Welding Tips and Tricks

I did this earlier today, it's not pretty.

CBPayne,
Looks like you were having fun! I am thinking that is 1/8" plate. I think the beads on the right are starting to get there. Let your plate cool down longer in between passes and dry run some passes trying to get down a rhythm. Once you get a rhythm down your beads will form a better stack of dimes look. What were your settings and filler material? Looking good keep on practicing.
-Jonathan

Thanks Johnathan.

Machine is a Miller diversion 180, I'm using the pedal now. Like it a ton better than the hand. Its tricky though.
Tungsten is 3/32"x7" green
AC 180amps the highest my machine goes.
Cfh is at 18-20
Cup is a 7 thinking about buying a gas lens.
Filler ER4043

Well your settings are just about right, just keep on practicing.
Get some more clean aluminum.

~John

I have a Diversion 180 at home and will say within its capacity I absolutely love it. A thing I would change is ditching the pure tungsten and going with lanthinated. Inverters do not do well with pure. Using a mix tungsten will allow you to weld on ac with a sharp point that will not ball as much, thus offering a more pinpointed arc. Keep up the good work!
-Jonathan

CBPayne wrote:I did this earlier today, it's not pretty.

They're OK... pretty straight at least.
The weld on the extreme left is obviously too hot. Those ones one the right are OK but it looks to me that you are travelling too slow and piling on too much filler. As mentioned before. Cool off the aluminium between passes, but personally I'd be using a higher amperage and higher travel speed so that the bead doesn't crown up so high. Another option is a thinner filler rod, dabbing more often.

As the others have said not too bad, especially as your fairly new to it. I agree with getting some lanthanated tungsten I prefer the 2%. I am no ace at tig, but I'm a far cry from where I was a year ago. Doing the Alum. drill helped me tons made me a better welder because it shows you where it went south very clearly. I won't even show you my first attempts Damn the were a fright. just remember it's going in the scrapper. keep up the good work!

Thanks everybody for the positive comments. Now I have some stainless steel exhaust to do.