TIG Welding Thick to Thin Aluminum

[@AkPacerPilot]

Makes me feel so much better, that I’m not the only one dipping the tungsten occasionally…. Good stuff, thanks!

[@Parents_of_Twins]

I'll be happy when I get to occasionally. Swear I spend more time at the grinder than in the chair.

[@jklololol9691]

Happens to the best of us 😂 lucky it don’t happen to me often at all now but at first Jesus…

[@natenate2280]

@@Parents_of_Twinsrun short tungsten and sharpen both ends, saves 2-4x grinding time

[@Parents_of_Twins]

@@natenate2280 Thanks for the tip I will try that.

[@paulkurilecz4209]

@@natenate2280 how do you figure that? Doesn't it take about the same amount of time to prep and sharpen the tungsten at each end? I just have about 10 sharpened, fresh tungstens at the beginning of the day. At the end of the day I resharpen the ones that I messed up. Some days it is only two or three, other days it can be six or seven.

[@plokijij7856]

I have been trying to tig weld for months! I have bought a ton of stuff, cups, lenses, different tungsten and still my welds were terrible! Until yesterday after exhausting every possible reason for my results I looked at the gas bottle which said Argon, but when I looked again it is speed shield argon for mig!! Which is not straight argon!!! I can’t believe after watching months of watching videos and not understanding what was happening it if a basic thing that was the cause. As pissed as I was I quickly became relieved that now my welds are starting to look like they should!

[@mattlarson9897]

I love your honesty. I hate it when people make it look like they did something perfect on the first try with their eyes closed.

[@waynepearson7058]

Stunning video thank u for your expertise

[@pixiepaws99]

Having watched all your TFS videos, I can definitely tell this is far from your best work. But THANK YOU for showing how important practice is and how many tries it took to get a decent result even for an expert such as yourself. And THANK YOU for keeping the tungsten dips and shaky hands in the video. People tend to show off their one in a thousand best work on photos and videos, and it's easy to look at that and get discouraged with your own work/process. But we shouldn't forget that behind those perfect results were a thousand mediocre practice runs and hundreds of hours of practice. It just takes a lot of practice to develop a steady hand and consistent beads. Edit: Tips for welding thin parts: - Use a higher frequency like 180Hz-240Hz for a more stable arc and lower penetration - Sharpen tungsten to a more acute included angle, like 20°-25° to widen the arc and reduce penetration, and grind a small flat about 0.5mm in diameter to knock the pinpoint tip off - Preheat the sheet metal with a blowtorch to reduce warping - Consider automatic pulsing or pulsing with the foot pedal to increase current when you add filler

[@pixiepaws99]

@@Tig_Weldor You can do whatever you want. These are just tips. Higher frequency doesn't "tighten" the arc, but it does increase stability. And if you warp your sheet when preheating, you're doing it wrong.

[@projectgz]

Shut up

[@glengee4462]

@@pixiepaws99higher frequency absolutely tightens the arc, I do it all the time.

[@Chris-vx5kp]

This reminds me of the time I had to weld some thick stainless steel fittings to a 16 guage stainless panels to be assembled into a box. I did it this way so I could using backings to prevent sugaring. They warped the crap out of the panels they were welded to, but once I assembled the panels with the fittings, you wouldn't even know there was a 1/2" "W" on the sides. I water tested each one, and sent it out a total of 4 that Friday. That Friday afternoon hit 107 in the middle of summer, and I was at work till 8pm. That was the day I started looking for an office job, and here I am posting from the office missing welding.

[@donnieji4825]

You are so kind to help us for free. Give value and get customers. Good method. You will get me and the wife as soon as we finish school. That way we can come to you and your instructors with bit more practice at the basics

[@mocko69]

I have never welded in my life and don't plan to, I just enjoy watching welding.

[@loomer2162]

You should learn! It's a great skill to throw in your toolbox, just pick up a harbor freight flux core machine.

[@WeldCoachOfficial]

Thanks for watching!

[@sehpatr4724]

@@loomer2162 he should start with a MIG... I started with flux core and it was terrifying, I thought I was stupid. 1st Mig weld so clean/easy.

[@dustinharley4303]

Justin, good stuff man. I appreciate you keeping it real and being honest about how perishable this skill is. You can never practice too much. Great job explaining the technique for thick to thin parts, I definitely learned something. Thank you!

[@scottresch9912]

Justin you are always as real as it gets man. Thanks for the video.

[@donaldmarty8445]

Thanks for your honesty! Always enjoy your vids and as a weekend DIYer have learned a lot from them learning to TIG aluminum in the last three years.

[@joemurray8902]

Your honesty gives me confidence. Thanks.

[@anicekevorking3753]

Welding during the Superbowl, what a pimp. Respect

[@paulsampson6024]

I was thinking the same thing!! Let’s get some work done and teach at the same time all while everyone is watching the game..

[@joehighsmith2951]

I had a Bod Ross flashback but with tungsten and powder coat. Please take it as a huge compliment

[@petersmart1999]

My first welds with tig were all on soda cans! A friend(35 years as x-ray welder) told me to start by welding soda cans together,because if I can figure out how to weld the cans without blowing them apart,thats a good place to be! Thx for the video!

[@TheFabricatorSeries]

Your friend is messing with you. Welding soda cans, razor blades, and aluminum foil are all parlor tricks. They mean and teach nothing other than you got messed with when you were trying to be serious.

[@ethan....]

Hey Justin, I appreciate the authenticity and honesty in this video. Don't worry about justifying yourself to the commenters, it's not needed brother.

[@1959BB]

I did learn from this - that no one is perfect, and I mean that with the greatest respect Justin. Doing the welding on that tank, I'd have done it the same way. I've always got annoyed at having a few stop starts whilst welding round tube, but sometimes it's the only way to do it.

[@JonesMetalCraft]

Great video Justin. I really appreciate your realism and honesty. Thanks!

[@LostCanuck192]

Seeing you dip your tungsten is so encouraging. When I dip mine, I don't beat myself up about it. Unlike when I watch other video creators videos

[@mmwracing975]

You’re the Bob Ross of welding man👌🏼 learned so much from this channel

[@garyjames3626]

Hi from south wales UK. REALLY ENJOY your no nonsense and honest vids. Would love to sit at the bench with you and go over a few things. Very informative, entertaining and honest. Thankyou

[@industrialmarinehydraulics5437]

Really love your videos and learned a lot from them, also love how you didn’t edit everything out of this video to show what really happens in the real world and still rocking right thru it! Keep up the good work and look forward to more of your videos

[@petersmart1999]

Well,call it what you will! But it taught me to use the filler as a chill block,it taught me patience,it taught me to keep the tungsten out of the puddle,as well as heat control! I get what you are saying,but it was quite difficult,and it took dozens of cans before I figured it out. I had never touched a Tig welder and to watch him do a beautiful bead around a couple of cans end to end made me want to do it! I started right out destroying an entire pack of tungsten,I vaporized alot of cans( cheap materials) and learned what 2 amps can mean to the weld! But,patience was the best part of the process,because as you very well know,cast aluminum has a mind of its own and I have done quite a bit of it,with great success,due to patience,and It built confidence! So,is it a parlor trick maybe,but does it have a usefull side ,absolutely!

[@paulkurilecz4209]

Very appropriate topic. I am welding a 1.5" x 0.125" wt short piece of tubing onto a 1 3/16" diameter solid rod. It is good to see that I was not that far off but you gave me the tips that will help me get some better welds. Tyvm

[@autumnjeserich2689]

I believe you with the powder coat because welding a cast aluminum intake manifold I learned sometimes there's no amount of cleaning that will remove all the garbage from a dirty cast part like that.

[@johanandersson6325]

Awesome information from u as always 👌Bought a tigmachine 1 year ago after watching alot of ur videos. Here i am still watching videos, not even tried to weld yet 😆

[@capnmoench4246]

I'm liking the new channel, man. Thanks for all you do! All of your stuff and Pacific Arc channel have taken me from a novice to still a novice, but one that can actually lay some decent, functional beads over the last 6 months. My friends say they look good, but I'm still in need of practice to get them looking near as good as what you pros can do. Appreciated!

[@eugenegonzales8665]

Love the honesty. I've started the warm up process, especially with stainless.

[@stevenjones2852]

Good to see all the mistakes and problems you have had with this job. It makes me feel better that a pro is also a human, just like me.

[@WeebRemover4500]

protip: to cool down the tungsten touch it to the material once power shuts off, this saved me so much time for grinding burnt tungsten when i was doing a lot of small welds pretty much ALWAYS is the freshly welded metal colder than the tungsten electrode and tungsten rapidly gives away its heat

[@nickb.6884]

I'm very thankful you make these videos. I've been watching your videos since the very first Ahp video.

[@OLDSKUULGARAGE]

Depending on the series aluminum a preheat can help as well. Nothing crazy just enough to get things moving faster on the bigger piece. Really good real world welding video!

[@gussfoundry7600]

Professional, earnest & thorough as usual! Why do you use 4043 as opposed to 5356 Filler?

[@walter2990]

Thank you for posting this method. I'm still a nubbie with Tig, and any advice or instruction will help me become the welder I ain't! Stay well, stay thirsty, my friend!

[@makantahi3731]

otherwise, when I watch aluminum welding, everything is always simple and beautiful, finally someone has problems like me

[@the_bishop]

Justin, thanks for all the help! Your videos have been incredible for getting me started with TIG welding.

[@poetac15]

Super excited to learn this. I just finished a project where I ended up using a bolted connection after failing to join two dissimilar sized pieces.

[@boostismagic]

Damn, you're shop is right there next to that massacre. 🏴‍☠ And the Luxor...No wonder your welds are so good. Power of the Ancients Made my first tig welds today, alot harder than I expected coming from oxy and Mig. Your videos are a national treasure.

[@jesseperkins1349]

Thanks for the videos i have big test coming and i dont have any real training on aluminum and its 500miles from home so im gathering all the knowledge i can

[@scottcarr3264]

Talk about "Thick to thin", I have been Tig welding Aluminium Frames up at work that are 2 1/2" cube corner blocks (6061) with a 1 1/4" hole through the middle and welding 2" x 1/8" angle to the 2 sides 90 degrees to one another, (to make a rectangle) I do a Pre-heat on the Blocks (and jig) and use a 1/8" E3 Tungsten at about 240 Amps, and weld them inside and out side, using 1/8" 5356 Filler rod, the Frames are about 55 inches long and 25 inches wide set up on a Large solid steel Jig. Yeah, Pointing that Tungsten at the Thicker part and watching which direction it flows is pretty critical.

[@blakamin]

Love your honesty. I always hate going straight from SS to ali, or the other way. Or MIG back to TIG. (MIG = anyone can weld)

[@GWAYGWAY1]

When I welded thin fuel tanks on an aircraft putting a new proprietary filler with a thick section, I turned it down to be a better comparison to the tank. Worked well.😊

[@victormildew1717]

I would have done the same ! Header tanks need a pressure test, once welded.

[@STOJATEK]

Thanks Justin! This was helpful info for a project I'm working on, getting that reassurance and reminder, which probably helped save the week, so thank you!

[@sehpatr4724]

Dipping Tungsten 7:07 nothing special just for reference. Thank you for your honesty we learn.

[@Apocalythpe]

Thanks for the vid! It's more oddly satisfying since i don't weld. I still like watching this stuff

[@johnpolak8923]

Justin, thank you very much for all your time, and videos! Also, the weld metals store is super!

[@ughmas]

Awesome video on this topic thanks again, I had used your information on this previously and just last week welded some 1/32 inch steel to 3/8th inch plate. Definitely all about the torch focus! since the amps are high for the thick material, just the edge of the arc is enough to melt the thin stuff and get it all to fuse.

[@marshmallow220]

This is realistic honest welder right here.

[@kellycoe1787]

Great vid man.. its great to leave the “dips of tips” in there too.. my only other comment would be about wearing sleeves.. I’ve had too many “sun burns” without even knowing it and the cancer will come.. but again… great work Justin.

[@tomsawyer9637]

Heyyyyy! When i saw the goofy thumbnail i knew it was gonna be a good one. Glad to see new stuff coming from ya

[@T1NMAN0]

Oh man I was searching for a video like this a couple weeks ago 😢😢

[@poetac15]

Yeah same 😂

[@userpike]

I'm not sure if you've covered this in the past but I'd like to see different grades of aluminium welded together in this same video format. So instead of thickness, it would be grades, or both even! Which do you start the arc on? Which do you keep the arc on? Which filler? What if you don't know what you are welding because you pulled it out the scrap pile? Is infinity really forever? Why is that Kesha song in my head right now? All are valid questions.

[@MidEngineering]

Nice real world demo. The relative thicknesses of the parts is not the only consideration though. The overall size (&shape) of each part is a factor too. Welding a small pipe onto a tank can be really tricky even though the wall thicknesses of both parts could be the same. Apply the same principle - focus the arc on the part that's going to soak up the most heat.

[@michaelschulz4317]

Don't be to hard on yourself today I chose to start at the hardest weld on the part, I goofed it up everyone was waiting on me to get it to QC standards, I should have started on the opposite end that was not obstructed instead that would have warmed me up for those welds and given me a better feel for the part but nope instead I decided to warm up on the obstructed welds. At least you pulled it off the first time.

[@adambergendorff2702]

great arc shots

[@melgross]

Yes, practice is very important. Even with MiG, supposedly “easy”, practice is needed. If I don’t weld for a week or two, I’m off. TIG is hard to get right. It requires concentration on at least two and more often, three of your limbs.

[@theoriginalDirtybill]

Justin, where is a good source for those weld fittings? especially the rad cap fitting.

[@erasersixtyseven1293]

Keep the filler rod into Gas , and Downslope at the end to reduce cracks .

[@hiteracing1489]

This channel is so helpful thanks

[@rayp.454]

Hey Justin, did I see you use a brass brush to clean the aluminum? If so, can you tell me why it is better than a stainless brush? Thanks for the great video!

[@romanoschwabel3716]

the adapter is very small and so will get warm very fast. so no problem then to weld it to the tank problem would be for example if the tank would be as thick as the adapter and the adapter only so thin as the tank walls

[@GeofreyBwambale-h2g]

I appreciate your time to us

[@2blazedinfl]

thanks for the replay and circle, we never would have seen that ground arc

[@dimeweld]

“Looks like it has leprosy” had me dying bro lol

[@benjamin2339]

as a welder for an anodizing company who only does aluminum mig and is learning tig on my own, the thick to thin works the same but the biggest difference is how clean things need to be we regularly weld through previously anodized parts which you have to burn through the coating. all of my welds at work are basically temporary but have to be fast and have to survive being dunked in giant tanks then get broken off. My job is a good way to learn how strong aluminum welds can be but totally different. Why does mig act like a jet blowing material away kind of but tig really doesn't do that if that makes sense?

[@zerostuntz9226]

3:32, I was just asking myself if you took the paint off the bottom or not lol

[@dewayne2189]

I was welding some 1/16 sqare tubing aluminum today , it ran good i cleaned it with wire brush and acetone only problem i had was when i when down on my foot pedal it wouldn't start up right off i had to let off and back on back off and back on it finally started up were i could get a puddle going idk why it was doing that the welder is brand new its a titanium 200 tig and stick from harbor frieght , great welder but not so good on the foot pedal its one those bulky ones maybe its the pedal im not sure . If you have any advice, thanks .

[@Hamid-az]

Attention friends who watch this video: In the old videos, they said that hand tremors, which cause welding failure and lack of mastery, are due to lack of experience, but this person's hands are shaking in this video, and it has nothing to do with experience and mastery, and it is more indicative of nerve and device problems. There is digestion. Therefore, it is recommended to see a doctor if you have hand tremors.

[@TheFabricatorSeries]

I'll tackle this comment because I think it's a little out of context. Beginner welders that get shaky hands are usually because they aren't in a comfortable position, which makes the hand twitch and shake. It can be fixed. If it's a natural tremor, it has to be dealt with. My shake in this video came from welding in a very uncomfortable position. What you probably don't realize is that my arc shots are POV (point of view) to make it more realistic or part of the experience. That basically means that my camera rig is sitting where I would normally sit, which means I have to reach into the shot and view my work from far away. It is very uncomfortable and sometimes my hands confirm it.

[@paulmorrey4298]

Thanks Justin

[@outdoorzone]

Is there any advantage to welding aluminum on an aluminum base like you have on your welding table? Thx

[@gregquinn6827]

Work looks great! But, how do you weld without sleeves and not get sunburn?

[@marshallmazzarelli8797]

Whats ur favorite welding helmet u ever used hands down!!!!

[@m4rvinmartian]

*If you had access to the backside, would welding that side be preferable?*

[@sacrificialrubber779]

Why in the fuuuuck am I just now seeing this video? Been subscribed to your other channel for years! WISH I had the money for a class

[@WeldCoachOfficial]

The vid is only a day old. You should subscribe to this channel and turn on notifications if you want to see welding content.

[@paulgerrity6077]

Hey man. I hate my infinity gear. The electronics are fine but headgear sucks. The ergonomics of what you are using here sound/look super smooth. What helmet is that?

[@n20cpri]

Can the class work for a complete beginner - like from scratch? Or is some experience needed?

[@WeldCoachOfficial]

Absolutely! Any level of experience (including none) can sign up for a class. We always start with what you know and go from there.

[@n20cpri]

@@WeldCoachOfficial Appreesh, thanks

[@janrasmussen5466]

You are fantastic, as a mentor/ Instructor. You sounds Hournest, you admit , that you make mistakes to. But still moving on , Instruction. 👌🍻

[@albinl947]

At 5:42 the arc kind of sputters before you get going, why is that? I occasionally have this problem when welding aluminum, too low amps?

[@philirwin2028]

I don't know how your arms are not cherry red. If I welded without sleeves, I would have cherry 🍒 red arms.

[@osirisptah]

question, why does the arc start sputter like that when striking the first arc? Is that for a cleaning effect or just during the initialization it does that?

[@karlopadilla2718]

what did you use to take out the paint and prep it all clean boss?

[@pault4513]

J i see you using standard ceramic cups while other stars use the gas lens i get the personal choice but why

[@olecoot]

Thanks Justin :)

[@rays9033]

Great video, thank you!!!

[@gino27224]

Thanks for showing us real world day to day welding and not that pompous hey look how onse in blue moon pretty my welds are. I learn more from this that that belony stuff.

[@raulrubio2862]

Do you still do classes at your shop? In the summer?

[@Chris-zn5is]

What are you welding on as a backer? It's aluminum? How thick?

[@WeldCoachOfficial]

The plate is called a Bench Top Welding Plate and it is available at Weld Metals Online

[@Chris-zn5is]

@WeldCoachOfficial sweet thanks man. Love your content, thanks for making me a better welder

[@WeldorLife]

i like these videos

[@mao5990]

great video, thankyou

[@johnjelinek-g7b]

Another great video . And truth is all anyone needs . :)

[@jamesbrussels5776]

Hi it would be so handy to have a welding helmet with an amps display

[@felixcosty]

Thanks for the video. Just wondering is there enough room in the chin area of the welding helmet to drill a hole and put a camera in?

[@WeldCoachOfficial]

It wouldn't be a very good camera if there was room.

[@Nitrxgen]

1:24 You said you're using a No.5 cup with a flow rate of 15 ft³/h, but according to your other video on cup sizes you explained a rule where a flow rate between 10 and 12.5 ft³/h is needed, and another video explained that No.5 is ideal for aluminium because it's non-reactive and doesn't need that much gas. Can you explain why you overshot the maximum flow rate if aluminium doesn't need that much gas? Or was it just an arbitrary choice?

[@WeldCoachOfficial]

Cup number x2 is minimum flow. Cup number x2.5 is maximum flow. Most people just put it in the middle. Anywhere between min/max window is fine. I tend to use max flow on horizontal outside corners.

[@cest7343]

"...maybe because i talk too much, or didn't weld recently, likely the ladder" DAMN! Now i need welding a ladder too! 😖

[@tomsawyer9637]

Can i make a request for some good arc shots of stainless 316 sanitary welds? Trying to see what my instructor calls "sparklers" in the puddle but we have a communication block and i dont know what he is talking about.

[@WeldCoachOfficial]

Ask for better explanation or articulation of what "sparklers" mean. I've asked our coaches here, and we have 5 different definitions. All could be right or wrong.

[@tomsawyer9637]

@@WeldCoachOfficial thanks for the response, I did ask again. Kind of just looking for the swirl and disruption around the edge of the puddle now. Full pen but a little slow and ever so slighlty concave. Now to figure out the stops without getting growth niches! Almost there.

[@hiteracing1489]

Have some issues tig stainless steel exhaust it's thin been using .045 and 45amps

[@peas42]

yooo, he posted

[@hubbunchdd6035]

Creating monetary appreciation via commenting

[@kenc4104]

So that's what my Thermal Arc 185 looked like before it became a Thermal arc?

[@Poverty_Welder]

is this possible to do on an older machine? say a transformer with no fancy settings?

[@TheFabricatorSeries]

Yes. I have done it earlier in my career (same concept). But I don't own a capable old school machine, so I can't demonstrate it.

[@dennisbaker6814]

Naaa, you were just practicing your 🎶 dip, dip, dippy dip, dip 🎶