Tig practice -aluminum

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Tonight I finally had some time to flip the dial on the precision 275 to AC!  First time welding aluminum for me.  I've been referring to the miller weld calculator but then I found CKworlwide website had a weld chart. The two sites seem so far off from each other with their amp range. Miller states for 1/8" alum fillet 100-140 amps, CK states 140-160. All the other stuff was identical. Anyhow I started off at 120 amps since the scrap material is 1/8" thick, 3/32 green band tungsten, 3/32 filler, a #7 cup I think, approx. 17 cfh, auto balance. I messed with the balance a little here and there but I think towards the end of the longer better looking beads I just left it on auto. I think the last bead in the second row was at 140 amps. The third row was 150 and 160. They seemed way better. They appear to me to be more then just a bunch of filler piled on top of the base material. What do y'all think?  The picture seems upside down. I was welding each subsequent bead under the previous and traveling from right to left
Reply:the first few beads look like they have excessive bead height, meaning too little amps on a cold plate.  The last ones on the right of the picture as you posted it, seem to have a lower bead height, probably due to the extra amperage you gave it along with the plate likely very very hot (they seem grainier than the others, but then again, the picture itself wasn't in good focus to begin with.I'd say try more amperage on a cold plate, and perhaps separate the beads so the piece doesn't heat soak as much.  Let it cool then try again.  It helps if you take a black permanent marker and write down which bead was using which amperage on the plate after it cools so we don't have to decipher it from the description in the paragraph, especially with an upside down photo If you want a really good critique from the more knowledgeable weldors here, you're gonna need to take MANY pictures from all sorts of different angles and properly use the FOCUSING feature on your camera!   Then after you review them, pic out the best one to post up.Last edited by Oscar; 01-23-2013 at 04:26 AM.
Reply:Not bad for just starting. Work that foot pedal.more. Lots of pedal to start, then back off as thbe base heats up. Then at the end lift off the pedal slowly and twirl your torch until the arc goes out. This will help prevent the huge crater at the end of your weld. Be sure to hold your torch over the end to allow your postflow to cool the end of the weld. Not so important with alum to cover with postflow but good practice all the same.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Thank you fellas for the tips and tricks.
Reply:Try out some Lanthanated tungsten. 1.5 or 2%. Beads look pretty sweet. Definitely straighter than mine at the moment.Eastwood TIG 200NAPA 83-315 MIG
Reply:Originally Posted by emeraldbisonTry out some Lanthanated tungsten. 1.5 or 2%. Beads look pretty sweet. Definitely straighter than mine at the moment.
Reply:Straightness can be improved with a comfortable seating position and good rest for your torch hand a tig finger of some type will help you glide along the metal eaiser when resting your torch hand on the metal.  Also breathe and loose the death grip on the torch.    Just stuff I discovered myself or noticed from others I have been helping learn TIGTiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Funny you mention the death grip Southpaw. When I first started welding using the mig I would wonder why my hands ached so bad. After a bit I started calming down and paying attention to everything I was seeing and doing and realized I was gripping the hell out of the torch. I still find myself doing that but I catch it real quick and tell myself to relax.
Reply:On a long run (4 hours welding )  I find myself almost dropping the torch especially at the end of a weld........This new Speedway torch is just enough different to where I had to come up with a new way to hold it......That was a couple months ago and I still fight it now and then......Nice torch though.....  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:They look pretty good for a first timer.I find it way harder to weld in a straight line on a plate,much easier to follow a fillet.I wish I had your machine!