Tips and Advice For Tig Aluminium Welders

TIG stands for Tungsten Inert Gas. It’s a process of arc welding that utilises a tungsten electrode to make the welding possible. Although there are many other ways of joining aluminium together, TIG welding is probably the most popular method because of the lighter gauge of aluminium.



Other methods, such as Arc welding, run the risk of going through the metal. Over the years, the automotive industry has upped its use of aluminium, and as a result, the TIG aluminium method has grown in popularity.



Here are some useful tips for all TIG aluminium welders...



If you’re using an AC current in the welding process, wait for the material to become shiny. Only then will it ready for a filler rod. So make sure you keep an eye on the area beneath the tungsten rod and wait until it becomes shiny.



Once it’s time to add the filler rod to your aluminium weld, you’ll notice that the pool will start to rise. So make sure you bear this in mind when you come to placing the tungsten over the part. Otherwise, the weld will rise up and the tungsten electrode will become contaminated.



If your welding your aluminium and you don’t see any reinforcement above the plate, then it’s either because the rod you’re adding isn’t enough, or the weld has sunk because the heat is too great. This is known as "burn-through".



It’s very important that the angle of the rod to the torch is correct. They should never be at the same abgle. If this isn’t right, the rod will melt because heat will reflect off the part. To combat this, be sure to put the rod in under the heat.



It’s crucial that the rod enters the pool by being pushed in, rather than the heat of the arc "drawing" it in. This is the same for any process where you need to put the rod in by hand.



Make sure that the items being used are cleaned thoroughly prior to welding. The best way to ensure this happens is to use a wire brush made out of stainless steel. And be sure to label the brush so that it’s used only for aluminium.



Another good tip is to keep the area between the work piece and the tungsten (otherwise known as the arc length) as short as you can. This will mean that you hand is a lot more stable



Be sure to follow these tips when you’re welding, and the results will be a lot better.



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