Welding Tips and Tricks

Hey guys got a question, I have some 1/16 alum. I have to weld all outside corners to, was wondering what have u guys had the best luck with as for tungsten? I have been currently using 1.5% lanthenated and have had pretty good luck since I'm a newb at alum. Was just curious what everyone has been using I can't seem to get the thoriated at my lws like Jody suggest.

Last but not least is there realy that much of a diff.? I know there is gobs of use this no use this info. Out there I'm looking for real world experiences with results that u can clearly see. Thanks in advance guys

Jody has done it with Thoriated, to show it.

He prefers the 1.5% Lanthanated you have.

I use either Thoriated or Pure, because that's what work provides, and my choice depends on application.

I use transformer machines, which prefer pure, for a critical weld, like process pipe. I'll happily use 2% Thoriated for non-critical work, though.

You can't go wrong with the Lanthanated... Should work great for anything you'll weld, unless perhaps you do specialty metals, and the WPS will tell you what to use.

Steve S

Thanks Steve, I agree I have used it on alum. S.S. and mild steel and have realy seen no diff. In any of my applications. My diversion 180 is an inverter machine obviously, and has worked well so far no matter he tungsten choice.

Another question I have is, when welding an outside corner on alum. Especially u r looking for a nice tight fit up r u not? Or is it better for a slight gap to get that nice look on an outside edge instead of having that big bead on the edge? Great to here from you Steve its been a while since I have posted been crazy busy with work however I do occasionally check in here every now and then. Thanks again, Eric

Eric,

Nothing wrong with being busy with work!

For an outside corner, new/clean metal meeting at 90*, no gap is needed. You'll melt through and leave internal reinforcement. On a repair, say a cracked weld, I'll grind the face to less than original thickness, and slice the crack with a 1/16" cutting disk, and weld open-root.

Steve S

Thanks for your wealth of knowledge sir,kinda thought that was just verifying.Man outside corners can be a real PITA however that's why I come up with these little projects to sharpen my skills and get better at the things im not as proficient at. Thank you for your time, Eric

1.5 or 2% lanthinated is my go to electrode for everything unless the WPS states something else. The only thing i would recommend, prior to going from steel to stainless and steel to aluminum grind the tungsten to remove oxides and impurities from the electrode as to not have cross contamination of your welds. This is a practice that I have adopted, i don't know if anyone else does. It works for me.

i tryed several types of tungsten for aluminum. my favorite tungsten is Radnor E3. purple band. it balls on the point, not to one side or get erratic surface. i have an inverter not sure how it would work on transformer machine. it also works great on DC.

We just ordered zirconiated (brown I think) at work. I'm excited to try them out. Read on a few forums and some other places that they are the best for AC welding.

nathan wrote:We just ordered zirconiated (brown I think) at work. I'm excited to try them out. Read on a few forums and some other places that they are the best for AC welding.

I've never tried those. I'm looking forward to your review.

Steve S

Zirconated have a white end in Aus and are the historical "go to" electrode for Alum here.

Zirconated works in a transformer/solid state machine on AC where you would normally use pure. It is just supposed to have a more stable arc than pure and is supposed to hold up better. I really can't tell much difference but then again my eyes are old. We only have one solid state machine left at school so we use 1.5% lan or 2% thoriated for everything. I have also tried the e3 (purple) and do not see big difference and in a school setting it is not worth the extra cost (students tend to do a lot of tungsten grinding).

lazerbeam wrote:...(students tend to do a lot of tungsten grinding).

So do middle-age guys who are due for their eye exams...

Steve S

I should have added, our AC machines are transformers. (not the awesome kind) just the big kind.

Mick

When I took welding class many years ago we used pure for alum & 2% thoriated for steel. We also balled the end for alum. As I started welding on preheated castings I found that pure sucked. It would just burn right up into the cup. I tried using 2% and it was hugely better. Back then, I saw a guy at a show welding with an inverter. A Hobart 175. I did'nt know there was a difference between trannys and inverter. This guy was selling a system for repairing castings. He was running the electrode even with the end of the cup, no stick out and no balling. I went back and tried this with my machine. It was like I suddenly learned to weld. Also ran a really small cup. It was amazing. Remember< I am welding in confined space, down inside ports of a cylinder head. No more sticking the electrode. If I did stick the electrode, I would just crack off the end and light up on a peice of scrap steel to just take the sharp edges off the end, and go back to welding. None of my welds are to any code. They need to withstand 60 psi pressure test. A cooling system runs at about 12-15 psi but we test at 60. I also run 75/25 argon/helium. This also had a HUGE effect.

When I went to welding school here in Oz, we were told that there was nothing better than zirconiated electrodes for welding aluminium and Thoriated for steels so that was what we used. Preparation for zirconiated was a slight chamfer on the end only and it balled up pretty quick (which is desirable) and worked well that way. But it's no good for steels.

After watching Jody's comparison of electrodes, I tried the 2% Lanthanated electrodes and they both worked to same to me. The only difference was that the Lanthanated did not ball up and you could sharpen it for lower current jobs for finer results and has since become my go to electrode because you can do everything with it. And it lasts.

I have only used inverter power sources for tig, I can't comment on electrode performance on transformer power sources.

I know companies that use only thoriated for everything including aluminium because they say anything else is trouble. I watch them weld aluminium with mushroom tipped thoriated electrodes at high amps and laugh while they grind away.

If need be, I can run some common joints with pure, and make it look like whatever tungsten you choose and post pictures of the results. I often have to match welds with repairs so that the repair is not so obvious. I can pretty much make them look like whatever is there, made by whatever machine made them, including aluminum MIG. I am also getting some sweet welds out of a Dynasty using pure, which is supposed to be a no-no.

It's not a boast, and I am not an ace TIG welder. We were just taught how to manipulate the arc stream to do what we wanted, especially with regard to gravity and a variety of different extrusions.

Whenever I hear of arc wander and the older machines, I want to run out and buy a video rig to tape my A/BP running anything from 150 amps on up with 1/8" pure because there is no arc wander. If anything, the arc stream is more forgiving to user error in any position. Meaning, once you have a weld puddle running true, the arc is following it's initial path to a point and you actually have to spaz out to get it to mess up. I have had my torch cable fall off of my shoulder while standing on a ladder and yank the torch and still not lose the joint or have it show.

As far as starts. . .the Dynasty will actually try to start on the non grounded side of the weldment. To the point where I have to aim it directly on the grounded side nearly scratch starting it to get it an even start. Hit that pedal on the A/BP and it's going to put a crater right where you point it, even with your eyes closed or if you are looking away.

Hey

Just a side note, Im not sure you can buy pure tungsten in Australia. Just an interesting observation.

Mick

My post is not to say that anyone else is wrong, but I am often wondering what kind of aluminum that people are welding these days to need to have all of these options. I suppose it's mostly to take advantage of inverter technology which is obviously here to stay. I suppose that is the trade off. In order for inverters to work, you need all of that stuff. But, my slant comes from the machine manufacturers coming at it from a different perspective in which to promote it. As if TIG welding in 'general' was really lacking before the inverters. But then I am reading the questions I see these days centered around the most common materials and the now included mysteries.

That's it, in a nutshell. It's not the people using these new machines every day now, but from someone who has been through the different technologies for over 25 years, it ends up being the manufacturers bent on advertising them to their own advantage that throws me off. And I have seen the welds made by each type and made welds with each and not just a few here and there, but thousands upon thousands. And now it's the inverters that give me an issue, when the manufacturers claim they have done a favor. Have I gotten worse with aluminum as I get older? No. Because I can still weld aces with pure tungsten on old technology and make welds that do not fail. I can also make nice welds with the new but good grief! Sharpen it this way, use this stripe, stand on one foot while whistling Dixie to save electricity and a little radiation.

I am basically just stating that you can make cute little 1/8" pinstripe welds with pure, balled tungsten. You can get full penetration, text book quality welds with it on a variety of materials with little fuss and that many of the claims to the contrary are erroneous at best. There is still a lot of aluminum still being welded with pure and transformer machines. The difference? The lack of issues appearing on internet forums with it because it still works.

I was not aware that you could not get pure tungsten in OZ. I guess as long as you are making the other types work, then all is well.

Hey

I had a look on ebay, and there were about 10 packs of pure for sale and 9 of them were from the USA, and 1 was from AUS, Their site backs your info 100%, so i suppose it just hasnt caught on here, I looked at major manufacturers website and they refered to them as Un doped electrodes.

If anywhere would have them we would because we are stuck in alot of old ways.

Mick

Jody has a video where he tested various electrode types and he concluded the 2% lanthanated deformed the least especially running AC.

bj139 wrote:Jody has a video where he tested various electrode types and he concluded the 2% lanthanated deformed the least especially running AC.

Yes, I to saw that video, and yes 2% lanthanated seemed to perform the best....
So, thats all I use....
John

One more thing, Jody was using an inverter AC Tig welder with 2% lanth, His DX....
Will 2% lanth tungsten work good in replacement of pure on a transformer tig?????
John

AKweldshop wrote:One more thing, Jody was using an inverter AC Tig welder with 2% lanth, His DX....
Will 2% lanth tungsten work good in replacement of pure on a transformer tig?????
John

Do you like pure on a transformer tig?

I've been using 2% thoriated with no real complaints. It does not ball perfectly every time right away, but they smooth out shortly.

Dave, I was just wondering, Just to wonder.
I had a Lincoln Square Wave 175 for a while, and, it liked pure best for AC, balled nicely
It was a simple tig unit, I don't know if any of you guys have seen the front of these welders?
They have two knobs, (1) for polarity, and (1) for Amperage.
It had that Lincoln "Auto Balance".
I'm not sure if you would call it inverter, cause it weighed, like, 150 Lbs
How many of you guys use a tungsten other than a pure for a AC transformer????

(edited)
John

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