aluminum welding setups

[john_electro]

Hello to all,return here to expose some issues that I've met,I managed to buy a bottle of argon 10 liters and as expected I began testing the device at tig welding.From the beginning you have to remind that there are tig welder, welding and aluminum-rich yet so I know the settings and parameters;I tested the device with welding steel and stainless steel, it works great,but the only problem that I have met is to weld aluminium failing to adjust the device to get a welding as it should look - shiny and clean.I need some advice from those who may have met this problem' i have PowerTig 250EX 2013 and again I must remind you that I have watched all the movies posted on you tube and then http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com -Jody if I remember the name right.
As i see things, the problems would be somewhere on here :
-argon of bad quality
-Tungsten does not form that little shiny ball and it got smoked black -i have pics
-Tungsten is used by me is the red one and here I have a question for me when I worked in Denmark( I worked for one year only tig aluminum-I hope you don't believe brag )I only used green and gray tungsten
-and last but do not want to understand me, nor can I understand-the welding machine is not good-very hard to believe because I watched the everlast and other forums and reviews before I decide to take this device and lam got the highest trust
Ask anyone's opinion as he sees fit to give me some advice, including those of the technical staff of everlast and belive me I tried and tried but it looks like the aluminum welding fail to set properly, the steel go super well.Anyway I'll attach some pics and I apologize for the quality of pictures and quality for my English written,JOHN !!!

[Rambozo]

How about a picture of the machine settings? Might be the best way to get all the settings.
Looks like AC balance is too much positive.
Bad argon would impact your steel welding, too. But maybe your flow is way too much or way too little what flow rate are you using?
Red tungsten is ok to use.
Green tungsten that balls up, is only for transformer machines, not inverters.

[Kempy]

Here is a picture of your panel to keep notes on copy it and print it.

Rambozo has a few good ideas also.
I would turn off everything that you do not need on.
Then thing turned on to start
1-AC
2-2T/Pedal
3-HF Start Tig
4-Frequency 120
5-AC Balance 40
6-Argon 25/30CFM or 12/15L is a good start
7-5356 or 4043 alum. rod if needed
8-Amps 60-70
The pictures you have put up to me look like the gas might be the problem, not enough or bad or your torch is to far away from the work.

[bnun12]

Pre flow needs to be set at 1/2 to 1 second for slight argon flow before the arc starts
Post flow needs to be set at 2 to 4 seconds for argon shielding of the tungsten while it is still red hot.
The tungsten will turn black without enough post flow and will stay a silver gray color with the proper amount of post flow.

[performance]

Here is a picture of your panel to keep notes on copy it and print it.

Rambozo has a few good ideas also.
I would turn off everything that you do not need on.
Then thing turned on to start
1-AC
2-2T/Pedal
3-HF Start Tig
4-Frequency 120
5-AC Balance 40
6-Argon 25/30CFM or 12/15L is a good start
7-5356 or 4043 alum. rod if needed
8-Amps 60-70
The pictures you have put up to me look like the gas might be the problem, not enough or bad or your torch is to far away from the work.

You should have your balance more toward 30% than 40%. 40% will start to cause balling on the end, not much, but it will begin around that amperage. Likely AC balance is the number one issue you are having. Resolve that and things should work.

[Kempy]

I test my PowerTig 250EX at 70A with the Frequency from 20Hz to 250Hz and the AC Balance from 10% to 90% and could not get a bad result using a 1/8 2% lanthanated tungsten on a 1/8th aluminum plate but turn down the argon low then the weld was bad black and messy.
Yes in the panel drawing the AC Balance is wrong the Less and More are reverse I will change it on the new drawing had no proof reader to help.

[Mr120]

I like your idea about using a diagram to illustrate your settings for a job. I've been just jotting down numbers but your diagram would make it a lot easier to eyeball my settings. I like dials but I sure like the memory feature of the digital welders.

[john_electro]

hello everyone today I tested again and aluminum welding machine as expected I encountered the same problems.I changed specific gas hose, gas tests with higher smaller, tungsten instead I tried one of 3.2 mm diameter,frequency in different aluminum (higher-lower) the adjustment again BALANCE AC ( AC BALANCE This function looks like work because I did different settings and change shape tungsten tip );the only thing I could not change is the gas pipe to try and other gas.Anyway my job I have welding machine aluminum going on and did some tests on a piece of aluminum plate and on the same piece of board we tested and Everlast,and as I have experienced the same problems-taken from everlast machine goes on aluminum or rather does not work as it should work!!! Anyway I apologize for my English as pictures and!

[performance]

I am going to answer simply so language isn't a problem. Please respond if you can.

1) With an inverter welder, you do not want a ball! This makes the arc unstable. If you increase over 30-40%, it will begin to ball and make arc unstable. What setting did you use?

2) Do you hear the AC buzz that is like a angry bee? AC frequency should be around 100-120 hz. If you do not hear buzz, remove rear cover, and top metal cover only an check ALL plugs.

3) The pictures are out of focus. Can you mark which ones are Everlast and which ones are another brand?

4) Gas flow should be around 15-20 scfh...or 7-9 lpm.

5) Are you using finger switch on the torch or foot pedal? Have you tried both?

Please let me/us know.
Thanks.

[john_electro]

hello
From the beginning I have to say they are tig welder and I work every day as tig welder, so there is no point setting alone because I know all about welding and its settings;I must repeat again that goes welding machine welds ac but the quality is not good ... it is black with small craters and impurities -welding machine works but I have a clean white aluminum welding as I said ;I'm not trying to blame only if welding machine or else I tried almost every.Because of this I have written here to see if someone has never hit this problem,the only thing I managed to do is change the argon cylinder. I spoke with another company to load cylinder with argon and other gases tried harder ... but if not if it does not work, I have to send you back welding machine should change it to another good .... but no I do not want to think that far!
regards john

[zoama]

@ john electro... please try this translation service http://imtranslator.net/compare/roma...lation/#window. Check "Back Translation" near the bottom... to test.

[john_electro]

Thanks for the tip .... will use it confidently

[performance]

Please, answer my questions. I see the settings. That's fine, but are you trying to use the foot pedal or the torch switch? Do you here the AC buzz? What is the gas flow rate?

[Kempy]

John
What welding rod are you using 5356 or 4043 or something different and what is the base material are you using to weld to, 4xxx, 5xxx, 6xxx or 7xxx series.
Panel drawing Rev.2a

[john_electro]

Heloo
Perhaps my answer was not understood ... " I repeat : yes is "heard frequency "to ac awarding and the gas i tried it and at 7-8 L/min and at higher pressure and about 12-14 L/min....And to be tested we tested and with the pedal with the help of the "torch switch" does not go ,so that I can understand we've tested and without his wand to add welding -I just wanted to melt away the basic material ... but again it is with impurities and ugly visual inspection

in the picture we have some details about the settings used ... that does not mean that only the values that we have tested ... I tried several variants
I apologize for answering fee but the place where I work as a tig welder is 100-200 miles of my city and here at work I got today ... and tested test in my city but only when I'm free wekeend JOHN

[john_electro]

My answer here is: that we've tested with a material "foreigner" but on the welding device from work goes perfect ... and which would normally be should go and on Everlast Everlast awarding but on goes very badly