Need help QUICK ! Thick Aluminum

[Georgie]

the row of bead is about 7/16 wide.

nxt time Ill try a much bigger champfer but I am sceptic about doing two passes.. It was so darn hot, it was unbelievable! Wouldn't all that heat affect the integrity of the aluminum?

Also, on one of the sides I had major problems with on of the edges melting away.. ill get some pics asap, just got into work so ill get them posted and try posting them to the forum? ...

 

[Georgie]

Ok I got a clean block of Aluminum, set the machine in DCRP, put the High Frequency to "START", adjusted the amps to 80, and balled the end with the foot pedal. It balled quit nicely.

I then switched the machine to AC, High Frequency to "CONTINUOUS", adjusted the Amp potentiometer to 250A, increased the ac/balance to about 75% penetration.

Preheat the joint with a MAP gas bottled torch. Then proceeded to welding.

Let me say, all I got was some mud like pool that would reject the filler rod. I cleaned the **** outta this to make it perfect. Acetone, wire brush,acetone, clean gloves(nitril) etc...


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imagur

This is what the zirconated tungsten looked like after a few touchdowns on the hot aluminum and roughly 3 minutes @ 230 ams...


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I didn't add any filler until I got that muddy pool. I was literally flooring it at 240 on each of these attempts for minutes. The only thing I got was a muddy like pool and adding filler rejected it. Like Jim said, it was BIG TIME the cup.


When I changed all that the only problem I had was when I dipped the filler and would pull out, some of the molten aluminum would get stuck on the un melted filler and harden. So when id re dip, it would be an inconsistent add.

Don't know if that makes sense!

 

[penfold]

Sounds a bit like a lack of power*/weld pool not hot enough or filler too thick.

*240a notwithstanding; is there any way to measure what output you're actually getting, as 240a is a lot of cowbell.

 

[Georgie]

ya theres a amp gauge on the machine... if I were to get a bigger lanthanated tungsten, will that improve?

 

[Georgie]

screenshot windows 7

No comments on the weld?

 

[Shox Dr]

what's the back like

 

[Georgie]

no penetration. should it be fully penetrated? do you have a picture of what a weld like this should look like?

 

[lshigham]

no penetration. should it be fully penetrated?

Yes, it you want to come close to maintaining the integrity of it

 

[Georgie]

ok now I see why a bigger chamfer is necessary .. maybe also the 3/32 tungsten is too small ...if I had a bigger one it might have helped.. ?