Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello group, another newbie here. When I bought my Miller 175 (used), the guy showed me the tungsten ball he formed and advised this was required for welding aluminum. I think he formed this ball prior to starting any welding and did it by striking an arc against a big piece of copper, maybe even touching down, not sure. I've scoured the internet and available video and haven't found anything that would help me to know 1) is it necessay/why or 2) how to create the ball.
Help? Ross

You do it by switching your ac balance to like 70 percent positive, or you can set it to DCEP as well. Wanna set yuor max amps pretty high too, like 125 to 150. Strike an arc slow, hold torch vertically(important) and slowly (slowly) ramp up amperage, until the end of the tungsten turns red and starts to ball. When desired shape is achieved, which is a hemispherical end, or half circle, slowly let off the amperage. Be sure your post purge is set long enough to shield the electrode while it cools down-5 seconds is plenty.

The reasoning behind it is it spreads out the arc when yuor welding aluminum so a-the cleaning action will affect a wider area, it also has something to do with the heat and the electrode, but im not 100 percent sure what the deal with that is so ill let someone else comment on it.

You -can- weld with a blunt point on aluminum, but I was taught with the balled end too.

Balling the tungsten, if you are using pure tungsten, is neccassary. If you have any doubts as to why, try and weld aluminium with a fine point. It doesnt work so well.


But if you choose to use 2% Thoriated (which is a great choice)Dont even try to ball your tungsten.

My opinion is that way back when pure tungsten was the only thing available, balling the end was(and prolly still is) the best way to use the tungsten. Now there are many, many good options, and pure tungsten is the least of them.


good luck,

-Rick

hey, check this out
http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/wel ... minum.html

what rick said.

Thank you everyone, this has been very helpful.

Miller 175 isn't that a mig machine?