Help welding thin Aluminum PowerTig 250EX

[everlastsupport]

Anything change since the last project? The unit will do 5 amps AC or DC like Mark said. Looks like you were inside so no breeze I would guess. Know anyone that can loan you an argon tank? How much argon is left in the tank. Jody posted up a homemade filter a while back. That is an option to check the gas. Does it weld OK over 50 amps or so.

[joshtodd1984]

Anything change since the last project? The unit will do 5 amps AC or DC like Mark said. Looks like you were inside so no breeze I would guess. Know anyone that can loan you an argon tank? How much argon is left in the tank. Jody posted up a homemade filter a while back. That is an option to check the gas. Does it weld OK over 50 amps or so.

Yeah, no breeze. I went ahead and got a new cylinder so i don't think it's related to gas. It does seem to do ok with higher amperages. I stacked dimes on 1/8" plate without any issues. I just get the sputtering when dropping down to do thin stuff.

I'm currently working so i am unable to try anything at the moment. I could possibly try a few things when i make it home this evening. I was thinking it might be the material i was trying to weld. I found some similar material i can try when i get home.

Is there anything i can check on the machine itself? Anything adjustable on the internals of the unit or maybe some diagnostic stuff i can try on the boards?

[Rambozo]

Yeah, no breeze. I went ahead and got a new cylinder so i don't think it's related to gas. It does seem to do ok with higher amperages. I stacked dimes on 1/8" plate without any issues. I just get the sputtering when dropping down to do thin stuff.

I'm currently working so i am unable to try anything at the moment. I could possibly try a few things when i make it home this evening. I was thinking it might be the material i was trying to weld. I found some similar material i can try when i get home.

Is there anything i can check on the machine itself? Anything adjustable on the internals of the unit or maybe some diagnostic stuff i can try on the boards?

From the second video, it's pretty clear that you have the right arc length and the torch is steady. Things start off ok, then without anything changing, the arc becomes unstable, and the sputtering starts.
The one thing you can check is the HF point gap, if your model has the open point system. Not likely to have any bearing on your problem, but it's something to eliminate from the troubleshooting. Another thing that is always good to check are the board to board interconnects. Re-seat the connections to make sure nothing was shaken loose during shipping.

[joshtodd1984]

From the second video, it's pretty clear that you have the right arc length and the torch is steady. Things start off ok, then without anything changing, the arc becomes unstable, and the sputtering starts.
The one thing you can check is the HF point gap, if your model has the open point system. Not likely to have any bearing on your problem, but it's something to eliminate from the troubleshooting. Another thing that is always good to check are the board to board interconnects. Re-seat the connections to make sure nothing was shaken loose during shipping.

Yep, that is exactly what happens. One of the videos i did start out with a longer arc length but brought it in closer after. The second video is a little easier to see that nothing changes. Sorry for the poor quality. Kinda tough to get a decent video.
Didn't think of reseating the connections. Maybe I'll try it when i get home....Assuming it wouldn't void any kind of warranty. I'll try to update this thread if i have time to do anything after work.

[everlastsupport]

check all the connections and the gap on the points.

[joshtodd1984]

check all the connections and the gap on the points.

Any suggestions how to go about discharging the capacitors before checking the gap? ...short of unplughing it and leaving it off for a few days.

[zoama]

Any suggestions how to go about discharging the capacitors before checking the gap? ...short of unplughing it and leaving it off for a few days.

They discharge quickly when unplugged. Give it about 20min and you're good.