TFS: Understanding AC Balance

[@adcockerell]

I have to say that this has to be the best TIG teaching resource I have ever come across. Absolutely no timewasting, gets straight to the point. The verbal instruction is professionally synchronised with very clear footage and graphics and presented at just the right pace to hold your attention. And he clearly knows what he's talking about. Justin, you are a credit to your industry.

[@tonybush2]

that is probably the clearest explanation and graffics of what is happening I have seen. Thanks for the informative videos

[@supakat500]

Tony Bush Agree...plus he was using Ahp 200x Tig showing connections. One of the biggest issues I have is the work and how pure the aluminum is. Now understanding balance better, I should be able to get better results when welding two diff grades.

[@TheFabricatorSeries]

supakat500 I have the AHP specific vid coming up soon. I've been lurking around groups and forums trying to find info about what people are struggling with on that machine.

[@michaeltaylor9316]

I was about to say the same thing until I saw your post.

[@teamcow550]

35 yrs of welding and that is the best I have ever heard for a explanation. Thank you......

[@vanmann8347]

Absolutely! Thanks

[@tedpoole4569]

Thanks Justin, your videos have been invaluable, you explain everything so well with superb delivery and humor, my welding has improved vastly since I've been following you. Thank you once again.

[@rockdog2584]

Very Well done Justin. As Tony B. said, the graphics painted a very clear picture of what's going on. Even my college welding instructors didn't get it through my thick skull that nicely. Kudos, my friend.

[@janis4019]

This is the single best explanation video i have seen on youtube. Its just very clear and down to basics in simple terms. The visualizations are very simple, but that the point. Thank You. Very good video.

[@markharris5771]

"A ball of snot in a sousing casing." I knew it would be a bad to put a chocolate marshmallow in my gob! A phenomenally well explained video, even I understood it! The graphics were amazing and really got what you were saying across. I would come to one of your classes but my doctor banned me from flying about 8 years ago and it takes a long time to sail from the U.K. Fantastic video, thank you.

[@rsanchez9192]

Very impressive, this guy is spot on. Even Tig Time’s “Mr. Tig” makes mistakes gets polarity wrong constantly. This shows how much time this guy has in the classroom. It just rolls off the tongue very quickly and 100% correct! Very nice. Nice illustrations.

[@Mfil]

This is the type of video that every TIG welding class should have, clear and to the point.. Great Instructor!

[@bongomuteveri6377]

Bro is on point💯… after many trials at work I’ve resolved my AC Balance trouble.. thank to u man. U simplified a rather tricky process… I appreciate you

[@jamescannon7267]

This episode plus AC Theory is foundational to us newbie wantabe welders. I’m a retired Pipe Fitter and a artistic metal fabricator these two episodes have been extremely helpful. Thanks, Studio565 Jim

[@DavilaSombre]

Simply the Best explanation on KZbin for beginners! I love you man!

[@petemoore8923]

I can’t stop watching your videos! They’re so good! I know how to mig and stick and I’ve seen a million videos on ALL processes but now it counts. We bought a TIG machine to do some easy “sh*t” welds that nobody will see but I want them to be right. THANK YOU!!

[@bamcustoms7327]

Without a doubt the most informative welding tutorial I have watched yet, not to say the others are that bad, but this one is that good...

[@brianbender7438]

Extremely well done. I’ve been welding with all kinds of machines for close to 50 years and this video was a nice “tune up’ for my brain cells. He knows his stuff.

[@jellyfinger]

This makes foxtrication so much easier to understand. Thanks Justin.

[@gx1400sc]

You're real pro, a world class standard in teaching. Thanks.

[@paulthompson4326]

This is freaking brilliant, I am an electronics tech so totally understand all about waveforms,frequency, polarity, and spilt polarity waveforms etc etc, but I am a new comer to TIG welding aluminium ,just bought my first machine today, this video glued it all together, good job

[@aquadan005]

Justin your descriptions and explanations are so clear and simplified making it so easy for beginners to understand. I'm subscribed and still look forward to watching the rest of your videos. Please accept my thanks and keep up the great work.

[@tomuchfunwithgas846]

That was KISS and it was PERFECT. Thank you. I've seen big blue and big red explain this subject and neither was as clear, particularly the last segment about how your machine displays balance.

[@TheFabricatorSeries]

To much fun with gas I've never really understood why Miller doesn't have solid info on the subject when they're the ones who created AC balance control. Still not sure why it's on the negative side either, but I heard a cool story a while back about it being a goof that stuck.

[@kimpaulsson8653]

Thanks! Now I can weld my generator bracket. I have become a masterwelder with stainless just by watching your channel. Tomorrow I will try cast aluminium again! You are the best. Thanks❤ /Kim from Sweden

[@vanmann8347]

Was that clear…..CRYSTAL! Thanks for your informative narrative on frequency and balance adjustments. You rock!

[@williamdavis9650]

Best ever explanation of AC balance

[@CheezeMaGeez]

I recently started AC TIG welding aluminum, suddenly it all makes sense. Thanks for the free information.

[@garymanser9723]

This is a very good explanation. The only thing that could be added is why electrons travel from negative to positive. The answer as you probably already know is that electrons are a negatively charged particle and therefore attracted to the positive side (I.e. the side with fewer electrons). I leave it the you to decide if this will helps or hinders the explanation. Regards, Gary.

[@iliasraptis5136]

You are the best dude,i made a present to myself when i bought the ac/dc Tig and i feel like you made me another one with so much useful knowledge that you offer, realy thank you so much, hava a good one, Greetings from Greece!!!

[@jeffluther1363]

Thanks!

[@STohme]

This is the best technical presentation I heard on this topic. Excellent work and very nice video. Many thanks.

[@Flyingmikey62]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Visuals with words are so much easier for me to understand. And yes current flows negative to positive, at least that is how I was taught it 35 years ago in the Navy. Need to get out there for one of your classes, picked up a 255EXT a few weeks back and would love to learn from a pro how to fully utilize it. Keep up the great videos!

[@ryleychi584]

Yeah this was one of the best videos I've seen explaining this... Thank you

[@calholli]

THANK YOU.. I've asked so many people to technically explain what it is "balancing": Whether it's frequency or if it's adjusting the amplitude. So "balancing is essentially changing the duty cycle. Interesting stuff

[@ДмитрийГура-й7х]

Thanks, man. I like your videos. Your explanation is very clear and understandable. Keep doing all your videos in that manner. You are the best.

[@wheelspinner20]

Great tutorial! Finally figured out my made in Denmark machine displays the balance on the negative side! Really great information Thanks!

[@noneofabove5586]

Very nice explanation. I'm a new tig welder and these descriptions helped me understand the settings.

[@twwtb]

"Bowl of snot in a sausage casing." Ok, it's going to take me a lot of time to get that image out of my head. Thanks Man!

[@TheMrkylester101]

Just here to put it back in your head

[@nathan100tz]

Great explanation. Especially the part about the snot in the sausage casing.

[@trebornirtus6514]

The best explanation I’ve seen yet thank you for your time and post

[@EZ_shop]

I'd give you two thumbs up, but KZbin won't let me. Best explanation I've ever seen.

[@raymondjackson6069]

Fascinating and CLEAR! And thanks for ZERO razzle-dazzle!

[@snoopydoggy5196]

That was very well explained. I have always been a bit hesitant to change the AC settings on my powertig welder. Now I know what they do.

[@geoffreypavia5906]

Thank You. You have the best BALANCE of knowledge and teaching.

[@nbrowne73]

And I thought my tig welder had a fault !!!, swapped the positive and negative leads around and not I can weld !!. best vid on tig setup I have seen thanks..

[@cramersclassics]

My son and I are just learning TIG. Best video I've seen. Awesome production in every way. Thank you!

[@joewest1972]

By far the best explanation of AC welding of aluminum. Anyone who ticked on the thumbs down must have done so by accident, because you're not going to find anything better than this, cause it doesn't get better than this. Two questions, if I may. What camera setup do you use to shoot your welding? And... What program did you use to illustrate?

[@joandar1]

Agreed Joe West, there is no misinformation in this video. I is clear concise and well presented for ALL to understand. I am new to this AC TIG/GTAW and this will help me with my next effort at welding Aluminium as we call this same material here. Cheers from John, Australia. PS: For any that choose to correct the word look up what it is called in other countries and tell them they are wrong too. I am kind of over all the griping about a material that we all know what it is, that is all.

[@nguyenvietanh09]

Thank for tip, understood why have had call DCEN or DCEP and AC balance for welding Aluminum.

[@calebbarker7684]

I’m not a welding yet, but have been wanting to be one for nearly three years but didn’t have my ged to go to school. Well I finally got my ged and got accepted to school and I start next month March 2022. This helps a lot

[@AlanJohnson-x7s]

that explanation finally made sense of this question to me. thank you.

[@raulosorio8337]

Bro I been welding for 14 years and never had this explained to me haha thank u!😊

[@mr.renovator4859]

Hi guys! Great explanation: pls note though, that BY PHYSICS DEFINITION, CURRENT ALWAYS TRAVELS FROM POSITIVE to NEGATIVE. However, the electrons travel from NEGATIVE to POSITIVE..... this is the truth and makes it even harder to grasp. Thanks for a very good welding channel :-)

[@jeffsnively5637]

Great Video. The AHHA light finally came on and made sense!!!! Thanks

[@stuartgeller7937]

Good explanation. I have a better appreciation for what my Everlast tig welder is doing when I use it now.

[@jrcicirello]

I thank you for making this video and the content so easy to understand. Wish you would have made this video 3 years ago when I got my Everlast 251STi. The manual made what you said in this video confusing as heck. Maybe I need to send you an email about setting up my pulse on this fantastic machine. Stoked about the Free LIVE training class coming up soon.

[@tonysigalas512]

I understood everything in one video. The best explanation I have seen! Thanks friend

[@Mdkayakangler]

Oh yea by the way this is the best KZbin video yet to explain this yet great job 👍🏽👍🏽

[@jamessonger3]

Braaaavooo!!!!! Very very nice video!! If u keep doin very basic and easy to understand videos like this you are gonna help soo many ppl its not even funny. Keep up the great work!

[@ronaldgenendlis6423]

You are the real Mr Tig!!!!!! Thanks for the videos!!!

[@CHEVI789]

Brilliant mate, new to this pulse and balance stuff, thanks heaps.

[@prozeke07]

Love that balance explanation. When I was getting used to playing with it I did some cast valve covers that I could not get why it looked like hot garbage. Figured bad cast... turns out I was playing with balance the wrong way at 90/10. Once I got back to 70/30 it went like butter. Great visuals, I'll share it with my learning tog buds.

[@durtwurk]

Great video. Love the graphics, those really helped me wrap my head around it

[@garyhowe88]

Foxtrication... thanks for the video! Best explanation I've seen!

[@Sintatnun]

Finally understand that. Thanks.

[@tedpoole4569]

What a superbly informative tutorial, brilliant, thank you so much.

[@sedulousdabbler5468]

Brilliant, simply brilliant.

[@patmurphy3410]

Your videos are top notch!! Good stuff and thanks for putting it out there👍

[@Jaxon_chickenjoe9]

that is the best video on this subject. well done

[@edwardhayes5000]

Best video I've seen on this subject.

[@facuclop]

thank you!! the best welding explanation of youtube!!!! greetings from Argentina!!!

[@jvmiller1995]

Very well explained. Thank you making this video.

[@3falexchina]

Thanks for the video from Kazakhstan! If there is some time I will travel in my live across the US, definitely visit your classes)

[@weldingjunkie]

Awesome video everything just clicked to me. HTP Invertig 221 is great as you know you can change not only balance but amperage in each of EP & EN like the Dynasty 350 can so you get that ball if you want like the old transformer machines

[@MrNigel1340]

Thank you Justin, your explanation was crystal clear.

[@jeremybaldwin9764]

I appreciate your videos. Very well done. Keep em coming!

[@tommyv5435]

Best. Welding. Video. Ever

[@MakingStuff]

Lots of good info here. Thanks!

[@larss337]

Very good explanation, things are much clearer now. Question: from 2.45 in video, what is the orange 'halo' around the arc?

[@jimmyfavereau]

what in the foxification are you talking about Justin??? this is perfect for my next mission! I just picked up the PRIMEWELD TIG225X 225 Amp IGBT AC DC Tig/Stick Welder with Pulse CK17 Flex Torch and Cable 3 Year Warranty/24/7 support (outstanding review btw) and its time to 'make some chips' um waitaminute, thats for turning and milling.. anyway SUPER COUPON ALERT (last day) for the Vulcan SafeArc at HF.. 120.00 xulags! thanks again! I'm gonna get another coffee now and a notepad

[@hjthiessen]

breaked down to the point, very good explantation!! thanx

[@dragoshell8068]

Thank you so much , after a while practicing, i`ve understand better how electricity it work on TIG welding.

[@КириллАндрее-о7е]

thank you! great video! everything is simple and clear!👍👨‍🏭

[@Laura-wc5xt]

Justin, well done and explained...best wishes to online weld metals...cheers, Paul

[@scorpnz4433]

Had to do a repair on my cast ally mower, just now. A crack that had separated the bracing (left side to right side) at the bottom rear of the mower needed to be stitched back together. Did a quick practice on some nice scrap ally panel (not cast), seemed ok. Ok time to hit the cast, what i didn't do was set the ac bal to 30-35 % which i had used on the panel (for some reason i set it to 50/50) Now i know why the dam thing was spitting tacks (didn't help with getting low on argon either, which i'd set to 15 tho most probably should've taken it down to 12) . It was a pain to weld like that however i persevered (only needed to weld 2.5") & got it done at least for now. Although my settings were up the Khyber it didn't turn out too bad. It could've done with a bit more grinding to create a deeper V for better penetration & strength. That cast really is a dog. The only other time i've welded cast ally was with a 150 amp mono mig (transformer style), i have to say the tig was far better if for no other reason than getting heat to the material quickly & at the same time not overheating & blowing through, where as the mig started cold with a huge blob then slowly came right, a bit to right when the heat got too much lol. Watching vids is great for getting settings & seeing what it should look & sound like, it then allows one to understand whats being said after welding as it's hard to imagine when you've never done it. edit: i also didn't use the square wave i used the sine so i guess that didn't help either as i thought if i switched to the square it would activate the pulse function which is what happens when i stick weld & switch to it on purpose. I didn't think about turning the pulse frequency etc knobs to 0 lmao . Ok more tinkering with settings & waves & see what happens, it's no wonder people get those machines that set everything for them, what can i say i'm a Masochist

[@danbell7007]

Very nice bro! AC balance made easy!

[@bewing77]

While the effects of it may be described well by this, if one wants to be strict, the physics are a bit different. First of all, current doesn't flow from negative to positive. Electrons flow from negative to positive - they each carry a negative charge, and when negative charges travel in one direction, you have a positive current traveling in the other direction, that is, a positive current flows from positive go negative. Secondly, the oxidation layer isn't "blasted off" by the current moving from the material to the torch - as said above, current doesn't travel in that direction. However, the current flowing from the torch to the material displaces electrons from the argon atoms in the gas. This makes them into positively charged ions. As we all (hopefylly) know, opposite charges attract, and since in this configuration, the material is negative, meaning the positive ions created will rush towards the material and it is this stream of ions that will displace the oxidation layer and allow welding to occur at the core aluminum melting point of about 1500 degrees. Love the vids.

[@dolphincliffs8864]

Most of the stuff you listed around 2:00 2:27 is an alloy. All of it.

[@cosscat]

Hei Justin, just to be "politically correct" here. Electrons travel from '-' to '+' ... because well electrons are negative. Current is a convention and travels from '+' to '-' (Kirchhoff law) and same goes with voltage. I guess it is simple for human mind to see something going from '+' to '-'. Often this convention is very easily visualized as water flow (from top of the cliff to the botom of it). Cheers (by the way nice video, I just bought my first profi TIG AC/DC machine and can't wait to play with it :) )

[@squib308]

If using AC cleans the oxide off aluminum, why couldn't you use AC with steel that has mill scale or rust on it, and clean it the same way? Is there some chemistry or physics reason I don't understand?

[@moeriou8431]

Brooks Ellis less stable arc

[@JustPietzche]

The AC arc is less stable, and steel cleans well enough with a wire brush that you don’t need the cleaning action you get from AC.

[@melgross]

He explained the reason why you need to do this (with smaller welders, industrial aluminum welding often uses DC) the oxidized skin on aluminum, which forms almost instantly on aluminum when exposed to the oxygen in the air, melts at about 3,800 degrees F. The underlying aluminum itself melts at about 1,200 degrees F. So the problem is that you melt the aluminum underneath the skin, but not the skin, at least, not at first. So you can melt through thin aluminum without getting the skin melted fast enough. Because of that, your welding rod, when melted, won’t stick properly, and it will be a mess. Steel doesn’t have that problem. But remember that when TIG welding steel, you must clean off the mill scale and other junk, often by grinding, before you weld. You can weld through it, but it will be a poor weld inside. MIG welding is very different, so you can weld aluminum on DC, and you can successfully weld through scale on steel.

[@teznumber1]

Arc in DC is directional and very focused unlike AC which is less focused and less stable, but a fundamental misperception people make/or explain is that the 'cleaning' action doesn't and will not 'clean' surface dirt, oils, or any contaminants it will only break down the surface Oxide of Aluminum which has a natural affinity with oxygen.

[@teznumber1]

@@JustPietzche AC doesn't 'clean' anything it breaks down the surface Oxide of Aluminum which has a natural affinity with oxygen, therefore if the material/work was dirty, oils, paint etc. on surface the 'weld' would be contaminated and look crap!

[@MrYftuna]

I just purchased a 325 ext everlast and mainly want to weld aluminum does the torch plug into the positive side or negative side. Thank you

[@bluedemonweld]

Great video Justin

[@wallbawden5511]

mate thanks a bunch for trying to teach us new types to weld Aluminium when showing us the alloy side you say your going a bit slow and yes i have bin welding and using TIG A long while back now trying to reteach my self now the QUESTION and i cant blame you if you don't answer its all good (( but is there a setting where you can slow things down some what as at moment in trying to keep up with the puddle and dipping rod its all a bit quick and i am melting the work piece any help would be appreciated thanks wally

[@TheCatsa]

Thanks for the help on this. Well done.

[@garywalker2776]

I am considering the purchase of a TIG welder with a balance range of 15% to 50%. This will obviously be the % of positive (cleaning). Am I likely to ever need more than 50% cleaning?

[@tomherd4179]

Didn't learn anything new, but you did a great job of explaining it! Thumbs UP.

[@Mh976]

Thank you man. This means alot to me.

[@charlesduperron1104]

excellent demo easy to understand thanks à lot well appreciated

[@xtacy12]

Sir, what is the setting that you would recommend welding 3mm aluminum? Considering that I've cleaned the material? What are the settings for 1. Balance 2. Amp 3. Tungsten thickness and type Thanks

[@petervang6493]

I'm a rookie that just start tig welding . I need some good advise on tig. Im currently using a millermatic 215. 120/240 Volt..

[@nutcheeseroot2198]

You're Doing excellent job. But I would like to see more on the one I'm purchasing Everlast PowerTIG 200DV 200amp 110/220 Dual Voltage PULSE ACDC Welder.

[@TheFabricatorSeries]

I don't own the 200DV, but if I can get ahold of one, I'll make a video. It's a very popular machine.

[@ronjohnson7699]

Does the cost of the welding classes include all the materials metal, aluminum..etc Thanks

[@TheFabricatorSeries]

Ron Johnson Yes. The only thing you need to bring is yourself. We do recommend bringing your own gear (gloves & helmet) if you have it so you're comfortable, but we have it if you don't. All metal, gas, consumables, and machines are included and we have 7 machines to learn on.

[@mrnetwurm]

Fantastic video. Helped me a lot.

[@ben_3256]

This is a fantastic video.

[@andyb7754]

Very, very good explanation. Thank you.