looking for some opinions.

torch guy

Member
I finally got some time to play with the Syncrowave on some aluminum. All together different experience between the 200 and the 350. I'm gonna have to relearn the whole technique. What do you guys think?
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Those welds don't look too bad. My guess is you need to play with the 350 some more because it will have a lot more adjust-ability for setting your AC balance and other arc characteristics. Is the 350 a Syncrowave as well as the 200 or is it a Dynasty(inverter)? If it's an inverter, you need to rethink everything you thought you knew about TIG welding aluminum. Different tungstens that are pointed, no need for continuous high frequency, etc.
 
Its a syncrowave 350 lx. I only wish it was a dynasty 350 Its a nice machine. I think I'm going to enjoy learning thi. s with this machine. Well I may not after I get the power bill
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What type of tungsten are you using, pure, (green)? I never really liked the ball on pure tungsten when using a transformer machine welding aluminum. With my Dynasty 300 I'm to the point now I use 2 % Ceriated, (orange) for everything. When welding aluminum I like the way it keeps a point.
 
I don't like the ball either. On my 200 I started
using the lanthanum (gold) sharpened with a
very small "blunt" (about 1/4 the size of the
diameter) I'll pick up a pack of the orange and
give it a try. The 350 seems to like the
lanthanum better than pure (green). I haven't
tried anything else.
 
I never tried the Ceriated on a transformer machine, so I have no idea how it would work on your 350. I have read on some welding forums where people suggest it though.
 
A truck body shop up here bought a couple Synchrowave 350's a couple months ago instead of Dynasty's because they liked their previous Syncro 350. I haven't done a lot of TIG and don't know much about the new ceriated and lanthated tungstens but it used to be zirconium tungsten was used on aluminum cause it would handle more heat than pure tungsten. This is of course on a transformer machine.

It looks like your welds might have been just a touch cold by looking at the crater. Maybe adjusting for penetration on the AC balance would make the ripples smoother? It looks like you had lots of cleaning by the different coloration around the welds. If I remember correctly, reverse polarity gives the cleaning action and straight gives the penetration. If you have the AC balance adjusted for more cleaning (DCRP), the tungsten will get too hot too fast. Actually if you switch the machine from AC to DC reverse and strike an arc for a second or two on a piece of copper will clean a lightly contaminated tungsten. You can even use a penny. Learned that from a TIG welder that does a lot of aircraft work and critical stuff.
 
I forget the details of the project now. Not to long after buying my Dynasty 300 I had to weld some 3/8-inch thick aluminum. I used some 1/8-inch Lanthanated, (blue) tungsten. Pushing 300-amps the Lanthanated tungsten didn't last very long before the tip started splintering. Kind of aggravating to have to keep sharpening the tungsten! Later I bought 5/32-inch tungsten, collect, and collet body, never used it. Then I read where people use Ceriated tungsten for aluminum welding too. 1/8-inch Ceriated tungsten can take 300-amps longer than the Lanthanated.

I like the results better if I keep the AC balance between 60 and 70, never go over 70! I play more with the frequency, for thin material the lower the frequency, the thicker material the higher the frequency.
http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/articles/index.php?page=articles82.html


torch guy, one thing I find very helpful when high amp Tig welding aluminum, is a pair of those Ove-Gloves for cooking. :wink:
 
There are lots of adjustments you can make on the
latest TIG welders. I've heard of lanthated
tungstens splintering before. Being it's a very good
machine, I think it's probably something simple to
get smoother ripples. One of the customers has a
Dynasty 700 and got a procedure that calls for 3/16"
tungstens! Nobody in the city stocked them and they
had to be special ordered.
 

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