tig alum

[jonesg]

Just got the 200PI , trying to work out the correct settings.

Uploaded a couple of pics ,
I tried to weld a handle that broke off an alum pot lid, 1/8th inch alum.
It looks like a bad solder joint,

The other is just the first beads I tried, heat was all over the place and I was melting through trying to get an idea of where to set the amps for 1/8 al.

I fried the electrode end 4 times and broke one cup nozzle trying to get some tungsten off that melted onto it.

There is a cheatsheet in the manual but the dial settings are called different names from the labels on the machine, a standard nomenclature would help.

I have the argon set around 20 cfm, pre-flow and post flow are on.
Any tips on where to set the other dials for 1/8th inch AL before i fry all my consumables. thanks.

[longevity-inc.com]

Hi Jones G,

It looks like the settings on the machine are a bit off. What type of tungsten are you using? Is it a Pure? 2% Thoriated or 2% Ceriated? Are you in AC mode? Was the aluminum cleaned? Also, it looks like your puddles are way too hot. You do have the proper argon flow, but we would like to go over the machine with you. Please PM us your order number and name and we will have a rep contact you right away. We will also replace the gas cup nozzle that broke.

Our welder asked which polarity is set on machine. Also, there may be a problem with your workpiece. If it is foundry aluminum, it may be cast aluminum, which will have sand grains and is usually welded by braising.

Please give us a call or send us the requested info, so we can contact you and work on some solutions.

[longevity-inc.com]

Sorry welded by Brazing... could not edit my grammar

[jonesg]

Hi Jones G,

It looks like the settings on the machine are a bit off. What type of tungsten are you using? Is it a Pure? 2% Thoriated or 2% Ceriated? Are you in AC mode? Was the aluminum cleaned? Also, it looks like your puddles are way too hot. You do have the proper argon flow, but we would like to go over the machine with you. Please PM us your order number and name and we will have a rep contact you right away. We will also replace the gas cup nozzle that broke.

Our welder asked which polarity is set on machine. Also, there may be a problem with your workpiece. If it is foundry aluminum, it may be cast aluminum, which will have sand grains and is usually welded by braising.

Please give us a call or send us the requested info, so we can contact you and work on some solutions.

Thanks,
Theres nothing wrong with the machine, its me and the dials.!
I'm accustomed to mig , so its a steep learning curve unlearning first.

Its not cast alum, its a flat lid , spun alum, 1/8th thick.
I ordered the 2% electrodes with the grey painted tip, not sure which one that is.
in AC mode.
Pulse off (now, but started out with it on).
New stainless brush for cleaning.
I've increased the argon a bit to around 20.

I'm taking some scrap Al home to run some beads and try different settings, i think I started out at 120 amps, that was a bit hot , not using the pedal yet.
I've dialed it down to 40 amps for now.

I found the circulation fan is so strong it was blowing the argon away,
so I moved the welder further away to reduce the draught.

My first attempt I had the gun and the ground plugged in backward,
I just assumed ground had to go into neg, wrong.
Let me play with a bit more first.
regards, Gerard.

[longevity-inc.com]

Thanks for the update Gerard,

As for the machine and the dial, practice makes perfect. We are in the office on Monday and can go over the unit with you as well. Also, our own welding forum has more information on the machines so check it our as well for more in depth answers on the 200pi.

If there are anymore questions, please post them here or send us a PM. I would like to see the improvement here when you get used to our welder.

Thank you for being a LONGEVITY customers.

Simon

[jonesg]

I find I need the pedal for alum to moderate the heat once I get going so I connected the pedal. But theres a problem.

When the pedal is plugged in the amps read 200+amps, the dial on the pedal doesn't change the readout. The dial on the machine has no effect either.

This only happens when in TIG mode, stick and plasma allow the dial on the pedal to moderate amps all the way down.

That suggests to me the pedal is good, the problem is in the tig wiring within the pedal harness or the machine.

I've tried every switch and dial in every possible position, nothing makes the dial on the pedal work in TIG mode. A meter connected to the pots in the pedal show proper response .

Any ideas?

[nathan211]

Did you ever get this resolved?

[jonesg]

No, longevity offered to swap it but I've been to busy to follow up on it lately.
I haven't found a lack of pedal to be a problem since I learned how to set the dials for pulse. Most pro's who work in the field don't use a pedal.

[SundownIII]

You obviously have absolutely no clue what you're talking about.

Your attempts at tig welding just verify that.

Sounds like you got exactly the machine you need.

[weldgault]

Should be ACHF, so switching the cables, should not matter on AC. JG

[nathan211]

SundownIII,

Can you please explain? I admit I don’t know much about welding, but I would like to know what you mean. Is it your opinion that the brand of machine that he bought is not good, or that he just doesn’t know how to tig weld? If it is that he just isn’t much of a tig welder, my thought is that everybody has to start somewhere and may be this is his starting point. I know that my first tig welds will look very poor, but I hope that I would eventually be able to put down a respectable weld. I was thinking about buying a LONGEVITY machine, so I am quite interested in your response.

Thanks
Nathan

[SundownIII]

Nathan,

1. OP needs to learn to establish/maintain a puddle before he worries about pulse settings (especially on aluminum).

2. Comment about "pro's don't use a pedal in the field" is BS. How would this guy know what pro's use. For aluminum tig you either use a pedal, a fingertip remote, or an on/off button for bump welding. You can get by with a constant setting for steel, but aluminum is another whole story. If he's so "tight" with pro tig welders, he should get one of them to show him how to lay down a tig bead.

3. OP lays down a little chicken poop. Finds that tig is a little more difficult than he imagined, and sets the machine on the shelf for a couple months. What he bought serves the purpose (dust collector) just as well as a quality machine that functions as it's supposed to and includes instructions on that particular machine. A pro, or anyone serious about tig welding would not settle for a machine that did not perform as expected, especially with something as important as remote control.

4. Sometimes having a machine with too many "bells and whistles", especially if they're not well explained in the operators manual, can hinder a new guy just trying to learn tig. For instance, I've got pulse capability on several of my tig welders, but I seldom use that option on aluminum. Thin gauge SS, pulse is a different story.

What really set me off on the whole thread was the OP's comment about "pro's not using remotes in the field". This coming from a poster who obviously knows very little about the tig process to begin with.

If you want to know what I "really think" about the cheap Chinese welders, you can PM me. If I state it here, I'll probably get banned or thrown in the hole for a period of time.

[makoman1860]

I think maybe I understand what SD is saying. Basicly there are 2 kinds of people, weldors, and those that use welding machines. The imported hobbyist machine tends to be used by people that have a casual intrest in welding rather than the person that invests a lot of time and effort to the cause. In any event, when you mix professionals and their equipment with hobbyists and their "equipment", there is always bound to be friction and misunderstanding. Hobbyists tend to have little understanding of the complications of welding, and feel that the "pros" go overboard, and the "pros" cant understand why the hobbyists dont educate themselves. Where the REAL frustration comes in, is where a hobbyist or hobbyist machine vendor, attempts to be on the same level as the "pro". Not saying that one cant graduate to that level, but it takes a lot more then owning a welding machine.

[jonesg]

I think maybe I understand what SD is saying. Basicly there are 2 kinds of people, weldors, and those that use welding machines. The imported hobbyist machine tends to be used by people that have a casual intrest in welding rather than the person that invests a lot of time and effort to the cause. In any event, when you mix professionals and their equipment with hobbyists and their "equipment", there is always bound to be friction and misunderstanding. Hobbyists tend to have little understanding of the complications of welding, and feel that the "pros" go overboard, and the "pros" cant understand why the hobbyists dont educate themselves. Where the REAL frustration comes in, is where a hobbyist or hobbyist machine vendor, attempts to be on the same level as the "pro". Not saying that one cant graduate to that level, but it takes a lot more then owning a welding machine.

Thats why I don't hang around websites that specialize in my trade, the tendency is to start vomitting unsolicited opinions which no-one gives a rats a## about and allow my ego to make a complete idiot of me.


Maybe that rings a bell for some of the posters here.?

[makoman1860]

Thats why I don't hang around websites that specialize in my trade, the tendency is to start vomitting unsolicited opinions which no-one gives a rats a## about and allow my ego to make a complete idiot of me.


Maybe that rings a bell for some of the posters here.?

True,
But without that mingling, information would never get to the "lower levels". As it is there is a huge information gap. Unfortunately the internet is readily available to the "newbie" and so they look for information, and dont know how to filter it. Take the "welding of 4130" subject. I can go to any one of 15 engineering handbooks on my shelf, and they all have the same basic answers even though they have a publication spread from 1934 to 2008. Now on the internet you get every answer from here to the moon. Unfortunately people then ask their welding machine company for an answer......would you trust the answer from an importer? Kind of a sticky mess for the new guy trying to teach themselves with the "help" of the internet.

[Rojodiablo]

Thread closed for obvious reasons.

Take it back tot he basics, and practice until your eyes bleed. Keep plenty of spare tungsten around, and keep a more positive learning attitude.