REALLY need some help with AL and porosity.

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Hey guys. I have searched around, and haven't found anything that help, that I haven't already tried.So here it goes.I have a Dynasty 200 DX, which I love, but it currently driving my up the wall, although it's probably not the machine. It's really only noticeable on AC. On DC, I can see a small soot cloud around my starts and stops, and I get a ball spinning at the end of the welds which come up to a point when it cools off.The AC. It's grainy, and can see the holes at the end of the weld. I've tried:Different bottle with known good 100% argonNew torchgas lead from machine to torch, new gas lensnew cupbroke my reg, so that's new also have bypassed the tubing and solenoid in the machine with a female to female coupler, and hooked torch directly to hose from the regtried different brand 2% thoriated, and run 2% cerated nowMiller rep came over and we tried weldcraft cerated, his rod, and same thing. CFM up to 25 helped a good bit, but think it's covering the problem. When the arc starts to stabilize as I roll into the pedal, I can see green just outside the shielding gas. I looked back at some of my other stuff from a while back and this has been going on since I owned the machine. I just didn't notice it. The DC still welds with good coloring and rainbowing, and generally my  AC is low heat like 16 ga AL. And this problem doesn't show. It's when I started doing thicker I see a problem.The etching has contaminants at the start every time, and on the outside of the weld,I have tired my material and rod at a buddies shop with his 250 with great results. I didn't even clean the material. I let his machine do it all, and still looks better than mine even when I clean and wipe with acetone.ANY helps or ideas would be great fellas, I'm fresh out of good ones.My settings are generally 75 balance, and 175 htz
Reply:Take yer machine to his shop and use his jug and reg.Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Are you using the same size cup at both locations? How about stickout? CFH?I just had a similar problem. When I switched from MS to alum, my welds went to h*ll. I had been using the same stickout for months (in class, only 2 nights a week). But when I shortened from 'about' 5/16" to 3/16", my problem was fixed. And when I tried it again, the trouble returned. 20CFH on the flowmeter. IIRC I was using a #8 cup. I don't have a clue about the balance and HZ on an inverter; I'm x-formed (). Old Syncrowave 250.The thing I noticed first, my oxide cleaning zone wasn't working.#1, 2, 3 were with the 5/16" stickout, no OCZ.#4, 5 were with the 3/16" stickout, no other changes were made. Notice the OCZ. In my defense, I didn't care about bead 4 and 5. I was too busy watching the OCZ and the filler melting properly, instead of turning to ash. The mess on the top 1/2 right corner was also included in the longish stickout (the edge above the number 1). The bead on the top 1/2 left corner was with it shortened (above the number 5). As were the tack welds (no filler) along the bottom edge. About .080 thick alum. Attached ImagesLast edited by Craig in Denver; 03-31-2009 at 01:50 AM.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 10secgoalHey guys. I have searched around, and haven't found anything that help, that I haven't already tried.So here it goes.I have a Dynasty 200 DX, which I love, but it currently driving my up the wall, although it's probably not the machine. It's really only noticeable on AC. On DC, I can see a small soot cloud around my starts and stops, and I get a ball spinning at the end of the welds which come up to a point when it cools off.The AC. It's grainy, and can see the holes at the end of the weld. I've tried:Different bottle with known good 100% argonNew torchgas lead from machine to torch, new gas lensnew cupbroke my reg, so that's new also have bypassed the tubing and solenoid in the machine with a female to female coupler, and hooked torch directly to hose from the regtried different brand 2% thoriated, and run 2% cerated nowMiller rep came over and we tried weldcraft cerated, his rod, and same thing. CFM up to 25 helped a good bit, but think it's covering the problem. When the arc starts to stabilize as I roll into the pedal, I can see green just outside the shielding gas. I looked back at some of my other stuff from a while back and this has been going on since I owned the machine. I just didn't notice it. The DC still welds with good coloring and rainbowing, and generally my  AC is low heat like 16 ga AL. And this problem doesn't show. It's when I started doing thicker I see a problem.The etching has contaminants at the start every time, and on the outside of the weld,I have tired my material and rod at a buddies shop with his 250 with great results. I didn't even clean the material. I let his machine do it all, and still looks better than mine even when I clean and wipe with acetone.ANY helps or ideas would be great fellas, I'm fresh out of good ones.My settings are generally 75 balance, and 175 htz
Reply:Sounds like HF and or gas problem.Try cleaning the HF points, regap, reduce gas flow to about 7 LPMdoes it have preflow?CheersBilly
Reply:like billy im wondering if you have preflow..
Reply:His Dynasty 200DX definitely has pre-flow.Are all the torch head parts fit together properly with a tight gas seal?  A leak at the torch head could pull air into the gas flow.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Originally Posted by Broccoli1Take yer machine to his shop and use his jug and reg.
Reply:Silly question im sure but you can hear and feel gas coming out of the torch?  Also check and make sure everything in the torch is together right.  If your using the same torch as the ones we have here its possible to put the collet in backwards which still allows gas to flow but causes problems like you are having.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:Well I turned the balance down and eve let it really round the T. The puddle was as wide as the etching, but same problem. Tried the HZ at 100, and you can see that the puddle starts to gas off when it wets before I even add filler. Didn't measure the outstick, but it's barely sticking out.Sure it's gas, not a setting. I don't see pre flow options on this thing. But looks like I get to take this thing in again because the LED's are flickering, AGAIN !
Reply:Originally Posted by sn0border88Silly question im sure but you can hear and feel gas coming out of the torch?
Reply:Nope, reversed the collet, and it doesn't work. Doesn't tighten down.
Reply:Originally Posted by 10secgoalCraig, I'll try moving the T in. I'm at 1/4 right now.
Reply:Originally Posted by Craig in DenverHave you said what cup size? I missed it. I use a #8 mostly because it gives me more coverage.
Reply:This is almost a guaranteed gas leak somewhere.  The fact that all was well when you jacked up the CFM is a pretty good indicator of that. You should not be using a pure tungsten with that machine.Your wave balance won't have an affect like that.  At worst you may get some crap that floats to the top of the puddle, or just have aluminum that gets pushed around when the arc doesn't break through the oxide layer, not porosity like that.  You do have pre-flow on that machine.  Check the manual.You have tested this on a different batch of aluminum with the same results, correct?
Reply:Pre-flow to me is probably purge to you. Thanks for the detailed answers. The more info we get typed, the better chance someone will figure it out. Right now I'm Edit: Supe beat me. And I'm really irritated that I forgot about not using a green tungsten in an inverter. Last edited by Craig in Denver; 03-31-2009 at 04:29 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:Well, pre flow, I would have thought meant it comes on the pre-determined time before the machines lets out an arc.No worries, no pure on the inverter. read that already.How the hell are you Supe ? I looked at your profile about 2 weeks ago when I started with all this. But you hadn't been on Tm.com for a while. Didn't know when you'd be back.I have tired different sheets of AL, even though the 250 would do it just fine.100% agreed with you on it going away with the 25 cfm. Has to be gas. That and just wetting the puddle is making it bubble sometimes.Guess all that left it bypass the machine again and start hosing everything down with soapy water.
Reply:OK, so round and round we go. Here's an update, with good and weird news.Brought the machines to another shop, to find the original shop stripped two screws in my machine on the back cover. Then the new shop called me and said there is a leak somewhere from the machine to my torch. It's all new, but in my profession, a new part does not equal a good part. So I show up, welds with theirs, but not mine. OK, good enough for me. they still couldn't see my display acting up, so no diagnosis. Bring it home, and start swapping parts, still can't figure it out. Go back, now their torch won't weld either. BUT< the display finally started acting up in front of someone other than me. Two boards ordered and they let me take a rental 200 DX home so I can catch up. I've talked to Miller a few times and they always told me the machine pretty much only makes heat, and won;t cause this problem. I asked if it was possible the HF board was dumping, or the balance wasn't working like it should, and was told "not really." So I kept searching for gas lines and leaks. Hopefully this fixes it and miller helps me out with the money I threw at this machine that is under warranty.So the new one welds great. My torch, and everything else. Miller had a demonstration a week ago, and their test machine was doing he same thing on some 6061. He made some calls and we went to a 5356 rod. Problem solved. I tired that on mine with no joy. He said it was silicone erection from the 4043 rod, and it was from getting it too hot. Hopefully someone is still with me. The borrowed machine tigs AC great. Except I have this 4 series AL tubing that no matter the balance, or cleaning I do, does the same thing it did with my old machine. But it's FINE on the test 6061. For for S&G's I test with another piece of 5356 on this tubing, IS LOOKS GREAT. creamy, shiny just like it should be Sam ehat, same setting. Looks even better on the 6061 than the 4043 rod. The only thing I noticed is when the rod enters the gas shield, it's still green. God it welds though. Any ideas, or have I been using the wrong rod ? Thought 4043 was what you use, especially on 6061
Reply:You might want to try preheating a bit more. Before you start to weld. Let the metal fuse, use less heat, after you preheat.That always works for me. Some of the digital machines and machines with wave balance and stuff like that, can cause bubbles in the weld. Much more so then the standard transformer models ever did. But the older transformer models without doubt needed more time to get a stable non splattering arc going. This is extra time for the part to heat, that equaled preheating. That seems to be the secret behind the older machines creating very little porosity. The newer machines seem to beam in more heat. But as you move the torch, or come off the pedal, I see bubbles behind me, with the newer machines. Most people do not know but when you strike an arc on aluminum, the whole part sends heat to the ARC. I have done rather accurate temperature readings on aluminum that is contacted by an arc. This is real. At first the metal actually drops in temperature after being hit with a powerful ARC. The ARC actually allows the electrons the heat in the part to leave by the ARC. Lowering the temperature of the part at first. When you heat a puddle to hot to quickly, using modern wave balance. As you come off the heat, or move ahead, all the heat around the area you are heating, that was moving into the part, suddenly reverses and moves into the puddle and towards the arc. Often causing bubbling and porosity in the puddle. The ARC is the path of least resistance for the intense heat. Not the cold part. I do a lot of aluminum welding, and I know that adding, one cubic foot of helium to the mix, stops a lot of the nonsense of having to wait for the part to heat up. And since it heats the part very well, very fast, very evenly, I can cut back on power when I am actually welding. Because the heat is with me. The part is to temperature. Try preheating the part very slowly and very well. See if you still get the porosity. You can probably come down on your cubic feet of gas a bit too.        Sincerely,             William McCormick
Reply:I'll try that. I usually hang out for a second or 3 to let the machines etch really well, then I add rod and move. But more for cleaning than preheat.Any reasoning as to why it's different from one rod to another. See if I can gets some good picks here when the battery charges for ya.Last edited by 10secgoal; 07-04-2009 at 04:33 PM.
Reply:Dang battery is still charging. But I waited a few seconds for preheat. Same settings, just a different rod and the 4043 is still grainy, but the 5053 is fine. trying to get pics.
Reply:http://img22.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=badweld.jpgFirst one is the bad one. The second you can still see a little bit, but to the naked eye without this HUGE magnification, it looks really good. I do hit with a SS brush first. But it doesn't matter if I have the balance all the way down to 50, it won't look like the second weld. Only on this material/tubing do I have the problem. Don't know exactly what series, but I think it's a 4 series, very soft.
Reply:You need to clean it better.  The edge of the tube, as well as the inside and outside, back prolly half an inch or better from where you will weld.  Every one of those lines on the tube is from the dies that formed it and they collect all kinds of foreign matter.  That's what the grainyness is.Where's Sundown at?Last edited by Boostinjdm; 07-04-2009 at 08:07 PM.
Reply:10sec,Try a little more heat (say 10 A).Try setting the balance at about 82-85.  Etch zone adjacent to the bead is too wide.  Sign of too much DC+ (cleaning)Drop your frequency back to about 120 HZ.With the higher heat and more DC-, you'll be able to move faster and minimize "cooking/overheating" your filler.  That's where the grainess is coming from.The beads in 4043 are a little humped, a sign of not enough heat to rapidly melt the filler and move forward.As an aside, looking back at the rest of the post, see if you can get your hands on some 2% Lanthanated (3/32") tungsten.  Think you'll like the results.What you're doing is typical when learning to weld aluminum.  Remember, aluminum likes to be run hot and fast.  You'll need to back off a bit when you get near the terminal point of the bead because if you're welding with the proper heat, it will be pushed ahead of the bead.  Especially true when coming to the edge of a plate, etc.Inadequate precleaning will result in black specs in the bead.  I don't see that.  I think the whole problem goes back to overheating your filler by not moving fast enough.  You may also try holding a few more degrees of angle with the torch.  This will focus the heat where you're going, not where you've been.Good Luck.BTW.  In case you haven't figured it out, Ol Billy Mac is the resident kook on the board.  Few pay much attention to his postings.  That's some real BS about how these newfangled digital welders create bubbles in the bead.  Gess he took his "tin foil" hat off for the 4th and aliens made him say that.Another edit/more reading.  You'll have to go into the hidden menues to adjust your preflow.  The newer Dynasty 200's come preset at .2 sec.  Seems to work for me.  6 sec. is crazy--way too much.  Post flow should be set to about 1 sec/10A output (ie. if you're using 120A, set postflow at 12 sec)  You can probably get by with less, say 10 sec.  If the tung is turning grey/black increase the postflow.Try those suggestions and I'll go back and read the whole thread and see if I come up with anything else.  Green arc is almost always a sign of a contaminated tungsten.  Sometimes can come from behind the grind and you won't get it all by simply resharpening the tungsten.  Look at the tungsten carefully.  Lack of covering gas will cause porosity not graininess in the bead.Last edited by SundownIII; 07-04-2009 at 08:37 PM.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:So does the 5356 have a higher heat tolerance then ? And the reason it doesn't do the samething. the second pic is just a rod change.85 ! Haha, i'm so used to porostiy with my own machine it seems, high, but may be just fine with this one that works. i'll give it a try. this dirty tubing is the only thing that gives me a problem. I'll try to lay the bead down a little. I was doing that because someone else told me AL beads should be higher and bigger.  So i'll run some more like I normally would and throw up some pics.. thanx for the help so far.As for the squarewave VS inverter,  dunno. I have only ever seen this on dynasty's. Mine and my buddies 350. But on my other friends squarewave, start and run a perfect bead everytime, fast slow, doesn't matter. Since it's tubing, i wonder if the back is just gettnig contaminated. check back in with ya tomorrow.10sec,If you check my sig you'll see a Sync 250 as well as a Dynasty 200 DX.  That's my third 250 in the last 25 yrs.  Being in the marine business, I've welded "a little" aluminum during those years.  Been using a Dynasty 300 (a friend's) for a couple of years as well as a few 200's at the shop where I do some consulting.  I've had the Dynasty about 30 days now and have had a chance to play with it a little (more than I ever did with my buddy's 300).Let me just say this, if you can do it with a Sync, you can do it with a Dynasty 200 (within it's power range of course).You're right about an aluminum bead being larger than a steel (or stainless steel) bead.  That's where the strength comes from.  That's why you "normally" should not grind down an aluminum bead, whereas it's done all the time with steel.  Aluminum needs filler.  A properly done aluminum weld will almost always fail in the HAZ, rather than in the bead itself.4043 is more sensitive to welding heat than 5356.  Funny too, since 5356 does not like to be subjected to temps of greater than about 150 degrees for extended periods.I use "a lot" more 5356 than I do 4043.  Just the nature of the work I do.Just for schitz and giggles, try a new, freshly ground tungsten and a new cup and let us know if the green arc is still visible.  Check it early, before you have a chance to "dip it".  Heck, check it out with about a 1/8" arc. For that tubing I saw, I'd probably be using about an 1/8" (past the cup) stickout.  Don't need a lot here.  Just enough to see the end of the tungsten.  When welding into a tight corner, more stickout is usually needed.Have you tried a gas lens?  You'll get much better gas coverage.Also, be careful to keep your filler in the gas covering envelope.  Removing it will cause contamination in the bead that the DC+ will not take out.  Looks like that job would dictate 3/32" filler.  Any smaller, it will melt too soon.I think when you get it all figured out, it's going to be something that seems minor.  You'll bang your forehead and say "dang, I should'a known that".Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Originally Posted by SundownIII10sec,Try a little more heat (say 10 A).Try setting the balance at about 82-85.  Etch zone adjacent to the bead is too wide.  Sign of too much DC+ (cleaning)Drop your frequency back to about 120 HZ.With the higher heat and more DC-, you'll be able to move faster and minimize "cooking/overheating" your filler.  That's where the grainess is coming from.The beads in 4043 are a little humped, a sign of not enough heat to rapidly melt the filler and move forward.As an aside, looking back at the rest of the post, see if you can get your hands on some 2% Lanthanated (3/32") tungsten.  Think you'll like the results.What you're doing is typical when learning to weld aluminum.  Remember, aluminum likes to be run hot and fast.  You'll need to back off a bit when you get near the terminal point of the bead because if you're welding with the proper heat, it will be pushed ahead of the bead.  Especially true when coming to the edge of a plate, etc.Inadequate precleaning will result in black specs in the bead.  I don't see that.  I think the whole problem goes back to overheating your filler by not moving fast enough.  You may also try holding a few more degrees of angle with the torch.  This will focus the heat where you're going, not where you've been.Good Luck.BTW.  In case you haven't figured it out, Ol Billy Mac is the resident kook on the board.  Few pay much attention to his postings.  That's some real BS about how these newfangled digital welders create bubbles in the bead.  Gess he took his "tin foil" hat off for the 4th and aliens made him say that.Another edit/more reading.  You'll have to go into the hidden menues to adjust your preflow.  The newer Dynasty 200's come preset at .2 sec.  Seems to work for me.  6 sec. is crazy--way too much.  Post flow should be set to about 1 sec/10A output (ie. if you're using 120A, set postflow at 12 sec)  You can probably get by with less, say 10 sec.  If the tung is turning grey/black increase the postflow.Try those suggestions and I'll go back and read the whole thread and see if I come up with anything else.  Green arc is almost always a sign of a contaminated tungsten.  Sometimes can come from behind the grind and you won't get it all by simply resharpening the tungsten.  Look at the tungsten carefully.  Lack of covering gas will cause porosity not graininess in the bead.
Reply:How did you preheat the material ? Not with the torch right, you weren't there very long. Or at least then this won't be my problem. I usually hang out for at least 2-3 seconds before the first dab.It's good to someone else's technique. I never had a clue as to how it was supposed to be done. That may be why I get the lumps, looking like not enough heat. I don't actually stop my torch like you do. Not until recently with AL. I found out today it's 6063 astm-b221 if that makes any difference.A little hard to see, but this is how my AL usually looks. On the flange on the motor,..... Almost concave, not quite. But was told it should be bigger. It's grainy on this, which you can't tell. But it's to 6061 billet. It's only when I weld this material, just don't get it.This cam out alright, all 6061. A little, just a little grain in it, but I was pushing my little machine pretty hard, even after a preheat with map gas. So I was a little slower than normal.All of this is without actually stopping the torch to add filler. Seems like it may be easier to do if I stopped. Does it matter ? Or is it a preference ?I did try 82 on the balance with no luck, but gas was running out, so will try again tomorrow.Thanx for the help so far guys.
Reply:5356 is a more corrosion resistant alloy.It is used in the manufacture of boat hulls.The 6063 astm-b221 number is a pipe specification.Last edited by Donald Branscom; 07-05-2009 at 06:39 PM.AWS certified welding inspectorAWS certified welder
Reply:I do a lot of TIG welding of aluminum. And I know if I do not preheat it takes me longer then just doing the time, in the beginning preheating. But the only aluminum weld I would bet my life on. Is the DC weld. And even then iron, steel or titanium sounds like a better bet.Without backup gas and total penetration, there is always a risk with any weld. But more so with aluminum then any other weld.Here is some pipe I did, in the movie link below, "Aluminum Pipe Weld". It is electrical conduit. I actually cut off the threaded end. I was a bit surprised at how much heat I needed to penetrate that pipe. So much so that I would get a larger Tungsten, or use DC TIG or MIG. And to be honest the DC seems to be the winner hands down. Fastest, strongest easiest for me. I do not do much large aluminum, but when I do, I use DC on it. A picture below. Cool movie with a lot of destruction and even a little cursing. http://www.Rockwelder.com/Flash/Alum...mPipeWeld.htmlI think we alI know that penetration and preheating are one and the same. The problem with aluminum is of course penetration. Anything over 1/8" and you almost need a new plan. Or DC it. But it has to be cleaned to be done in DC. This is a job I did for a friend of mine. It is a polisher. And you can see I have welded the pipe to a solid block of one and a quarter inch material. You can only do this with DC, without very complex time consuming preheating. It has been working for many years. These were AC jobs. And to be honest just about at the edges of the envelope for AC aluminum welding and a 3/32" Tungsten. Because I used helium to penetrate them better. If I was going to do a lot of that pipe, I would probably MIG or DC TIG it.        Sincerely,             William McCormick
Reply:Originally Posted by 10secgoalHow did you preheat the material ? Not with the torch right, you weren't there very long. Or at least then this won't be my problem. I usually hang out for at least 2-3 seconds before the first dab.It's good to someone else's technique. I never had a clue as to how it was supposed to be done. That may be why I get the lumps, looking like not enough heat. I don't actually stop my torch like you do. Not until recently with AL. I found out today it's 6063 astm-b221 if that makes any difference.A little hard to see, but this is how my AL usually looks. On the flange on the motor,..... Almost concave, not quite. But was told it should be bigger. It's grainy on this, which you can't tell. But it's to 6061 billet. It's only when I weld this material, just don't get it.This cam out alright, all 6061. A little, just a little grain in it, but I was pushing my little machine pretty hard, even after a preheat with map gas. So I was a little slower than normal.All of this is without actually stopping the torch to add filler. Seems like it may be easier to do if I stopped. Does it matter ? Or is it a preference ?I did try 82 on the balance with no luck, but gas was running out, so will try again tomorrow.Thanx for the help so far guys.
Reply:You can use more helium. I could weld that pipe with more helium and AC. But to be honest if I had a lot to do. I would look for another way. The price of helium is way up as well.        Sincerely,             William McCormick
Reply:Hey Sundown, sorry I missed it, but I do always use a gas lens.So I couldn't the thing to focus this time. the weld does look better on 80. I did it like this this time to make sure it wasn't a contamination issue from the rear. But here' the thing. as soon as it wets the metal and ready to add, and the puddle start boiling and gassing off. The weld looks OK, but even without focus, you can see the hole at the end of the weld on the left hand side. Now I went back to my test 6061, and went really slow with the weld, trying to overheat the rod. Still looked fine on 1/8 plate.This was the test peice, with and with the wire brush, just Jim dandy on 80 balance, welding fast or slow. Just to tubing, bleh Don't mind the drity one in the middle, ran out of gas.
Reply:ahh, too big. can't even scroll over to edit, sorry guys. Try this
Reply:Sorry guys, this is the test piece, just a link. Not sure what i'm doing wrong. can't weld, and don't know what I'm doing on a computer. lolhttp://img8.imageshack.us/img8/7087/testwelds.jpgAnd the tubinghttp://img90.imageshack.us/img90/6523/poorweld.jpgLast edited by 10secgoal; 07-06-2009 at 12:17 PM.
Reply:Too cold, are you letting off the amps once you add filler?  If so, dont or at least not dramatically.  You still need your amps to let the filler wash into the bead so it wont get so builtup like in those pictures.Your dips are pretty consistent, but spaced a little far apart.  Try and overlap about 2/3 of each dip with the next.  Bring them closer together with more heat and add slightly less wire you should be golden.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:OK, I'll try that. I don't stop to add rod. Wonder if that has anything to do with it ?I mean the rod I add cools quickly leaving it on top.Anyone with ideas on the tubing ?  That is the part of the equation that is driving me mad.
Reply:10sec,Looking pretty good.As sn0 suggested, a few more amps seems to be in order.  That will flaten the bead a bit.With all the "suggestions" from another poster, I suspect there are a bunch of people out there trying to learn to tig weld who are throughly confused.I've only been welding aluminum since 1966.  Not saying that I fall into the category of "expert" (actually KB Fabrications & Engloid do), I have had the good fortune of having been trained and worked with some of the best tiggers out there.  As an example, one of my best friends, who's dad owns Pipewelders in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and is one of the best marine fabricatiors around, is also the one who taught me bump welding anodized aluminum.In all my years around the stuff, I don't think I've ever met a "good tigger" who was a pedal pumper.  Same goes for preheating 1/8" aluminum.  There are cases where preheat, use of helium, straight DC-, etc come into play (thick plate, castings, etc), but 1/8" aluminum isn't one of them.  Heck, if I had to preheat everything I do, I'd never get anything done.BTW  I saw very little if any graininess in those beads.  Seems like that was the original issue to begin with.  Nice consistency.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Thank you.VERY happy with the welding(lack of grainy appearance) on the plate. But this is a totally different Dynasty right now. Hopefully mine will come back doing the same. It's just that damn tubing is what's killing me. I go back and forth on the 1/8 6061 plate and that tube, making sure it's not the welder. But it's just that tubing itself. It does look better on the surface than before, but I know there are holes it it,....more than the one at the end also.So in laymen's terms, why did the 80 balance setting work better ? I kind of understood the explanation before. I mean, it takes a certain amount of heat to get the filler to melt right ?
Reply:10sec,Increasing the balance setting increases the time the machine spends in the DC- (heating the material not the tungsten).  Increases the heat (from a given amps) available for melting the base metal/filler.That very narrow etch zone adjacent to the bead, would indicate that you're about there with the balance setting.As Sn0 and I mentioned earlier, add a few amps (flattens the bead) and shorten the stroke (don't move the arc quite so far forward after each dip).I suspect the main problem you're encountering in welding the tubing deals with torch angle.  When welding plate the torch is held in a near constant angle to the base material.  On tube, as you progress, the angle (if you don't adjust for it) is changing constantly.  This will tend to push the heat further ahead of the bead (too little angle-measured from horizontal) or overheat the filler (too much torch angle).  Have to learn to rotate the wrist slightly as you work your way around the tube.Even after you're laying perfect beads on plate, without even thinking about it, welding in circles will still take additional practice.  Just one more variable you have to condition your hand do.  With practice it becomes more of a "response action" rather than something you have to think about.I generally recommend laying about three beads on the tube.  Stop.  Study what you did.  Decide on what one thing is lacking the most.  Focus on that one thing, and lay three more beads.  etc, etc.  After awhile, there's nothing left to have to focus on, and you just "weld it up" almost without thinking.Unfortunately, motor skills arn't developed overnight.  Just takes a bit of arc time to get it down.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:I understand, but I learned on tubing, and have never had problems. But here's the problem.http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/6523/poorweld.jpgThis is the pic from up top. Welding it would be like welding on plate. I just welded along the top, and it should be the same torch angle as a flat piece. But here's the funny part. If I just start to weld, get it wet, it will start to have gas bubbles exploding in the puddle, before I add any rod. Now I can do that to any other AL I have here and it doesn't do that. I weld VERY slow, and the weld just doesn't get grainy. This is no rod, just heat. It started popping, but couldn't get it to cool while open, hence the smaller puddle you see. the second was the same, so I hit it a little harder and now there is a crater. This has to be what's causing the porosity. If I only heat it to weld like normal, you can see it, barely though. The crater is exagerated because of the extra heat, but no matter the setting or what I have done, I can't prevent it.http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/9844/alcrater.jpg
Reply:Originally Posted by SundownIII10sec,Looking pretty good.As sn0 suggested, a few more amps seems to be in order.  That will flaten the bead a bit.With all the "suggestions" from another poster, I suspect there are a bunch of people out there trying to learn to tig weld who are throughly confused.I've only been welding aluminum since 1966.  Not saying that I fall into the category of "expert" (actually KB Fabrications & Engloid do), I have had the good fortune of having been trained and worked with some of the best tiggers out there.  As an example, one of my best friends, who's dad owns Pipewelders in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and is one of the best marine fabricatiors around, is also the one who taught me bump welding anodized aluminum.In all my years around the stuff, I don't think I've ever met a "good tigger" who was a pedal pumper.  Same goes for preheating 1/8" aluminum.  There are cases where preheat, use of helium, straight DC-, etc come into play (thick plate, castings, etc), but 1/8" aluminum isn't one of them.  Heck, if I had to preheat everything I do, I'd never get anything done.BTW  I saw very little if any graininess in those beads.  Seems like that was the original issue to begin with.  Nice consistency.
Reply:MOST of the stuff will be low pressure AL. Some will be much higher like when building air to water intercoolers. The bigger the cooler @30psi is can get pretty hairy. They have been known to blow apart. Buy that is with backfires, and nothing will stop it from exploding.(It can be 1000+ in psi when calculating the surface area before a backfire.) You just weld straps to keep them safe. I tried DC on AL a few times, but can barely see because of the oxidation. It looks like hell afterwards,too. Unless there is more to switching the machine to DC... ? But the problematic tubing here won't need to be very strong. It's 3-4in tubing, with very little surface area. But it just bothers me this is the only thing I can't make nice. Any form of welding though, it does have to look good.I have tried before, to try to fuse AL, and it's a pain. Sometimes it's just not possible to get the joints that close. And if you don't get it to fuse right away, it just runs away from you. But I don't see what difference it would make if it was fused first..... ? I just cut one of my weld apart where two tubes met side by side and I got all the way down the tube with the filler. No way to fuse that before rod goes in. Fusing could cause undercutting pretty easily couldn't it ?Last edited by 10secgoal; 07-06-2009 at 08:51 PM.
Reply:William,Did you use DC- and lab grade helium to repair that alien spaceship out in Nevada a few years back?  Repairs must have gone well.  They seem to have left and decided not to return.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Okay, William and Sundown, it's time to turn it down, or I will turn it off. PERIOD.10second, you have made a bunch of improvements. I think every good piece of advice you could have gleaned from this you already have.There are several different schools of thought when it comes to aluminum welding, Sundown works with one, and William works with another. The process William learned was one where the welds are going to potentially get x-rayed or magnafluxed, and you could guarantee that if not, they were going to follow a set spec, and not deviate from that. Sundown works in the single harshest enviroment that you can subject an aluminum tube in; the ocean on boats. Nowhere else will you see such constant abuse from the operators of machines, and frequently there will be NO service interval; once built, put into service to be abused until it breaks. No changing out every 1000 hrs of use. Aslo, Sundown comes from the private sector that is not driven by gov't. regulations, so they learn better, faster, acceptable, alternative methods and materials to comlete the task at hand. Neither is wrong, and the proof is in the fact that both industries continue on and grow every year. They are just different.Now, if you two ladies can quit menstruating in this guy's thread, we can all move along with life.And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:Both of these held up to the bend test I gave them. If you are on a tight budget and you would like to weld with just a little helium this might work for you. It is a bit slow but does come out rather nice and strong. If you have some extra helium you can do this weld below. I went around that pipe start to finish in under three minutes. If I setup for doing this on a daily basis I could get even faster times and better looking welds. That piece of pipe is very dirty, and I did pick up or surface some contaminants but the weld still stayed shiny. The inside totally fused. I noted that a gas lens and a high, almost 45 degree push angle made a big difference. But all and all the helium seems to be the factor if you are stuck with a 3/32" tungsten. A larger tungsten and more power would probably do this very well with Argon. Just wear your leathers. And leaded sand jock strap. Ha-ha.  I just happen to be using lab grade helium at the moment. Not by choice that was all I had to choose from. I usually use a welding grade. That to be honest is probably almost as pure. Try a high push angle with your argon, and large gas lens, that might work too. It just takes a bit longer without helium.        Sincerely,             William McCormick
Reply:The thing with pipe is that, when you start welding on it. Even on the short test pieces. It is the equivalent to starting in the middle of two plates about 3/16" thick, 7"x10" in area. That is a lot of metal to heat up. I used to weld boat deck plate and I know how long it take to preheat it so I can penetrate it. Even with helium. Something is wrong with your metal or gas supply, if you are not able to fuse the two pipes without wire. I get those two pipes fused with either argon or argon and helium in about thirteen to fifteen seconds. Every time. No exceptions. You might try coming on with less heat. If you are coming on with too much heat, you can spatter or boil the tungsten.        Sincerely,             William McCormick
Reply:That "bend" test doesn't really prove anything.  If you're going to do a test, do it right.  Section the pipe lengthwise.  Than do a root bend on one section, face bend on another, and a tensile strength (I think that's what you call it) test on a third.  I mean the test where you put it in a machine and pull till it fails to see where if fails and how much force it takes.  All you did is crush it...
Reply:Originally Posted by BoostinjdmThat "bend" test doesn't really prove anything.  If you're going to do a test, do it right.  Section the pipe lengthwise.  Than do a root bend on one section, face bend on another, and a tensile strength (I think that's what you call it) test on a third.  I mean the test where you put it in a machine and pull till it fails to see where if fails and how much force it takes.  All you did is crush it...
Reply:I get the preheat, in theory. Thick piece of AL need to be 1200 deg to melt, rod goes to hell at 1400, but it takes 1600 deg to get 1200 into the AL to weld, and kills the rod. I get it.Well, I can but them together, AL is a pain to do it with. They don't always meet up close enough to get them to fuse.I think it's just this metal. This is the only AL I have a problem with. there is some 6061 tubing at my metal place. I'll grab some of that and weld on it.This is 14 ga AL, so it doesn't take a TON of heat. the tungsten, at 80 bal doesn't even ball or show signs of spattering or anything.Wondering if it's possible there is still contamination. I only see it on AC though. The flat, unground section of tungsten is colored almost like is slightly touched the puddle, but it hasn't.That's some thick *** tubing.  The thickest I should see is 1/8, until I do my intake, the the helium will be bought.Got some stuff to do here in AL for another IC, I'll get some pics for you guys.Last edited by 10secgoal; 07-08-2009 at 10:12 AM.