Got the Argon bottle and got it all setup and tried to do some test welds on a piece of aluminum.
Didn't look to good. Changed the settings and tried some more test beads. I guess I'll keep practicing.
Started building a new cart to hold the new Tig and my old Wire feed. Got about halfway thru welding with the wire feed and ran out of wire. Ended up using the new Tig on DC to finish up.
Tig DC is a whole lot easier than AC for Aluminum. Just need to get more steady so I quit dipping the tungsten and having to stop and regrind a point.
After doing that twice, I just ground a couple more extra and just changed them out when I dipped it in the puddle or touched it with the filler rod.
Finally got it all welded up. It's not pretty, but the welds are strong with good penetration. When I did a good weld with penetration I was happy, but then the next one sucked.
Big learning curve with Tig, compared to Mig or stick.
Still need to add some shelf plates, and make the bottle holder, prime and paint.
Next weekend hopefully.
I'll try and get some pics when I get back out to the garage.
Overall I would say that the AHP Alphatig 200x price is awesome and is a very good welder.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for the Home Hobby Shop.