Will I be ok

[Jiffers]

I'm wondering I'm newish to tig welding and I have a 170 amp ac/dc tig will I have enough power to weld 3mm thick aluminium tube to 6mm aluminium am I asking to much for the little machine or will it do it but just take time to build enough heat for a puddle to form

Jiffers

 

[BrokenBiker]

it can be done, but aluminium absorbs the heat and drags it away from the joint. that said my little 160 amp inverter will weld 3mm aluminium albeit only on dc and it puddles quite well. welding to the 6mm might be a bit of a struggle but I cant see why it wont work.

what size tungsten and filler will you be using?

 

[Jiffers]

2.4mm it's a toss up between an aluminium or Crome Molly frame for the 125cc sprint bike I'm going to build

Jiffers

 

[langy]

I'm wondering I'm newish to tig welding and I have a 170 amp ac/dc tig will I have enough power to weld 3mm thick aluminium tube to 6mm aluminium am I asking to much for the little machine or will it do it but just take time to build enough heat for a puddle to form

Jiffers

Should be ok, you could preheat with a blow lamp or similar

 

[BrokenBiker]

if your going to make a bike frame I would get a lot of practice in first to get used to the angles and so on. chrome moly is easier to get a good looking weld, but IMO its harder to get a good quality weld. as langy says a small propane torch will help with the thicker

 

[Jiffers]

I may do it with mig but tig cost a bloody fortune so want to use it


Jiffers

 

[BrokenBiker]

I would tig with ac personally, from what ive read and been told you get a much better weld, cleaning action of ac helps alot