finally!!! i can weld aluminum from home

[IJ.]

Thermal Arc 300GTSW with external pulse and sloping. Not the latest and greatest but does a fine job. I'm pointing this out only to show mine is bigger than yours

OP: You'll have to get up early than that to fool some of us...

It's not how big it is it's how you use it that matters

 

[jetjock]

^ Tis true

I'm gonna give up on this guy. I think the problem is my definition of tig welding, having done it for nearly 20 years mostly on stainless and aluminum, is different from his.

I was just amused by someone who has never done arc welding of any kind, who clearly know little about it and never tigged (the most difficult form) until something like yesterday successfully weld aluminum (not the easiest material even with modern equipment and requiring lots of practice) in record time using an antiquated process that was abandoned years ago.

Guess I'm just a born skeptic...

 

[toyolla86]

You sir (and probably myself as well) are a constant form of entertainment. I love it. I will gladly make a video.
Here's some specs. It's reverse polarity. I have to plug in the gnd and torch wires backwards cause I don't have a switch that I guess some people do. I use helium as stated earlier. We tried my buddy's argon/co2 bottle today and it gave us very bad results. Worse than what you've already seen. Haha. I use the gold colored tip. Not sure if it's still tungsten. Lanthenated I think. My cup size. Not sure on the technical name but I try to use the biggest I have to get broad coverage of gas. My rod is this super thin crap that I got for doing oa. It's way too thin and throws added stick in your spokes.
I thought I mentioned the machine type... Maybe not. It's a Chinese one. However not the ones that china exports to the US. They keep the good ones for themselves to do their industrial work with. The guy I bought it from used to live there. It's a German company, 200 amp DC machine. I wired my own pedal in but have a feeling it doesn't change amperage. The torch also has a trigger start which I prefer to use.
That's all I can think of. I will make a video for the haters out there

But would like to thank anyone who gave encouragement and constructive criticism.

 

[Dimman]

I think the resistance you're running into is that you're putting all this effort into antique tech, and we just don't get it.

It's like you're posting about cutting (terrible) keyways in a shaft with a shaper (kind of like a one-ton powered chisel), when everyone has been using vertical mills for like 50 years.

It's not that it won't work, but there is a reason it isn't done that way anymore.

If you are one of those people that likes to do things differently 'just because' well enjoy yourself.

If you're trolling, what can I say...?

 

[jetjock]

...It's like you're posting about cutting (terrible) keyways in a shaft with a shaper...

Whaaat? I missed that. Me also being somewhat of a machinist (I own a lathe and mill, they live not far from the welder) I would like to hear more. Then again maybe not.

Meh, I say let the guy be. If he wants to mess around with balloons and rainbows more power to him. Besides, he seems to be reasonably good sport about all the grief he's been getting. In that respect he's a better man than I.

Still can't weld worth a damn though

 

[Dimman]

Pretty much as I described, giant powered chisel machine. Linear cutting. Super old-school, like DC Tig welding with Helium! Never used one but we had one in my school when I was doing my pre-apprenticeship. (This pic is from wiki.)

 

[IJ.]

LMAO way back I almost bought one just like that