Tig welding question for the pros - aluminum and my little everlast 200st

[woodlandfarms]

so santa stopped by and I got the tig rig setup I so wanted. Saddly the divorce papers I had also wanted did not show up but we can't get everything now can we.

Anyway, very excitied about the prospects but a bit confused. One of my goals is aluminum welding, but the website says my setup is not that great for aluminum. Is it because the voltage is too high? I thought that aluminum took a lot of voltage. Can someone just tell me what I can and cannot expect to do with this system?

also, I have an aluminum spool gun for my Mig that I will now finally use as I have the right gas. What do you guys feel are the limits of the spool gun with a lincoln 180.

 

[rankrank1]

Tig welding aluminum is generally done with a high frequency AC output machine and 100% Argon shielding gas (changing the freq of the AC wave changes how much cleaning action of the aluminum occurs during the weld). I believe the Everlast 200ST is a DC only output machine and DC is used for tig welding steel or stainless steel. You can improvise tig Aluminum with DC by using helium as the shielding gas instead of argon but helium is expensive and the cleaning action is what it is with helium. In other words not infinitely adjustable like tweaking the high freq on AC to suit the metal you are welding. Also aluminum likes amps so 200 amps is small output for aluminum.

 

[Shield Arc]

The bad thing about welding aluminum with a Tig rig, is you can not back off the AMPS as the base metal gets hot. So you have to make short welds, and move to another location to continue to weld.

You do have an AC welder with high frequency, correct?

 

[Shield Arc]

rankrank1 types faster than I do. After reading his post, I reread your title.
I have read somewhere were guys have used 100% argon on a DC welder. I don't think I've ever tried it. I've only used 100% helium.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Well, a bit of a bummer on the AL but I can always use the AL Spoolgun on the MIG. They say ARGON so I should be OK with Argon for both the TIG and the Mig AL Spool setup.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Now here is one more question, can I use my Lincoln MIG as a tig base? Isn't mig AC based?

 

[Shield Arc]

They say ARGON so I should be OK with Argon for both the TIG and the Mig AL Spool setup.

Yes 100% argon for aluminum welding with Mig or Tig.

Now here is one more question, can I use my Lincoln MIG as a tig base? Isn't mig AC based?

No, your Mig welder is CV/ constant voltage. For Tig welding you want CC / constant current.
Mig is DC.

 

[woodlandfarms]

OK, so not to kick up a fuss on this, but my Lincoln Mig takes the AL Spool Gun. Wouldn't that need to be... no... wait.... You are saying MIG is constant voltage and TIG needs Constant Current which does not have anything to do with what metals you are welding, just the process you are using... Right?

 

[Shield Arc]

That is correct.
Now I've run Mig on a CC only engine drive welder. But you have to run it really hot. So technically it is in spray.

 

[yomax4]

In desperation, We used to take the 115v Lincoln SP100 or 125 little mig welders and run a jumper across the mig gun trigger studs to close the contactor. Then. put a lug and a 1' piece of cable to the negative stud and bolt to the eye of a 105Z57 linde tig torch brass power block. The gas hose hooked to one end and the tig torch to the other.The gas would run through the block into the torch and get it's power from the negative post on the welder that was bolted to the block eye. Then hook ground to the positive post and scratch start dc tig with a valved torch. High amp capable but low duty cycle. It's all there was for 115v tig back then and only $400.00. Soon the little dc mini tig units came out and that was the end of that.