Tig welding aluminum, water cooled torch or not?

[alloy]

I've got a everlast powertig 200 dx. https://everlastwelds.fi/english/products/PowerTig200DX.html

I've been taking a welding class and using a miller syncrowave at school. Just before the end of the class for the quarter the instructor had me try aluminum. For the most part it went pretty well. I found out it can go bad very quickly and start to ball up. I found it way easier to use the syncrowave than my everlast.

I'd not tried aluminum on my everlast until a couple of weeks ago. I'm using some 3/16" x 3" x 14" long 6061 aluminum parts for practice. It's been vary hard to get the welder set to even run a bead. I was going to attach a pic of my control panel, but unfortunately it's hard to get a pic to be able to see all the settings I have. I'm at 130 amps and pulse is on, post flow it set low to save gas, at this point I'm not concerned about the end of weld.

The problem I'm having and the questions I'm asking is do I need a water cooled torch? I can do about a 4 " bead and then the next one beside it is way overheated. The weld is sunken in and looks like crap. I turned the plate 90 deg and it goes a lot better with a shorter weld length. I didn't have this problem with the syncrowave.

Will a water cooled torch help this? I can put a water cooler and a new torch on for around $500.

And as I said getting the everlast set to work has been a real pain. I saw this lincoln on a ritchie bros auction close to me. I can't tell if it's since phase 220v or not. I'm wondering if it would be easier to use given a lot less extra settings to mess with then the welder I have now. Like I said the syncrowave at school was way easier. I could buy it and sell the one I have now.

Or, is all this my fault and just don't know what I'm doing that's causing the problem?

Lincoln 225 Mobile TIG Electric Welder | Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers

Lincoln 225 Mobile TIG Electric Welder

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[MrCrankyface]

I don't see why cooling the torch would help your problem, it will only help holding onto the torch since it will get insanely warm after a while(if air cooled and high current).
If you're overheating the material, you need to cool the material and not the torch.
Are you using a pedal? As the material gets heatsoaked you need to back off on the amps to keep it from going south.
Also, just intuitively, 130A feels quite high for 3/16" thick material, unless you're REALLY moving along.

I'm really just guessing here, but have you increased amp because your penetration was lacking?
If so, maybe you need to clean the material better so the oxide layer is easier to break through.
And/or check your balance settings out if you need to increase the cleaning action to break through and not overheat the plate so much.
Just a memory that came up from when I was starting out on aluminium and hadn't cleaned the oxide of enough. Had to crank it up so much that the aluminium "behind" the oxide started melting whilst the surface itself was still solid


But uh, short answer, water cooled torch will not affect your weld, only your comfort/max current.

 

[graham-xrf]

A water cooled torch mainly allows you to keep welding for extended periods without it becoming too hot to hold. Also, it limits the deterioration of the torch parts by heat. The advice from @MrCrankyface is exactly right. Water cooling or not has no effect on the weld quality.

Once water cooling is present, so OK, the torch does not burn you, but it creates room for another design dynamic, which is to permit a given torch design to be smaller, with lighter, more compact and flexible cables. I have a CK brand sized WP-20 that run 250A, but would be wrecked in seconds without water.

I know the cooler kits can cost hundreds, but you can be temporarily cheap 'n cheerful with various DIY get-ups while you make up a sweet cooler as as a project, or maybe save for a commercial one. Any small plastic water feature pump can do it, as can any of many used in the leisure industry for sailboats, RVs and the like. There are YT videos of these, but a simple bin of around 40 litres of tap water re-circulating will not get overly hot for most welding jobs.

There are the most extensive videos on welding aluminum, and TIG welding in general. Check out "This Old Tony", or "weldingtipsandtricks"
"The Fabrication Series" has the most detailed and extensive education I have ever come across. In addition to what you learned from your instructor, check out some of these.

Which TIG Cup Works Best on Aluminum? -->

Your Very First TIG Welds with EXTREME Detail -->

 

[pontiac428]

I'm not surprised that you find welding to be a pleasure with the Syncrowave (and, therefore, Dynasty as well) welders. They have sophisticated pulse and stitch modes that drastically reduce the duty cycle of the torch and machine. As far as I am concerned, these are the best welders out there. I don't have much experience with these new, imported switched-power suitcase welders that everybody is touting these days, so if they are where it's at, then I've missed it.

A water cooled torch will allow you to stretch your duty cycle out by a bunch, but they won't make the weld cooler. That's not their job. Water torches are meant to make the torch work harder before melting down. You would be able to go go go instead of taking a break to let the torch cool.

Aluminum conducts heat very well, but has no heat capacity to speak of. Stainless has a high heat capacity, and you can tell by how much you have to put in before starting your weld. But alloy is the opposite, you start hot but must roll back on the heat as you progress. This is learned by practicing blowing the puddle out of your work until you get frustrated and adapt by doing everything you can to avoid it. Also, shine up your work with scotchbrite so you can see it frost before it goes molten. If the oxide layer is too thick, the alloy underneath will puddle before the oxide shell cracks and blows your weld all over the table. So clean clean, high initial heat, and back off. I'd buy a water cooling setup if you plan on doing more welding, otherwise air cooled has been enough for many who stay below 100A.

 

[Reddinr]

First, I'm a beginner welder and have been for about 10 years, so grain of salt. I have an everlast tig welder and it does just fine on aluminum. I usually spend an hour or so on scrap before any project to get the feel back and to get the settings right. That's because it can be weeks or months between tig projects. I find that a pedal is a must for me with aluminum. As mentioned above the heat can build up and you have to back off on the amps as you go.

I clean / brush the cr*p out of the weld area and use acetone. I'm probably overdoing it. Use a clean stainless steel brush that never sees steel. I don't think I would bother with pulse on 3/16". Be sure your AC balance and polarity are set properly. I have several electrodes sharp/ready to go and change out as needed without waiting too long.

My last project was a success, a frame to mount propane tanks on my trailer. I can't say all the welds are pretty but most are fine. The thing is, by the end of the project I think I had the hang of it...

 

[alloy]

A lot to think about.

Yes I'm using a pedal and I use my angle grinder to get a nice shiny surface before trying to weld. I've noticed it doesn't take a long time to get a puddle on my first weld, but it takes much longer on the second pass. That's why I'm at 130 then back off. I hold it til I get a puddle then start adding rod. Then it starts overheating even backing the pedal off. On friday I got a magnifying lens in that I kind of jammed into my hood and it helps a lot.

I've watched those videos and they are very helpful. I'm going out to practice almost every day for a half hour or more.

I'm really surprised at the difference in my welder verses the syncrowave. It' enough of a difference I'm looking at used syncrowaves. The one I use at school has digital readouts and the used ones I've found so far are non digital for about $1800 to $2000. I could probably get a few hundred out of my welder so that would bring the cost down. I am wondering it the 30 amp circuit I'm using for my welder will be enough for a syncrowave. Probably not I'm guessing.

I've always wanted to be able to weld. Eventually if I get good enough I have a transmission casting I'd like to be able to weld on. But for now I have a guy I take them to. I'm about to finish up my nova project car and hopefully start on my 55. I can imagine a lot of things on it that need to be fabbed up and welded on it.

 

[erikmannie]

I use a watercooled torch, and that gets hot! I recommend that you get a watercooled torch.

I certainly don’t like to let my weldments cool down too much. I would feel the need to touch up the cleaning if it were to have a chance to re-oxidize. I like to skip around (for a number of reasons), choosing where to weld based on “preheat” level (as well as minimizing distortion).

 

[graham-xrf]

I am wondering it the 30 amp circuit I'm using for my welder will be enough for a syncrowave. Probably not I'm guessing.

I know that at the business end, the key parameter we normally set is controlled current in Amps, and that is right when we are discussing what happens right at the weld, but when it comes to power circuits delivering to the welder, we have now to also consider the voltage. Power (Watts) = Volts x Amps.

For a given power, the current draw out of the circuit very much depends on the voltage it started at. Put across a 220V socket, 30A is 6.6kW, which is way more than what it takes to make most weld puddles. Being in UK, our supply is 235V ring mains. I don't know if 110V (120V?) welders are common in USA, but I would think that many might be 220V types that connect across both 110V lines, using the 220V connection like cookers and heaters. The higher voltage option draws half the current, and quarters the supply losses

I'm about to finish up my nova project car and hopefully start on my 55. I can imagine a lot of things on it that need to be fabbed up and welded on it.

Aww - don't leave us guessing! A "55" what? When you are done on the Nova, plan on posting a picture.
I do admit that after dinner on Saturdays, I do like to settle in and watch Steve Summers doing a great job on his Chevy (YouTube).

 

[7milesup]

I wouldn't waste money on a water cooled torch unless you plan on doing a lot of continuous fabbing or you have money to burn. It really depends on how much welding you do in one sitting. Below is a 9 foot finial that I made for our church steeple with my Lincoln and its air cooled torch. I had only pieces of the old one after a tornado went by, along with some pictures of it in the church photo album.

 

[alloy]

Aww - don't leave us guessing! A "55" what? When you are done on the Nova, plan on posting a picture.
I do admit that after dinner on Saturdays, I do like to settle in and watch Steve Summers doing a great job on his Chevy (YouTube).

Yes I have 220v available. The everlast is 220. I'm thinking I may take my welder to school and have the instructor help me with it. She said it woukd be ok. Class doesn't start til next month.

Well a 55 chevy of course. Is there any other kind worth having? It's a 2 dr. handyman wagon. I just tried to buy a barn find 55 hardtop that was on facebook but apparently my $15k offer wasn't enough. The car was a time capsule. Had a 60's style battery in it, bias ply tires. Perfectly straight, but was 300 miles away and I'm guessing someone closer with cash in hand got it. I was ready to head out with cash but never got the chance.

I've just replaced the steering box on the nova. Had to pull the left header to get the box out, and to do that I have to pull the exhaust. And naturally the new box had a different shaft size on it and had to order a new rag joint. Now I need to pull the steering wheel and rotate it, but it's an aftermarket wheel and uses 1/4" x 28 bolts on the adapter and I'll need bolt that size for my puller and I don't have a single 1/4" x 28 bolt anywhere much less one 3" long.

I dropped my front seat off march 30 and haven't got it back yet. I get excuses after excuse and notes saying thanks for my patience. I'm out of patience. I absolutely hate the bucket seat that I have, they are out of a supra as far as I can tell. I'm waiting to put the exhaust back on to see if the steering box solves the steering not returning and a turn. It just felt very heavy to turn.

If I ever get the bench seat back I think I'm going to have to move the shifter forward to clear it. To do that they make a mid shift kit for the t56 and I'll have to pull the trans apart for that. I need to at a minimum pull the tail housing off it to replace the 5th gear syncro if I don't move the shifter. I can go up into 5th, but not down. I've also got a set of billet solid syncro keys for the 3-4 syncros. They routinely break and the upgraded keys solve that. I'd rather do it now and not tear up my 3rd gear and have to pull the trans again later.