Aluminum tube TIG weld advise

[Andy Somogyi]

Here’s my first attempt at Al tube. This is a 1.3” OD, 0.3 wall thickness tube, at 100A, 75 hz. Used full pedal.

I’m kind of surprised it penetrates all the way though.


How do you guys position it? I could only go about an inch or so each run before I had to stop and reposition.

On Al, if you have to do a lot of stop and starts, do you have to worry about cracks in the intermediate beads, or only the last one? I.e., on the intermediate stops, so you have to taper off slowly and add filler? I mean, you going to go over to again anyway.








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[shovelon]

That is really not penetration. But if you bevel there would be a good chance there could be. I would cut off and section your sample and get a good look.

I use a rotary table, or weld with torch off the end. That way you can nearly weld 180 degrees from one side to the other side using wrist action.

[Oscar]

Welding near the edge is giving yourself an unfair advantage that you won't always encounter.

[shovelon]

Welding near the edge is giving yourself an unfair advantage that you won't always encounter.

So always do everything the hard way? You sound like my brother who always wants to make a challenge out of everything.

[Oscar]

Nah, not necessarily the "hard way", just don't be relying on an advantage and think that it's within the normal ability. One needs to realize what is going on at all times and be cognizant of all variables. Like if you are top-speed racing, but there is a strong tail-wind that is letting you go 20mph faster than what the car actually tops out without the tail-wind. A lesser-experienced driver would think that is the actual top speed of the car under any and all circumstances, where as the experienced racer would know that the tail-wind is accounting for some of the 'extra' top-speed since now the car doesn't have to lose so much HP to air-drag, and is otherwise slower.

[shovelon]

Nah, not necessarily the "hard way", just don't be relying on an advantage and think that it's within the normal ability. One needs to realize what is going on at all times and be cognizant of all variables. Like if you are top-speed racing, but there is a strong tail-wind that is letting you go 20mph faster than what the car actually tops out without the tail-wind. A lesser-experienced driver would think that is the actual top speed of the car under any and all circumstances, where as the experienced racer would know that the tail-wind is accounting for some of the 'extra' top-speed since now the car doesn't have to lose so much HP to air-drag, and is otherwise slower.

I stick to the KISS principle.