My Scratch-Start TIG Setup

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If you are thinking of buying a tank, you may consider checking the refill prices. The larger tank may not be a lot more $$$ for refill than the small one. The labor cost to fill may cost as much as the gas for small tanks. Helium can also be used which was the original gas used, thus the oldtimers called it Heli-Arc welding rather than TIG. I havent priced either gas but you have to remember that Helium molecule is so small that it will migrate thru the steel tank between the grain structure and over time, the tank will be empty without cracking a valve on it. Same thing with Hydrogen which is a problem with using hydrogen for fuel in your car.

Did you know that you can weld aluminum with your scratch start TIG rig if you use Helium on your gun. It has to be super clean and is a real bear the get started due to the carbon that is deposited when you first strike the arc and burn off the oxidized aluminum but once you get it going it welds pretty good. POOR BOY ALUMINUM WELDING.

Great info. More for me to research! Would you need to boost the flow for helium? I'm thinking the helium would rise almost immediately away from the pool so you would need to keep the flow up??

 

[Shield Arc]

Would you need to boost the flow for helium? I'm thinking the helium would rise almost immediately away from the pool so you would need to keep the flow up??

Yes you do, it's been awhile now, but seems as I went up to around 30-cfh.

Here is a weld I did with helium. Another note, you can almost cut your amps in half when welding with helium.

 

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Yes you do, it's been awhile now, but seems as I went up to around 30-cfh.

Here is a weld I did with helium. Another note, you can almost cut your amps in half when welding with helium.

Wow, nice bead. How clean did you need to prep the plates and did you need to clean the filler rod at all?

Ever stick weld aluminum? (Sorry, hijacking this thread - I know ....) don't want to take anything away from ChuckE2009 but I figure we're kinda on this subject ....

 

[Shield Arc]

Wow, nice bead. How clean did you need to prep the plates and did you need to clean the filler rod at all?

Ever stick weld aluminum? (Sorry, hijacking this thread - I know ....) don't want to take anything away from ChuckE2009 but I figure we're kinda on this subject ....

Normally I just use a stainless steel brush.
When ever you work with aluminum, you want to have a stainless steel brush. And write on it, ALUMINUM ONLY!
I keep all my Tig filler rod in PVC tubes. If for some reason I have any trouble welding aluminum after brushing the base material, then I run the filler rod through a Scotch-Brite pad. But that doesn't happen very often.

The last time I tried aluminum stick welding must have been in the early 1980's. Personally I don't like it very much.

I know Chuck very well, he could care less! As long as we talk about welding and tools!:thumbsup:

 

[k0ua]

I have never tried the aluminum stick rods, but I saw a demo of it on you tube or somewhere, and the guy said it gave good results.. but the demo weld was horrible..Just horrible. and lots of smoke. I was not impressed.

James K0UA

 

[Shield Arc]

I have never tried the aluminum stick rods, but I saw a demo of it on you tube or somewhere, and the guy said it gave good results.. but the demo weld was horrible..Just horrible. and lots of smoke. I was not impressed.

James K0UA

It seems I remember reading where better weldors than I have posted you have to maintain a longer arc than with normal welding rod. Almost spraying it on the base material. And I've seen better weldors than I use it, they didn't have much better luck than me.
I have a nice Tig machine, so I'm not interested in using aluminum stick rod at all.

 

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I think I saw the same youtube video. The one I saw had a guy who was using rods that he sells. Stuck the rods multiple times, couldn't establish or maintain an arc for any reasonable amount of time. The rod got shorter but he didn't have any technique other than moving the rod as it burned down.

I suspect I will be getting an entry level inverter stick machine (for various reasons I won't repeat here). It will either scratch or lift TIG but won't TIG aluminum so if I even want to contemplate aluminum, it will either be stick or nothing .... Unless I try the helium DC TIG tip that Gary Fowler mentioned earlier in this thread.

 

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If you are thinking of buying a tank, you may consider checking the refill prices. The larger tank may not be a lot more $$$ for refill than the small one. The labor cost to fill may cost as much as the gas for small tanks.

I checked one location and difference between tank refills for larger tanks is pretty close. Thanks for the tip!

 

[yomax4]

Aluminum Stick Welding rods work awesome as a Brazing rod as well. But..If you want to run them on an arc welder, You need to pre heat the material to 500 degrees. I turn on Acetylene and smoke the area with the black smoke. Then turn on oxygen and carefully heat until the black goes away..That is 500 degrees. Then take the stick and you Have To run it at a 90 degree angle to the work or it will blow out on you and look like crap. It will be consumed very fast so you need a quick travel speed.. Try a couple to get the hang of it and you will like the outcome. Rember though..Aluminum Stick Rods make Very nice brazing rods for Aluminum.

 

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Aluminum Stick Welding rods work awesome as a Brazing rod as well. But..If you want to run them on an arc welder, You need to pre heat the material to 500 degrees. I turn on Acetylene and smoke the area with the black smoke. Then turn on oxygen and carefully heat until the black goes away..That is 500 degrees. Then take the stick and you Have To run it at a 90 degree angle to the work or it will blow out on you and look like crap. It will be consumed very fast so you need a quick travel speed.. Try a couple to get the hang of it and you will like the outcome. Rember though..Aluminum Stick Rods make Very nice brazing rods for Aluminum.

Thanks for the tip about the smoke. Haven't heard of that before. So the aluminum electrodes make good brazing rods?? Is it because of the flux coating?