First aluminum with the syncrowave

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Finally got around to trying some aluminum on the new Syncrowave tonight. 1/4 inch plate, no idea what alloy, it is what I had lying around. Set the machine for about 190 amps on the dial and controlled with the foot pedal. AC, HF to continuous, HF intensity at 30, balance at 7 at first and backed it off to 6. Tungsten is 3/32 2% lanthanated with 20cfh of argon. 3/32 4043 filler. Metal was cleaned with acetone and thoroughly wire brushed with a never before used stainless brush. I don't have a crap ton of experience with aluminum. Same plate shown from 2 different angles. Seems dialed in pretty well to me. Am I missing anything?Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:All you are missing is the ability to finish...The holes at the end have to end.Go around in circles and dab and lift off the pedal slowly and fill in the ends.......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Ata boy!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:cool, thanks!Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Would you agree aluminum tig is easier then tig steel ? Nice beads.Just a couple welders, big hammers, grinders, and torches.Work will free you.Men in dirty jeans built this country, while men in clean suits have destroyed it. Trump/Carson 2016-2024
Reply:yup fix the ends, then start going through the positions doing pads and fillets. you will be real good in no time. nice work.Miller Maxstar 200 SDPiperliner #10 Gold
Reply:Nice job. Time for a t joint. Flat beads are easy to run on AL but 2 pices of metal are more difficult. The arc will usually wanna go to one side or the other and that's how you get good is keeping it in the middle
Reply:Originally Posted by AKweldshopWould you agree aluminum tig is easier then tig steel ? Nice beads.
Reply:Other than fixing the craters at the ends like said above, your welds look very nice.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:I don't know if I would say easier. But different for sure.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:I was king of surprised at how much cleaning action I needed. I brushed the snot out of that plate.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:The brush will contaminated the metal also. Where do you think the brush partials are going?
Reply:The one thing that may be throwing you off.  If you are running one bead after the other on that one plate, then you are preheating it.  Thus, you are having to compensate for that by less amps, faster travel, more rod etc.    Best is to get at least half a dozen coupons,   run one bead on each then start over and they have a chance to cool.Tiger 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:AL likes preheat
Reply:Hello Louie, I do believe that you will thoroughly enjoy your "new" machine. Have you messed with the AC balance control any? This is an area that you can put to good use for a variety of different aluminum welding challenges. You'll notice that it has an increased cleaning action segment and an increased penetration segment.This essentially means that when the balance control is set to the "cleaning" side, the dwell time on the reverse polarity side of the AC sine wave is residing longer there than on the other side of the wave. When the control is set to the "penetration" side, the dwell time on the straight polarity side of the sine wave is residing  there longer. Reverse polarity promotes surface cleaning, straight polarity promotes penetration, too much adjustment toward the penetration side and you loose cleaning action, too much adjustment toward the cleaning action side and you can cause tungsten erosion and instability and also lose some of the control over the puddle(you will notice a lack of definition of the toes of the bead and a wider cleaning band beyond the bead toes). Some welders will adjust the AC balance to only provide enough cleaning action to just allow the toes of the bead to wet out properly and not exhibit any "cleaning band", which might be aestetically undesirable for a particular product. Hope this explains a bit about that particular capability of your machine. Good luck and best regards, Allanaevald
Reply:You could turn up the high frequency intensity and it might help with cleaning by burning through the oxide layer easier. Beads look great for just learning aluminum.
Reply:Hello Welder Dave, I would respectfully comment that hi-frequency intensity does not assist with cleaning, it only aids with arc starting and initiation. For a long time I thought that it did too and then I was provided with documentation/proof that stated otherwise. Best regards, Allanaevald
Reply:WOW! That is very impressive, for a guy just starting out! Great job! Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Thanks. It's all due to Zap's master tutelage. His clinic is a good thing. He (and others) are right, I was being a little lazy on the craters. I was just proud that I didn't dip the tungsten at all. There was no need for the legendary "I heard that".Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Balance is important, you have to walk the narrow line. You want a  focused arc, good penetration, and predictable behavior from your tungsten. Meanwhile, you want just enough cleaning action. With clean metal, you want your etch zone to not extend beyond the toes of the weld. That margin along your bead is a sign of too much EP. When you have no choice but welding dirty metal you need quite a bit. I have run at 80% and 60% EN, not much need outside that range.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:tried some 1/8th 2% lanthanated today, sharped to a pencil point and then put a small land on the end. They worked great. No balling, nice focused arc, no arc wander. Just the trick for aluminum on the Sync.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Sweet. Tig welding really helped me understand the welding process.  Im affraid i contracted some sort of disease from it actually.
Reply:Coming along great Louie, i knew you had it in you when i met you. I could see it bud! Keep it up brother!I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Originally Posted by brendonvSweet. Tig welding really helped me understand the welding process.  Im affraid i contracted some sort of disease from it actually.
Reply:Exactly. I keep finding things to build and things to rebuild.almost afraid to post these..not nearly as pretty as yesterday. I was running into contamination issues and heat issues. But its all practice, so I guess its all good.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:I also kept burning the hell out of my hand despite my new TIG finger from Jody. I am a lefty so I tend to go from left to right. Those first few beads on the larger plate look like crap because I was burning myself...until I learned to adjust.   All part of the learning I guess.  Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:That looks just as good to me man! Way to keep a straight line. Try to weld a t joint tho. It's way different then flat beads! Cut them about 1.5 inches wide or more so the heat can go somewhere. Or back it. Have fun. Do you feel like your controlling the puddle or are you moving really fast?try to dip more often and your cherry
Reply:When I weld on flat plates ill usually weld a couple beads then rotate the metal and weld the other side. Take a pic of the back side!ask the smart guys how to fill in the crater at the end!Last edited by motolife313; 03-01-2015 at 08:04 PM.
Reply:Looks great Big Lou!TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Thanks Al...How have you been?Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Originally Posted by Louie1961tried some 1/8th 2% lanthanated today, sharped to a pencil point and then put a small land on the end. They worked great. No balling, nice focused arc, no arc wander. Just the trick for aluminum on the Sync.
Reply:Originally Posted by Willie BWhen you start using high amperage, in some cases complicated by high EP ratios, the tungsten will deform. I don't like the term ball as much as round the tip. A very dull pencil shape. It'll help it to maintain a focused arc. Asymmetry is worse than blunt.I have a theory I can't prove, that the further electrons can travel down the cylindrical shaft of the tungsten, before either turning a sharp corner, or leaping out into the plasma, the more focused an arc. A stubby grind more like a golf score pencil, less long like a needle works well for me. Maybe it has more to do with scratches left by the grinder than taper, but I like it.
Reply:I found one more thing that may help you. It was in this tip:http://tractors.ucdavis.edu/tombelltigtips1.pdfSome good stuff in here.Anyway, the tip i wanted to point out is how the heat comes back from the work almost on a angel equal to the torgh angle, and by keeping the filler rod at a low angle you will not get any melt from the torch reflected heat. This seems to keep oxidation off the filler rod, as there is little heat, and I think it's in the argon flow better down there.Chay
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveAre you describing these results?(I like to grind it more like a golf pencil for aluminum too)
Reply:I am grinding like the one that is just up from the bottom (35 degree), BUT, I am taking the point off. So my tungstens almost look like crayola crayons. I honestly think my biggest issue is that I am great with short beads (1-3 inches) but once my torch hand has to start moving I am losing it. Angles are getting all messed up, gas coverage isn't good, lots of issues. I just need practice. The heat of the plate really surprised me. I was going by Jody's video that said just keep trucking, no need to let it cool too much (I am paraphrasing), but I was getting to the point of actually burning my torch hand. I probably ought to use a quench bucket and take some heat out of the piece every few beads. I really do appreciate the feedback, and Chay that PDF is great, thanks.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Originally Posted by Louie1961I am grinding like the one that is just up from the bottom (35 degree), BUT, I am taking the point off. So my tungstens almost look like crayola crayons. I honestly think my biggest issue is that I am great with short beads (1-3 inches) but once my torch hand has to start moving I am losing it. Angles are getting all messed up, gas coverage isn't good, lots of issues. I just need practice. The heat of the plate really surprised me. I was going by Jody's video that said just keep trucking, no need to let it cool too much (I am paraphrasing), but I was getting to the point of actually burning my torch hand. I probably ought to use a quench bucket and take some heat out of the piece every few beads. I really do appreciate the feedback, and Chay that PDF is great, thanks.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveWhen I am practicing a joint for steel or aluminum - I use a quench bucket every 1 or 2 welds.Otherwise the metal does not behave like a cold piece of metal would that has been allowed to cool naturally before the next bead.Doing it this way, much more practice can be squeezed into a smaller time period without burning myself
Reply:Yep..great input. Thanks. I will keep at it. Did i mention I LOVE my Syncrowave??  Don't know how I lived without this machine before...     PS, I know Bill, it is just a stop on the way to the Dynasty....Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Originally Posted by Louie1961Yep..great input. Thanks. I will keep at it. Did i mention I LOVE my Syncrowave??  Don't know how I lived without this machine before...     PS, I know Bill, it is just a stop on the way to the Dynasty....
Reply:Too funny my friend. Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Originally Posted by Louie1961Yep..great input. Thanks. I will keep at it. Did i mention I LOVE my Syncrowave??  Don't know how I lived without this machine before...     PS, I know Bill, it is just a stop on the way to the Dynasty....
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveAre you describing these results?(I like to grind it more like a golf pencil for aluminum too)
Reply:I can't run a long straight bead. I can't cut a long straight oxy/fuel or plasma. Heck, I can't even DRAW a straight line.You have already gotten some good advice and probably from a few of the best on this board.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Wow good stuff....  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock