# 4077 TIG Rod



## Uglydog (Aug 20, 2013)

I picked up a cast aluminum TIG job. 
I made no promises that it would be successful. But, I told him I'd give it a shot.
Other TIGers told him it was to small a job to mess with. 
But, this is a machine tool restoration. Thus, I couldn't turn him down.

I'm looking for some 4077 aluminum TIG rod. 
The LWS and online suppliers I've talked with said they could special order 10pound quantities for me. 
Wonder if anyone hear as a couple pounds they've been stubbing their toes on and would like to sell.

Or perhaps someone knows of a LWS that has a couple pounds they'd like to finally move. 
I don't really want to own, or pay for 10 pounds! 

Please advise.
Thank you,
Daryl
MN


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## Tony Wells (Aug 20, 2013)

That's quite a bit of filler rod for something you don't need often. I'll talk to my guys locally. I don't believe I have any.


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## jamie76x (Aug 20, 2013)

I weld cast alum very often. Very often. The filler wire is far less important than cleaning and preheating. Im my opinion (25 years if welding) the fillers that are recomended for cast are a  shot in the dark since the mixes of content vary from piece to piece.
Clean it, Heat it, Clean it again, heat it again, clean it again, heat it again etc etc. Every time you heat it, More crap will come out of the casting.
Before I cut my "V" into the work piece I will run a few test puddles with different filler wires to find the best one IF I an not familiar with the brand/recipie of casting. When i get Harley cases/heads in to weld, I know by the years what is the best filler. When I get in Auto racing heads and blocks the manufactures will usually tell you the alloy and even the filler wire, as they are made to be repairable.
More times than notthe better quality castings weld welll with a 5000 series filler and the cheaper stuff seams to fall into a 3000 series.


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## Uglydog (Aug 21, 2013)

This is the arm off a French made engraver. It's ground and polished. As you suggest I thought I'd play with puddles/rod selection before I V notch. Go really slow and attempt to keep the heat low. She's broken right at the knuckle. I've never used 4077 before. Rumor from "Welding Tips & Tricks" is that it has a high silicon content and therefore works better to combat porosity. 



jamie76x said:


> I weld cast alum very often. Very often. The filler wire is far less important than cleaning and preheating. Im my opinion (25 years if welding) the fillers that are recomended for cast are a  shot in the dark since the mixes of content vary from piece to piece.
> Clean it, Heat it, Clean it again, heat it again, clean it again, heat it again etc etc. Every time you heat it, More crap will come out of the casting.
> Before I cut my "V" into the work piece I will run a few test puddles with different filler wires to find the best one IF I an not familiar with the brand/recipie of casting. When i get Harley cases/heads in to weld, I know by the years what is the best filler. When I get in Auto racing heads and blocks the manufactures will usually tell you the alloy and even the filler wire, as they are made to be repairable.
> More times than notthe better quality castings weld welll with a 5000 series filler and the cheaper stuff seams to fall into a 3000 series.



- - - Updated - - -



Tony Wells said:


> That's quite a bit of filler rod for something you don't need often. I'll talk to my guys locally. I don't believe I have any.



Thank you Tony.


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## Tony Wells (Aug 21, 2013)

Daryl, I talked to my go-to guys, now owned by Matheson (was a local outfit for nearly 60 years), and no good for them. They said they sold a lot of 4043 for cast aluminum. Did not stock 4077. I have a friend who is a world class tig man yet to consult. Ex Navy welder, all the certs there are, I suppose, including deep nuclear. He's good, that I know. When I get in trouble, he's the answer. I need to talk to him anyway, because as it happens, I have a casting I need to repair. Kind of in the boat with you here. I'll let you know what he says. I can take it to the bank when he gives me welding advice. I have never in 25 years been steered wrong by him.


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## Ray C (Aug 21, 2013)

The lawn mower / tractor repair place sends me cast aluminum parts for welding all the time -and for the most part, I don't accept the jobs unless I can totally reproduce the part in some other metal.  Just as someone mentioned earlier, there are so many kinds of cast aluminum, that welding some random piece is a crap-shoot.

Couldn't tell you how many alternators and starters they've sent me with a cracked bolt hole ear...  They know the score -and they know why.  It either A) doesn't last long or B) ruins the rest of the part C) succeeds only 50% of the time.  For the starter and alternator jobs, I do it with no guarantee it will hold or not get ruined in the process of attempting to weld it.


Ray


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## sniggler (Aug 21, 2013)

Like most of the others welders here I try to avoid cast aluminum welding and I always say going in that i can't guarantee it hoping it with scare them off. The clean preheat bevel advise is spot on. I will add this you said low slow heat and my experience is that you need to get it hot and wet try to alloy a good amount of filler with the cast. I also, when I can, run a bead on either side of the crack which alloys the casting and then the money pass is easier and less scary. I also try to figure out why the part failed and what the part will be asked to do.

I would like to see a picture of the piece.


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## Dave Smith (Aug 21, 2013)

Uglydog said:


> This is the arm off a French made engraver.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## jamie76x (Aug 21, 2013)

I never turn cast aluminum jobs away and have never had a problem. When done properly the repaired area is stronger than it used to be. Its all in the battle plan and there are a few tricks that I will never tell.....  One trick that I will share are  never glass bead any aluminum that needs to be repaired. I tell  my customers " Do not clean it before bringing it in. I will do it my way"
My motto is "I weld the things that other shops can't"  I guess thats why I say that.


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## Uglydog (Aug 21, 2013)

Dave Smith said:


> Uglydog said:
> 
> 
> > This is the arm off a French made engraver.
> ...


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## Uglydog (Aug 21, 2013)

sniggler said:


> Like most of the others welders here I try to avoid cast aluminum welding and I always say going in that i can't guarantee it hoping it with scare them off. The clean preheat bevel advise is spot on. I will add this you said low slow heat and my experience is that you need to get it hot and wet try to alloy a good amount of filler with the cast. I also, when I can, run a bead on either side of the crack which alloys the casting and then the money pass is easier and less scary. I also try to figure out why the part failed and what the part will be asked to do.
> 
> I would like to see a picture of the piece.



It failed because it got hit when something fell on it. 
My limited experience with aluminum cast is that the heat promotes porosity. 
I'll get a pic over the weekend, and attempt to provide greater clarity regarding my plan of attack. 
Regardless, as always while I'm a decent TIGer I am certainly not an expert, or professional welder. And will gladly accept criticism, correction, or redirection. 
Thanks for the input. 
Daryl
MN


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## Dave Smith (Aug 21, 2013)

Uglydog said:


> Dave Smith said:
> 
> 
> > This is a completely different animal. Unfortunately, parts would not be interchangeable.
> ...


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## sniggler (Aug 22, 2013)

jamie76x said:


> I never turn cast aluminum jobs away and have never had a problem. When done properly the repaired area is stronger than it used to be. Its all in the battle plan and there are a few tricks that I will never tell.....  One trick that I will share are  never glass bead any aluminum that needs to be repaired. I tell  my customers " Do not clean it before bringing it in. I will do it my way"
> My motto is "I weld the things that other shops can't"  I guess thats why I say that.


Jamie,
Sorry I guess i was labeling other welders. It sounds like you do a lot of cast welding for. I agree on cleaning I won't I use grinding wheels on cast aluminum because the fibers get embedded and effect the puddle. I use files to bring the joint to fresh metal and then just a stainless wire brush. If the crack is on a straight line i will sometime notch it with a carbide tooth saw blade on a circular saw, I use to put the blade on the big grinder to dress stuff but I got cured of that folly:yikes: ouch (meat axe).

Oh yeah i want those secrects.

Bob


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## sniggler (Aug 22, 2013)

Uglydog said:


> It failed because it got hit when something fell on it.
> My limited experience with aluminum cast is that the heat promotes porosity.
> I'll get a pic over the weekend, and attempt to provide greater clarity regarding my plan of attack.
> Regardless, as always while I'm a decent TIGer I am certainly not an expert, or professional welder. And will gladly accept criticism, correction, or redirection.
> ...


Daryl,

I don't mean it as criticism i think you got great advise already. I used to do a lot of marine aluminum on boats and use to get a lot of stuff from an alloy scrap yard to repurpose so a lot of mystery metal and a lot of filthy stuff. My point is you get to where the feed back from what your welding while your welding lets you push the envelope on how hot you can weld it. Your using the puddle and reverse polarity side of the cycle pull the impurities out of the base metal and then spin it all together it took me a long time to realize that heat was my friend. Doesn't mean the molten fall apart nightmare of cast isn't right around the corner.  

Bob


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## jamie76x (Aug 22, 2013)

Ah, Grinding on aluminum. This is a whole new thread..... Why do people use griding wheels on aluminum? It ruins the wheels and does a terrible job!
Every time I get some one who tries "Saving money" by grinding bevels into the aluminum it winds up costing them more after I fix what they screw up.  When you grind on aluminum, Since alum is softer than the wheel and all other metals used on that wheel all the other metals wind up getting embedded into the aluminum.  Zinc from bolts is the first thing I can smell as soon as I get an arc going. A hss or carbide bit in a die grinder is the way to roll... and some things I hit with an end mill. If its a lareg piece and I have a lot to bevel, I do use a flap wheel on the hand grinder that are speciific for aluminum as long as its never been used on anything other than aluminum.

Just a few weeks ago I had a guy bring a casting in that he had cleaned, Beveled and "tacked" together with that crap you see at fleamarkets with a propane torch.  He said " I just need a bead run on this, Shouldnt take more than 5 mins to weld"   I told him its going to take an hour to prep it and another 5 to weld it and he was insulted. I explained that I am not trying to insult him but the prepwork was not going to lead to a quality repair and that all that junk filler he put in has to be taken out before I can even weld on it. He took his part and said he would finish it himself.
Some people are just crazy.

The guys whop try propane torch filler rod junk, JB weld, PC7 and epoxy always pay alot more for a repair than if they had just brought it to me in the first place.


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## Ray C (Aug 22, 2013)

Jamie,

You're pointing-out all the reasons why I just prefer to re-make the part out of some other material (usually mild steel).  People bring the parts to us because they're broken and they broke because the metal wasn't strong enough in the first place.  Sure, sometimes people are ham-fisted and crack castings of their own neglect but, I get an awful lot of stuff that's just worn-out from normal use.  A lot of what I see are the pinch clamps from weed-whacker heads.  Ears cracked off or threads stripped.

Anyhow, I had one walk-in customer insist that I repair an alternator bracket.  He was a customer at the tractor place and they already told him it would be best to remake the part.  My better judgement said no but I went along after he refused to pay 10 bucks more for me to remake the part.  Sure enough, he comes back a few days later with it cracked right next to the weld and tells me I don't know how to weld...  Then he bounced the check he paid me with.  That was it...  I do it on my terms now -no exceptions.  As you mentioned, it takes a long while to prep, preheat and weld so, I'd rather spend a little more time and remake the part and there's no chance of dissatisfaction.  Anyhow, everyone has their own strategy and this is what I'm sticking with at least for now.  I don't claim to be an Ace welder and know my limitations.

BTW, there are grinding wheels made for aluminum.  I have one but, it's really more suited for precision grinding on the SG -then again, precision grinding aluminum is a bit of a misnomer in the first place...  I agree though in general.  Grinding aluminum isn't a good way to go.

Ray




jamie76x said:


> Ah, Grinding on aluminum. This is a whole new thread..... Why do people use griding wheels on aluminum? It ruins the wheels and does a terrible job!
> Every time I get some one who tries "Saving money" by grinding bevels into the aluminum it winds up costing them more after I fix what they screw up.  When you grind on aluminum, Since alum is softer than the wheel and all other metals used on that wheel all the other metals wind up getting embedded into the aluminum.  Zinc from bolts is the first thing I can smell as soon as I get an arc going. A hss or carbide bit in a die grinder is the way to roll... and some things I hit with an end mill. If its a lareg piece and I have a lot to bevel, I do use a flap wheel on the hand grinder that are speciific for aluminum as long as its never been used on anything other than aluminum.
> 
> Just a few weeks ago I had a guy bring a casting in that he had cleaned, Beveled and "tacked" together with that crap you see at fleamarkets with a propane torch.  He said " I just need a bead run on this, Shouldnt take more than 5 mins to weld"   I told him its going to take an hour to prep it and another 5 to weld it and he was insulted. I explained that I am not trying to insult him but the prepwork was not going to lead to a quality repair and that all that junk filler he put in has to be taken out before I can even weld on it. He took his part and said he would finish it himself.
> ...


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## jamie76x (Aug 22, 2013)

Re-making the part out of a better material is always ideal. No question about it. I also suggest that when possible.
Some things do get broken due to an accident that will never happen again like this arm in question... and under normal use will never fail. In those cases a repair is fine.  Alot of the welding I do is on parts that can not be purchased.  Example ... 1920's H-D and Indian motorcycle engine cases. Sure we could make them out of billet, shot blast and acid etch them them and you may never know the difference.... or we can go with a $6k cheaper option of having me repair them. The customer will always go with option 2.


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## Dave Smith (Aug 22, 2013)

Jamie and other professional welders--don't knock the crap rod that other members have welded very sucessfully with--not everyone can pay for your fees, and have learned how to fix cast items that you say can't be welded.  I have never had a cast alum repair that I did fail, and I am definately not a professional welder.---remember that there are many skils to fix all problems--the end result is the fixed part and the cost----not how someone did it.   Dave---)--**this site is a perfect example of this


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## Uglydog (Aug 22, 2013)

sniggler said:


> Jamie,
> Sorry I guess i was labeling other welders. It sounds like you do a lot of cast welding for. I agree on cleaning I won't I use grinding wheels on cast aluminum because the fibers get embedded and effect the puddle. I use files to bring the joint to fresh metal and then just a stainless wire brush. If the crack is on a straight line i will sometime notch it with a carbide tooth saw blade on a circular saw, I use to put the blade on the big grinder to dress stuff but I got cured of that folly:yikes: ouch (meat axe).
> 
> Oh yeah i want those secrets.
> ...



I wouldn't mind having those secrets either.
As I am in MN I'm not a very likely business threat.

Daryl
MN


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## PlasmaOnTheBrain (Aug 22, 2013)

Uglydog, By chance did you mean 4047 tig rod? 4047 is a new class of filler they came out with that has more silicon to promote wetting on thin pieces. Its close to 4043.

 jamie76x I'd love to pick your brain about Al castings... 


And how do I go about posting up PDF's? I have a chart of Al filler to base metal specs that covers more alloys and castings than one could shake a stick at. 

W Ease of welding (relative freedom from weld cracking).
S Strength of welded joint (as-welded condition). (Rating applies particularly to fillet welds. All rods & electrodes rated will develope presently specified minimum strengths for butt welds).
D Ductility. (Rating is based upon the free bend elongation of the weld).
C Corrosion resistance in continuous or alternate immersion in fresh or salt water.
T Recommended for service at sustained temperatures above 150 F (6o5.5 C). o

M Color match after anodizing.




That's the key to the spreadsheet... just to give an idea of how much it covers.


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## Uglydog (Aug 23, 2013)

PlasmaOnTheBrain said:


> Uglydog, By chance did you mean 4047 tig rod? 4047 is a new class of filler they came out with that has more silicon to promote wetting on thin pieces. Its close to 4043.
> 
> And how do I go about posting up PDF's? I have a chart of Al filler to base metal specs that covers more alloys and castings than one could shake a stick at.



Plasma, when you hit "reply", or "post a new thread" scroll down. You will see a digital button that says manage attachments. It will allow you to add files. You will need to select the directory on your laptop/ipad. Select the items and upload. I find the tricky part is finding the button.

And yes you are correct I should be referencing 4047!
Argh...

Daryl
MN


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## iron man (Aug 23, 2013)

I have welded mountains of cast aluminum there is really no big trick to it as before mentioned clean it well if it has been around a lot of oil heat it up and let it cool if not then it is not a big deal 4043 should work just fine if you want something a little stronger pick up some 5356 I have both and would be able to send you some to try out if you would like. And like Dave Smith I have never had one fail either I use to weld the oil pans out of semi tractors never had one leak either

Some people refer to cast aluminum when really it is cast zinc ( like Zmack ) with a wide variable of other metals including aluminum involved. This is not cast aluminum it is very heavy in weight I can also weld that with 98% success rate but it is a different rod and a little different process..Ray


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## sniggler (Aug 24, 2013)

I think dave smith was talk about the flux coated stick welding aluminum rod. I have used that and for me it was like driving a ten penny nail with a plastic hammer. 

I was on a the elevated subway in Brooklyn and renovating billboard sign frames on the passenger platform the had been painted with red-lead and heavy green painted 
	

		
			
		

		
	




the job was to put pieces of .090 5052 sheet on the bottom border of the sign the posts are steel and the sign frame is aluminum channel the old bottom face panel was corroded as was the channel we had to weld the new panel to the old channel. The guy i was partnered with was a really good welder without any aluminum experience. 

I came in part way into the job he was using what the company gave him aluminum stick basically just striking an ark forming a puddle if you can stop clean repeat you can't see it in the picture but the bottom corners are a radius (like 8") making that wrap and running the over head was just a total pain. He had been doing like 2 frames a day with a helper. Anyway we talked the super into getting us a spool gun and argon set up for the cv/cc miller bobcat we were running. You still had o lie down on the filthy platform and clean all the paint and corrosion but the welding still a pain was doable. We were able do 6 frames a day, mind you we still had to tarp off to protect the public. The contractor was happy the signs were an extra as the real job was replacing the top flanges of the track girders, 

That stick aluminum rod is a repair quality rod to get you through in a pinch and more often than not it just makes a mess. It might make sense for a small non-critical repair with no access to the right equipment but it just won't cut it for a professional welder who cares about his reputation.

Bob


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## jamie76x (Aug 24, 2013)

Even a spool gun with aluminum wire is just a Band-aid for welding aluminum. I love it when a salesman talks some one into a spool gun unit saying "You can weld any aluminum job with this"  Spool guns on aluminum are "ok" for doing ornimental work and other jobs that your heat and penetration do not have to be uniform. Spool guns are horrible on cast aluminum and any other work that you need to control the heat. Some of the new fancy wire feed welders like the 350p miller do a suprisingly good job on aluminum with wire . Even though they are DC you can change your heat around as the piece gets heat ing it by simply pulling the gun away from the weld further. The pulsewave and computer technology allows this to happen.


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## sniggler (Aug 24, 2013)

jamie76x said:


> Even a spool gun with aluminum wire is just a Band-aid for welding aluminum. I love it when a salesman talks some one into a spool gun unit saying "You can weld any aluminum job with this"  Spool guns on aluminum are "ok" for doing ornimental work and other jobs that your heat and penetration do not have to be uniform. Spool guns are horrible on cast aluminum and any other work that you need to control the heat. Some of the new fancy wire feed welders like the 350p miller do a suprisingly good job on aluminum with wire . Even though they are DC you can change your heat around as the piece gets heat ing it by simply pulling the gun away from the weld further. The pulsewave and computer technology allows this to happen.


For fabricating with .090 1/8, 3/16, 1/4 and up 5/8 inch 5086, 5052, 6061 sheet plate tube pipe angle for commercial fishing i have found my old spool gun with an old millermatic 200 was up to the job and mean i was in the fishing business using the stuff and we beat the crap out of this stuff not always pretty but heavily welded and very tough pretty much the standard for gulf coast and Alaska fisheries too. for cast i would chose the tig but i have used mig on that as well. really you need both and the new pulse stuff is being used on bright work fire truck work 3003 that come out very nice. Mt band-aids held ok on the trap platform for an off-shore lobster boat over loaded with traps back and forth to the fishing ground going on 20 years now no reason in the world to waste time tigging that. Now many tuna tower on a sport fishing boat meant to show every tig weld as art came to me for repairs. Under engineered for the north atlantic.

bob 
Bob


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## sniggler (Aug 24, 2013)

oopps


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## Uglydog (Aug 24, 2013)

iron man said:


> I have welded mountains of cast aluminum there is really no big trick to it as before mentioned clean it well if it has been around a lot of oil heat it up and let it cool if not then it is not a big deal 4043 should work just fine if you want something a little stronger pick up some 5356 I have both and would be able to send you some to try out if you would like. And like Dave Smith I have never had one fail either I use to weld the oil pans out of semi tractors never had one leak either
> 
> Some people refer to cast aluminum when really it is cast zinc ( like Zmack ) with a wide variable of other metals including aluminum involved. This is not cast aluminum it is very heavy in weight I can also weld that with 98% success rate but it is a different rod and a little different process..Ray



Thanks for the offer of the 4043 and 5356. I've got some in my rod pile. Just trying to leverage a good outcome.
What rod do you use to weld cast zinc?
Also AC pulse?
I've always associated it with being the same as "pot metal"? 
Not relevant to this project, but really would like to know...

Daryl
MN


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## jamie76x (Aug 25, 2013)

Cast zinc is totally different..... And I think what he is talking about is White metal or pot metal. Thats the really cheap cast aluminum.
If you have that, you can still weld it but the results will not be very good and it will be a pain in the butt.
On cast aluminum you ONLY will every use AC and NEVER use the puler.  Pulsers are typicly for people who do not know what they are doing and it takes about 20 years of quality tig welding to figure out how to properly use a pulser.  If you or any one use the "Plulser" to make puddles, then your way off on what it is and how its used.  No pulser, AC current only and adjust the ac balance for more cleaning. If you do not have AC balance then it makes it a little tougher to weld cast.


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## sniggler (Aug 27, 2013)

I wanted to add a Q and A from miller on pulsed mig which is what I have seen being used on fire truck diamond tread bright work in 3003. Just saying for that work which has always been tig welded the pulsed mig has changed the game. I have not used the process except to play with it at a shop that i was having some bending and rolling done. They were using it on fire truck bright work the results were very impressive a little different look but very consistent and as pleasing to the eye as a tig weld executed by a master welder. 

I have not used pulsed tig. If the use of pulsed tig takes 20 year for a journeyman welder to master then it's probably not for me, makes me wonder why its gaining such wide acceptance.  

Bob 

*Q: What's The Difference Between Spray Transfer And Pulsed Spray Transfer?*
*A:* Pulsed spray transfer, commonly called pulsed MIG, puts less heat into the work yet maintains many benefits of spray transfer, such as good fusion, high deposition rates and/or fast travel speeds. In pulsed spray transfer, the power source switches between a high peak current and a low background current. The peak current pinches off a spray transfer droplet and propels it toward the weldment. The background current maintains the arc, but is too low for metal transfer to occur. This is unlike spray transfer, which continuously transfers tiny drops of molten metal.
*Q: What Aluminum Applications Are Good Candidates For Pulsed MIG?*
*A:* Good applications include those now prone to such problems as lack of fusion, warpage, burn through, spatter, lack of puddle control and poor bead appearance. Any fabricator currently using the short circuit process on thinner metal might want to examine pulsed MIG. Short circuit transfer can be prone to poor fusion (especially at the toes of the weld) and porosity. Pulsed MIG can solve these problems because it lowers heat input to levels associated with short circuit transfer, yet maintains the good fusion of spray transfer. For example, pulsed welding a 1/8 in. thick section of aluminum with a 3/64 in. diameter wire reQuires an average of 140 amps. In the program for this application, a 90 amp background current eliminates worries about burn through or warping, while a 350 amp pulse of peak current provides good penetration and wet out.
*Q: I've Heard That Pulsed MIG Weld Beads Look Good. Why Is That?*
*A:* Pulsed MIG provides good bead appearance because the tiny molten droplets being transferred do not create spatter. Also, because the weld puddle cools in-between pulses, it freezes faster. The puddle is less likely to sag or look excessively convex when welding out-of-position. Operators have so much control over the weld pool with pulsed MIG that they can create beads with a TIG-like appearance. In fact, manufacturers currently TIG welding might consider pulsed MIG as a way to increase out-put while satisfying bead appearance and Quality control demands.


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## NITROTRIP (Sep 2, 2013)

jamie76x said:


> Cast zinc is totally different..... And I think what he is talking about is White metal or pot metal. Thats the really cheap cast aluminum.
> If you have that, you can still weld it but the results will not be very good and it will be a pain in the butt.
> On cast aluminum you ONLY will every use AC and NEVER use the puler.  Pulsers are typicly for people who do not know what they are doing and it takes about 20 years of quality tig welding to figure out how to properly use a pulser.  If you or any one use the "Plulser" to make puddles, then your way off on what it is and how its used.  No pulser, AC current only and adjust the ac balance for more cleaning. If you do not have AC balance then it makes it a little tougher to weld cast.




 I have to not realy disagree with a couple of things but can add to our welding toolbox. I have 31yrs helmet time as a TIG welder, called when I
started "HeliArc". 12yrs of that 10hr day factory, the rest short run fabrication and repair. Lots of cast aluminum. Miller 330 A/BP as
my main machine, It's a balanced wave transformer. Here is what I use the pulser for on cast aluminum and why. With my inverter machine.
You have a dirty casting like a head or oil pan. You end up adjusting your AC balance close to 50% to get enough cleaning action from the arc, for 
the dirty casting anyway. Like not having any AC balance to start with. Here is where AC is used with pulse, you back down your AC balance for
a little less cleaning action but more penetration. set your pulse with only 20% less background current and frequency around 200-250hz.
 What that does is it agitates the puddle and shakes the dirt and impurities to the top. The other benefit is it focuses the arc tighter like 
increasing the AC freq without cutting down the cleaning action. It also concentrates the heat in the weld area a little better before the thermal
conductivity of aluminum spreads it out and warps your part. 

"Pulsers are typically for people who don't know what they are doing" Where I disagree with this statement is, "typically for". If a new welder uses
the pulse tool without starting with base settings there learning curve will be extended for a VERY long time. If an experienced welder sets up the pulse settings for them then I completely agree with that statement. As it can be a crutch. As in a factory setting where they are unable to find
TIG welders with a solid base, but is used to get product done and out the door. But there again it is a tool for the factory to use and up 
production, the bottom line.

 The pulser is just another tool in our tool box. People that have a lot of experience, still will pound on a screw driver with a hammer. Just another
way to get the job done. It's your screw driver. I won't curse you for it but might offer a suggestion. 

Have a enjoyable Labor Day
Take Care,

Rick


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## PlasmaOnTheBrain (Sep 23, 2013)

Hooray for the internet being f***ed! Sorry for the delay, here is more info on aluminum filler metals than anyone would want to shake a stick at....


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