All looks pretty normal if your projects are built from free treadmill platforms lol.

There is a reason God invented the spitting hissing MIG eh.

Bottom line is still the detail in viewing the puddle and arc but not much talk about the frequency on this weld type. I've found aluminum butt welds looked prettier on my old transformer welder and balled pure tung when I first got the new one. Everything else was better, it seemed, with the newer ...

When repairing thin aluminum like a tear where you can't get a backing on it I like to tack and tack (no filler just a stab) focusing on fit up and working with the heat. If I blow a tack I lay in some .040 rod to touch both sides and file down the high spot when done. Important part of the tacking ...

Done lots of aluminum grinding. When not welding I turn up the oiler for the die grinder and use wax when cutting or sanding with electric. When prepping for welding I use water, water and soap or windshield washing fluid if some is around as a lubricant. Then, hot soapy water bath, then super hot w...

A hobby turned to an primary income and need to learn more and stock more and expand instead of saying no. I have an "unubtanium" old Japanese clutch cover to repair if possible. It has a sizable hole ('bout 2" dia.)on a relativly flat surface and has Magnesium content (vinegar tested...

The south of Portugal but originally from Holland 8-) That's an interesting transplantation... What took you from Holland to Portugal? Steve S From my experience it wasn't the girls, or the beer, or the spas. Oh, I'm from BC Canada. Home of the 75 cent loonie, 5 dollar a gallon fuel, Air Liquide an...

Prep and fit-up, as we all know, makes it easier but sometimes you can't get it all like this fix. One of the things I learned from Jodies vids is what I call "pump welding". That's where he had a very short stick out and had the amps a bit high and just did one puddle at a time kind of th...

Might be your arc length.

The reason I say that is I catch myself sometimes lifting a bit as I back off the pedal. On my Everlast that creates a spitting intermittent arc. It's gone if I keep the arc tight as I back off and the end of the weld stays cleaner if I drop the arc as I back off.

The CK FL is a nice torch and you can have 2 and 3 series heads assembled for different spots but it has limitation too. The button (tightening screw on head) can be a physical limitation in a tight spot unless you reposition the head often. It also needs to be on the outside of the weld joint or it...

The point I was trying to make in my last post was this: The perfect grind may be valuable and useful in a great many situations, but the average weld does not depend on it. I can complete the average weld with whatever's in the torch, and sharpen later. Like cleaning aluminum, surgical grade is no...

The point I was trying to make in my last post was this: The perfect grind may be valuable and useful in a great many situations, but the average weld does not depend on it. I can complete the average weld with whatever's in the torch, and sharpen later. Like cleaning aluminum, surgical grade is no...

May sound cheap but I have tigged on my stick hardweld rods just fine. Just knock off the flux with a hammer and a quick buff on the wire wheel. Even looks purdy. Try a bit on some scrap if you have some. It is a surface bond. I have a ton of stick rod left over from doing my bucket repairs way back...

Yep. Depending on the size of your cup (particularly with a large cup on a gas lens), you can sharpen your tungsten and then bend it 15-20* to get your arc where you need it. Steve S I could have used that trick when I built a t-slot table out of angle iron for my drill press. How hot? Tightest rad...

Had the same problem because it was not deep enough to get onto the knuckle of my pinky finger (my prop point). I try to be RH when welding so I always wear out the rod hand first. This has left me with a few nice RH gloves lol. I took one and stitched the TIG FINGER to it and now just switch gloves...

I made my own too this winter out of a chainsaw sharpener set-up I had. The 10 loonie 3" diamond disc is still on the original side after 100's of sharpenings lol. Main benefit for a jigged set-up is relaxed repeatability on any length and being able to do the "shorties" in .040"...

I use gravity to help with oil soaked castings. Do the tinning-cleaning passes in a vertical position working beads from the top down horizontally. When the crap gets built up I skim it with a fluted carbide, wipe and start again. Thin stuff goes pretty quick this way for me. Thick stuff can benefit...

Simplify to conquer. Resist the urge to weld lol. One step at a time. IMO laying a bead is a few steps ahead of the curve. First (no filler) prop and set torch angle like the books say. Next, see the puddle. Next see the difference between arc and tungsten. Move over, reset and repeat until the brai...

You want aluminum chips? Bevel a 1/2" plate of aluminum to a 1/8th" root with a hand held electric wood planer. Wear a full suit though lol.

4', 3 passes, less than min. My side cutting yard is paved with aluminum chips and grinder dust.

Hello, I'm Larry and I believe that I'm on the way to becoming a TIG partsaholic. I just bought my first TIG machine, which I've been told is a gateway act to parts addiction. The dilemma I'm facing is how to divide my meager disposable income between my new TIG addiction and my existing addiction ...

I build a lot of things with what I have, not what I need, so sometimes fit up is not the best. I've found with aluminum (cause it's AC) plug welds (especially thicker stuff) or pipe on flat plate or other deep gap set-ups you need to be aware of the path of least resistance the arc will take. I use...

Idbtx. It's mostly about the fun for us hobbiests but maybe a bit of ego too. I think building things from metal is a form of creating a heritage (cause it will last a long time) and that's part of the satisfaction. Tiggin' is purdy when done well to anyone that sees what you build (the ego part). I...

Zen and the Art of Tigging. As a hobby it's satisfying and relaxing, like fishing, but a more expensive. Getting a welder is the really the cheap part. Once you buy the necessary stuff and lay a few beads you see the light. Next is shop projects like carts and table and cable booms and rod holders. ...

Thanx for understanding Zank. Grain time, I'm trying to see if I can run a higher EP amperage (for more cleaning) over a much smaller than normal % of the AC cycle (or frequency) with our machine. Why? to see if I can run lower EN amps to lessen HAZ on my project which will require 3 sides of about ...

Thanx Oscar.

I understand I don't have the capabilities in my machine. I'm wondering if with equalizing pulse and AC frequencies if I can get the same effect of amp control then swap leads to have the ability to run a higher EP amperage.

I'll sneak back tomorrow.

It was that thread about controlling EP and EN amperages that got me thinking. I just recently (Nov.) replaced an old Squarewave 175 with an Everlast EX 250. Like a boy with a new toy for the last few months. Not the most precise settings If you like the math like I do but It sure is nice to have pe...