New PP 205 Asking for help w/Aluminum...

[Ray C]

Once again, I appreciate the last couple thoughtful replies.

Here is another photo using 1/8" ceriated. It's just buzzing away like crazy and drilling pits. I've tried a careful rotating and weaving motions with no luck. BTW: I'm not using the foot pedal. The settings are otherwise the same as the last photo.

Once I get past this little hurdle, I'll be feeling much happier but, at the moment, I'm calm but confused...

Also, I have about 400lbs of AL on hand in all shapes and sizes. Don't be afraid to instruct me to try a difference size piece of stock.

Sorry for troubling you all but I don't know anyone who knows TIG and the local community college canceled all their welding courses.

I will indeed try the other types of electrode if that's recommended. I chose ceriated because it it's not radioactive and several online guides and books suggested it for general purpose work including AL.

BTW: On the first shot, I was able to stick some 1/4" 1018 together in DC mode. Not the greatest looking bead but I couldn't break it in half with a hammer...

[performance]

That is a gas problem. What kind of gas/mix are you using? edit: scratch that, you said 100%, sorry.
Don't run the gas through the air regulator.
What AC balance and Freq settings are you using?
Ceriated was touted at one time by Miller, but in side by side testing, even they have backed away from it somewhat. Thoriated is used throughout the industry and it is the standard. More radiation comes from your cell phone or a pocket watch, than from thoriated. It's an alpha emitter and cannot even penetrate the skin.

[Ray C]

I gather it's OK to connect directly from tank to inlet?

I've tried balance from none to full with increments of 10 in-between. Frequency is mostly at 150 but I've tried down to 125.

I'll try bypassing the regulator but FYI: I hung a small weight on the water release to keep it shut at low pressure. Seems it doesn't like pressure below 30 PSI.

Question: Even with ceriated, should I still be able to run a bead or is it totally worthless at Amps in the 130-160 range? I noticed it goes fast above 130.

EDIT: I connected directly to the inlet and cranked rate up to 10 lpm. Also tried using a thinner piece of 1/8" stock and adjusting Amps to recommended levels. -Same thing. The arc sounds sporatic and skippy to me but I have no reference point. The difference is much worse than compared to stick welding in DC vs. AC mode.

[performance]

You have a gas problem with that gray area around the weld. It could be contaminated gas, or some issue related to gas flow. If you tried to plasma cut at too high of pressure, you could have blown the lines off inside...or there POSSIBLY could be an internal leak. Too much flow will cause a similar problem as too little flow as well.

[Rodsmachineshop]

dose he have his welding leads connected rite polarity

[performance]

It's a possibility, but it usually won't smoke out like that even if the tungsten burned up.

[Ray C]

Yes, that was the 1st thing I checked. + goes to workpiece.

[Ray C]

I did some plasma but regulated the source tank at 40 PSI. I was very careful of that. I've used dedicated plasma machines many times before but am new to TIG and this particular machine. The gas comes from a very reputable place in town that I've gotten my ACY at for a long time but, anything is possible I've learned...

By any chance, have you looked at the pictures of the settings and do they seem reasonable?