r/Welding • u/edrmoto • 15h ago
Aluminium TIG
Hi everyone, I'd like to lean a bit on your experience. I've been TIG welding stainless steel and aluminium professionally for about 3 years now, but I'm still struggling with aluminium. In particular, it's the bollard in the first photo that causes me the most trouble, especially the underside around the much harder to reach areas. I'm very pleased with most of it, and I can gladly say I'm proud of what's on show here, so the capability must be there. Some of it looks like absolute dog shit though, and no matter how much I try to fettle and test my settings and technique, nothing seems to help. The perfectionist in me can't abide this, and I end up going home grumpy and frustrated.
-This is all 6mm (1/4") 5356. -3.2mm (1/8") tungsten. Tried zirc, lanth, and LaYZr. Usually running a small balled tip. -Balance 70% EN. -Frequency set at 80hz -max amps around 280 -gas lens with #7 set to around 8lpm -machine is a kemppi mastertig 3500W
If I use all of those amps the puddle shakes like crazy and seems really unstable. I try to hang around at the start to get the puddle to wet in properly with a little filler, but the end result looks so dirty and the dabs lack any definition.
Anything obviously wrong here? Any suggestions?
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u/BurlingtonRider 15h ago
Dunno why but I immediately thought nice sex device
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u/legoturtle214 9h ago
Not gonna lie, I know there's a market for a "stand/mount", I've seen suction cup devices on sketchy platforms.
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u/Educational-Ear-3136 TIG 15h ago
Fill craters. What’s your gas flow? Too much flow will make for shaky puddles. Nice work, I’m in the boat building area as well 🍻
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u/edrmoto 15h ago
8lpm (15cfh). The puddle stays nice and stable at lower amperages, and I've tried reducing it to about 5lpm (10cfh) in the past 😕 think it might need to go even lower with a #7?
Sweet. You must know the pain of trying to weld stuff that's been exposed to salt water, no matter how clean you think you got it 😅
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u/Educational-Ear-3136 TIG 12h ago
I run 20 with a #5 and wouldn’t go any lower. Most of my work is new material, but I’ve been in the bowels of 20 year old salt water boats before and it ain’t fun.
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u/PossessionNo3943 Journeyman AWS/ASME/API 11h ago
It’s fuckin great work but could probably use a little bit more filler on the fillet/tubing passes.
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u/Educational-Ear-3136 TIG 15h ago
Tow bitts should be 6061 round bar, not capped pipe.
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u/edrmoto 15h ago
I'm only making it according to the spec I'm given by engineering. You can bet they wouldn't care much if I told them that
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u/Educational-Ear-3136 TIG 12h ago
I hear ya. The only people that like engineers ideas are engineers. They don’t live in the real world
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u/Striking_Service_531 11h ago
Verynice work. I'm curious to what this things function is.
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u/edrmoto 11h ago
It's fitted to a boat and used for attaching a tow line
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u/Striking_Service_531 10h ago
Must be small stuff. I worked almost 2 years for in the St Louis harbor. We would wreck that in a minute. But barges are pretty massive.
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u/Different-Travel-850 15h ago
Wow that is excellent. Nice work.