Bad day indeed. Hired for a job, sudden problem with aluminum? Need help, See pic..

[MR_JOSHUA]

Hired to weld a small handrail this morning, I couldn’t even get a bead going. Popping & snapping all over, really ugly stuff. The equipment: Miller Passport Plus (w/ Spoolmate 100)….Never encountered this issue. Welded all kinds of stuff last week, I hope it’s not operator error. The Miller is set to “the usual” settings, etc. Anyone know if this is due to bad gas (I hope)??
Thanks

[umahunter]

did you try it on some other al or just rail scrap does it come out like that on any al ?

[MR_JOSHUA]

Yes, I cleaned several small pieces of other aluminum, tried it, same result.

[duaneb55]

Is it set up for flux core with straight polarity?

[Doug247]

Check to see if you have the spoolgun pushed all the way into the machine, it looks like you've lost gas. (You are using 100% argon right?) Also like Duane said, check the polarity. That just aint right!

[JWC]

I had a customer a few weeks ago that busted a paslode nail gun and I had the same problem. I tried to heliarc it but had no luck. I'm going to guess it is a cast alum piece?

[Dualie]

I would say gas coverage problem

[assassin_works]

agree with dualie gas problem it is either leaking or not enough check you spool gun connections and solenoids

[MR_JOSHUA]

Welding shop apologized (but didn’t really seem surprised)?? Anyway they offered some freebies to improve the "situation".........



Anyway, problem solved, exchanged for fresh bottle. Handrail project now can continue......

[tapwelder]

Glad you figured it out. They were quite generous. I once had a bad tank of Argon.

Make sure you keep the ground close to your gun. Those cable can become nice resistors and get very hot.

Interested in seeing the finished product.

[astaindsoul5446]

Originally Posted by JWC

I had a customer a few weeks ago that busted a paslode nail gun and I had the same problem. I tried to heliarc it but had no luck. I'm going to guess it is a cast alum piece?

I. Believehat they are magnesium , but not 100% on that

[lewray]

Seems the ole "bad bottle of gas" thing has happened again.

Ive heard of it happening but never experienced it.

[Gmmandan]

Nice that your dealer hooked you up with some freebies I got some bad excailber rods one time and you would have thought I was trying to rob them when i asked for them to exchange them. They said they have never had any one get bad rods lol as soon as your struck an arc all the flux fell off lol.

[Canoe2fish]

Nice to see they stood up for the mistake. Are those spools for your railing project? I'm thinking you should be using a 5xxx wire for those extruded profiles(?)

Thats a good looking railing system, but totally against code in my area. (climbable).

[Brett]

Originally Posted by MR_JOSHUA

...................

Anyway, problem solved, exchanged for fresh bottle. Handrail project now can continue......

Are you welding it on site prior to painting/powdercoating?
A double nut on an inline male swage terminal?
Base plates in line not 90° ?

Sorry just cant agree with your methodology . From what I can see it will be an ordinary end result and is a non professional approach.

As for compliancy , I can only reference to our (Australian) Codes . Yes can have that assembly, but if there is a height differental of greater than 4.0m from Natural Ground level to Finished Floor level we cannot have a Horozontal or near horozontal member between 150 and 760 from FFL.
With wire at post spacings 1500 max and 3 or 3.2mm wire they cannot be more than 80mm apart and must have a tension of 1330 as measured with a strain indicator.

Brett