AC TIG Welding Aluminum

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TIG Welding Aluminum

Key Factors for AC TIG Welding Aluminum

TIG Welding Machine (What is the best Value TIG welder that performs well, if affordable, and the company has great customer support?)
Shielding gas for TIG welding aluminum
Best tungsten type for tig welding aluminum
Settings for AC Tig welding aluminum
Best cups for ac tig welding aluminum
How to select filler wire for TIG welding aluminum?

TIG Welding Machine

What is the best Value TIG welder that performs well, if affordable, and the company has great customer support?

In my opinion, the primeweld 225 is one of the best choices in affordable tig welders.

The problem with most other really affordable tig welders is usually the foot pedal and the torch are just bad and clunky.

Primeweld went to extra expense to include genuine ck torches with superflex hoses along with a smooth SSC style foot pedal.

They also have a responsive primeweld equipment users group on facebook and also have demonstrated great customer support

Watch some primeweld videos and you will see what I mean.

Shielding gas for TIG welding aluminum

Argon is the best all around shielding gas but as you get deeper into it, you can explore other options like argon/helium mixes and other specialty gases like STARGON AL.

Best tungsten type for tig welding aluminum

Personal preference plays into what tungsten type is best for tig welding aluminum.

2% lanthanated is a great all around choice but it depends on your specific application.

Settings for AC Tig welding aluminum

Some newer tig welding machines have tons of settings for AC welding... like different wave forms, amplitude offsets, and more.

some of those settings can make a difference in very specific applications but in my opinion, the fundamental things that make the most difference for AC TIG Welding Aluminum are:

Cup size and gas flow tuned properly
AC balance set properly for each application and even depending on humidity
AC frequency set properly ( this one is very forgiving)

But the main settings for AC TIG welding aluminum are AC balance and AC frequency.

AC balance, cup size, and argon flow rate need to be tuned on a piece of scrap aluminum for best results

Best cups for ac tig welding aluminum

The best cup for TIG welding aluminum depends a lot on personal preference but also on thickness of aluminum and joint type.

A lot of welders prefer using a standard collet body with a #5 cup.

others prefer a #6 or #7 gas lens.

There are welders getting great results with both collet bodies and gas lens setups.

It seems that welders who like to pulse with the foot pedal for that stack of dimes look prefer a standard #5 cup and collet body with a very short tungsten electrode stickout.