[LtBadd]

No beer or soda cans. I drink wine.

Same problem here

[exnailpounder]

uh huh!

[maker of things]

So I had a little blow through and thought, maybe I can fill it.

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It got a little out of hand. over 12 feet of 3/32 4043 filler.

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[LtBadd]

Damn, got to get a rotator for this

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[exnailpounder]

Hey Richard your best attempt #3 is awesome. It's not as easy as one would think. I thought after Steve posted his weld porn pic the other day he was going to come along and make us all look like monkeys Maker putting a cap on his welds was pretty awesome.

[MosquitoMoto]

Some good looking stuff showing up here!

I'm getting there slowly. Had to overcome an earthing problem, then positioning, then poisoning myself with fumes from the cooked remnant contents of cans I'd not cleaned out properly. Cough!

Currently distracted giving lessons to my 11 year-old daughter who has decided that she wants to learn how to Tig weld. There is nothing funnier than watching a little girl in a giant hood and oversize gloves cutting the arc, sitting up from the workpiece, flipping her hood and exclaiming "Oh SHIT, I dipped again, Dad!"



Kym

[LtBadd]

Some good looking stuff showing up here!

I'm getting there slowly. Had to overcome an earthing problem, then positioning, then poisoning myself with fumes from the cooked remnant contents of cans I'd not cleaned out properly. Cough!

Currently distracted giving lessons to my 11 year-old daughter who has decided that she wants to learn how to Tig weld. There is nothing funnier than watching a little girl in a giant hood and oversize gloves cutting the arc, sitting up from the workpiece, flipping her hood and exclaiming "Oh SHIT, I dipped again, Dad!"

Kym

Better be careful Kym, she'll be showing you up in no time

[Coldman]

She's probably just repeating what she hears coming out of the shed all the time


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MosquitoMoto]

She's probably just repeating what she hears coming out of the shed all the time

She probably is. And let's face it, it wouldn't take her long to catch up to my standard of work.

She's pretty switched on. We had a talk about projects beyond practise and she's thinking of trying to make a little stand for a fragrant oil burner. I'll keep you posted on her progress.



Kym

[maker of things]

That cap was taking EX's advice to the extreme. I established an arc on the filler then moved the filler and torch in unison back and forth across the cans. I had the machine set at 40 amps 1/16 2% lanth and 15 cfh with 3/32 4043 filler. Once the puddle was established I ran the peddle about half throttle. Around most of the can there is actually an air gap between the original weld and the cap. Just kind of demonstrating the unconventional method that works on the cans. Could probably 3d print with those settings.

[exnailpounder]

That cap was taking EX's advice to the extreme. I established an arc on the filler then moved the filler and torch in unison back and forth across the cans. I had the machine set at 40 amps 1/16 2% lanth and 15 cfh with 3/32 4043 filler. Once the puddle was established I ran the peddle about half throttle. Around most of the can there is actually an air gap between the original weld and the cap. Just kind of demonstrating the unconventional method that works on the cans. Could probably 3d print with those settings.

Hey maker...did you try thinner filler wire or did you use 3/32" from the get-go? I used 1/16" on my first try but I had to
jam filler in the puddle to keep up. I switched to thicker filler and it seemed easier. I just got some new coupons to play with so I am going to try it again....when my hangover goes away

[maker of things]

I just got some new coupons to play with so I am going to try it again....when my hangover goes away

Mt very first attempt was with .040 2% lanth and 1/16 4043 filler at 15-20 amps. Friggin arc would go anywhere but the joint, I even turned the freq up to 450hz with no improvement. I didn't really give it another shot till you posted up here. I think I did one try with 1/16 but as you noted hard to keep up with pushing the filler in (another person who does not have the skill to feed filler, just hold it) was thinking about giving 1/8 a go. It's a heck of a thing when the filler sticks to the cans and I end up picking up the cans when I try to reposition the filler. Guessing I'm not alone with that.

I have been using painter's tape to hold the cans on a piece of 3x3x1/4 aluminum angle then making a tack on the near side and starting the weld opposite. That first tack really draws that other side apart still. Have been contemplating punching holes in the bottom of the cans and putting some threaded rod through with washers and nuts on both sides to hold the cans together.

[Artie F. Emm]

She's pretty switched on. We had a talk about projects beyond practise and she's thinking of trying to make a little stand for a fragrant oil burner. I'll keep you posted on her progress.

Good on her! Not to hijack the thread, good on you for raising a capable girl. My daughter wowed the crowd at school during an Electricity unit in her science class: she demonstrated circuit continuity and tested DC power with her multimeter (from her own toolbox).

I've been meaning to try the beer can challenge: have to arrange some play time in the garage.

[exnailpounder]

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My second attempt. 3/32" 2% lanthanated, 3/32" 4043, 50 amps, 18cfh. I am going to try for the stack o dimes next.

[maker of things]

Are you going to do a "root pass" then dime it, or try to dime the cans from the start?

BTW I have been using green scotch brite to sand the anodizing off the cans prior to acetone wipe and weld. haven't had any bad fumes so it must have gotten to bare aluminum.

[MosquitoMoto]

Are you going to do a "root pass" then dime it, or try to dime the cans from the start?

BTW I have been using green scotch brite to sand the anodizing off the cans prior to acetone wipe and weld. haven't had any bad fumes so it must have gotten to bare aluminum.

The scotchbrite sanding is a good tip...I suspect that the anodising isn't helping things for me. I've decided what I really need more of in order to nail this is simply...time! I've had a couple episodes where I quickly rush out to the garage, blast away and fail because I've not prepped carefully enough.

I need to get my Zen on. Breathe...



Kym

[exnailpounder]

Are you going to do a "root pass" then dime it, or try to dime the cans from the start?

BTW I have been using green scotch brite to sand the anodizing off the cans prior to acetone wipe and weld. haven't had any bad fumes so it must have gotten to bare aluminum.

I tried to move/pause to get the dimes and it doesn't work too well. You need to keep shoving rod in or the cans overheat and blow out. I tried pulsing but you have to crank up the amps so high to melt the rod it blows out the edge of the cans. Diming them after wards is cheating I think I am going to have to be satisfied with my attempts and wait for others examples. I had a cerebral palsy tig welding day all day after welding those cans...like a damn pig on rollerskates. I use the green pads but I need to find some red ones. I used Barkeepers Friend on the cans to clean then and I got no fumes...out of acetone right now.
Sure glad I don't have to weld these goddamn cans every day!

[exnailpounder]

Are you going to do a "root pass" then dime it, or try to dime the cans from the start?

BTW I have been using green scotch brite to sand the anodizing off the cans prior to acetone wipe and weld. haven't had any bad fumes so it must have gotten to bare aluminum.

The scotchbrite sanding is a good tip...I suspect that the anodising isn't helping things for me. I've decided what I really need more of in order to nail this is simply...time! I've had a couple episodes where I quickly rush out to the garage, blast away and fail because I've not prepped carefully enough.

I need to get my Zen on. Breathe...

It's not easy...Zen or not I just scrub em alittle with some BK and it's all good. I found that re-sharpening after a few short beads has been helping with re-starts.Those little nodules seem to cause the arc to wander. I have seen some vids of guys doing it and they can dime the damn things but I can't figure out how. I magine you walk in for a welding test and they show you over to the table and there are two freakin beer cans sitting there ...I would just quit

Kym

[Otto Nobedder]

...
I need to get my Zen on. Breathe...

Kym

Since they're butt welds, are you practicing Zen Buttism?

Transcendental amalgamation...

Steve S

[MosquitoMoto]

...
I need to get my Zen on. Breathe...

Kym

Since they're butt welds, are you practicing Zen Buttism?

Transcendental amalgamation...

Steve S

It's more Zen Can Do.

I am pretty familiar with Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance, but the aluminium on my bikes is always a lot thicker than that of beer cans...



Kym

[maker of things]

Perhaps there is an ideal number of "coupons" to "make" which will help one's self to a state of enlightenment?
I washed my cans out with hot water and let them dry several days. Any liquid in there sure doesn't help. I would suspect that the thickness of metal varies not only from can to can, but around the can itself. It's like the bottlers have no consideration for us welders at all.

[MosquitoMoto]

This is a tough one. But I will persist and prevail.

My main challenge is arc wandering. My machine normally offers a good focused arc but I am struggling. I have a sharp electrode, decent stickout, have tried turning down the gas. The arc wander almost seems like bad earth, so I've gone to the trouble of wrapping a copper earth strap around the waist of the cans.

I can sit a single can upside down and damn near run a bead around its bottom shoulder, but the moment I place the base of the two cans together and get down into The Valley of Death, it's like watching a Tesla globe, no matter how close I hold the electrode point down into that vee...arc wanders like crazy from side to side, almost seems to be jumping off the sides of the electrode (yes, properly, longitudinally ground).

Help me Obi Wan, you're my only hope. I am a very stubborn individual, but this one is a head-scratcher for sure.


Kym

[maker of things]

Dang it Faraday! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage

The arc wander is why EX explained to light up on the filler. With the filler "sticking up in the valley" it is the highest point and your "lighting" can hit it. At least as I understand it, the arc will always want to take the shortest path. In the valley created by two cans everything except the root is usually the shortest path. Putting filler in there gives you a decent shot at maintaining the shortest path where you want.

Welding cans seems to work best, backwards almost, from proper welding. You melt the filler with your torch then the molten filler melts the base metal, then move real fast to not blow through.

[exnailpounder]

This is a tough one. But I will persist and prevail.

My main challenge is arc wandering. My machine normally offers a good focused arc but I am struggling. I have a sharp electrode, decent stickout, have tried turning down the gas. The arc wander almost seems like bad earth, so I've gone to the trouble of wrapping a copper earth strap around the waist of the cans.

I can sit a single can upside down and damn near run a bead around its bottom shoulder, but the moment I place the base of the two cans together and get down into The Valley of Death, it's like watching a Tesla globe, no matter how close I hold the electrode point down into that vee...arc wanders like crazy from side to side, almost seems to be jumping off the sides of the electrode (yes, properly, longitudinally ground).

Help me Obi Wan, you're my only hope. I am a very stubborn individual, but this one is a head-scratcher for sure.


Kym

Hey Kym...maker explained it right...you need to light up on the filler and hold an extremely tight arc to keep it from wandering( and it still does) and once the filler puddles, start moving forward and pushing filler in the puddle. You can't just run over the wire like you can on mild because aluminum shrinks back when it melts. That's why it's hard to tack aluminum without filler rod. As I said above, resharpening a few times helps also because those little dingle berries that form on your tungsten make the arc unstable. Also I found that taking a scotch-brite pad to my filler also helped. I was seeing crud in my puddle and stopped to clean the wire and the crud disappeared.I also turned my gas back up when I went to a bigger tungsten and it went ok. This is a parlor trick that no one wants to spend a lot of time on but it's a great reminder of how aluminum is so different and clean metal and filler is the order of the day.

[BigD]

I have a sharp electrode... The arc wander almost seems like bad earth

Try blunting it. I was recently practicing welding 1mm aluminum to build a big box out of it and I had a bear of a time getting the arc to focus. I recently did a bunch of thick steel and I was used to using a pencil sharpened electrode. It instinctively feels like it should pinpoint the arc but it does the exact opposite. I blunted the electrode to a very shallow point, like maybe 30-45 degrees, and the arc instantly became focused and stable.