Problem balling tungsten when welding

[GregWeld]

Aluminum is welded in AC not DC

IF it's an "inverter style" TIG then you DO NOT ball the tungsten.

And don't use GREEN tungsten --- use Ceriated or thoriated. (Red or Orange)

[Rhino]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

Aluminum is welded in AC not DC

IF it's an "inverter style" TIG then you DO NOT ball the tungsten.

And don't use GREEN tungsten --- use Ceriated or thoriated. (Red or Orange)

My experience on Al was almost 15 years ago while in high school. The machine I used previously was not an inverter machine and balling the tungsten seemed to be normal for the time. I am using DC since this is mild steel with a 3/32 Ceriated tungsten.

I think I found the majority of my issue last night. I'm now remembering that there's no such thing as too clean of a weld. I was running a steel brush over the joint, but hadn't been cleaning up the majority of the mill scale.
Years of mig welding has made me a little lax when it comes to cleaning the weld. I believe the majority of what I thought was balling was actually contamination from spray building up on the tip.

I came to that conclusion when I noticed a little porosity in part of my weld. At the same time realized there were a few small sparks flying from the puddle. Once I broke out the flapper wheel and got rid of the mill scale on the front, and back, of the parts in question the process was 100x improved.

[GregWeld]

Ah ha --- Okay --- When you started talking about balling I ASSumed you were welding aluminum.


ONE WARNING --- DO NOT USE CHLORINATED CLEANERS (brake clean etc) to clean you metal. It can kill you with phosgene gas.

[Rhino]

At this point in time I think it's safe to assume my knowledge of the process is highly limited. Any help is good help.
I did notice that the tunsten prep was different for this machine but didn't really understand the difference until looking into it.

Good call on the brake clean, I hadn't been using it since this metal is "relatively" clean. With that said, I could have easily reached for it without too much of a thought. Do you have a prefered method for cleaning oily metal?

[GregWeld]

I use brake clean -- but I use NON-CHLORINATED


#1 rule in TIG -- CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN

This ain't MIG (farmer) welding... TIG is all about tight fit ups - bare - cleaned metal - NO oily residue. This is precision welding.

ASSume you're using Argon gas...

The DIAMETER of your tungsten sets the limits of your heat. So check the amperage ratings of the diameter and type of tungsten you're using.

There's a thread here about tungsten sharpening. There's also a TON of info and videos on Miller and YouTube etc.

[Rhino]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

#1 rule in TIG -- CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN

This ain't MIG (farmer) welding... TIG is all about tight fit ups - bare - cleaned metal - NO oily residue. This is precision welding.

Yep, I am using Argon, set at 15 CFH currently. You're absolutely right about cleanliness. As soon as I realized what was going on last night I did have a bit of an aha moment. As soon as I cleaned it up not only did I not get any contamination but the weld laid down so much nicer. Not quite the stack of dimes I see elsewhere, but it's something I can at least be proud of.

It turns out my old shop teacher may have known what he was talking about all along.

[mad68rs]

cool man, happy you got it figured out

[coolwelder62]

Only use a stainless steel wire brush for cleaning alum.If you used the SS brush on mild steel get a new one.Dont use a flap wheel from steel then to alum.If you are sharpening you tung. horz. to the grind stone this is wrong.Get a tung. sharpener.Makes the points last longer.Try using a gas defuser len's also.Provide's better gas coverage.I use denaturted alcohol for cleaning alum parts before welding.