1444's First Fully TIG-Welded Frame

[JamesCH95]

Originally Posted by catacon

It has been a mixture of students and mentors. Despite being an EE, I've become our main welding mentor; I think I'm the only one crazy enough to do it.

We've been using Hobart MaxalTIG 3/32" and 1/16" 4043 filler, green (pure) tungsten electrodes, and 100% Argon. (All generously donated by a sponsor, Delta Gas and Welding Supplies!) We just got some ChemSharp for sharpening electrodes and I swear that stuff is magic...SO much better than grinding. We use the Miller footpedal and a Weldcraft A-150 flex valve torch.

Our Diversion 165 is pretty light for some of the stuff that we do, so it has been maxed out most of the season. A few of our weldments required multiple passes with preheating. It does great for 1/8 and 1/16 wall tubing, though. We've gotten some X-Ray-quality welds on that material.

Very nice!

I would suggest two things (as someone who has earned certs in aluminum and steel TIG):

1) 50/50 Ar/He gas is wonderful, especially for welding thicker aluminum sections. The added heat transfer from helium allows you to weld thicker material at lower currents as well as run higher currents on smaller electrodes. Welding thin sections also benefits from 50/50 as well.

2) Toss the pure tungsten, it is pure garbage. I know it's 'old school' to use pure tungsten, but it's simply not as good as alloyed tungsten in current capacity or arc stability. A zirconated (yellow) or E3 (purple) tungsten will hold a point under load, resulting in better arc control, and the end will never melt and fall into the weld pool.

Otherwise, keep up the good work!