Tig welding wire

[TechnicAl]

Ok.............I guess crap TIG filler is though a lot less common than **** MIG wire, so not likely to be much of a problem at all as long as people stick with name brands from reputable sellers?

TIG process is used much less than MIG process so yes the wires arent as common

Aluminium absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. Actually it reacts but same outcome. The best wires are packaged well. The very best are in sealed vac pac type packaging.
During production the soft aluminium gets dirt embedded into the surface. The best wires are shaved as a final process ie the surface is cut away. If you look closeley you can see the shaving marks or the dirt.........to be honest its best to have some comparisons

Stainless TIG wire should be completely clean. There is no reason to have a dirty surface. We built a washing machine that tumbled the wire in mild acid and then again in rinse water. Stainless MIG should also be clean but its not as critical as TIG wire so some dirt is allowable but there shouldnt be much.

 

[Chris Stevens]

Does aluminum TIG wire deteriorate over time? Have some very old 4047 which doesnt seem that great.

 

[Richard.]

High Si content wires can be a bit temperamental. Not sure why but I've noticed in the past they can vary from power source to power source. Have you tried it on the transformer? They seem to run a little better on Softer sinius type waves. What are the symptoms? Is it a scaly clumpy finish. They are quite sensitive to been run hot too. Even 4043 is quite prone to it.

 

[Chris Stevens]

Yes scaly dull finish. Will try it with transformer, but reason for having it is for things like welding filler necks into tanks, which needs higher frequency than transformer, as has to be as precise as possible.

 

[Richard.]

Sounds exactly like issues ive seen with it many times over.
Try it on the transformer and see if it cleans up. It may simply be the case that it's a touch sensitive to the harsh square wave of the inverter. It may be knackered if it's drawn any moisture in over the years.

 

[Chris Stevens]

Will try transformer, but had it for years and might be US as you say...........

 

[Richard.]

Will try transformer, but had it for years and might be US as you say...........

Very possible.

 

[TechnicAl]

Does aluminum TIG wire deteriorate over time? Have some very old 4047 which doesnt seem that great.

yes it does
4047 is 12% Silicon which is the Eutectic composition. This means it melts and freezes at the same temperature, theres no mushy zone. So its either solid or liquid which is difficult to use as a weld metal.

 

[Chris Stevens]

Will need to replace it then, as it seems like its gone bad................thanks for info.

 

[TechnicAl]

The surface may feel rough and look dull and powdery......if its really gone "rusty"
It reacts with water to form anhydrous Al2O3

 

[Brad93]

I generally use Lincoln MIG wire, 6013 and 7018, and ESAB OKTig in ALU, stainless and I will get some mild steel soon.

There is a massive difference between your cheapo unbranded BOC wire and ESAB stuff.

 

[TechnicAl]

I generally use Lincoln MIG wire, 6013 and 7018, and ESAB OKTig in ALU, stainless and I will get some mild steel soon.

There is a massive difference between your cheapo unbranded BOC wire and ESAB stuff.

unbranded......raises concern to me

 

[Brad93]

I will looks at the label @TechnicAl and let you know if it is from a supplier but if I remember correctly it just says BOC on it.
I get the scaly dull welds from the BOC aluminium wire and lovely clean welds from ESAB stuff on my R Tech what does that tell you. Brand new and kept in the plastic tubestubes the BOC stuff is.

The funny thing is BOC aernt even cheap. I don't rate any of their own brand tungstens or Consumables either.

 

[Chris Stevens]

The surface may feel rough and look dull and powdery......if its really gone "rusty"
It reacts with water to form anhydrous Al2O3

Yes it looks dull and powdery..............its scrap then I guess? Maybe though there might be a better rod for what I intended to use this for though? Welding an aerocap filler funnel to underside of 2mm 1050 bike tank, and thought 12% Si would be a good choice due to low melt temperature, and less chance of marring inside surface of the funnel?

 

[TechnicAl]

Yes it looks dull and powdery..............its scrap then I guess? Maybe though there might be a better rod for what I intended to use this for though? Welding an aerocap filler funnel to underside of 2mm 1050 bike tank, and thought 12% Si would be a good choice due to low melt temperature, and less chance of marring inside surface of the funnel?

It might scrub clean if you can be bothered
5% is probably better