Quick Tip-Tack Welding Thin Aluminum without Filler

[buschracing]

Im an apprentice fabricator, and I am learning more off you in your videos than the guys in my shop. You have a great way of teaching!!

[wadepatton]

_THIS_ very video is a fine example of WHY I keep telling the kids that Jody does some great welding videos.  That he has the BEST welding instruction on Youtube. 

And as the Guru often says: Run it hot enough to hold a tight arc, then hold a tight arc!  (hotter for tacking of course)  Fine Bidness.

[Immortal_Mentor]

You're videos are helping me so much at work, I'm a first year apprentice boilermaker and whilst my tradesman is away on holidays, I've been watching your videos to teach me to tig better and learn general things about welding and you've helped me improve so much that my supervisor is trusting me to welding jobs of my own already!

Thanks :)

[DigicorIncOdessa]

Your videos are easy to follow and very instructional, but you make it look so easy that I'm pulling my hair out with my aluminum welding attempts. I have a lincoln squarewave 175 that looks identical to yours and have been welding thin wall 6061 square tubing for my experimental aircraft door frames. I have made few good beads that hold together using 4340 filler and lanthanated tungsten. I've tried 1/16 inch and 3/32nd of each filler rod and tungsten with limited success varying the argon from 15 all the way to 28. With steel, it is easy to cheet on the edges by first melting filler and fusing it to the metal so as not to burn the edges. With this stuff, I am finding the aluminum drop just balls up without flowing out. When I do get a puddle it seems I can't consistently get a shiny, non porous mess that ends up with the piece falling through into a pile of scrap. Occasionally I do dip the tungsten when free handing without a good rest on my frame. If I see contaminant, I resharpen. if not, I try continuing. Is that my biggest problem in getting dark porous melted aluminum? P.S. I have tried grinding the surface lightly and wiping with acetone first and only see a little bit of difference. I love your channel and will continue to practice, but thought I would have an easier time than this. I am blowing though a lot of argon and filler rod!

[MercerJunction]

Went through this a year ago. Lincoln 175 .040 3003 all butt welds on custom made saddle bags. It was tough!!!! There was no way to hold them or put anything behind the weld joint. They turned out pretty good but I did have to use some body filler before paint.

[rickpavlicek]

I appreciate getting to point, a minimum of "uhms" when speaking, a lower music scale voice tone, and clear/steady photography.

[markrich]

I had an issue welding sheet metal patch panels on my suv with my Eastwood 200. I then switched to my Everlast power tig 250EX . There is defiantly a difference in the low end on the two machines. Not all machines will drop low enough.
Your reviews of the low capability of the power tig 250 ex is exactly why I purchased my machine.

[unobajasae]

This is same method ive used with success on this material, good video showcasing the technique.. Another thing you can do is tack the backside of the joint if you can get access as it can be a little more forgiving to heat input..

[ohRoyL]

As a student learning how to weld, you videos are very helpful. I was running into problems tack-welding autogenously on one of our builds and your advice helped me out loads. Thanks for the high quality content as always!

[hassenfepher]

This! Finally someone welding 20 gauge! Thank you

[SlotMotorsports]

Good tips, I use the small overlap method to make the puddle "fall" into the adjoining work .

[mohsenfazareh]

Hello and thank you fro the video
the problem I have is that I can not see the welding procedure from back of my mask. I dont know whether it is because cheap mask I have purcahsed or I should come closer to workbench or .... .

Also I dont have flowmeter and instead I use a pressure gauge. is it Ok to set the output pressure on 2 bar for welding or not?

[torcher]

Love the quick tips idea! You should do this on a regular basis! Face it we just can't get enough of ya! you're awesome man much love from Nebraska

[Sam-lkeo]

Hi Jody, Ive been trying to find a video explaining in detail the processes for welding a Vintage Aluminum Motorcycle Tank off of a Yamaha TT500, after the existing weld has been ground off to gain entry inside of the tank to enable removal of hard to get at dents etc. Please is there any chance you could show what tips and tricks to consider with setup and type of machines capable of such a feat, plus the best welding technique to obtain that nice factory weld without any blowouts ?

[Tracer]

I bought a brand new Miller diversion 165 and could not weld thin aluminum with it. There just aren't any adjustments to compensate for different thicknesses with aluminum. I sold the Miller and bought and Everlast ex250 and love it.

[nunyabizniss]

Thin aluminum has that nifty tendency to pull apart when you apply heat...and as you mentioned, the tacks are very brittle. More tacks is always better....sometimes when you're welding along, the joint starts to spread, so take the heat off and put some more tacks in been known to build a tack, just dab a little nugget on one side, then let it fall to the other side of the joint. If it isn't tight enough, put some pressure on it and re-heat it til it closes up.

[GhaziSarhan]

I rarely leave comments, but this short video is informative, thanks

[kenan]

will it work to tip-tack or weld and make T profile on 1mm alu?

[neal]

Whats a good aluminium tig for small aluminium pipe and plate. A round 1000 dollar.

[MetallicNuance]

I like this format along with your weekly videos, good info much appreciated!