What Settings for 3mm Aluminium Tube?

[Tyrefryer]

Hi All, I'm about to try welding aluminium for the first time. I need to weld 3 mm aluminium tube into caps I have turned with 3 mm walls (6082 T6), see pic. I'm after some advice on the following:

1. Electrode type, should this be pure tungsten?
2. Electrode size?
3. Cup size?
4. Do I need to buy new cup, collet and collet body and not use the ones I've used with steel?
5. Welding rod size?
6. Welding rod material?
7. Argon flow rate?
8. Amps setting?

My welder has square wave and pulse settings (see pic), what should I set these at?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[chevy2]

1 white or grey would work
2 2.4
3 about no 7
4 your ones used on steel will work
5 1.6 & 2.4, both will work, you'll get a feel for what you prefer depending on each job
6 4043 works on most stuff or 5356 if you need a stronger weld
7 around 6-8 lpm, lower with a gas lens, higher with regular collets
8 around 120-130 would be a good starting point, better to do ali with a pedal,
the amps needed becomes irrelevent when using a pedal and you'll 'feel' whats correct

9 Dont bother using the pulser on ali
10 Not familiar with that machine so no idea what waveforms are adjustable

11 good luck!

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Practice on scrap first!

 

[wheresmejumper]

What looks like the squarewave button is actually just pulse.
Practice is the best advice given, aluminium gets real ugly real quickly at the mercy of a beginner

 

[Stueeee]

While you're practising, you might want to try adjusting that knob that says "clean" so as to see the difference it makes to the ease of welding and the penetration of the arc.

 

[Tyrefryer]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I have a pedal that I've never used yet so I'll give it a go with that.

Do I need to worry about the start, base and crater current settings, or just leave them all the same? Or are these only if you're using pulse?