Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello. I just registered. I have this hi-freq unit I use on a Lincoln G8000 machine, with Argon to TIG. I have trouble doing aluminum. The puddle doesn't want to advance. The filler metal wants to build up and fall to the underside. Using a backing plate doesn't help. Stainless welds appear dark instead of shiny.
I bought the unit in 1995 and stored it in a shed outdoors for 12 years, then in my house basement. Could hot/cold/humidity have harmed any components?
Am I doing anything out of the ordinary with this unit? I've been welding since 1974; not steady, but often in my work as an elevator construction mechanic. I also made my living welding when elevator work was slow. Any ideas? Thanks.

Welcome to the site iuec973_welder.

Does your G8000 have the by=pass capacitor installed? Here's a link to the HF unit manual for more information. (page 7)
http://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/s ... /im298.pdf

Welcome to the forum.

Fat Bob wrote:Welcome to the site iuec973_welder.

Does your G8000 have the by=pass capacitor installed? Here's a link to the HF unit manual for more information. (page 7)
http://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/s ... /im298.pdf

Hey Fat Bob;
Yes, I put the capacitor in according to the instructions. I still have the user manual hard copy, but thanks for the link to the online manual. I'll keep that, too. But I'll check the installation, again.

I have the High Freq Tig module on my ranger 9. It works like a champ. I have run 100% duty cycle on it at 250amps. But I also bought a Lincoln water cooler for the my tig torch for doing aluminum. Here is what I can tell you about it. The control cable that comes from the ranger 9 to the tig module is only 6ft long. This is ok, if you mount the unit on top of the ranger 9 like it was designed to. I however, like to take the high freq tig unit to my weld location and have the noisy engine and fan far away from me. This is where the added expense came in. Lincoln charges 250 bucks for the extension cable which is 40ft long, and it has to be plugged into the 6footer to work. So you end up with a decent length to use. As far as the other connections go, the foot amptrol plugs into the high freq module, which then controls the engine idle when welding or not welding as well as amperage. I suppose if you don't want to have that, you can just leave the ranger 9 or 8 on high idle. but the water and gas plug into the high freq module and the leads from the ranger 9 plug into the back of the high freq module. So the only reason I can see the 9 pin, actually, I think it is a 14pin connector to be there is for engine control. I think and I bet that if you had another high freq unit from another manufacturer, you could use the output directly from your welding leads to supply power to it with no problems at all.
I guess that was a long post just to say "Yeah, I think you can"

"Puddle doesn't want to advance" sounds like low amps for the thickness being welded.

What are your settings?

Do you got experience in residential luggage lifts? then i gotta ask you something about it...