Any suggestions on my tig setup -Dialarc HF (dinosaur)?

dntfxr · Nov 18, 2015

I put a new clean gas lense on and I'm getting great results finally! I knew something had to be wrong, I watched "welding tips and tricks" video about AC balance and he had a bad lense that was causing welds to look almost as bad as mine lol. He replaced it and he was back in business. I did the same and BINGO! A clear puddle and clean welds finally!! I also figured out this welder is underrated on amps, I can weld 1/8" alum on low range which is from 10-45 amps AC. Middle range works a little better but will melt 1/8 very quickly. I can't imagine what I'd need the full 310 amps AC or DC on high range though, maybe a battleship lol! Anyway thanks to all for the suggestions and help so far, much appreciated. I want to set up a water cooled torch next few weeks too. This WP26 gets too hot to hold pretty quickly, I don't think it'll survive long using it without letting it cool. Any suggestions on which water cooled torch would be a good match for my rig? I may try to use a transmission cooler mounted behind the fan for the coolant once I get the new torch. Thanks for any suggestions

dntfxr · Nov 18, 2015

I discovered something new today- the purple E3 electrodes work great on aluminum and steel. They stay pointed except for the very tip which will barely ball over. And they keep their shape and do well even if you take a dip. Compared to the pure tungsten it allows for much more focused heat. I included more ugly bead pics hahaa! I have trouble not burning through at the end of the piece. I was able to get full penetration on this T joint in low range on the machine, took a while though. Next time I will use medium heat and move quicker I think. I need to work on my rhythm and consistency I know, any other suggestions?