How To TIG Weld Aluminum - Beginners Guide to Getting Started

#tigwelding #howtotig #aluminumtigwelding
In this guide I try to walk you through every step to get started practicing your aluminum TIG welding.
Thank you to this video's sponsor, Everlast. Remember to use promo code VOSS to get a free Nova footped and torch upgrade.
Everlast PowerTIG 255 EXT: bit.ly/Everlast255EXT
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[@JustVoss]

Correction, 15 CFH or cubic feet per hour. I accidentally said per minute in the video.

[@phillipchambers8487]

@Justin Voss, oh man you beat me to it, I was just getting ready to call you on it. Lol Great Job keep up the good work.

[@frozenprakash]

Or 425 Liter / hour

[@henrychapman3798]

@@frozenprakash llplde lol nnbb

[@ButBigger42]

A number 5 cup really only needs about 10 cfh. 15 certainly won't hurt, but it is using about 1/3 more than needed.

[@roguedoge2479]

Copy that JustVoss, 15cfh Over

[@Welddotcom]

You're killing it Justin! We need to collab one of these days

[@JustVoss]

I’m down! Have any cool ideas?

[@jvmiller1995]

You guys should get Jody from welding tips and tricks and all do one of those round hurricane challenge and let us see who is king of the tig weld. All in good fun of course we love you all. Even man cub can compete.

[@kimchiwelder8410]

This is Kimchi Welder who is uploading welding video in Canada. Thank you for the informative video today.

[@Redmech80]

Ok so I’m learning Aluminum TIG right now. You said something in your video that makes sense that I haven’t heard anyone else say. To smash that pedal all the way down to get the puddle started. Due to outer layer taking more temp than the aluminum that is right below the surface. I have been having mediocre results, and had been going to 1/4 to 1/2 pedal trying to get puddle started. Makes sense, and as quickly as aluminum soaks up heat, the need to get the high amps in there quickly is key to get the puddle started. Can’t wait to put this to work tomorrow while practicing. Thanks. And I’m subscribed now

[@derekhatfield937]

Wow you obviously have no basic knowledge at all or comprehension about what is taking place. The molten of the metal, you need to feel some of it and you will learn as you get hand on. Stomp the peddle to the floor get that shit heated up and flow, reduce as you go. This is basic commen sense and what separates the men from the boys in understanding of what you are actually doing and trying to produce.

[@fallosantis569]

nice no bs video.Thank you for not putting annoying intro with cheesy music.Everything is clean like your welds.!!!!

[@JustVoss]

Glad you liked it!

[@phillipchambers8487]

Amen, to that! I just want to learn, not to hear some really bad Euro/Techno shit music. That's why I like Justin's Videos, no BS, just giving a good education on Welding.

[@GotItMade]

I really enjoyed and learned from this video. Thank you for taking to time to share!

[@christopherloeppke4778]

Dude, awesome info, great video, thanks.👍🔥

[@cweeks5211]

What a fantastic tutorial! Thank you!

[@ajsdave]

Absolutely great AL Tig starter video. Thanks!

[@speedrover]

Great video!! Clear and concise!! Thanks

[@jimchris2272]

I love hows the explanation goes, simply to understand, thanks !

[@codilankford6173]

This guy is an absolute BOSS. A year or two from now hes going to be at 1 mil subs guaranteed.

[@rustloversgarage]

Thanks for the refresher information. Good stuff!!

[@gazagne251190]

Thx a lot it will help me tomorow on my first job with aluminum !!

[@georgebuck2269]

All metals are TIG weldable, except zinc which is the plating used on galvanized steel. The short list: steel, aluminum, stainless, copper, brass and titanium. And you can only use Argon or a mix of Argon/Helium for TIG welding. Argon/CO2 is only for MIG.

[@83metalcraftllc52]

Very good presentation. I thought that you did a really good job of being informative and going through step by step and why .🤘🔥

[@starforged]

Thank you Everlast for sponsoring a great video.

[@prospectvic]

This has got to be the best tig weld for beginners i have seen on KZbin, I have seen alot of them, yours takes the cake. I will have a tig very soon, can't wait to replay this when I do. Ima subscriber now. Thanks heaps mate

[@3sgtepwnzr]

Best explanation of ac balance! Thank you so much.

[@dennisroeser1063]

Excellent video. Very good preparation, efficient communication, information was informative and specific. Thanks for sharing a quality video that can help me get started!

[@nickmaclean5816]

Great video and an excellent TIG machine!! Thumbs up!

[@natesgarage]

Wow - straight to the point. TY!

[@tuxbokn]

Very good, perfect detailed info! And thank you so much for giving information i metric/euro system also!

[@larrymasterspowerbuildingc4477]

Thank you. I finally have found a job with a boss that uses all processes and TIG is one that he is willing to show me. Gonna take some notes so he can see I brushed up for when he decides to train me. Subbed and I hit that bell! All the best, boss!

[@markpatton4592]

I hardly ever comment on anything, but I just had to say we'll done. Been a weldor for 20+years, dabbled in aluminum, just got a multimatic 220 from miller. Really good video, I already see at least 5 things I was doing wrong yesterday. Very helpful

[@matthewcotterill7155]

THE BEST video i've seen on tig welding proccess. No nonesence and to the point. Well done sir.

[@emwecker]

Fantastic video. Informative and well edited the pace kept from getting boring which some welding videos are susceptible to being.

[@GoalOrientedLifting]

Thank you, this really helped

[@danssv8]

Thanks for all the tips mate

[@DIY-Sy]

Very good video. Perfect for a beginner like me. Not too caught up on the advance details and settings. Straight to it. An advanced aluminum TIG welder can be concerned with those advanced settings, a beginner just needs to get started.

[@warwicklarkins7438]

Thanks for the video, really helpful ✌

[@fordracer1415]

Great job thanks for sharing

[@stephenjeffares1471]

great intro to TIG for me, love the way you include metric alongside imperial for us in metric brain function

[@Sleeperdude]

Good video thanks for sharing

[@candyman5749]

I've been welding for years and can weld almost everything except aluminum TIG. Hopefully this video will help me. I made myself look like a fool today trying to weld this stuff.

[@hugh9park]

You make it look so easy

[@king0cans]

Good job as always. Thanks for letting me know about that inferior unit you replaced.....

[@glennsibbers8569]

Thanks Great Video

[@bluedemonweld]

Great video big guy! Green tungsten (pure) works well on older transformer type power sources. It will eventually die off with those machines. Lol

[@shadow8972]

Thanks bro, helpful info.

[@jvmiller1995]

Love my Everlast 221sti. Best money I ever spent on a welder. Smooth............

[@buhaykoreavlog720]

thank you for this video.

[@Shipfixer]

Just what I needed! Straight talk and to the point. I just purchased an Everlast 210 ext. Been welding for about 40 years with stick and MIG. But always wanted to get the hang of TIG welding. Especially aluminum. I'm getting on in years of shipyard fabrication so TIG welding will be fun and a little less brutal than I'm used to. In my opinion, you have given the best no-BS example and advice. Kind thanks for this. Instant LIKE and SUBSCRIBE! Greetings from Alaska.

[@antouttaqb2423]

Great Video! I just got my first job offer a day after my graduation. I take my first test Monday. This is a great tutorial!

[@everlastgenerator]

Nice explanation brother 👊 Looking forward to see what you build with it 💚

[@jvmiller1995]

You guy rock I bought a 221sti a few years ago. Amazing machine

[@everlastgenerator]

@@jvmiller1995 Glad to hear it! #weldmeanweldgreen

[@tomb8847]

Great video I learned a lot on setting up machine how do you go about welding cast aluminum to extruded aluminum thank you

[@frozenprakash]

Excellent video, very detailed information on why DCEN / DCEP is not preferable for Al and to go with AC !

[@othoapproto9603]

yeah, thanks Everlast, Someday I will buy a tig.

[@chorizojuice]

Wow your great at explaining how it all works. Made it understandable for this noob

[@rjbubba4335]

I like your video you take your time and make it plain with a good step by step

[@JustVoss]

Glad you liked it

[@dewayne2189]

Great teacher wish i could work beside him in person !

[@terryharms235]

Thank you

[@sammyatencio9863]

Thank you bro nice machine bro

[@deejayskip4089]

Really enjoyed this informative video

[@JustVoss]

Awesome!

[@dannymiller9033]

Lol I gotta repair something before I go build,backed over a stepping stool that was scabbed together, figured be great thing to practice on,have an old Miller stick welder with the capability for aluminum

[@WHIPBASH]

Good 101 aluminum TIG welding video 👍

[@bma56]

very good 👏🏼

[@cyrusramsey4741]

Great video 👍

[@andrebreytenbach9938]

Good stuff !!

[@axcreates_official]

Very informative! 👍😌

[@JustVoss]

Thanks! Hopefully it will help a few people get going.

[@amcustomfab]

Great video brother. Lol I promise when my video comes out next week I wasn't copying I promise I recorded it last week. Really enjoying your work thank you.

[@JustVoss]

No worries man! Same has happened to me haha

[@johnversluis3084]

great video !! keep it coming the biggest thing with Everlast is the bad custmer support after the sale I have seen feedbacks that people had problems out of the box and everlast dosn't stand behind there welders and have the custmer send it back on there dime !! Primeweld covers shipping both ways and there mech is 1/2 the price and both are made in china

[@georgebuck2269]

All metals are TIG weldable except zinc which is the plating used on galvanized steel. The short list: steel, aluminum, stainless, copper, brass and titanium. And you can only use Argon or a mix of Argon/Helium for TIG welding. Argon/CO2 is only for MIG.

[@kennyfuhr1095]

I’m in college right now and I had to take a TIG class just recently, and I’m definitely noticing a huge difference between how we’re being taught and how welders in the field weld aluminum. The main difference is that I was taught that you can’t have visible marks or bulges on the back of your work piece (no bulges where you’d see the penetration marks) and when I watch tutorial videos on KZbin, the welders have huge penetration bulges on the back of the workpiece. So I’m curious and would like to ask, what should the back side of the aluminum work piece look like after you weld it?

[@backwardsyoga]

it's funny hey, I remember in class my teacher also telling me the heat marks on the back were a bad sign but when I did a welding interview at a shop the manager there looked at the back of my plate and told me I needed to put more heat in so I could see the heat marks on the back, denoting proper penetration

[@kennyfuhr1095]

@@backwardsyoga lol I’m happy I went to college, but it still annoys me that I find out more and more how much from college is different than the actual field. Overall I’m happy with my experience though, college in my opinion was way easier than high school.

[@BlacharzOstatniejSzansy]

Hello. Can you tell how do you record actual welding process? Some sort of filters?.

[@durantetest]

Is there a less expensive Everlast model that will do the same with aluminum? Anyone?

[@teraneer17]

What do you wipe your filler with to clean it and how do I know what cup number to use I normally use 7 and green tungsten but I’m trying to better my welds

[@DanielHunterUSA]

Good video

[@joseromo378]

I use blue or gold tungsten works like magic

[@brianjennings8538]

This is probably the best demonstration for beginners I've come across!

[@joycefields7389]

Nice I wish you teach me as a student

[@R1Custom]

Hello VOSS. Can you share how you film your arc weld. And tips to filming better weld shots.

[@svt283]

Good video. What helmet do you recommend?

[@telliott100]

Justin, what is the least expensive (but still effective) aluminum tig welder you could recommend? I build aluminum airplanes and want to do my own welding. Thanks, Thomas

[@dannysimpson1559]

Best video I've seen on this, but when you said use a stainless steel brush that will contaminate the material maybe coppers better ? Or brass ? Good video though 👍🏼

[@danielturner6626]

I’m going to buying a titanium tig 200 is this a good welder to start with?

[@acurarl9929]

Question. I have vector ac/dc tig welder. It has a dial labeled SP and goes from -5 to +5. Not much of a manual with this machine. And I’m brand new to tig welding. I’m mig welder but nvr dome aluminum so this is new machine and new kind of welding

[@sammyatencio9863]

Nice bro

[@acurarl9929]

My local airgas store witch is are only welding g store. Sold me green tung different thicknesses but green for sure. I’ve been fighting the tips burning/ balling ect. I’ve gone they several packs. From what you say I shouldn’t be using green for aluminum. What’s the correct color?

[@Zarlax]

Just came back here after making a mess out of a bunch of aluminum. What size cup do you use?

[@zenteno5p]

can you make an vertical alluminum tig welds

[@rated-rkid3968]

Tnx for this. I am also welder 😀

[@bradbusch9585]

What is your foot doing on the pedal do you back it off when you dip the stick down or what? Just trying to figure it out with out having a welder

[@JustVoss]

In this video I didn’t pump the pedal but sometimes I do. I only backed off it as I welded to keep the bead width consistent.

[@alexanderbernier2522]

What is best to use to cut aluminum

[@mikeatlanta9306]

Can you do a tee joint Tig welding video??...that's the only joint I struggle with

[@superdide7759]

Hello Justin, I'm starting to weld aluminum a bit and what color of tungsten from Blue Demon you advise me to use to weld aluminum with 100% argon gas, and thanks for all your super interesting videos. Didier.

[@JustVoss]

I use their pink multi-mix for everything.

[@superdide7759]

@@JustVoss Ok, Thanks.

[@jamjamthejamman]

Great video!!

[@justincase7078]

Quick question, I’ve been welding for about 5 years. Both in plants and fab shops. Mostly Tig welding Stainless and Mild steel. At my current job we do very little Aluminum welding. The problem I’m having is porosity in the welds and inconsistent weld size. If anyone has some points I’m all ears. I used 3/32 size tungsten and 2% tungsten.

[@chrislopez2153]

wasup my dude. First off, I always use the purple-stripe tungsten. It's just a great all-around alloy to use, but 3/32 is a great tungsten size. If you can afford it, go for a brown stripe tungsten, which contains zirconium oxides that hold an amazing arc. I run 1/4" diamond plate at 135 amps. I like it nice and hot to really suck out all those pesky oxides. This dude in the video is cool but he only wiped down his metal with an acetone wipe. That's ok for some, but a time-tested method I use is spraying down your piece with acetone, letting it sit for 20 seconds, and then brushing the piece with a stainless-steel brush IN ONE DIRECTION. The last part is absolutely crucial, as a back-and-forth scrubbing motion will actually impregnate the aluminum with the oxides you want off the metal. Make sure the metal is ABSOLUTELY DRY before you start. This dude also uses a #5 cup. I don't know how he gets away with that, but for us mortals, you need a least a #7 cup for aluminum. If you can, spring for one with a gas lens. From what I've heard the gas lens makes TIG aluminum better than sex. Make sure your tungsten and filler are also clean. Any dark spots on the tungsten tells you it's not, and that they need to be ground off. Wipe your filler down with acetone, too. Keep your torch angle as close to 90 degrees, like Justin in the video. Hopefully that fixes your porosity problem. As for weld size, that comes with practice, so keep trying and watching the Tube. Happy welding!

[@jeffbrown8252]

Hey Justin, wondering about the type of table, and if you need an aluminum block to weld on? Also, assuming the ground clamp is on the table (no mention of that for beginners)...lastly, I noticed when I'm in TIG Aluminum mode on my Miller 220, it's much noisier than TIG Steel/Stainless...is this normal?

[@JustVoss]

Steel table with the ground clamp hooked to it yes, as long as the part is touching the table you’re fine. For aluminum TIG, it is welded with AC current and yes it is louder than DC because of the cycling.

[@5deeplogic676]

Jeff, I have watched ... numerous ... _beginner_ welding videos for all types of welding. As vital as proper grounding is for welding, I am amazed at the vast number of _alleged_ beginner videos which say _absolutely nothing_ ... about grounding. However, I do appreciate the vast knowledge provided by said videos, including this one.

[@freem5216]

Great video what helmet are you using?

[@JustVoss]

Thanks, it’s a Blue Demon Pano

[@christophershannon4448]

I just bought the 210 ext. It arrives today and I can't wait to try it out. Is there any way to retroactively use that promo code??

[@aaliyahbartley7797]

Did it works perfect?

[@kyleclark1479]

Can a Miller multimatic 255 tig weld aluminum?

[@albertoreyes4114]

Dude you are badass

[@JustVoss]

No you are!

[@ColossalCrib]

I run a Dynasty 280 ...

[@jameseastwood4984]

Thanks for posting. I have some aluminium body repair to do on a classic car and was considering doing it myself. I have a MIG welder, and have also done a lot of gas welding, and was considering buying a TIG. I looked up your KZbin post about getting started, but your Everlast 255EXT is $2,500, could you recommend something that would get close to the results you get but is designed for occasional us by a hobbyist, rather than regular use by a professional? I'd guess I'd prefer to be in the $600 range if possible.

[@ianmac86]

Might be difficult for Justin to reply here but I have had a Boss weld TIG 161 AC/DC/HF unit for about 20 years. There are some pretty "cute" TIG welders on the market for reasonable prices now I've noticed. Good Luck!

[@jameseastwood4984]

@@ianmac86 thanks Ian. I will look up your brand.

[@JustVoss]

Can check out that one Ian mentioned. I also have a video on the AHP alpha TIG 203xi. I think it’s a little over $700 right now. There’s a link in that same video description. That’s the least expensive one I have actually used that also does AC/DC. I’m sure there’s other good ones out there too.

[@eddiemonster]

🔥

[@TheWrate]

Thanks Justin, just starting out in TIG, cannot figure out why my welds don't look as tidy as yours. Oh wait, practice right ;-)

[@JustVoss]

Once you get past the basics that’s really all there is 🤷‍♂️

[@TheWrate]

Justin Voss Thanks for the encouragement!

[@timothyrouse2853]

If i ever get to weld this good , ill be 6 feet under ,lol

[@sugiartototok]

For the final result, how much the Voltage and Wire Feed setting?

[@JustVoss]

All over the place, sorry I don’t remember. It’s pretty machine/wire specific though so didn’t think it mattered. Plus I wasn’t 100% happy with it yet.

[@tylerstewart74yaho]

My weld pool will have "air" bubbles come up in the puddle/and weld bead and will leave porosity/caverns . What is causing this? I make sure everything is clean

[@freakgamingtv1783]

Hello. Just want to know. Tig weld for steel and tig weld for alloy are still the same tig welding machine?

[@JustVoss]

If the machine has DC TIG and AC TIG then yes. Some machines are DC only (steel) for different reasons.

[@Sandeep4747gupta]

Good ......