Urgent help needed..

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i didn't wanna jump in to questions so quickly after joining this forum, but I REALLY do need some help with this.Let me just say this again for the guy's who didn't read my intro post, I basically tought myself, and I am not too clued up on the technical terms of things, so I need a real easy explanation if you guy's don't mind.I have a AC/DC inverter TIG welding machine that looks exactly like this....I currently ONLY weld stainless steel and I consider myself really good at it.Now I would like to do some projects out of aluminum, And I am just not getting it right.. I am using Argon gas.I need to weld 63mm to 76mm Aluminum piping, with a wall thickness of between 1.5mm to 2mm.I have YouTubed some tutorials on the actual process and that I understand.My machine is currently set up to weld stainless steel.BUT!!!!! I need to know what every single button on my welding machine needs to be set to, to be able to weld aluminum to the last little detail.PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can somebody take a few minutes to just explain what buttons to turn or switch to get this right?????
Reply:Can't really help you with all the controls but aluminum uses AC. Stainless uses DC. Did you switch the machine to AC when you attempted?
Reply:Originally Posted by forhireCan't really help you with all the controls but aluminum uses AC. Stainless uses DC. Did you switch the machine to AC when you attempted?
Reply:Well since you're really good at SS, I assume  you know all the pre/post flow, pulse settings etc. So the only things you need to change for aluminium are:Switch to ACSet clean area dial to half way (for starters anyway - adjust downwards if your tungsten's melting up too much)and give it a go.
Reply:Too much to list.Inherent to the metal, it's the opposite of stainless.  Needs lots of heat and transfers it very well.  Really need a pedal for it unlike SS where you can get away without one.  You have to set the machine for 25-50 amps over welding current and floor the pedal to start.  Unlike steel, the two sides of the joint are gonna want to pull away from each other as opposed to flow together.  Also, using the,aywire technique for filler doesn't work that great, you gotta dip.  No filler welds will crack, unlike steel.  You need to taper off the current as you keep moving because he parts will heat up and you'll need less amps as you progress.  That's an inverter, so it's likely a 'squarewave" machine.  Inverters rectify the in coming AC current to DC, then use electronic switches to alternate polarity of the current.  So if you look at the wave, it's a flatline of DCEP, then a straight line across the midline and a flatline of DCEN.  On a transformer machine, the incoming Sinewave AC current is transformed into more amps and less volts, so it looks like the same wave, just smaller.  It crosses the midline slowly, so you'll need an additional high frequency current in the arc to prevent the arc from extinguishing.   So for that machine.  You need to be in 2T with a pedal or some remote amperage controll.  Preflow of up to a second, post flow around 6 seconds.Cleaning band width is balance.  The percentage of time the wave stays in EP or EN.  The more EN, the more heat into the weld.  The more EP, the more heat into the tungsten and the more energy to pull the oxide layer off the aluminum.  Let us know how you do. Good luckTA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:here, basic settings that should get you started Attached Images--------------------------------------------------------------www.becmotors.nlyup, I quit welding.. joined welder anonymous
Reply:Since aluminum conducts heat so well, you normally want to establish the puddle FAST with aluminum, then back off as needed.  For aluminum over 1/8" thick you'll probably want the heat all the way maxed out. If you get too hot, back off on the pedal. Otherwise, you're dumping too much heat into the whole object.
Reply:Wow, guy's, thank you very much.Maybe I should have mentioned that I do use the foot peddle.. lol..I went in to work yesterday, although it was a public holiday, I set the machine up to the settings you guy's suggested and I actually started getting some beads.. YAY!!!I was giving it a go on a piece of aluminum sheet metal, getting it right really well, but trying to weld two pieces of pipe together really sucks.. lol.. Guess I now just need to practice practice practice.I'll take some pics and upload them this evening to show you guy's my progress..