point on the Tungsten.  I tried balling it up a bit and it's working better.Ok, I'll play with both filler diameters.  The 1/16 did pretty well today, but I was using on 1/8" and I need to get down to .065" tubes.